The Liturgical Calendar: The Church Remembers

Today the church remembers James De Koven, Priest, 1879.

Success in the world"s terms is not a usual reward for great and good men. James De Koven was certainly one of the greatest and best leaders of the Episcopal Church in the nineteenth century, yet his advice was rarely heeded.

He was closely associated with the unpopular “ritualist” party in a time when the church"s life was especially marred by partisan strife. He succeeded in getting the General Convention to accept the fact that the viewpoints of the ritualists were at least not subversive. Through his reasoned and compelling oratory in defense of the catholic heritage, he enabled the church to stand above the petty sectarianism of the day and reaffirm its comprehensive nature. Perhaps his greatest achievement was in preventing the Episcopal Church from adopting a rigid, doctrinaire, and exclusive confession, after the manner of protestantism.

James De Koven was a scholar and one of the really fine Christian educators of his day. He was a graduate of Columbia and of the General Theological Seminary in New York. He was a professor at Nashotah House and Warden of Racine College in Wisconsin for twenty years. He was an excellent pastor and a man “continuous in prayer.”

May we be steadfast in our devotion to prayer and worship, guided by the example of James De Koven. Amen.

Read the Wikipedia article here.

Almighty and everlasting God, the source and perfection of all virtues, you inspired your servant James DeKoven to do what is right and to preach what is true: Grant that all ministers and stewards of your mysteries may impart to your faithful people, by word and example, the knowledge of your grace; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

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