Leonard Bacon

1802-1881. Congregational pastor, educator, and editor. Educated at Yale and Andover Theological Seminary, he was ordained as an evangelist to the western frontier in 1824. He accepted a call to the First Church of New Haven the following year, and served there with distinction (1825- 66). Although sympathetic to the New Haven School* of theology, he tried to serve as peacemaker in the major theological debates within Congregationalism. He was active in the slavery issue, including among his writings editorials in the Independent that often led to bitter debates within his own congregation. He also wrote a number of hymns. In semi-retirement from 1866 he lectured in Yale Divinity School on revealed theology, church polity, and American church history.