Collins Denny

Collins Denny (28 May 1854 – 12 May 1943) was an American Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, elected in 1910.

He was born in Winchester, Virginia. He practiced law in Baltimore, 1877-79, then entered the ordained ministry of the Baltimore Annual Conference of the M.E. Church, South in 1880. He served as a Pastor and an Educator. He never accepted the legitimacy of the Methodist Church, preferring to regard himself as a bishop in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. He was retired as a bishop in 1932, but continued to challenge the proposed unification of the M.E. Church and M.E. Church, South. He and his son, Collins Denny, Jr.--a Richmond attorney--took their legal challenge to the U.S. Supreme Court. The Court ruled that it had no jurisdiction in the matter which ended all challenges to the 1939 unification of The Methodist Church.

Prior to his election to the Episcopacy, Collins toured Asiatic Missions, 1886-87. He served as the Chaplain of the University of Virginia, 1889-91. As a Bishop he was a member of the Fourth Ecumenical Conference, Toronto, 1911.

He died 12 May 1943 in Richmond, Virginia, and was buried in Riverview Cemetery, Richmond.

Selected Writings

• Sketch of Life of Joshua Soule, Old Baltimore Conference, J.E. Armstrong, 1907.
• Analysis, Davis: Elements of Deductive Logic, and of his Elements of Psychology, 1916.
• Address: Review of Existing Situation, Working Conference on Methodist Union, 1916.
• A Manual of the Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and Decisions of the College of Bishops, 1931. Originally prepared by H.N. McTyeire, revised and enlarged.
• The Legal Action Required to Adopt the Proposed Plan of Methodist Union, Richmond, May 19, 1937. Manifold personally signed by Collins Denny and Collins Denny, Jr. In the Methodist Bishops' Collection.

References

Leete, Frederick DeLand, Methodist Bishops. Nashville, The Parthenon Press, 1948.

See also

• List of Bishops of the United Methodist Church