# Clare Purcell > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Clare_Purcell > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Clare_Purcell.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clare_Purcell > Source revision: 1285157955 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Clare Purcell** (17 November 1884 – 8 February 1964) was an American [bishop](/source/Bishop) of the [Methodist Episcopal Church, South](/source/Methodist_Episcopal_Church,_South) and [the Methodist Church](/source/The_Methodist_Church_(USA)), elected in 1938. ## Birth and family Clare was born 17 November 1884, the youngest of six children of William Henry and Mary Ellen (Callen) Purcell of [Roanoke, Alabama](/source/Roanoke,_Alabama). Clare's family was of a very old connection in [North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina), described in the [Lumber River Scots](/source/Lumber_River_Scots). His mother was descended from [Skelton Smith](/source/Skelton_Smith), a 15-year-old soldier of the [Revolutionary War](/source/American_Revolutionary_War). His father was in the 13th [North Carolina](/source/North_Carolina) Regiment of the [Confederate States Army](/source/Confederate_States_Army) and served in battle. Clare married Ida West (whom he met in college) 28 December 1910 and they had three children: John Robert (b. 02 Jul 1915), William Wood Rowe (b. 19 Dec 1911) and Ida Claire (b. 05 Jan 1921). ## Education Clare was educated at [Roanoke Normal College](/source/Roanoke_Normal_College), graduating in 1903. After working for the [Georgia Railroad](/source/Georgia_Railroad) in Roanoke and [Birmingham, Alabama](/source/Birmingham,_Alabama), and [Columbus, Georgia](/source/Columbus,_Georgia), in 1906 he enrolled at [Emory University](/source/Emory_University). He was a member of [Phi Delta Theta](/source/Phi_Delta_Theta) while at Emory. However, health problems prevented him from completing his degree. In 1907 Rev. Purcell enrolled in the [Bachelor of Divinity](/source/Bachelor_of_Divinity) program at [Vanderbilt University](/source/Vanderbilt_University). He earned his [B.D.](/source/Bachelor_of_Divinity) degree in 1916. He also earned an [A.B.](/source/Bachelor_of_Arts) degree from [Birmingham College](/source/Birmingham-Southern_College) the same year. ## Ordained ministry Rev. Purcell was granted a Local Preacher's License in 1906 by the Lafayette District Conference of the [M.E. Church, South](/source/M.E._Church,_South). In November of that year he was admitted on trial to the North [Alabama](/source/Alabama) [Annual Conference](/source/Annual_conferences_within_Methodism), serving a one-year appointment on the [Wedowee](/source/Wedowee,_Alabama) Circuit. He was ordained deacon in 1911 and elder in 1913. Between 1911 and 1918 Rev. Purcell served the following appointments: [Madison](/source/Madison,_Alabama) Circuit, the Owenton Church (later renamed McCoy Memorial) in Birmingham, and [First Methodist Church](/source/First_Methodist_Church_(Sylacauga,_Alabama)) of [Sylacauga](/source/Sylacauga,_Alabama). In 1918 Rev. Purcell entered service as a [chaplain](/source/Chaplain) in the [131st Infantry](/source/131st_Infantry) of the [U.S. Army](/source/U.S._Army) during [World War I](/source/World_War_I). He spent the winter of 1918 in [Luxembourg](/source/Luxembourg). Upon his return from military service, Rev. Purcell was appointed to the First Methodist Church of [Hartselle](/source/Hartselle,_Alabama). In 1920 he was appointed to [Talladega](/source/Talladega,_Alabama), and in 1924 to [Tuscaloosa](/source/Tuscaloosa,_Alabama). In 1927 Rev. Purcell as appointed presiding elder of the [Jasper](/source/Jasper,_Alabama) District. In 1931 he became the pastor of the First Methodist Church of [Gadsden](/source/Gadsden,_Alabama), where he remained until 1938. Rev. Purcell also served the greater Church as a member of the Commission on Methodist Unification (1934–38). ## Episcopal ministry The Rev. Clare Purcell was elected to the [episcopacy](/source/Episcopacy) 3 May 1938, by the General Conference of the M.E. Church, South, following a well-received speech in which he argued in favor of union with the [Methodist Episcopal Church](/source/Methodist_Episcopal_Church) and the [Methodist Protestant Church](/source/Methodist_Protestant_Church). Bishop Purcell was assigned to the [Charlotte](/source/Charlotte,_North_Carolina) Episcopal Area (1938–48), and to the Birmingham Episcopal Area from 1948 until his [retirement](/source/Retirement) in 1956. He served as [president](/source/President_(corporate_title)) of the Council of Bishops of The Methodist Church, 1955-56. In retirement, Bishop Purcell remained in Birmingham, where he served as president of the board of directors of Carraway Methodist Hospital. Bishop Purcell died 8 February 1964. ## See also - [List of bishops of the United Methodist Church](/source/List_of_bishops_of_the_United_Methodist_Church) ## References - Leete, Frederick DeLand, *Methodist Bishops*. Nashville, The Methodist Publishing House, 1948. - *Clare Purcell Papers*, MSS 319, Archives and Manuscripts Dept., Pitts Theology Library, Emory University.[\[1\]](http://www.pitts.emory.edu/Archives/text/mss319.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20060908005614/http://www.pitts.emory.edu/Archives/text/mss319.html) 2006-09-08 at the Wayback Machine ## External links - [Papers of Clare Purcell](http://www.pitts.emory.edu/Archives/text/mss319.html) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20060908005614/http://www.pitts.emory.edu/Archives/text/mss319.html) 2006-09-08 at the Wayback Machine --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Clare Purcell](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clare_Purcell) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clare_Purcell?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.