James Chamberlain Baker
Encyclopedia
James Chamberlain Baker (June 2, 1879 – 1969) was an American
Bishop
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
, The Methodist Church, and the United Methodist Church
, elected in 1928.
James was born in Sheldon, Illinois
. Of New England
ancestry on both sides, he was a son of the Rev. Benjamin Webb Baker, a Civil War Chaplain
.
Prior to his election to the Episcopacy, Bishop Baker united with the Illinois
Annual Conference
of the M.E. Church
in 1900. He served as an educator, a pastor
, and the organizer and head of the first Wesley Foundation
in the United States
, at the University of Illinois
.
Bishop Baker served the California
Episcopal Area, which at the time included the following Annual Conferences: California, Southern California-Arizona, California Oriental Provisional, Hawaii Mission, Pacific Japanese Provisional, and Latin American Provisional.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
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...
, The Methodist Church, and the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
, elected in 1928.
James was born in Sheldon, Illinois
Sheldon, Illinois
Sheldon is a village in Sheldon Township, Iroquois County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,232 at the 2000 census, and 1,130 in 2009.-Geography:Sheldon is located at ....
. Of New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
ancestry on both sides, he was a son of the Rev. Benjamin Webb Baker, a Civil War Chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
.
Prior to his election to the Episcopacy, Bishop Baker united with the Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
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
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...
in 1900. He served as an educator, a 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"....
, and the organizer and head of the first Wesley Foundation
Wesley Foundation
A Wesley Foundation is a United Methodist campus ministry sponsored in full or in part by the United Methodist Church on a non-church owned and operated campus...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, at the University of Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
.
Bishop Baker served the California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
Episcopal Area, which at the time included the following Annual Conferences: California, Southern California-Arizona, California Oriental Provisional, Hawaii Mission, Pacific Japanese Provisional, and Latin American Provisional.