This week in Christian history: Samuel Ferguson elected bishop, UMC labels homosexuality ‘incompatible with Christian teaching’

By Michael Gryboski, Editor Sunday, April 20, 2025

Samuel David Ferguson elected bishop – April 23, 1884

The Right Reverend Samuel David Ferguson (1842-1916), a native of South Carolina who became the first African American member of the Episcopal Church House of Bishops. | Public Domain

This week marks the anniversary of when Samuel David Ferguson, the first black member of The Episcopal Church House of Bishops, was elected bishop of the Missionary Bishop of Cape Palmas and nearby territory.

A native of Charleston, South Carolina, Ferguson moved with his family to the West African nation of Liberia when he was 6 years old. He was ordained in 1867.

“Consecrated in 1885 as the Missionary Bishop of Cape Palmas and its adjacent territory, the diocese later being changed to that of Liberia and West Africa, he was the first American-born black person to become Bishop of Liberia and the first African American member of the House of Bishops," according to Episcopal Archives.

“As the fourth Bishop of Liberia, Ferguson made a significant impact on the spiritual and educational growth of the Church in Liberia and on the country itself.”

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