Alexander Preston Shaw
Encyclopedia
Alexander Preston Shaw was notable as an African American
pastor
, editor
, and bishop
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
and The Methodist Church. He was elected
and consecrated to the Episcopacy in 1936. Bishop Shaw held the distinction of being the first African American
Bishop of The Methodist Church (at the age of 71) to preside full-time over a predominantly white Annual Conference: the Southern California
-Arizona
Conference (in 1950, coincidentally the 100th annual meeting of this body), which met that year at the University of Redlands
.
in northern Mississippi
. He was the eighth of eleven children of the Rev. Duncan Preston and Maria (née
Petty) Shaw. Alexander's parents were ex-slaves; his father also an Ordained Minister in the M.E. Church, as was Alexander's elder brother, J. Beverly F. Shaw. Alexander married Lottye Blanche Simon 29 March 1911. They had children Alexander Preston Jr., Bernard Johnson, twins
Lena Anita and Bessie Elaine, Helen Marguerite, and Wilbur Allen.
degree from Rust College
in 1902. He then earned the B.D.
degree from Gammon Theological Seminary in 1906. He also did graduate work at Boston University
.
as a public school teacher
. But he was received on trial in 1908 by the Washington
Annual Conference
of the M.E. Church. He was ordained Elder and received into full connection in 1910. The Rev. Shaw distinguished himself as a Pastor serving the following appointments: Westminster, Maryland
(1908-09); Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
(1909-11); Winchester, Virginia
(1911-15); Little Rock, Arkansas
(1915-17); and the Wesley
Chapel
Methodist Church in Los Angeles
(1917-31). He also was a member of the 1928 General Conference of the M.E. Church.
The Rev. Dr. Shaw also distinguished himself as the elected Editor of the Southwestern Christian Advocate, an important periodical of his denomination
. His term of service as Editor lasted from 1931 until 1936, during which time he built up the paper from a circulation
of about 5,000 to 9,000! Publication was headquartered in New Orleans. He also contributed numerous articles on religious subjects to a variety of publications.
The Rev. Dr. Alexander Preston Shaw also was a Mason
.
(1936-40), and then to the Baltimore
Episcopal Area of the Central Jurisdiction of The Methodist Church (1940-52). As Resident Bishop of the Baltimore Area, he served as the Presiding Bishop
of the Delaware
, East Tennessee, North Carolina
, and Washington, D.C.
Annual Conferences of the Central Jurisdiction. These conferences together included some 1,300 African American
Methodist churches and about 100,000 church members.
Bishop Shaw also served on the so-called Committee of Twenty-eight, the Board of Education, the Board of Missions, the Board of Temperance
, and the Committee on World Peace
. His office while Bishop of the Baltimore Area was located at 1206 Etting St., Baltimore 17. His home was at 828 North Carrollton Ave., Baltimore.
Nevertheless, the Rev. Mr. Alexander Preston Shaw was a brilliant Preacher
. His specialty was his urgent appeal to youth. Speaking of the Wesley Chapel M.E. Church in Los Angeles, the city's fifth largest, Dr. Shaw said,
Reportedly, he would occasionally bring an outstanding boy or girl into the Pulpit
with him, to lecture on how the church could be made even more interesting to young people.
actities." Bishop Shaw held that "a sufficient amount of real excellence -- as has been achieved by Marian Anderson
and Dr. Carver
and Jackie Robinson
-- is the surest way." Above all, said Time, "[Bishop Shaw] believe(s) that Negroes should observe the rule he himself has followed with such conspicuous success: take on responsibilities." Said Bishop Shaw:
in 1916 with the Doctor of Divinity
degree. Rust College did the same in 1920, as did Gammon Theological Seminary (D.D., 1924). Boston University awarded the D.D. in 1937. Rust College also awarded Bishop Shaw the LL.D. in 1937.
in 1953 to again serve part of the New Orleans Area following the death of Bishop Robert Nathaniel Brooks. Bishop Shaw served the rest of that quadrennium (1952-56) in this position.
Bishop Alexander Preston Shaw died 7 March 1966. He is buried in Los Angeles
.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
, editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
, and bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
and The Methodist Church. He was elected
Elected
Elected is the latest EP by Dutch Progressive metal project Ayreon. It was released on April 25, 2008 in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and on April 28 in the rest of Europe...
and consecrated to the Episcopacy in 1936. Bishop Shaw held the distinction of being the first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
Bishop of The Methodist Church (at the age of 71) to preside full-time over a predominantly white Annual Conference: the Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
-Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
Conference (in 1950, coincidentally the 100th annual meeting of this body), which met that year at the University of Redlands
University of Redlands
The University of Redlands is a private liberal arts and sciences university located in Redlands, California. The university's campus sits on near downtown Redlands. The university was founded in 1907 and was associated with the American Baptist Church. The land for the university was donated by...
.
Birth and Family
Alexander was born 18 April 1879 in AbbevilleAbbeville, Mississippi
-Education:The Town of Abbeville is served by the Lafayette County School District.The University of Mississippi also owns and operates the University of Mississippi Field Station, which is located in Abbeville. It is a natural laboratory used to study, research and teach about sustainable...
in northern Mississippi
Mississippi
Mississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
. He was the eighth of eleven children of the Rev. Duncan Preston and Maria (née
NEE
NEE is a political protest group whose goal was to provide an alternative for voters who are unhappy with all political parties at hand in Belgium, where voting is compulsory.The NEE party was founded in 2005 in Antwerp...
Petty) Shaw. Alexander's parents were ex-slaves; his father also an Ordained Minister in the M.E. Church, as was Alexander's elder brother, J. Beverly F. Shaw. Alexander married Lottye Blanche Simon 29 March 1911. They had children Alexander Preston Jr., Bernard Johnson, twins
TWINS
Two Wide-Angle Imaging Neutral-Atom Spectrometers are a pair of NASA instruments aboard two United States National Reconnaissance Office satellites in Molniya orbits. TWINS was designed to provide stereo images of the Earth's ring current. The first instrument, TWINS-1, was launched aboard USA-184...
Lena Anita and Bessie Elaine, Helen Marguerite, and Wilbur Allen.
Education
Alexander Sr earned the A.B.Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from Rust College
Rust College
Rust College is a historically black liberal arts college located in Holly Springs, Mississippi. Located approximately 35 miles southeast of Memphis, Tennessee, it is the second-oldest private college in the state...
in 1902. He then earned the B.D.
Bachelor of Divinity
In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies....
degree from Gammon Theological Seminary in 1906. He also did graduate work at Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
.
Ordained and Editorial Ministry
Alexander Preston Shaw originally planned a careerCareer
Career is defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as a person's "course or progress through life ". It is usually considered to pertain to remunerative work ....
as a public school teacher
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
. But he was received on trial in 1908 by the Washington
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Annual Conference
Annual Conference
An Annual Conference in the United Methodist Church is a regional body that governs much of the life of the "Connectional Church." Annual conferences are composed primarily of the clergy members and a lay member or members from each charge . Each conference is a geographical division...
of the M.E. Church. He was ordained Elder and received into full connection in 1910. The Rev. Shaw distinguished himself as a Pastor serving the following appointments: Westminster, Maryland
Westminster, Maryland
Westminster is a city in northern Maryland, United States. It is the seat of Carroll County. The city's population was 18,590 at the 2010 census. Westminster is an outlying community within the Baltimore-Towson, MD MSA, which is part of a greater Washington-Baltimore-Northern Virginia, DC-MD-VA-WV...
(1908-09); Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital of Pennsylvania. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 49,528, making it the ninth largest city in Pennsylvania...
(1909-11); Winchester, Virginia
Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
(1911-15); Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock, Arkansas
Little Rock is the capital and the largest city of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 699,757 people in the 2010 census...
(1915-17); and the Wesley
Wesley
Wesley is a name with an Anglo-Norman etymology. The "wes" portion of the name refers to the Western cardinal direction, while the word "lea" refers to a field, pasture, or other clearing in a forest. Thus, the name's origin refers to a "western lea," or a field to the west...
Chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
Methodist Church in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
(1917-31). He also was a member of the 1928 General Conference of the M.E. Church.
The Rev. Dr. Shaw also distinguished himself as the elected Editor of the Southwestern Christian Advocate, an important periodical of his denomination
Christian denomination
A Christian denomination is an identifiable religious body under a common name, structure, and doctrine within Christianity. In the Orthodox tradition, Churches are divided often along ethnic and linguistic lines, into separate churches and traditions. Technically, divisions between one group and...
. His term of service as Editor lasted from 1931 until 1936, during which time he built up the paper from a circulation
Newspaper circulation
A newspaper's circulation is the number of copies it distributes on an average day. Circulation is one of the principal factors used to set advertising rates. Circulation is not always the same as copies sold, often called paid circulation, since some newspapers are distributed without cost to the...
of about 5,000 to 9,000! Publication was headquartered in New Orleans. He also contributed numerous articles on religious subjects to a variety of publications.
The Rev. Dr. Alexander Preston Shaw also was a Mason
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
.
Episcopal Ministry
The Rev. Dr. Alexander Preston Shaw was elected to the Episcopacy of the Methodist Episcopal Church and consecrated a Bishop (the highest office in the Methodist ministry) by the 1936 General Conference. Bishop Shaw was assigned to the New Orleans Episcopal AreaEpiscopal Area
An Episcopal Area in the United Methodist Church is a basic unit of this denomination. It is a region presided over by a resident bishop that is similar to a diocese in other Christian denominations. Each annual conference in the UMC is within a single episcopal area; some episcopal areas...
(1936-40), and then to the Baltimore
Baltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
Episcopal Area of the Central Jurisdiction of The Methodist Church (1940-52). As Resident Bishop of the Baltimore Area, he served as the Presiding Bishop
Presiding Bishop
The Presiding Bishop is an ecclesiastical position in some denominations of Christianity.- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America :The Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is the chief ecumenical officer of the church, and the leader and caretaker for the bishops of the...
of the Delaware
Delaware
Delaware is a U.S. state located on the Atlantic Coast in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered to the south and west by Maryland, and to the north by Pennsylvania...
, East Tennessee, North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
, and Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
Annual Conferences of the Central Jurisdiction. These conferences together included some 1,300 African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
Methodist churches and about 100,000 church members.
Bishop Shaw also served on the so-called Committee of Twenty-eight, the Board of Education, the Board of Missions, the Board of Temperance
Temperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
, and the Committee on World Peace
World peace
World Peace is an ideal of freedom, peace, and happiness among and within all nations and/or people. World peace is an idea of planetary non-violence by which nations willingly cooperate, either voluntarily or by virtue of a system of governance that prevents warfare. The term is sometimes used to...
. His office while Bishop of the Baltimore Area was located at 1206 Etting St., Baltimore 17. His home was at 828 North Carrollton Ave., Baltimore.
Bishop Shaw, the Pastor/Preacher
Described by Time Magazine (in its 26 June 1950 issue) as "tall" (6 ft. 3 in.), Bishop Shaw also was well-poised. When he was appointed to Winchester, Virginia, he found the second-floor ceiling of his parsonage too low for him. When he solved this problem by persuading his congregation to rent him another house, while leasing the parsonage "to a much shorter man," newspapers in the Washington and New York areas delightedly picked up the story, causing the Rev. Shaw "a good deal of embarrassment."Nevertheless, the Rev. Mr. Alexander Preston Shaw was a brilliant Preacher
Preacher
Preacher is a term for someone who preaches sermons or gives homilies. A preacher is distinct from a theologian by focusing on the communication rather than the development of doctrine. Others see preaching and theology as being intertwined...
. His specialty was his urgent appeal to youth. Speaking of the Wesley Chapel M.E. Church in Los Angeles, the city's fifth largest, Dr. Shaw said,
- My Church was not filled with bald-headed people. We had regularly as many as 200 to 300 youngsters attending services.
Reportedly, he would occasionally bring an outstanding boy or girl into the Pulpit
Pulpit
Pulpit is a speakers' stand in a church. In many Christian churches, there are two speakers' stands at the front of the church. Typically, the one on the left is called the pulpit...
with him, to lecture on how the church could be made even more interesting to young people.
Advocate for His Race
Bishop Shaw was also reported by Time Magazine as "consistently advocat(ing) self-improvement and development for his race." This was distinguished from "the rough, wild way of pressure groups trying to stamp out anti-NegroNegro
The word Negro is used in the English-speaking world to refer to a person of black ancestry or appearance, whether of African descent or not...
actities." Bishop Shaw held that "a sufficient amount of real excellence -- as has been achieved by Marian Anderson
Marian Anderson
Marian Anderson was an African-American contralto and one of the most celebrated singers of the twentieth century...
and Dr. Carver
George Washington Carver
George Washington Carver , was an American scientist, botanist, educator, and inventor. The exact day and year of his birth are unknown; he is believed to have been born into slavery in Missouri in January 1864....
and Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
-- is the surest way." Above all, said Time, "[Bishop Shaw] believe(s) that Negroes should observe the rule he himself has followed with such conspicuous success: take on responsibilities." Said Bishop Shaw:
- "If you don't have responsibilities, you don't grow strong enough to handle them."
Honorary Degrees
The Rev. Alexander Preston Shaw was honored by Philander Smith CollegePhilander Smith College
Philander Smith College is a private, historically black college that is affiliated with the United Methodist Church. It is located in Little Rock, Arkansas. The student body averages around 850 attendees, with around 30% of that figure attending part time. Although known historically as a school...
in 1916 with the Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
degree. Rust College did the same in 1920, as did Gammon Theological Seminary (D.D., 1924). Boston University awarded the D.D. in 1937. Rust College also awarded Bishop Shaw the LL.D. in 1937.
Retirement, Death and Burial
Bishop Shaw retired in 1952 from the active episcopacy of The Methodist Church. He was, however, called out of retirementRetirement
Retirement is the point where a person stops employment completely. A person may also semi-retire by reducing work hours.Many people choose to retire when they are eligible for private or public pension benefits, although some are forced to retire when physical conditions don't allow the person to...
in 1953 to again serve part of the New Orleans Area following the death of Bishop Robert Nathaniel Brooks. Bishop Shaw served the rest of that quadrennium (1952-56) in this position.
Bishop Alexander Preston Shaw died 7 March 1966. He is buried in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
.