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Lucius Henry Holsey (July 3, 1842August 3, 1920) was an American bishop.


Early life and education

Lucius Henry Holsey was born on July 3, 1842, near
Columbus, Georgia Columbus is a consolidated city-county located on the west-central border of the U.S. state of Georgia. Columbus lies on the Chattahoochee River directly across from Phenix City, Alabama. It is the county seat of Muscogee County, with which it ...
. His mother Louisa was enslaved. His father James Holsey owned the plantation. Lucius was born enslaved. He was sold to his cousin T. L. Wynn and then to
Richard Malcolm Johnston Richard Malcolm Johnston (March 8, 1822 – September 23, 1898) was an American author. Biography Johnson was born in Powelton, Hancock County, Georgia. His father was a Baptist minister, and his early education was received at a cou ...
, an academic. According to the ''
New Georgia Encyclopedia The ''New Georgia Encyclopedia'' (NGE) is a web-based encyclopedia containing over 2,000 articles about the state of Georgia. It is a program of Georgia Humanities (GH), in partnership with the University of Georgia Press, the University System o ...
'', Holsey chose to be sold to Johnston. According to ''
American National Biography The ''American National Biography'' (ANB) is a 24-volume biographical encyclopedia set that contains about 17,400 entries and 20 million words, first published in 1999 by Oxford University Press under the auspices of the American Council of Le ...
'', Holsey taught himself to read and write and was not educated; according to the ''New Georgia Encyclopedia'', some of Holsey's relatives taught him to read. He remained enslaved by the Johnston family until
slavery Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
was abolished.


Career

Holsey converted to
Methodism Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's br ...
after attending plantation missionary revivals led by
Henry McNeal Turner Henry McNeal Turner (February 1, 1834 – May 8, 1915) was an American minister, politician, and the 12th elected and consecrated bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME). After the American Civil War, he worked to establish new A.M ...
. He was given a preaching license as a Methodist minister in February 1868 and held various positions as a minister until he was appointed a bishop of the Colored Methodist Episcopal Church (now the
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church The Christian Methodist Episcopal (C.M.E.) Church is a historically black denomination within the broader context of Wesleyan Methodism founded and organized by John Wesley in England in 1744 and established in America as the Methodist Episcopal ...
) in March 1873. The Colored Methodist Episcopal Church was a division of the
Methodist Episcopal Church, South The Methodist Episcopal Church, South (MEC, S; also Methodist Episcopal Church South) was the American Methodist denomination resulting from the 19th-century split over the issue of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC). Disagreement ...
, created for Black people in 1870 during the
Reconstruction era The Reconstruction era was a period in American history following the American Civil War (1861–1865) and lasting until approximately the Compromise of 1877. During Reconstruction, attempts were made to rebuild the country after the bloo ...
. As a bishop, Holsey founded churches, wrote and revised religious texts including the church's ''
Book of Discipline A Book of Discipline (or in its shortened form Discipline) is a book detailing the beliefs, standards, doctrines, canon law, and polity of a particular Christian denomination. They are often re-written by the governing body of the church concerned ...
'', and participated in church governance. He also edited a church newspaper, ''The Gospel Trumpet''. He raised funds in support of educational institutions including
Paine College Paine College is a private, historically black Methodist college in Augusta, Georgia. It is affiliated with the United Methodist Church and Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. Paine College offers undergraduate degrees in the liberal arts, ...
;
Lane College Lane College is a private historically black college associated with the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church and located in Jackson, Tennessee. It offers associate and baccalaureate degrees in the arts and sciences. History Lane College was ...
; Holsey Industrial Institute in
Cordele, Georgia Cordele is a city in and the county seat of Crisp County, Georgia, United States. The population was 11,147 at the 2010 census. Cordele calls itself the Watermelon Capital of the World. History Cordele was incorporated on January 1, 1888, and ...
; and the Helen B. Cobb Institute for Girls in
Barnesville, Georgia Barnesville is a city in Lamar County, Georgia, Lamar County, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the city had a population of 6,755, up from 5,972 at the 2000 census. The city is the cou ...
. Initially an advocate for racial cooperation, Holsey endorsed
Black separatism Black separatism is a separatist political movement that seeks separate economic and cultural development for those of African descent in societies, particularly in the United States. Black separatism stems from the idea of racial solidarity, an ...
around the turn of the 20th century after Sam Hose was lynched in 1899. In 1898, Holsey published ''Autobiography, Sermons, Addresses, and Essays'' with Franklin Printing & Publishing Company in
Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
, Georgia. It went through three editions.


Personal life

Holsey married Harriett Turner on November 8, 1862, or 1863. Harriett was 15 at the time. Her name is also given as Harriett A. Pearce or Harriet A. Turner. Harriett and Lucius met in
Hancock County, Georgia Hancock County is a county located in the U.S. state of Georgia. As of the 2020 census, the population was 8,735. The county seat is Sparta. The county was created on December 17, 1793, and named for John Hancock, a Founding Father of the Amer ...
, while classes at the
University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...
, where Johnston taught, were canceled due to the
Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
. Lucius died on August 3, 1920, at his home on Auburn Avenue in Atlanta.


References


Further reading

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External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holsey, Lucius Henry 1842 births 1920 deaths 19th-century American bishops 20th-century American bishops American autobiographers Christian Methodist Episcopal Church American former slaves People from Columbus, Georgia 19th-century American slaves