This week in Christian history: Martin Luther King Sr. dies; Amy Carmichael goes to India
Charles Anderson elected presiding bishop – Nov. 13, 1929
This week marks the anniversary of when Charles Palmerston Anderson was elected presiding bishop of The Episcopal Church, having previously served as bishop of Chicago, Illinois.
Born in Kemptville, Ontario, Canada, Anderson was consecrated a bishop coadjutor in 1900 at the age of 35 and was elected head of the denomination at a special meeting of the House of Bishops.
Anderson succeeded Presiding Bishop John Gardner Murray of Baltimore, who had died before completing his six-year term in office, as reported by The New York Times in 1929.
"Bishop Murray stood for the whole Church," said Anderson, as quoted by NYT. "He had no geographical or ecclesiastical prejudices. The Church at home and the Church abroad shared equally in his tender solicitude."
"The Church cannot carry on a nationwide and worldwide enterprise with many laborers and many agencies in many fields without efficient organization and large sums of money, but organization and money and buildings are only a means to an end. It cannot be said too often that the main concern of the Church is religion."
Anderson only served in the position for a few months, as he would die of a heart ailment on Jan. 30, 1930, at the age of 65.
