“One insightful spiritual guide illuminates another in these pages, as historian and monk Eldridge Pendleton tells the story of Bishop Charles Grafton’s remarkable life and ministry. And it’s all here. At times, this is a tale of power struggles, dark nights, church divisions, ugly rumors, and clergy burnout. But ultimately, this is a story about how God’s grace and human devotion can combine to reveal the beauty, power, and wonder of the Christian Gospel. Charles Grafton’s focus on teaching people to pray, leading people into meaningful ministry with the poor where they live, promoting Bible studies and generous ecumenism, demonstrating the power of simple living and beautiful worship, and emphasizing the sacramental nature of all life—honestly, I cannot imagine a more powerful inspiration and guide for ministry today. This beautifully written and meticulously researched biography should spark a renewed enthusiasm for the ministry of the Church in the twenty-first century.”
—Gary D. Jones, rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church, Richmond, Virginia

“In this eminently readable work—lucid, vivid, candid—Eldridge Pendleton has set out the life and times of Charles Grafton. That life is caught up in theological debate, ecclesiastical tension, missionary expansion, ecumenical experiments of an exciting period of American history. For me, with a long association and profound indebtedness to the Society of St. John the Evangelist, this biography deepens my awareness of the early turbulence from which has coalesced the life-giving community of today. I heartily commend this work.”
—Archbishop Michael G. Peers, XI Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada.