Wilson Reiff Stearly (May 8, 1869 – November 3, 1941) was the fourth bishop of Newark 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 ...

from 1927 to 1935.

Early life and education

Stearly was born on May 8, 1869, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Wilson Stearly and Mary Reiff. He was raised as a

Reformed Christian Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Calv ...

. He graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from Philadelphia High School in 1886. Afterwards, he spent a year studying in Paris and Berlin. In 1887 he enrolled at the Union Theological Seminary and graduated in 1889. 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 ...

from Kenyon College in 1915 and from

Case Western Reserve University Case Western Reserve University (CWRU) is a private research university in Cleveland, Ohio. Case Western Reserve was established in 1967, when Western Reserve University, founded in 1826 and named for its location in the Connecticut Western Reser ...

in 1916.

Ordained ministry

Stearly was ordained a minister in the Reformed Church in 1889 and served as pastor of Hough Avenue Reformed Church in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

between 1889 and 1899. He joined the Episcopal Church and was ordained deacon on June 10, 1900, and a priest on July 31, 1900, by Bishop

William Andrew Leonard William Andrew Leonard (July 15, 1848 - September 21, 1930) was an American author and prelate of the Episcopal Church, who served as the fourth Bishop of Ohio from 1889 till 1930. Early life and education Leonard was born on July 15, 1848, in ...

of Ohio. He became rector of Emmanuel Church in

and remained there till 1909 when he became rector of the Church of Holy Apostles in Philadelphia. In 1912 he became rector of St Luke's Church in Montclair, New Jersey.

Bishop

Stearly was elected Suffragan Bishop of Newark in May 1915 and was consecrated in St Luke's Church on October 21, 1915, by

Edwin Stevens Lines Edwin Stevens Lines (November 23, 1845 – October 25, 1927) was a bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Newark, New Jersey. Biography Lines was born in Naugatuck, Connecticut on November 23, 1845, the son of Henry Willis Lines and Harriet Bunnell. ...

, Bishop of Newark. On May 22, 1917, he was elected Coadjutor Bishop of Newark and then succeeded as diocesan bishop on October 25, 1927. He resigned as Bishop of Newark due to ill health and was succeeded by the Coadjutor Bishop of Newark

Benjamin M. Washburn Benjamin Martin Washburn (June 1, 1887 – October 16, 1966) was an American prelate who served as the fifth bishop of Newark in The Episcopal Church. Early life and education Washburn was born on June 1, 1887, in Bethel, Vermont, United States. ...

in November 1935. Stearly died on November 3, 1941, in Millburn, New Jersey."BISHOP STEARLY, 72, DIES IN MONTCLAIR; Head of Episcopal Diocese of Newark, 1927-35, Former Suffragan, Coadjutor"
'' The New York Times'', London, 09 November 1941. Retrieved on 27 October 2005.

Family

Stearly married Helen B. Neuhauser on February 12, 1895, and together had three children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stearly, Wilson Reiff 1869 births 1941 deaths Episcopal bishops of Newark