John Lindsay Withrow (1837–1909) was an American

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

minister and theologian.

Early life and education

Withrow was born in

Coatesville, Pennsylvania Coatesville is a city in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 13,350 at the 2020 census. Coatesville is approximately 39 miles west of Philadelphia. It developed along the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike beginning ...

in 1837 to John Mitchell Withrow and Keziah Withrow. As a youth, Withrow studied at Tuscarora Academy and Media Classical Institute. Withrow graduated from

Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...

in 1860 and

Princeton Theological Seminary Princeton Theological Seminary (PTSem), officially The Theological Seminary of the Presbyterian Church, is a private school of theology in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1812 under the auspices of Archibald Alexander, the General Assembly of ...

in 1863. He married Anna Judson Hinckel the same year. Withrow later received a D.D. from

Lafayette College Lafayette College is a private liberal arts college in Easton, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1826 by James Madison Porter and other citizens in Easton, the college first held classes in 1832. The founders voted to name the college after General Laf ...

in 1872 and a LL.D. from Knox College in 1896.

Career

Withrow served successively as pastor of Abington, Pennsylvania's Arch Street Church,

Park Street Church Park Street Church, founded in 1804, is a historic and active evangelical congregational megachurch in Downtown Boston, Massachusetts. The Park Street Church is a member of the Conservative Congregational Christian Conference. Typical attendance a ...

in Boston, Massachusetts and Third Presbyterian Church in

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

for about twelve years. In 1898 Withrow returned to Park Street Church, serving as pastor until 1907. Withrow handpicked Arcturus Conrad as his successor at Park Street, and they served together until Withrow's death. Withrow also served as Moderator of the General Assembly of the

Presbyterian Church Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

in 1896. He served as President of the Chicago's Presbyterian Hospital while residing in that city. Withrow died in Brookline, Massachusetts of

paresis In medicine, paresis () is a condition typified by a weakness of voluntary movement, or by partial loss of voluntary movement or by impaired movement. When used without qualifiers, it usually refers to the limbs, but it can also be used to desc ...

and was buried in

Mount Auburn Cemetery Mount Auburn Cemetery is the first rural cemetery, rural, or garden, cemetery in the United States, located on the line between Cambridge, Massachusetts, Cambridge and Watertown, Massachusetts, Watertown in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, Middl ...

. He published various works and sermons.''The Princeton Seminary bulletin:'' Supplementary issue, Volumes 3-5
Princeton Theological Seminary (1909)

Works

*"The leading nation: A sermon in behalf of the American Home Missionary Society," preached in the Broadway Tabernacle Church, New York, May 4, 1879 *"The hour for Africa.": An address delivered before the

American Colonization Society The American Colonization Society (ACS), initially the Society for the Colonization of Free People of Color of America until 1837, was an American organization founded in 1816 by Robert Finley to encourage and support the migration of freebor ...

, January 18, 1881 *"The condition of the heathen and their conversion:" a sermon before the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions at the seventy-seventh annual meeting, held at Des Moines, Iowa, October 5, 1886

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Withrow, John L. 1837 births 1909 deaths American theologians Christian fundamentalism American Presbyterians American Congregationalists Princeton University alumni Princeton Theological Seminary alumni People from Coatesville, Pennsylvania Lafayette College alumni