The Right Reverend John Johns, D.D., LL.D.  
                          Fourth Bishop of Virginia
                                               
                                                  

1796
Born in New Castle, Delaware into a political family as the son of Chief Justice Kensey Johns III;  grandson of Governor Nicholas Van Dyke of Delaware.

1815
Graduates from Princeton College in New Jersey.

1819
Ordained to the deaconate in Philadelphia at age 23 and began his service in Maryland. 

1820
Ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Kemp.  Johns, at the age of 32,  narrowly lost the election for Bishop of Maryland by 3 votes.

1842
Consecrated bishop and named Assistant Bishop of Virginia by Bishop Meade.  Johns was the first bishop consecrated in Virginia.  His consecrators included Bishop William Meade (Third Bishop of Virginia), Bishop John Henry Hobart (Third Bishop of New York), and Bishop Levi S. Ives (Second Bishop of North Carolina).

1853
Confirms Robert E. Lee.

1849-1854
Served as President and professor of the College of William and Mary. 
In 1849, the finances of the college had been improved somewhat, but it was in a state of upheaval over the national and college politics.  “After the death of President Dew [1846], the College experienced such a terrible conflict caused by a student delivering . . .  a challenge to a duel over a row growing out of some bitterness over a faculty election, that at first the student was dismissed, and then, the whole faculty was ‘fired’ and 'the students left because there were no classes.'"  For almost a year and a half prior to the selection of Bishop Johns, the college had been closed with the exception of one professor giving lectures to his students at his home. 

According to Bishop Meade, the college in 1845 "by arrangement with the Episcopal Church of Virginia, . . . secured the services of Bishop Johns of Virginia.  During the five years of his continuance. . . he so diligently and wisely conducted the management of the College as to produce a regular increase of the number of students until they had nearly reached the maximum of former years, established a better discipline than perhaps ever before had prevailed."  During this time, he refused all remuneration that accompanied this post.

1862-1865
Elected as the Fourth Bishop of Virginia (including the current State of West Virginia at that time) and rode circuit throughout his diocese of nearly 70,000 square miles.
Baptized and confirmed Jefferson Davis.
Spent many long weeks riding through the battlefields and visiting the soldiers in camp, baptizing, confirming, and preaching. At the age of 70,  Bishop Johns rode like a raider--with the great personal risk of his life--to reach the battlefields’ wounded and dying.  Bishop Johns regularly preached at Libby Prison during the War . . . "with special reference to those inmates who had been commended to [his] attention by their friends in the North."

1866
The Theological Seminary of Virginia in Alexandria was left "wasted and impoverished by war."   All the funds of the seminary being in Virginia bank stocks were completely destroyed in the war.  After the war, Bishop Johns became president and also professor of pastoral theology at the Seminary and with some funds bequeathed by his cousin, he began the rebuilding of the seminary.
Twice named the “savior” of the church in Virginia:
Rev. Dr. G. MacLaren Brydon, D.D., historiographer of the Diocese of Virginia, writing in 1957 said that Bishop Johns "was enabled upon two different occasions to save the Episcopal Church and the Diocese of Virginia from great calamity."    First, he brought the diocese of war-wrecked Virginia “back into the fellowship of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States,” and second, "was in the years 1873-75 at the time when the . . . radical element [formed] a Reformed Episcopal Church, [B]ecause of his influence the majority of the clergy and people would go with him . . . .  John Johns stood firm as a rock . . . [and in Virginia] the movement stopped right there. . . The stand taken by Bishop Johns had saved the Church."

1876
After serving as a bishop for 34 years, Bishop Johns died while whispering "guide me--wash me--clothe me--help me under the shadow of Thy wings."  He was laid to rest on the grounds of the Theological Seminary of Virginia in Alexandria.

 --Notes compiled by Molly McClellan
Works Cited: Wood, John Sumner.  The Virginia Bishop: A Yankee Hero of the Confederacy Richmond: Garrett & Massie, Inc., 1961.