Wednesday, March 27, 2024

It is the 27th of March 2024. Welcome to the Christian History Almanac, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org; I’m Dan van Voorhis.

A quick correction from the past weekend's show: Michael Knott, who died a few weeks ago, was 61; he was born in December of 1962. Apologies for the mistake, and here’s an honest admission: I am terrible with simple math as well as alphabetizing (I sing the alphabet song in my head daily trying to find people in reference works). We here at the Almanac apologize, and thanks for your patience.

In 1891, a 29-year-old Charles Henry Brent was appointed assistant minister at St. Stephens Episcopal church in Boston. It was a previously abandoned church in the poor south end, and Brent would be serving in second place. He was initially disappointed. The young man, born in Newcastle, Ontario, was pegged from an early age as an overachiever in academics and athletics. He was a talented musician, having served his previous parish as both priest and organist. He once considered becoming a musician but felt a calling to the ministry From an early age. He wrote that he had to ask himself these questions: “What will you do with a quiet and hidden post?” and “How will you deal with second place?”

Little did he know that at the end of his life, he would be feted around the world. The day of his death- this, the 27th of March would be dedicated to him by the Episcopal church, and his monument in Lausanne where he was buried read:

• Bishop of the Philippine Islands
• Bishop of Western New York
• A Servant of God
• A Friend of Humanity
• An Apostle of Christian Unity
• Chief of Chaplains, American Expeditionary Forces
• President, First World Conference on Faith and Order.

 At that formerly abandoned church on the south end of Boston the young priest was a missionary to the poor who had little interest in church. And so he sat with them on their porch steps, played music with them and became a trusted white face amongst a minority population.

Perhaps his success at that “quiet and hidden post” was what led to the surprise telegram he received in 1901, in which he was elected the first Bishop of the Philippine Islands, recently ceded from the Spanish to the Americans. He would gain a reputation as an effective missionary and pacifier amidst hostilities between locals and Westerners. This earned him the respect of William Howard Taft (recently made governor of the Philippines) and General John J. Pershing.

As a missionary, he became known for 1. Not competing with the Roman Catholic workers, and 2. For arguing that one shouldn’t “beat down every religion he meets in order to substitute Christianity” but rather “turn to the beauty of native religions” and lift them into the “fulfilling religion of Christianity.”

Despite his pacifist leanings, he took a call from Pershing to become a Chaplain for the American Expeditionary Forces at the outbreak of World War 1. He was so revered amongst his peers that he was named chief of Chaplains, and one Roman Catholic chaplain proclaimed, “The unity of us chaplains is simply scandalous.”

After the war, Brent returned to the United States; his poor health required closer medical attention. He would be named the Bishop of Western New York while still traveling as often as possible to preach and meet with world Christian leaders. He had attended the 1910 World Missionary Conference in Edinburgh and believed he was called to unite Christian missionaries. This came to a head in Brent’s life when he successfully planned the First World Conference on Faith and Order held at Lausanne, Switzerland, in 1927. This would eventually become the World Council of Churches.

 In 1928, he was the representative of the American Episcopal church at the enthronement of the new Archbishop of Canterbury and preached from that famed pulpit. He and a friend of his, a doctor, decided that a trip to the Mediterranean would be good for his health. They departed England and stopped briefly in Lausanne, the place of his success two years prior. It was there that he suddenly died. He had known that he was always close to death and had requested that he be buried wherever he happened to be, thus the monument and grave in Lausanne. Besides, the list of titles on the monument read: “a unique, energetic, multitalented leader of the modern church.” Charles Henry Brent was 66 years old at the time of his death on the 27th of March in 1927 (and yes, I double-checked).

The last word for today is from the daily lectionary for Holy Wednesday from Hebrews 12:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

This has been the Christian History Almanac for the 27th of March 2024, brought to you by 1517 at 1517.org.

The show is produced by a man whose favorite famous Canadians include the likes of Brent but also Neil Young, Justin Bieber and Nickelback’s Chad Kroeger. He is Christopher Gillespie.

The show is written and read by a man whose favorite Canadian is easy: Bret the Hitman Hart, I’m Dan van Voorhis. 

You can catch us here every day- and remember that the rumors of grace, forgiveness, and the redemption of all things are true…. Everything is going to be ok.