author
Cleland Boyd McAfee
1866–1944
A Presbyterian minister, theologian, and hymn writer, he is best remembered for the beloved gospel hymn "Near to the Heart of God," written out of personal grief. His life joined pastoral work, teaching, and church leadership with a gift for warm, memorable devotional writing.
2 Audiobooks
About the author
Born in Ashley, Missouri, on September 25, 1866, he grew up in a family closely tied to Christian education: his father, John A. McAfee, founded Park College in Missouri. He studied at Park College and later at Union Theological Seminary in New York, then went on to serve as a professor, pastor, and church leader.
McAfee worked in several roles over the course of his career, including ministry at Park College, pastorates in Chicago and Brooklyn, teaching theology at McCormick Theological Seminary, and leadership in Presbyterian missions. He died on February 4, 1944.
He is most widely remembered today for writing both the words and tune of "Near to the Heart of God." The hymn was written after the deaths of two young nieces from diphtheria, and that sorrow gives the song its quiet tenderness and lasting comfort.