George Francis Popham Blyth
Encyclopedia
The Rt Rev
George Francis Popham Blyth DD
(d. 5 November 1914) was an Anglican Bishop
in the last decades of the nineteenth century and the first two of the twentieth.
He was educated at St Pauls and Lincoln College, Oxford
and ordained in 1885. After a curacy
at St Mary, Westport
he spent 20 years in India
and Burma as a missionary
ending this part of his career as Archdeacon
of Rangoon). In 1887 he was appointed the fourth Bishop of Jerusalem
, a post he held for 27 years. A Sub-Prelate
of the Order of St John of Jerusalem
, he died on 5 November 1914.
Unlike his predecessor Bishop Gobat
, who had resorted to proselytising among Christians of other, mostly Orthodox denominations, legalised by the Porte by an Ferman in 1850 issued under the pressure of the Protestant powers of Britain and Prussia, Blyth preferred missioning Jews and Muslims. Proselytism
among Christians had been criticised by proponents of the Anglican High Church
faction. Blyth wanted to maintain good relations with the Orthodox churches.
Right Reverend
The Right Reverend is a style applied to certain religious figures.*In the Anglican Communion and the Roman Catholic Church in Great Britain it applies to bishops except that The Most Reverend is used for archbishops .*In some churches with a...
George Francis Popham Blyth DD
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....
(d. 5 November 1914) was an Anglican 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...
in the last decades of the nineteenth century and the first two of the twentieth.
He was educated at St Pauls and Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College, Oxford
Lincoln College is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom. It is situated on Turl Street in central Oxford, backing onto Brasenose College and adjacent to Exeter College...
and ordained in 1885. After a curacy
Curate
A curate is a person who is invested with the care or cure of souls of a parish. In this sense "curate" correctly means a parish priest but in English-speaking countries a curate is an assistant to the parish priest...
at St Mary, Westport
Hambridge and Westport
Hambridge and Westport is a civil parish in Somerset, England. It has a population of 526.It includes the villages of Hambridge and Westport in the South Somerset district.-History and General Information:...
he spent 20 years in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and Burma as a missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
ending this part of his career as Archdeacon
Archdeacon
An archdeacon is a senior clergy position in Anglicanism, Syrian Malabar Nasrani, Chaldean Catholic, and some other Christian denominations, above that of most clergy and below a bishop. In the High Middle Ages it was the most senior diocesan position below a bishop in the Roman Catholic Church...
of Rangoon). In 1887 he was appointed the fourth Bishop of Jerusalem
Anglican Bishop of Jerusalem
The Anglican Bishop in Jerusalem is the bishop of the Anglican Diocese of Jerusalem, which is a part of the Episcopal Church in Jerusalem and The Middle East, and based at St. George's Cathedral, Jerusalem. The Diocese of Jerusalem covers Israel, the Palestinian territories, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon...
, a post he held for 27 years. A Sub-Prelate
Prelate
A prelate is a high-ranking member of the clergy who is an ordinary or who ranks in precedence with ordinaries. The word derives from the Latin prælatus, the past participle of præferre, which means "carry before", "be set above or over" or "prefer"; hence, a prelate is one set over others.-Related...
of the Order of St John of Jerusalem
Venerable Order of Saint John
The Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of Saint John of Jerusalem , is a royal order of chivalry established in 1831 and found today throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Hong Kong, Ireland and the United States of America, with the world-wide mission "to prevent and relieve sickness and...
, he died on 5 November 1914.
Unlike his predecessor Bishop Gobat
Samuel Gobat
Samuel Gobat , was a Swiss Lutheran who became an Anglican missionary in Africa and was the Protestant Bishop of Jerusalem from 1846 until his death....
, who had resorted to proselytising among Christians of other, mostly Orthodox denominations, legalised by the Porte by an Ferman in 1850 issued under the pressure of the Protestant powers of Britain and Prussia, Blyth preferred missioning Jews and Muslims. Proselytism
Proselytism
Proselytizing is the act of attempting to convert people to another opinion and, particularly, another religion. The word proselytize is derived ultimately from the Greek language prefix προσ- and the verb ἔρχομαι in the form of προσήλυτος...
among Christians had been criticised by proponents of the Anglican High Church
High church
The term "High Church" refers to beliefs and practices of ecclesiology, liturgy and theology, generally with an emphasis on formality, and resistance to "modernization." Although used in connection with various Christian traditions, the term has traditionally been principally associated with the...
faction. Blyth wanted to maintain good relations with the Orthodox churches.