John Samuel Stamm (1878–1956
) was an American
bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...
of the
Evangelical Church, elected in 1926.
Biography
Stamm was born on a Sunday morning (to his parents, an indication God had a special work for him), 23 March 1878, a son of Hanz and Mary Stamm. The Stamms were devout Christians and members of the
Evangelical Association
The Evangelical Church or Evangelical Association, also known in the early 1800s as the Albright Brethren, was a "body of American Christians chiefly of German descent", Arminian in doctrine and theology; in its form of church government, Methodi ...
Church in Alida,
[Few references are available online to the town o]
Alida
It was evacuated in the 1960s when its territory was submerged by a dam built to creat
Geary County, Kansas
Geary County (county code GE) is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2020 census, the county population was 36,739. Its county seat and most populous city is Junction City. The county is named in honor of Governor John W. ...
, which they had helped organize seven years before.
Conversion and call
At the age of ten, John became so disturbed by a
sermon
A sermon is a religious discourse or oration by a preacher, usually a member of clergy. Sermons address a scriptural, theological, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law, or behavior within both past and present contexts. ...
he heard one Sunday morning that he went to a hillside after church to pray.
:''"I prayed because I had a very keen sense of the need of the saving grace of God in
Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
. Suddenly, as I was praying there came to me a sense of peace, release and trust...a new joy filled my life...I came into an assurance that I was a
Christian...because I had come into personal saving relationship with God."'' A few Sundays later, his
Pastor
A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is the leader of a Christian congregation who also gives advice and counsel to people from the community or congregation. In Lutheranism, Catholicism, Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy and ...
remarked that he was growing old and would soon need to lay down his work. He asked, ''"Who will take my place?"'' And young John Stamm remembers thinking ''"I will!"''
At the age of eighteen he experienced another turning point in his young life. Sitting with several other teenage boys one night when the preacher gave the invitation to come to the
altar
An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, churches, and other places of worship. They are used particularly in paga ...
, John turned to his friends and said, ''"If I go, will you go?" '' They assured him they would. So they filed down the center aisle to the altar. ''"That night I found
Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
as my personal Savior,"'' Bishop Stamm later wrote. ''"It was an experience of great joy and meaning and still is today,"'' he wrote in 1955. ''"I made a complete turnabout in life. Instead of doubting God, I now loved Him...things of the spirit had new interest and challenge for me...the call of the
Christian ministry came to me with clear and convincing urgency."''
Education
Stamm had completed less than five grades of public school when he turned twenty. Nevertheless, that fall he sold his horse and other possessions to obtain enough money for a train ticket to
Naperville, Illinois
Naperville ( ) is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, DuPage and Will County, Illinois, Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is in the Chicago metro area, west of the city.
Naperville was founded in 1831 by Joseph Naper. The city was ...
, the home of The Evangelical Association's
North Central College
North Central College is a private college in Naperville, Illinois. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and has nearly 70 areas of study in undergraduate majors, minors, and programs through 19 academic departments organized in thre ...
and
Evangelical Theological Seminary (E.T.S.). He took sub-academy courses at the College, along with others who had also not finished high school. Twelve years later Stamm had completed his college degree and graduated from the seminary. In 1927, E.T.S. honored him with a
Doctor of Divinity degree. He received a
Doctor of Laws
A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor ...
degree from
Albright College
Albright College is a private liberal arts college in Reading, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1856.
History
Albright College traces its founding to 1856 when Union Seminary opened. Present-day Albright was formed by the mergers of several ins ...
in 1936, a
Doctor of Humane Letters
The degree of Doctor of Humane Letters (; DHumLitt; DHL; or LHD) is an honorary degree awarded to those who have distinguished themselves through humanitarian and philanthropic contributions to society.
The criteria for awarding the degree differ ...
from North Central College in 1949, and a
Doctor of Sacred Theology
The Doctor of Sacred Theology ( la, Sacrae Theologiae Doctor, abbreviated STD), also sometimes known as Professor of Sacred Theology (, abbreviated STP), is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Roman Catholic C ...
from
Dickinson College in 1951.
Ordained ministry
In 1901 Stamm was appointed Pastor of the
Glasgow, Missouri
Glasgow is a city on the Missouri River mostly in northwest Howard County and extending into the southeast corner of Chariton County in the U.S. state of Missouri. The population was 1,087 at the 2020 census.
The Howard County portion of G ...
Evangelical Mission. "''When I met the
Class Leader
The lead ship, name ship, or class leader is the first of a series or class of ships all constructed according to the same general design. The term is applicable to naval ships and large civilian vessels.
Large ships are very complex and may ...
at the railroad station, he greeted me rather formally, then said,'' 'I had better tell you right away, we do not want you.' ''He said they had requested the conference not to send an unmarried man to this mission."'' While serving there Stamm became acquainted with Priscilla Marie Wahl. She taught in the Primary Department of the
Sunday School and was elected
Superintendent
Superintendent may refer to:
*Superintendent (police), Superintendent of Police (SP), or Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), a police rank
*Prison warden or Superintendent, a prison administrator
*Superintendent (ecclesiastical), a church exec ...
when only nineteen. On 19 March 1912 they were married during the time that Rev. Stamm was the Pastor of the Manhattan Evangelical Church. Shortly thereafter he was appointed to the Oak Park Village Church.
Two nights before
Christmas
Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...
, 1918,
Bishop Spreng informed Rev. Stamm by telephone that he had been elected to teach
Systematic Theology
Systematic theology, or systematics, is a discipline of Christian theology that formulates an orderly, rational, and coherent account of the doctrines of the Christian faith. It addresses issues such as what the Bible teaches about certain topic ...
at E.T.S. He remained at the seminary until elected Bishop. His
theological
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the s ...
scholarship
A scholarship is a form of financial aid awarded to students for further education. Generally, scholarships are awarded based on a set of criteria such as academic merit, diversity and inclusion, athletic skill, and financial need.
Scholars ...
was recognized in his service as a
Consulting
A consultant (from la, consultare "to deliberate") is a professional (also known as ''expert'', ''specialist'', see variations of meaning below) who provides advice and other purposeful activities in an area of specialization.
Consulting servic ...
Editor for the publication of both the ''
Revised Standard Version of the
Bible
The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...
'' and of ''
The Interpreters Bible.''
Episcopal ministry
His first assignment as Bishop of the Evangelical Church was
Kansas City. During those first eight years, Stamm also served as the
General Secretary of
Evangelism for his denomination. After Kansas City, in 1934 he was assigned to
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. There he also served until 1941 as President of The
Evangelical School of Theology at
Reading, Pennsylvania.
Bishop Stamm gave statesman-like leadership to the
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...
Council of Churches (1945–49) and to the
Federal Council of Churches
The Federal Council of Churches, officially the Federal Council of Churches of Christ in America, was an ecumenical association of Christian denominations in the United States in the early twentieth century. It represented the Anglican, Baptist, Ea ...
(1948–50), serving as President of each of those organizations. He was a member of the 1948 organizing Assembly of the
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches (WCC) is a worldwide Christian inter-church organization founded in 1948 to work for the cause of ecumenism. Its full members today include the Assyrian Church of the East, the Oriental Orthodox Churches, most ju ...
, serving on its Central Committee until 1954.
Retirement
When Bishop Stamm requested
retirement
Retirement is the withdrawal from one's position or occupation or from one's active working life. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours or workload.
Many people choose to retire when they are elderly or incapable of doing their j ...
at the 1950 General Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren Church, he said
:''"Through the goodness of God, I have been able to serve in the Cheristian ministry for more than fifty-one and a half years...From the hour when I yielded to God in response to the call to the Christian ministry to this very day, I have been under a commanding sense of
stewardship which impelled me to make this ministry central in my thought and life: to give Christ the
preeminence in all things, and to give myself wholly to this work...I can honestly say, I was not disobedient to the heavenly vision."''
Bishop Stamm closed his
farewell address by saying
:''"I am not tired of the Christian ministry...The years that lie ahead are in the hands of God...Officially I will stand on the
sidelines, but I shall cheer for our leaders. I shall do more. I shall pray"'',
[John S. Stamm, ''"Request for Superannuated Relationship,"'' in Official Proceedings of the Thirty-Seventh General Conference of The Evangelical United Brethren Church (Dayton, Ohio: Otterbein Press, 1950), pp. 118–119.]
Death
Bishop Stamm died March 5, 1956.
Selected writings
*Evangelism and Christian Experience, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania: Evangelical Press, 1930.
*''From Farm Boy to Bishop,'' Builders, Vol. 62, 26 February, 5 March 1955.
Biography
*Findley, C.R., ''Life Sketch of Bishop Stamm,'' read at the Bishop's funeral.
See also
*
List of bishops of the United Methodist Church
This is a list of bishops of the United Methodist Church and its predecessor denominations, in order of their election to the episcopacy, both living and dead.
1784–1807
;Founders
* Thomas Coke 1784
* Francis Asbury 1784
* Richard Whatcoat ...
References
*
Milhouse, Paul W., Nineteen Bishops of the Evangelical United Brethren Church, Nashville, The Parthenon Press, 1974.
Notes
External links
Photo of Bishop Stamm(from ''200 Years of United Methodism, An Illustrated History'')
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stamm, John S.
American United Methodist bishops
Bishops of the Evangelical Association
North Central College alumni
1878 births
1956 deaths
Presidents of United Methodist seminaries
American biblical scholars
Editors of Christian publications
American autobiographers
Ministers of the Evangelical United Brethren Church
Systematic theologians
People from Geary County, Kansas
People from Glasgow, Missouri