John Samuel Stamm (1878–1956[1]) was an Americanbishop of theEvangelical Church, elected in 1926.
Stamm was born on a Sunday morning (to his parents, an indication God had a special work for him), 23 March 1878, a son of Hanz and Mary Stamm. The Stamms were devout Christians and members of theEvangelical Association Church in Alida,[2]Geary County, Kansas, which they had helped organize seven years before.
At the age of ten, John became so disturbed by asermon he heard one Sunday morning that he went to a hillside after church to pray.
At the age of eighteen he experienced another turning point in his young life. Sitting with several other teenage boys one night when the preacher gave the invitation to come to thealtar, John turned to his friends and said,"If I go, will you go?" They assured him they would. So they filed down the center aisle to the altar."That night I foundJesus Christ as my personal Savior," Bishop Stamm later wrote."It was an experience of great joy and meaning and still is today," he wrote in 1955."I made a complete turnabout in life. Instead of doubting God, I now loved Him...things of the spirit had new interest and challenge for me...the call of theChristian ministry came to me with clear and convincing urgency."
Stamm had completed less than five grades of public school when he turned twenty. Nevertheless, that fall he sold his horse and other possessions to obtain enough money for a train ticket toNaperville, Illinois, the home of The Evangelical Association'sNorth Central College andEvangelical Theological Seminary (E.T.S.). He took sub-academy courses at the College, along with others who had also not finished high school. Twelve years later Stamm had completed his college degree and graduated from the seminary. In 1927, E.T.S. honored him with aDoctor of Divinity degree. He received aDoctor of Laws degree fromAlbright College in 1936, aDoctor of Humane Letters from North Central College in 1949, and aDoctor of Sacred Theology fromDickinson College in 1951.
In 1901 Stamm was appointed Pastor of theGlasgow, Missouri Evangelical Mission. "When I met theClass Leader at the railroad station, he greeted me rather formally, then said, 'I had better tell you right away, we do not want you.'He said they had requested the conference not to send an unmarried man to this mission." While serving there Stamm became acquainted with Priscilla Marie Wahl. She taught in the Primary Department of theSunday School and was electedSuperintendent when only nineteen. On 19 March 1912 they were married during the time that Rev. Stamm was the Pastor of the Manhattan Evangelical Church. Shortly thereafter he was appointed to the Oak Park Village Church.
Two nights beforeChristmas, 1918,Bishop Spreng informed Rev. Stamm by telephone that he had been elected to teachSystematic Theology at E.T.S. He remained at the seminary until elected Bishop. Histheologicalscholarship was recognized in his service as aConsultingEditor for the publication of both theRevised Standard Version of theBible and ofThe Interpreters Bible.
His first assignment as Bishop of the Evangelical Church wasKansas City. During those first eight years, Stamm also served as theGeneral Secretary ofEvangelism for his denomination. After Kansas City, in 1934 he was assigned toHarrisburg, Pennsylvania. There he also served until 1941 as President of TheEvangelical School of Theology atReading, Pennsylvania.
Bishop Stamm gave statesman-like leadership to thePennsylvania Council of Churches (1945–49) and to theFederal Council of Churches (1948–50), serving as President of each of those organizations. He was a member of the 1948 organizing Assembly of theWorld Council of Churches, serving on its Central Committee until 1954.
When Bishop Stamm requestedretirement at the 1950 General Conference of the Evangelical United Brethren Church, he said
Bishop Stamm closed hisfarewell address by saying
Bishop Stamm died March 5, 1956.
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