Rev. Lovick Pierce (March 24, 1785–November 9, 1879) was an American Pastor,

Chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a Minister (Christianity), minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a laity, lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secularity, secular institution (such as a hosp ...

, and author. He was nicknamed the “Father of the Methodist Church in west Georgia”, and was the father of

George Foster Pierce George Foster Pierce (1811–1884) was an American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South who served as the first president of Wesleyan College (then known as Georgia Female College) and was also president of Emory University (then known ...

. Pierce was instrumental in Wesleyan College’s founding and served on the first Board of Trustees.

Biography

Lovick Pierce was born on March 24, 1785, in Halifax County, North Carolina. He was a Methodist Chaplain for the United States Army in the War of 1812. In 1836, Lovick joined St. Luke United Methodist Church in

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

, Georgia. Around 1866, Pierce helped organize what became the

First African Methodist Episcopal Church The First African Methodist Episcopal Church (First AME Church), formerly known as Pierce’s Chapel, is an AME church established in 1866 by Rev. Henry McNeal Turner, and located at 521 North Hull Street in Athens, Georgia. It is listed on the ...

in Athens, Georgia, originally named Pierce's Chapel. Not to be confused with Pierce Chapel on the Wesleyan College campus, named after his son. A prolific author, Rev. Pierce was an early Southern proponent of the

Holiness movement The Holiness movement is a Christian movement that emerged chiefly within 19th-century Methodism, and to a lesser extent other traditions such as Quakerism, Anabaptism, and Restorationism. The movement is historically distinguished by its emph ...

. He died in Sparta, Georgia, on November 9, 1879.

References

1785 births 1879 deaths American people of the War of 1812 American military chaplains American clergy Holiness movement War of 1812 chaplains {{US-reli-bio-stub