John Wesley Lord

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John Wesley Lord (1902-1989) was an American Bishop of The Methodist Church, elected in 1948. Lord was active in the African-American Civil Rights Movement and pushed for the racial integration of the Methodist Church, and was a Vice President of the National Council of Churches.

[edit] Early life

John was born 23 August 1902 in Paterson, New Jersey, the son of John James and Catherine Steward (Carmichael) Lord. John Wesley married Margaret Farrington Ratcliffe 29 April 1931. They had one daughter, Jean Phillips.

John Wesley was a 1922 graduate of the Montclair State Normal School. He then earned the A.B. degree from Dickinson College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania in 1927. He also earned the B.D. degree from Drew Theological Seminary in 1930. He did post-graduate work at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland, 1930-31.

[edit] Ministry

John Wesley Lord was received on-trial in the Newark Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church and ordained Deacon, April 1929. He was received into full connection and ordained Elder, March 1931. The Rev. Lord served the following appointments: Assistant Pastor, Emory Methodist Church, Jersey City, New Jersey (1927-30); Pastor, Union, New Jersey Community Church (1931-34); First Church, Arlington (1935-37); and First Methodist Church, Westfield (1938-48).

The Rev. John Wesley Lord was elected to the Episcopacy of The Methodist Church by the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference in 1948. He was assigned as the Resident Bishop of the Boston Episcopal Area.

Bishop Lord retired in 1972, and died in 1989.