William Angie Smith

This article is about a Bishop of the Methodist Church. For other people named Smith who also served as Bishops, see Bishop Smith (disambiguation)

William Angie Smith (21 December 1894 – 1974) was a Bishop of The Methodist Church and the United Methodist Church, elected in 1944.

Birth and family

William was born 21 December 1894 in Elgin, Texas, the son of William Angie and Mary (Marrs) Smith. William (Jr) married Bess Owens 20 July 1920. They had children William Angie III, Bryant Wesley and Shelby Lee.

Education

William (Jr) earned the A.B. degree from Southwestern University in 1917. He was a member of the Kappa Alpha Society. He then studied theology at the Southern Methodist University School of Religion (for one year), the Union Theological Seminary (for one year), and at the Vanderbilt School of Religion (for two years). William was also a member of the honorary fraternities Tau Kappa Alpha and Theta Phi. He then earned the M.A. degree from Columbia University in 1924.

Ordained ministry

William Angie Smith entered the Texas Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South in 1921 and was appointed the Pastor of the Kerrville, Texas M.E., S. Church, serving 1920-21. Subsequent appointments followed, including: Midland, Texas, 1921–23; Tulip St. Church, Nashville, 1924–26; Trinity Church, El Paso, 1926–30; First Methodist Church, Shreveport, Louisiana, 1930–34; Mt. Vernon Place Church, Washington, D.C., 1934–36; First Church, Birmingham, Alabama, 1936–38; and First Church, Dallas, 1938-44. Rev. Smith also served as Acting President of Centenary College of Louisiana, 1932-33.

Rev. Smith was a delegate to the Ecumenical Conference of 1931. He was elected a delegate from his Annual Conference to the General Conference of the M.E., S. Church in 1934 and 1938, and of The Methodist Church in 1944. He was a member of the South Central Jurisdictional Conference of The Methodist Church in 1940 and 1944. He was elected by the M.E., S. College of Bishops as a Fraternal Messenger of his denomination to the Methodist Protestant General Convention in 1936. Rev. Smith also was a clergy member of the Book Committee of the M.E., S. Church, 1934–39, and of the Board of Publication (and its Executive Committee) of The Methodist Church, 1939-44.

Episcopal ministry

The Rev. Dr. William Angie Smith was elected to the Episcopacy of The Methodist Church, 13 June 1944, by the South Central Jurisdictional Conference meeting at Tulsa, Oklahoma. He was assigned to the Oklahoma-New Mexico Episcopal Area of this denomination. His offices were at 224 N.W. 19th St., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.

Honors

The Rev. William Angie Smith was awarded the honorary degree Doctor of Divinity in 1927 by McMurry College. Centenary College did the same (D.D., 1934). His alma mater, Southwestern University, followed suit in 1938 (D.D.).

References

Howell, Clinton T., Prominent Personalities in American Methodism, Birmingham, Alabama: The Lowry Press, 1945.
Leete, Frederick DeLand, Methodist Bishops Nashville: The Methodist Publishing House, 1948.

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