Letter – Department of Ministry to Liberal Christian Church (Gill)

May 1947

Department of the Ministry
25 Beacon Street
Boston 8, Mass.

JOHN G. GILL

JOHN G. GILL was born in Louisville, Ky., November 22, 1909. His religious background was Southern Presbyterian until he attended the seminary where he became convinced of Unitarianism. He attended Harvard University from 1928 – 30, studying chiefly science and mathematics; has a B.A. (cum laude) from the University of Wisconsin, writing his honors thesis on Thomas Jefferson, in 1936. His theological work was done at Union Theological Seminary, from which he graduated in 1939 with a B.D. degree.

Mr. Gill, while at Union, assisted at the Park Avenue Presbyterian Church, the first year; led discussion adult and children’s projects at Union Settlement his second year. During his third year he directed boy’s club work at Bronx Union Y.M.C.A. assisted the Rev. Ralph Read in the Wyoming Community Church at Milbourne, New Jersey; directed the Children’s Project Hour at the Presbyterian Church in Yonkers, and was student worker for the Youth Commission at the Unitarian Headquarters at Ten Park Avenue.

In the fall of 1940, Mr. Gill was called to the Unitarian Church in Grafton, Mass., where he resigned a year later to do graduate work for his Ph.D. at Harvard, writing a thesis on the History and Philosophy of Religion. He was called to the church in south Hingham, Massachusetts in March of 1943, and remained there until 1944. Since 1944, Mr. Gill has been serving the Unitarian Church in Alton, Illinois.

Mr. Gill lived in Kentucky and Virginia until he entered college. Before and since that he has lived in Panama and spent one summer in France. He is a scholar – can read and to some extent speak four languages beside English, and is highly trained in Philosophy, science and the social application of Christianity. He has done a good deal of writing and speaking.

Mr. Gill is married.

Physical Archive: UUCA Box: 26   Folder: 10
Citation: Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Atlanta Records, RG 026, Archives and Manuscripts Dept., Pitts Theology Library, Emory University, Atlanta GA