William Edward McLaren (December 15, 1831 - February 19, 1905) was the Bishop of Chicago (formerly Illinois) in the Episcopal Church from 1875 until his death in 1905.

Early life and education

McLaren was born on December 15, 1831, in

Geneva, New York Geneva is a city in Ontario and Seneca counties in the U.S. state of New York. It is at the northern end of Seneca Lake; all land portions of the city are within Ontario County; the water portions are in Seneca County. The population was 13, ...

, the son of the Reverend John Finley McLaren, a Scottish Presbyterian minister. He was educated at the

Western University of Pennsylvania The University of Pittsburgh (Pitt) is a public state-related research university in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The university is composed of 17 undergraduate and graduate schools and colleges at its urban Pittsburgh campus, home to the univers ...

and at the Jefferson College from where he graduated with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

in 1851. In 1854 he earned his

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Th ...

from Jefferson. Later he started teaching and was involved i journalism. He commenced studies for the ministry in 1857 at the

Pittsburgh Theological Seminary Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (PTS) is a Presbyterian graduate seminary in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1794, it houses one of the largest theological libraries in the tri-state area. History Pittsburgh Theological Seminary was formed ...

, aiming to become a missionary in China. He was awarded a Doctor of Divinity from

Racine College Racine College was an Episcopal preparatory school and college in Racine, Wisconsin, that operated between 1852 and 1933. Located south of the city along Lake Michigan, the campus has been maintained and is today known as the DeKoven Center ...

in 1873 while Sewanee: The University of the South awarded him with a

Doctor of Civil Law Doctor of Civil Law (DCL; la, Legis Civilis Doctor or Juris Civilis Doctor) is a degree offered by some universities, such as the University of Oxford, instead of the more common Doctor of Laws (LLD) degrees. At Oxford, the degree is a higher ...

in 1882.

Ordained ministry

McLaren was ordained a Presbyterian priest in 1860. He became engaged in missionary work in Bogotá, Colombia however he returned to the United States two years later due to ill health. In 1871 McLaren joined the Episcopal Church and on July 29, 1872, he was ordained a deacon in

St. John's Church St. John's Church, Church of St. John, or variants, thereof, (Saint John or St. John usually refers to John the Baptist, but also, sometimes, to John the Apostle or John the Evangelist) may refer to the following churches, former churches or other ...

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

. He was ordained a priest a few months later in October.

Episcopacy

McLaren was elected Bishop of Illinois in 1875 and was consecrated on December 8, 1875, by the Bishop of Michigan

Samuel A. McCoskry Samuel Allen McCoskry (November 9, 1804 - August 1, 1886), was the first Bishop of Michigan in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, but was deposed by the House of Bishops. Biography Samuel McCoskry was born in Carlisle, Pennsyl ...

. He became the first bishop to hold the title of Bishop of Chicago after the name of the diocese was changed in 1877. He is remembered as being the founder of the

Western Theological Seminary Western Theological Seminary (WTS) is a private seminary located in Holland, Michigan. Established in 1866, it is affiliated with the Reformed Church in America, a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States. ...

in 1881. He died in office in New York City on February 19, 1905, and was buried at

Rosehill Cemetery Rosehill Cemetery (founded 1859) is an American garden cemetery on the North Side of Chicago, Illinois, and at , is the largest cemetery in the City of Chicago. According to legend, the name "Rosehill" resulted from a City Clerk's error – the a ...

in Chicago.

Works

He was the author of several books, including ''The Practice of the Interior Life'' and ''Earnest Contention for the Faith''.

References

External links