William Pierson Merrill (1867–1954) was an American
Presbyterian
Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...
clergyman, pacifist, author, and hymn writer. He was acknowledged during his time as one of the most influential ministers in America. He is probably best remembered as the author of several well-known hymns, including " Rise Up, O Men of God".
Early life and education
William Merrill was born on January 10, 1867, in Orange, New Jersey, to George and Emily Merrill, both of English descent. During his youth, the family moved to
Newburyport, Massachusetts
Newburyport is a coastal city in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, northeast of Boston. The population was 18,289 at the 2020 census. A historic seaport with vibrant tourism industry, Newburyport includes part of Plum Island. The mo ...
, and then back to
New Brunswick, New Jersey
New Brunswick is a city (New Jersey), city in and the county seat, seat of government of Middlesex County, New Jersey, Middlesex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.B.A. (1887), A.M. (1890), and
D.D.
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 ra ...
Upon his ordination in 1890, Merrill became pastor of Trinity Presbyterian Church in
Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania
Chestnut Hill is a neighbourhood, neighborhood in the Northwest Philadelphia section of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It is known for the List of highest-income urban neighborhoods in the United States, high incomes of its residents and high real e ...
, where he served until 1895. From 1895 until 1911, he served as pastor of the Sixth Presbyterian Church of Chicago. There he met his wife Clara (née Helmer). In 1911, Merrill was called to the Brick Presbyterian Church in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
, where he served as pastor until 1938, when the merger with the Park Avenue Church took place and he resigned to become pastor emeritus.
Merrill was named the first president on the Church Peace Union, an organization of religious, academic, and political leaders aimed at promoting pacifism. His 1914 sermon titled "The Making of Peace" was hailed by Andrew Carnegie as "...one of the greatest sermons on peace that he had ever heard." Merrill was offered the presidency of Union Theological Seminary in 1917, but declined. He was elected Moderator of the Presbytery of New York in 1940, a position he held until 1942.
Merrill died June 19, 1954, in New York City, and is buried at Woodlawn Cemetery, in
the Bronx
The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...