John Williams (August 30, 1817–1899) was the eleventh Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States.
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Williams was born at Deerfield, Massachusetts, the son of Ephraim Williams and Emily (Trowbridge) Williams.[1] He was educated at Deerfield Academy, Harvard and at Trinity College, Hartford, where he graduated in 1835.[2] Although his parents were Unitarian, Williams's time at Harvard convinced him to join the Episcopal faith.[3] He was ordained deacon in 1838 and ordained priest in 1841.[2] Williams held the rectorship of St. George's Church, Schenectady, New York, from 1842 to 1848, after which he became president of Trinity College, and at the same time professor of history and literature.[2]
In 1851 he was elected Assistant Bishop of Connecticut.[4] He was the 53rd bishop in the ECUSA, and was consecrated by Bishops Thomas Church Brownell, John Henry Hopkins, and William Heathcote DeLancey.[4] On the death of Bishop Brownell, in 1865, Williams succeeded him in the sole charge of the diocese.[4] At the same time, from 1854 on, he held the office of dean of the Berkeley Divinity School at Middletown, and was its principal instructor in Church history and theology.[4]
He succeeded Alfred Lee, of Delaware, in 1887, as presiding Bishop, and earned the reputation of a wise conservative leader in ecclesiastical affairs.[5] In 1896, he was acknowledged as the senior bishop in the Anglican communion.
Among his published works are:
| Episcopal Church (USA) titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Alfred Lee |
11th Presiding Bishop 1887–1899 |
Succeeded by Thomas March Clark |
| Preceded by Thomas Church Brownell |
4th Bishop of Connecticut 1865-1899 |
Succeeded by Chauncey Bunce Brewster |
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