author
William Reed Huntington
1838–1909
An influential Episcopal priest, writer, and reformer, he helped shape American Anglican worship and became one of the church’s strongest voices for Christian unity. His work linked parish life, theology, and ecumenical hope in ways that lasted well beyond his lifetime.
1 Audiobook
A Short History of the Book of Common Prayer
by William Reed Huntington
About the author
Born in Lowell, Massachusetts, on September 20, 1838, William Reed Huntington studied at Harvard and was ordained in the Episcopal Church in 1862. He served for many years as rector of All Saints Church in Worcester, Massachusetts, and later led Grace Church in New York City until his death on July 26, 1909.
Huntington was widely known as the "First Presbyter of the Episcopal Church," a sign of the unusual influence he held without ever becoming a bishop. He was a major figure in liturgical revision and church reform, and his 1870 book The Church-Idea became especially important for its call to greater Christian unity.
He is also remembered for helping frame the ideas later known as the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral, a landmark statement in Anglican ecumenical thought. Along with his parish ministry, he wrote extensively, leaving behind sermons, devotional works, and reflections on worship and church life that made him one of the best-known Episcopal authors of his era.