Dean Emeritus and William R. Cannon Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Church History Russell E. Richey died on January 19 at the age of 83. Professor Emeritus in the Practice of Historical Theology and Wesleyan Studies Rex D. Matthews offers this remembrance.
Russell E. “Russ” Richey
Russell E. Richey, Dean Emeritus and William R. Cannon Distinguished Professor of Church History Emeritus at Candler, died at his home in Durham, North Carolina, on January 19, 2025, at the age of 83, after a long illness. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Merle Bradley Umstead Richey; his daughter, Elizabeth Richey Thompson (Bennett); his son, William McMurry Richey (Jennifer); grandchildren Benjamin Richey, Ruby Richey, Reeves Thompson, and Lane Thompson; and brothers Tom Richey (Linda) and Doug Richey. He was an ordained elder in The United Methodist Church and retired member of the North Georgia Conference.
Russ (as he was widely known) received his BA degree from Wesleyan University (Connecticut) in 1963 with high honors and distinction in history and election to Phi Beta Kappa; his BD [MDiv] degree from Union Theological Seminary (New York) in 1966; and his MA and PhD degrees from Princeton University in 1968 and 1970 respectively. He served in several faculty and administrative positions at Drew University from 1969 to 1986, and then at Duke University Divinity School from 1986 to 2000, when he was named as dean and professor of church history at Candler. He served as Candler’s eighth dean through 2006, then returned to the Candler faculty until his retirement in 2011. After his retirement, he and Merle moved “back home” to Durham, and Russ served until his death as consulting/teaching faculty at Duke Divinity School and research fellow of the Center for Studies in the Wesleyan Tradition.
A prolific scholar and author, Russ wrote, co-authored, or edited dozens of books and scores of journal articles focused primarily on denominationalism, civil religion, and American Methodism. His most recent book—American Methodism: A Compact History, Revised and Updated, with Ashley Boggan, Kenneth E. Rowe, and Jean Miller Schmidt (2022)—serves as a basic text in required Methodist studies courses. Another recent work, A Church’s Broken Heart: Mason-Dixon Methodism (2021), explores racism and slavery in Ohio and Kentucky. Methodism in the American Forest (2015) received the Saddlebag Selection award from the Historical Society of The United Methodist Church as “the outstanding book on United Methodist history or a related subject published during 2015.”
Among his other major works are Formation for Ministry in American Methodism: Twenty-first Century Challenges and Two Centuries of Problem-Solving (2014); Denominationalism Illustrated and Explained (2013); The Methodist Experience in America, Vol. 1: A History (2010) and The Methodist Experience in America, Vol. 2: A Sourcebook (2000), the latter two with Kenneth E. Rowe and Jean Miller Schmidt; Methodist Connectionalism: Historical Perspectives (2010); Doctrine in Experience: A Methodist Theology of Church and Ministry (2009); Extension Ministers: Mr. Wesley’s True Heirs (2008); and Marks of Methodism: Practices of Ecclesiology (2005).
Beyond his own scholarly research and writing and his faculty and administrative roles, Russ’s service to church and academy included being principal writer for the UMC Task Force to Study the Episcopacy established by 2004 UMC General Conference and for the national Episcopal-United Methodist bilateral dialog which began in 2002. He was a member of the General Commission on Archives and History (1992–2000); he served as president of the Wesley Works Editorial Project (2002–2006) and as vice president (2006–2012); and he was a member of the UMC Committee on Faith and Order (2008–2016). Attending seven successive sessions of the Oxford Institute of Methodist Theological Studies (1987–2018), he was plenary speaker in 2002 and co-chaired working groups (1992, 1997, 2013, and 2018).
Russ was co-leader of the Summer Wesley Seminar of Duke’s Center for Studies in the Wesleyan Tradition in 2009, 2011, 2014, and 2016. A member of the Board of Advisors of Asbury Theological Seminary’s Wesleyan Studies Summer Seminar, he co-directed the month-long gathering of younger scholars in 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2021. He was one of the founding general editors of Methodist Review: A Journal of Methodist and Wesleyan Studies, an editorial advisory board member of the Journal of Southern Religion, and a member of the editorial board of Methodist History. And he served on the Board of Ordained Ministry of the North Georgia Conference (2001–2011), helping to mentor candidates for ordination through that process.
Although his modesty and humility were such that he would no doubt have resisted this accolade, in my judgment and that of many others, the quantity and quality of Russ’s scholarly work distinguished him as the preeminent interpreter of American Methodism of his generation. His scholarship was characteristically based on close reading of the primary sources—the journals and letters of individuals, and the minutes and records of conferences at all levels, as well as published sermons and treatises and memoirs—always placed in proper context with careful attention to nuance and detail. He helped to reshape the prevailing metanarrative of early American religious history away from a primary focus on the Calvinism of the New England region by calling attention to the significance of the Middle Colonies where Methodism was a much more significant presence and influence. It came as no surprise that in 2001 the United Methodist General Commission on Archives and History gave him its Distinguished Service Award for “outstanding leadership in Methodist history and theology.”
Richey front and center with the Candler faculty in the early 2000s.
When Russ was named as Candler’s dean in 2000 after a decade or more of frayed relationships between Emory and The United Methodist Church, he quickly set about the demanding work of attending annual conferences, visiting churches, and shoring up relations with alumni. Candler needed someone as dean who understood its academic and intellectual work from the inside and could represent that to the university, but also someone who understood Candler’s commitment to the church and could interpret that to the United Methodist constituency. No one—no one—could question either Russ’s dedication to fostering excellence in scholarship or his abiding love for and devotion to the well-being of the church.
In a report Russ prepared for Emory’s central administration early in his deanship, he more than once used a phrase that captured his aspiration for his leadership of Candler and what he hoped to accomplish as dean. He referred to Candler’s “grounding, bridging, and centering” role and potential. This expressed his vision for Candler’s role both in relation to United Methodism and to the university. And he achieved great success in bringing that vision to pass. Russ always sought ways to be a bridge-builder—between academy and church, between departments and programs within the university, between factions within the church, and between individuals and groups (including faculty) with whom he worked.
During his tenure as dean, Russ was able to persuade significant church donors to contribute more than $6.5 million to support church-related scholarship and teaching at Candler. Under his leadership, programs in Baptist studies and Anglican studies gained focus and energy. At the same time, he worked to make Candler a center for Wesleyan studies. In the context of graduate study of religion, Russ worked to keep the balance between the School of Theology, with its focus on Christianity and theology, and the Department of Religion in Emory College, where the study of world religions and culture predominated. He helped secure a $10 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to develop programs aimed at training PhD candidates in the fields of religious practices and practical theology.
Russ was the primary force behind the development and implementation of a major scholarly conference hosted at Candler in 2008: “The United Methodist Church at 40: Considering our History, Teaching our Traditions, Anticipating our Future.” The primary purpose of the conference, of which I was the principal organizer, was “to review, strengthen, and enrich the teaching of courses required for ordination in the UMC, and to stimulate a historical, theological, and practical conversation about the UMC, in the service of preparing future generations of its leadership, on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the denomination.” The conference was held with the support and assistance of the General Board of Discipleship, the General Board of Global Ministries, the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, the General Commission on Archives and History, the Foundation for Evangelism, and the World Methodist Evangelism Institute. This conference for the first time brought together instructors from both United Methodist and non-United Methodist seminaries who taught required UMC ordination courses in Methodist history, doctrine, and polity with instructors who taught UM-related worship, missions, and evangelism courses. It was Russ’s vision and leadership that made all this possible.
At his retirement from the Candler faculty in 2011, Carol A. Newsom, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Old Testament, offered this assessment of Russ’s scholarly career and influence:
“Russ Richey has created defining work in the field of Methodist history, and several of his books will be central to the teaching of Methodist history for a generation. Russ himself, when recently asked to identify one book of which he is particularly proud, named Marks of Methodism: Practices of Ecclesiology. And I can understand why. Methodists are often contrasted (negatively) with other Protestant denominations, such as the Lutherans and the Presbyterians, as not having a clear doctrine of the church. What Russ establishes in that volume is that Methodists have in fact practiced an ecclesiology that a historical theologian can describe and put into words. Without Russ’s work, that knowledge about Methodist ecclesiology would simply not have been possible.”
As word of Russ’s death spread through social media, many reactions and comments centered on his humility, his kind and gentle nature, and his essential human goodness, as well as on his excellence as a scholar and teacher. Some called attention to his dry, often deadpan sense of humor, illuminated by his characteristically slightly crooked smile. “How many people can recall an incident in which Russ said something, and it took you an almost embarrassingly long time to realize he was making a joke?” Numerous people noted how friendly and approachable Russ was. One observed that “Russ epitomized ‘gentle’ in everything he did and said.” Another commented that Russ was “comfortable in his own skin, and it was easy for others to be comfortable in theirs when they were around him.”
Retired United Methodist Bishop Charlene Kammerer said this about Russ: “Such a wise and good man. He made Methodist history come alive for laity and clergy. He was a man of deep faith and integrity. I thank God for his life and witness.” M. Douglas Meeks said that “Russ was a kind and gracious man and a superb historian who drew for us true pictures of Methodism in its trials and moments of faithfulness.” Don Saliers commented that “Russ was a wonderful scholar of Methodism, a thoughtful dean, a generous mind and spirit, a good friend, and a hospitable colleague. We shall miss his gentlemanly presence and faithful service to church and seminary.” Barbara Day Miller agreed: “Russ was such a supporter and encourager of new ideas and creative teaching, and he led with grace and good humor.” And Gary Hauk commented that “I always found his gentle and intelligent spirit comforting, except on the tennis court, where he played a crafty and excellent game.”
Jan Love, who followed Russ as Candler’s dean from 2007 to 2024, offered these reflections:
“I was surprised to learn from Russ himself that he was one of the people who nominated me in 2005 as a candidate to be Candler’s dean. I had a wonderful job at the time and was reluctant to accept the nomination, but Russ encouraged me. I enjoyed interacting with him in Methodist and ecumenical circles long before my time at Candler and benefitted enormously from his warm, gracious generosity after I became dean. His dedication to building robust church relations during his time in office was already paying off. He and Merle have always been remarkably kind and bighearted to me and to Candler. His gifts to us all, especially through his scholarship, have been enormous. I envied his capacity to remain an active scholar even with the substantial administrative demands that any deanship presents. I am deeply grateful for his life, ministry, and witness to the love and grace of Jesus Christ.”
My own life and career intersected with Russ’s at many points through the years. When I was serving on the editorial staff of Abingdon Press, I persuaded him to undertake the project that eventuated as The Methodist Experience in America, Vol. 2: A Sourcebook (2000) and The Methodist Experience in America, Vol. 1: A History (2010). Technically he co-authored/co-edited these landmark volumes with Kenneth E. Rowe and Jean Miller Schmidt, but due to their personal circumstances, Russ ended up doing most of the heavy lifting. In 2004, Russ was the dean who appointed me to the Candler faculty as a visiting professor (later, Professor in the Practice of Historical Theology and Methodist Studies). In 2011, when Russ was retiring from the Candler faculty, I organized a scholarly conference on “The Methodist Experience in America” honoring his life and work. The conference featured papers highlighting four important themes around which much of Russ’s scholarly research and writing focused throughout his career: (1) ministry and mission; (2) denominationalism and connectionalism; (3) ecclesiology and evangelism; and (4) doctrine and theology. The papers were published in 2012 in his Festschrift volume, The Renewal of United Methodism: Mission, Ministry and Connectionalism—Essays in Honor of Russell E. Richey, which I edited.
Richey receives a standing ovation after his “Famous Last Words” retirement lecture in April 2011.
Along with Ted Campbell, Russ was a founding general editor of Methodist Review: A Journal of Wesleyan and Methodist Studies when that online scholarly journal was launched in 2008. I served as managing editor of the journal up to my retirement from the Candler faculty in 2018. On that occasion, Russ paid me the great tribute of making the trip back to Atlanta to give the formal remarks at my retirement dinner. Then in 2022–2023, I was honored to be appointed as the inaugural holder of the Russell E. Richey and Merle Umstead Richey Visiting Professorship in Methodist and Wesleyan Studies at Candler, which Russ and Merle had established in 2018 to foster the growth of Methodist and Wesleyan studies at the school.
Thank you, Russ, for your friendship, colleagueship, encouragement, and support through the years. Like so many others, I owe a great debt to you for all you did for me along the way. Like so many others, I miss you greatly and will long remember you. Vaya con Dios, old friend, until we meet again.
Read a tribute to Richey from United Methodist News.
Read Richey’s obituary.
A memorial service for Richey will be held on Saturday, April 5, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. at Trinity United Methodist Church, 215 N. Church Street, Durham North Carolina, 27701.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Russell E. Richey and Merle Umstead Richey Visiting Professorship in Methodist and Wesleyan Studies Endowment at Candler School of Theology at Emory University, Fund 06088802, Attention: Lisa R. Smith, 1762 Clifton Road, Suite 2400, Atlanta, GA, 30322.