Abraham Lincoln's Presbyterian Connections
Abraham Lincoln's Presbyterian Connections Page 1
The Presbyterian Historical Society holds materials by and about the Lincoln family, who attended services at Presbyterian churches in Springfield, Illinois, and Washington DC.
Few Presidents captivate the American imagination as deeply as Abraham Lincoln. Director Steven Spielberg's film Lincoln, starring Daniel Day-Lewis as President Lincoln and Sally Field as Mary Todd Lincoln underscores that fascination and explores the final four months of Lincoln's life. The film received widespread acclaim and was nominated for seven Golden Globe Awards and 12 Academy Awards following its opening in November 2012.
The Presbyterian Historical Society holds materials by and about the Lincoln family, who attended services at Presbyterian churches in Springfield, Illinois, and Washington DC.
First Presbyterian Church, Springfield, Illinois Page 2
The Lincoln family attended the First Presbyterian Church in Springfield, Illinois. Lincoln served there as a trustee beginning in 1853, though he never officially became a member. This session minute book, dated from 1828 to 1862, records that Mary Lincoln joined the church on April 13, 1852.
The Civil War Page 3
When war broke out in 1861, the Memphis Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. (Old School), along with many other southern congregations and middle governing bodies, left the national denomination in order to form the Presbyterian Church in the Confederate States of America. This resolution, addressed to President Lincoln, explains the Presbytery’s reasons for secession.
Memphis Presbytery's resolution addressed to President Abraham Lincoln. Click to read the full letter. (Image ID: 1980)
In this letter, written and signed by Abraham Lincoln on May 13, 1863, the President thanks Colonel Forney for the “excellent and manly” article in the Chronicle about “Stonewall” Jackson.
Letter from President Abraham Lincoln to Colonel Forney, May 13, 1863. (Image ID: 1981)
Phineas Gurley Funeral Sermon Page 4
Many sermons and orations marked the occasion of President Lincoln's death on April 14, 1865. Among the most famous is the sermon delivered at Lincoln's funeral, held at the Executive Mansion in Washington, D.C. on the nineteenth of April, by Reverend Phineas Gurley (1816-1868).
Death-bed of Abraham Lincoln. Print reproduction of a painting by John H. Littlefield. (Image ID: 3346)
Reverend Gurley had been the Lincoln family's pastor for four years at the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington. His funeral sermon reveals how Lincoln's pastor viewed the president's place in history:
"Where reason fails, with all her powers, There faith prevails, and love adores."
The original cover page of Rev. Gurley's sermon. Click to read the full text. (Image ID: 3347)
Further Resources Page 5
For more information about Abraham Lincoln's Presbyterian connections, read three articles which were previously featured in the Journal of Presbyterian History and American Presbyterians.
Click to read: "Lincoln's Presbyterian Connections," by William E. Phipps, Journal of Presbyterian History, v. 80, Summer 2002.Click to read: "Lincoln's God," by Mark Noll, Journal of Presbyterian History, v. 82, Summer 2004.Click to read: "Lincoln, the Churches, and Memphis Presbyterians," by George M. Apperson, American Presbyterians, v. 72, Summer 1994.
