Samuel Ferguson
Samuel David Ferguson was an influential African American Episcopal bishop born on January 1, 1842, in Charleston, South Carolina. At the age of six, his family relocated to Liberia, where he received his education in missionary schools. Ferguson was ordained as a deacon in 1865 and later as a priest in 1868, after which he took on various roles, including assistant minister and superintendent of an orphan asylum and girls' school. In 1885, he returned to the U.S. to be consecrated as a bishop, gaining significant attention despite not being the first African American bishop in the Episcopal Church.
Ferguson's work in Liberia included establishing Cuttington University, the oldest four-year university in sub-Saharan Africa, and promoting biblical standards through public commentary and pamphlets. He was a prominent figure in national discussions, often advocating for traditional values and opposing changes to divorce laws. His leadership contributed to the Episcopal Church's prominence in Liberia, although its influence waned after his death in 1916, as the Catholic Church gained ground. Overall, Ferguson played a crucial role in shaping Liberia's religious and educational landscape, setting a precedent for future African American leaders in the church.
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Samuel Ferguson
Religious leader
- Born: January 1, 1842
- Birthplace: Charleston, South Carolina
- Died: August 2, 1916
- Place of death: Cape Palmas, Liberia
One of the first African Americans to become an ordained bishop of the Episcopal Church, Ferguson spent most of his life as a missionary in Liberia. He was responsible for vastly increasing the visibility of the Episcopal Church in the country, both by creating educational opportunities and by making public statements on political issues. He espoused censorship and condemnation of stances he considered immoral (such as the freedom to divorce) and did not believe in separation of church and state.
Early Life
Samuel David Ferguson was born January 1, 1842, in Charleston, South Carolina. His parents moved the family to Liberia when Ferguson was six years old. While in Liberia, Ferguson was educated in missionary schools.
Ferguson was ordained as an Episcopal deacon by Bishop Payne on March 28, 1865, then as a priest on March 15, 1868. He worked as an assistant minister at St. Mark’s Church, acted as business agent for the Episcopalian mission, and was superintendent of the Cape Palmas Female Orphan Asylum and Girls’ School.
Life’s Work
In June of 1885, Ferguson returned to the United States to be consecrated as a bishop by the Reverend W. R. Huntington at Grace Church in New York. He also received a doctorate in divinity from the theology department of Gambier College. Although Ferguson was not the first African American to join the Episcopal House of Bishops—James Theodore Holly, missionary bishop to Haiti, had been consecrated eleven years earlier—his appointment received much more publicity, and he often is mistakenly called the church’s first black bishop.
An African American’s inclusion among the church’s bishops proved highly controversial. Despite the prejudices of some in the House of Bishops, however, Ferguson’s work in Liberia proved a great asset to the church. His appointment even served a direct political purpose, as it allowed Episcopalian leaders to deflect accusations that theirs was an elitist organization run by rich, white men.
Ferguson became the rector of St. Mark’s Church in Harper, Liberia, as well as a teacher and head of a boys’ school in the town. He also became a figure of national prominence through his public statements. Ferguson, like other social commentators in Liberia, used vitriolic pamphlets to inform the public of proper behavior according to biblical standards.
In 1887, Ferguson received a donation of $5,000 from Robert Cutting, the treasurer of the Episcopal Church of the United States, to establish a school in Liberia teaching agriculture and industry. By 1889, Ferguson had established Cuttington University in Cape Palmas (it moved to Suacoco, Liberia, in 1929). Cuttington is the oldest four-year university in sub-Saharan Africa.
In 1902, Ferguson delivered a speech on Liberia’s Independence Day railing against legislators’ wishes to extend the right of divorce on grounds other than adultery; he argued that God would destroy the country if it did not follow holy laws. He was opposed on the same issue in 1905 by another member of the Episcopal clergy,Perry O. Gray, the editor of Agricultural World. Gray argued that the law needed to be changed to account for cases of abandonment or sexually transmitted diseases. Upon hearing that Gray had written an article for publication in The Cuttington Cadet, Ferguson ordered it suppressed; this provoked an editorial from Gray in his own publication, decrying the meddling of Episcopal ministers in politics.
Ferguson again spoke at Liberia’s Independence Day celebration in 1916. After Ferguson’s death on August 2, 1916, the Catholic Church (which had been gaining ground since 1906) rose to a position of power in Liberia, and the influence of Episcopalians declined. By 1928, the Catholic Church boasted 2,055 students and 3,406 communicants, significantly more than the Episcopalians had taught at the peak of their influence.
Significance
Ferguson is credited with bringing the Episcopal Church to prominence in Liberia, and after his death the movement soon lost ground to other religious organizations. In 1904, the church ran 57 schools attended by 1,490 students. By 1916, near the end of Ferguson’s life, the Episcopal Church in Liberia had 26 clergy, 58 teachers, 460 students in boarding schools, and 2,450 communicants. In addition, annual offerings rose from $414 in 1886 to $4,000 in 1916. While Ferguson’s social messages may seem repressive by modern standards, he had a great influence on Liberia’s development as a nation and set a strong precedent for African American leaders in religion.
Bibliography
Burrowes, Carl Patrick. Power and Press Freedom in Liberia, 1830-1970: The Impact of Globalization and Civil Society on Media-Government Relations. Trenton, N.J.: Africa World Press, 2004. This study includes many passages concerning religious influence on the politics and press of Liberia and provides a useful history of Ferguson’s role in shaping the national discourse and educational practices of the country.
“Consecration of the Bishop-Elect of Cape Palmas.” The Churchman 52 (July 4, 1885): 4-6. A fascinating contemporary account of Ferguson’s consecration, this document is of interest to anyone interested in the controversy over Ferguson’s appointment.
Lewis, Harold T. Yet with a Steady Beat: The African American Struggle for Recognition in the Episcopal Church. Philadelphia: Trinity Press, 1996. As part of his narrative about the Episcopal Church in the United States, Lewis mentions the significance of Ferguson in setting an example for future African American bishops.