Robert Nelson Spencer (February 18, 1877 – August 19, 1961) was a hymn writer and the third bishop of West Missouri in

The Episcopal Church The Episcopal Church, based in the United States with additional dioceses elsewhere, is a member church of the worldwide Anglican Communion. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is divided into nine Ecclesiastical provinces and dioces ...

, serving from October 28, 1930, to 1949.

Early life and education

Spencer was born on February 18, 1877, in Tunnel, New York, the son of Nelson Horatio Spencer and Hannah E. Pratt. He studied at

Dickinson College , mottoeng = Freedom is made safe through character and learning , established = , type = Private liberal arts college , endowment = $645.5 million (2022) , president = J ...

between 1896 and 1899, and then at the Kansas Theological School, from where he graduated in 1904. He was awarded a

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 ...

in 1931 and 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 (LL. ...

in 1943 from Dickson.

Ordained ministry

Spencer was ordained deacon on April 5, 1904, and priest on June 4, 1905, by Bishop

Frank Rosebrook Millspaugh Frank Rosebrook Millspaugh (April 12, 1848 – November 22, 1916), was the Bishop of Kansas from 1895 until his death. Early life, family, and education Millspaugh was born on April 12, 1848, in Nichols, New York, the son of Cornelius Madden Mi ...

of Kansas. He married Amy Frances Moffatt on September 14, 1905, and together had a daughter. He was rector of the Church of the Covenant in

Junction City, Kansas Junction City is a city in and the county seat of Geary County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 22,932. Fort Riley, a major U.S. Army post, is nearby. History Junction City is so named from its ...

, and special preacher at

Fort Riley Fort Riley is a United States Army installation located in North Central Kansas, on the Kansas River, also known as the Kaw, between Junction City and Manhattan. The Fort Riley Military Reservation covers 101,733 acres (41,170 ha) in Gear ...

between 1904 and 1907. He was then rector of St John's Church in

Springfield, Missouri Springfield is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and the county seat of Greene County. The city's population was 169,176 at the 2020 census. It is the principal city of the Springfield metropolitan area, which had an estimat ...

, from 1907 to 1909. In 1909 he transferred to Grace and Holy Trinity Church in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

, to serve as its rector, where he remained until 1930. He was also chaplain Saint Luke's Hospital in Kansas City between 1923 and 1930.

Bishop

Spencer was elected Coadjutor Bishop of West Missouri during it 41st annual convention at Christ Church in

St. Joseph, Missouri St. Joseph is a city in and the county seat of Buchanan County, Missouri. Small parts of St. Joseph extend into Andrew County. Located on the Missouri River, it is the principal city of the St. Joseph Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includ ...

, on May 13, 1930. Since Bishop Partridge died a month after the elected, he automatically became the diocesan bishop elect. He was consecrated on October 28, 1930, in Grace and Holy Trinity Church by the Bishop of West Texas William Theodotus Capers. He served as acting Missionary Bishop of Salina between 1939 and 1941. He retired in 1949 and died on August 19, 1961, in

Ludington, Michigan Ludington ( ) is the largest city and county seat of Mason County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,076. Ludington is a harbor town located on Lake Michigan at the mouth of the Pere Marquette Rive ...

. He was buried at Forest Hill Calvary Cemetery in Kansas City. A senior living facility in

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more ...

is named for him.

Hymns

Spencer also wrote hymn texts. Notably he contributed to the well known hymn ''

Eternal Father, Strong to Save "Eternal Father, Strong to Save" is a British hymn traditionally associated with seafarers, particularly in the maritime armed services. Written in 1860, its author, William Whiting, was inspired by the dangers of the sea described in Psalm ...

'' and wrote ''O heavenly grace in holy rite descending''.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Spencer, Robert Nelson 1877 births 1961 deaths Episcopal bishops of West Missouri Dickinson College alumni