George Blyth

The Rt Rev George Francis Popham Blyth DD[1] (d. 5 November 1914) was an Anglican Bishop in the last decades of the nineteenth century and the first two of the twentieth.[2]
 He was educated at St Pauls [3] and Lincoln College, Oxford and ordained in 1885.[4] After a curacy at St Mary, Westport he spent 20 years in India and Burma[5] as a missionary ending this part of his career as Archdeacon of Rangoon). In 1887 he was appointed the fourth Bishop of Jerusalem,[6] a post he held for 27 years. A Sub-Prelate of the Order of St John of Jerusalem, he died on 5 November 1914.

Unlike his predecessor Bishop Gobat, who had resorted to proselytising among Christians of other, mostly Orthodox denominations, legalised by the Porte by an Ferman in 1850 issued under the pressure of the Protestant powers of Britain and Prussia, Blyth preferred missioning Jews and Muslims.[7] Proselytism among Christians had been criticised by proponents of the Anglican High Church faction. Blyth wanted to maintain good relations with the Orthodox churches.[8]

Notes

  1. ^ University Intelligence. Oxford, March 15 The Times Wednesday, Mar 16, 1887; pg. 10; Issue 32021; col D
  2. ^ National Archives
  3. ^ “Who was Who” 1897-2007 London, A & C Black, 2007 ISBN 9780199540877
  4. ^ "The Clergy List, Clerical Guide and Ecclesiastical Directory" London, Hamilton & Co 1889
  5. ^ History of the BoCP
  6. ^ Diocesan web-site
  7. ^ However, Ottoman law forbade Muslims to convert and missionaries to evangelise them.
  8. ^ Cf. Abdul Latif Tibawi, British Interest in Palestine 1800-1901: A Study of Religious and Educational Enterprise, London: Oxford University Press, 1961, pp. 237-255.
Anglican Communion titles
Vacant
Title last held by
Joseph Barclay		 Bishop of Jerusalem
1887 – 1914		 Succeeded by
Rennie MacInnes
Anglican Bishops of Jerusalem