Unitarian clergyman and theologian at the center of the Unitarian movement who served as the pastor of the Federal Street Church in Boston
| When Burke met | 1803 |
| Where Burke met | Boston |
| Occupation | Minister |
| Interaction with Burke | Burke stayed with him |
| Identity Status | Confirmed |
| Genealogy | WikiTree |
| Memoir Pages | 55-6, 59 |
Notes
William Ellery Channing (April 7, 1780 – October 2, 1842) was a leading American Unitarian clergyman and theologian who served as the pastor of the Federal Street Church in Boston, Massachusetts, from 1803 to 1842. Born in Newport, Rhode Island, to William Channing and Lucy Ellery, he was the grandson of Declaration of Independence signer William Ellery. Channing graduated first in his class from Harvard College in 1798 and later served on the Harvard Corporation board (1813–1826). In 1814, he married his first cousin, Ruth Gibbs. A pivotal figure in defining Unitarianism, particularly through his 1819 “Baltimore Sermon,” his liberal theology deeply influenced the New England Transcendentalist movement. Throughout his career, Channing was a prominent voice for education, peace, and social reform, notably addressing abolition in his 1835 publication “Slavery.” He died in Old Bennington, Vermont.
Sources
Burke, William. Memoir of William Burke: A Soldier of the Revolution, Reformed from Intemperance, and for Many Years a Consistent and Devoted Christian; Carefully Prepared from a Journal Kept by Himself; to Which Is Added, an Extract from a Sermon Preached at His Funeral, by Rev. Nathaniel Miner. Hartford, CT: Case, Tiffany, 1837.