Charles Wesley Brashares (1891–1982Info on date of death is weak: see th

, published by the Wilmette Historical Museum in Wilmette, Illinois) was an American bishop of The Methodist Church and the United Methodist Church, elected in 1944. Charles was born 31 March 1891 in

Williamsport, Ohio Williamsport is a village in Pickaway County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,023 at the 2010 census. History In 2022, the village blocked the development of the 400-megawatt Chipmunk Solar project, which would have become one of the ...

, the son of Isaiah Mark and Clara Emma (McBroom) Brashares. Charles married Julia Estelle Merrill 20 December 1916. They had the following children: Charles Merrill, Wesley Emerson and Robert Mark. Wesley followed his father into ordained ministry, becoming a pastor in the Northwest Indiana

Annual Conference A conference is a meeting of two or more experts to discuss and exchange opinions or new information about a particular topic. Conferences can be used as a form of group decision-making, although discussion, not always decisions, are the main pu ...

of The Methodist Church. He then became the

editor Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, photographic, visual, audible, or cinematic material used by a person or an entity to convey a message or information. The editing process can involve correction, condensation, orga ...

of the ''Hoosier Methodist'' newspaper. Charles Wesley Brashares earned the A.B. degree from

Ohio Wesleyan University Ohio Wesleyan University (OWU) is a private liberal arts college in Delaware, Ohio. It was founded in 1842 by methodist leaders and Central Ohio residents as a nonsectarian institution, and is a member of the Ohio Five – a consortium ...

in 1914. He then earned the S.T.B. degree from the Boston University School of Theology in 1917. He did further

graduate study Postgraduate or graduate education refers to academic or professional degrees, certificates, diplomas, or other qualifications pursued by post-secondary students who have earned an undergraduate ( bachelor's) degree. The organization and stru ...

at Harvard University and Boston University, 1917-18. Charles Wesley Brashares was ordained

elder An elder is someone with a degree of seniority or authority. Elder or elders may refer to: Positions Administrative * Elder (administrative title), a position of authority Cultural * North American Indigenous elder, a person who has and tr ...

and became a Member in Full Connection of the Maine Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1917. He served the following appointments as pastor: the Orient Heights Methodist Church in East Boston, 1916–18;

Gorham, Maine Gorham is a town in Cumberland County, Maine, United States. The population was 18,336 at the 2020 United States Census. In addition to its urban village center known as Gorham Village or simply "the Village," the town encompasses a number of s ...

, 1918–20; Newton, Massachusetts 1920-22; the Grace Methodist Church in Dayton, Ohio, 1922–34; and First Methodist Church in

Ann Arbor, Michigan Ann Arbor is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the county seat of Washtenaw County, Michigan, Washtenaw County. The 2020 United States census, 2020 census recorded its population to be 123,851. It is the principal city of the Ann Arbor ...

, 1934-44. The Rev. Dr. Charles Wesley Brashares was elected to the episcopacy of The Methodist Church by the 1944 North Central Jurisdictional Conference. He was assigned the

Des Moines Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

episcopal area. His offices were at 302 Old Colony Building, Des Moines, Iowa. In 1952 he became

resident bishop A bishop is a senior role in many Methodist denominations. The bishop's role is typically called the "episcopacy", based on the Greek word ''episkopos'' (), which literally means overseer. Superintendent is another translation of ''episkopos'' but i ...

of the Chicago Area. Brashares received a number of honorary degrees. In 1927 Ohio Wesleyan University conferred upon Rev. Brashares the degree

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ran ...

. Bishop Brashares received the LL.D. degree in 1945 from Cornell College. Boston University awarded the LL.D. in 1948. Simpson College gave the Doctor of Humane Letters in 1950. And Iowa Wesleyan College conferred the Doctor of Litt. in 1951.

References

* Methodism: Ohio Area (1812-1962), edited by John M. Versteeg, Litt.D., D.D. (Ohio Area Sesquicentennial Committee, 1962). * Who's Who in Methodism, Dr. Elmer T. Clark, Editor-in-Chief, Chicago: The A.N. Marquis Co., 1952.

References

See also