Bishop John Henry Hobart
“You have heard that for a bishop, as God’s steward, must be blameless; he must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or addicted to wine or violent or greedy for gain; but he must be hospitable, a lover of goodness, prudent, upright, devout, and self-controlled. He must have a firm grasp of the word that is trustworthy in accordance with the teaching, so that he may be able both to preach with sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict it.”
Titus 1:7-9
Today, Sept.12, is the day set aside in the church calendar to honor and remember John Henry Hobart. John Henry Hobart was born in New York in 1775, just as the American Revolution was beginning. He was the generation of young adults who were shaped by the war and who would shape the future of the country and of the church. Following the Revolutionary War, the Episcopal Church needed to reorganize itself as the ordination vows for Anglican (Church of England) priests included a vow of obedience to the King of England. Once the war for independence had been won, American priests could no longer make that vow and be a citizen of the United States.
In the years following the Revolution, Hobart graduated from college and was eventually ordained to the diaconate in 1798 and priesthood in 1801. He served as the rector of Trinity Church in New York and eventually was elected bishop and served as the Diocesan Bishop of New York from 1816 until his death in 1830. Bishop Hobart was a passionate and tireless leader. His energy and capacity for work was remarkable. He served the people in his diocese, personally mentored candidates for holy orders and was a pastor to the clergy. He not only took care of the clergy in his diocese but also looked after the Diocese of Connecticut and the Diocese of New Jersey while they were without bishops.
It is amazing that with his constant devotion to his work, he did not lose sight of what was most important – worshipping Jesus and bringing more people to be disciples of Jesus Christ. Hobart was a young leader at a time when big changes were taking place, and new paths forward were being forged.
Hobart could have held to the old ways of the church. He could have been caught up in political differences that were creating divisions in the church as he entered into ministry. There were differences in churchmanship — high church versus low church amongst other debates of the day. But he remained focused on the main thing: worshipping Jesus, the formation of Christians and the work of the church.
When he was on his deathbed, Bishop Hobart offered this advice to a young priest, “Be sure that in all your preaching the doctrines of the Cross be introduced: no preaching is good for any thing without these."[1] He kept his focus on Jesus. When we find ourselves in times of change or any challenging time, we too should try to focus on the main thing- on being faithful disciples of Jesus.
Collect for John Henry Hobart
Revive your Church, Lord God of hosts, whenever it falls into complacency and sloth, by raising up devoted leaders like your servant John Henry Hobart; and grant that their faith and vigor of mind may awaken your people to your message and their mission; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.
“Lesser Feasts and Fasts 2018,” page 399
