John Williams (bishop of Connecticut)
John Williams was the eleventh Presiding Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America.Early life
Williams was born at Deerfield, Massachusetts, the son of Ephraim Williams and Emily Williams. He was educated at Deerfield Academy, Harvard and at Trinity College, Hartford, where he graduated in 1835. Although his parents were Unitarian, Williams's time at Harvard convinced him to join the Episcopal faith. He was ordained deacon in 1838 and ordained priest in 1841. Williams held the rectorship of St. George's Church, Schenectady, New York, from 1842 to 1848, after which he became president of Trinity College, and at the same time professor of history and literature.In 1851 he was elected Assistant Bishop of Connecticut. He was the 53rd bishop in the ECUSA, and was consecrated by Bishops Thomas Church Brownell, John Henry Hopkins, and William Heathcote DeLancey. In 1854 he founded Berkeley Divinity School at Middletown, and held the office of dean as well as being principal instructor in Church history and theology at the School. On the death of Bishop Brownell, in 1865, Williams succeeded him in the sole charge of the diocese, remaining Dean of Berkeley also.Presiding Bishop
He succeeded Alfred Lee, of Delaware, in 1887, as presiding Bishop, and earned the reputation of a wise conservative leader in ecclesiastical affairs. In 1896, he was acknowledged as the senior bishop in the Anglican communion.Works
Among his published works are:
