Introduction

Biography

Gerald was the son of Her­bert Grant Ken­ne­dy and Ma­ri­an Phelps.

He at­tend­ed the Col­lege of the Pa­cif­ic, Stock­ton, Ca­li­for­nia; the Pa­cif­ic School of Re­li­gion, Ber­ke­ley, Ca­li­for­nia; and Hart­ford Theo­lo­gic­al Se­mi­na­ry, Hart­ford, Conn­ec­ti­cut.

He be­came a Me­tho­dist pas­tor in 1932, serv­ing at the First Con­gre­ga­tion­al Church in Col­lins­ville, Con­nec­ti­cut, un­til 1936. He then min­is­tered at church­es in Ca­li­for­nia and Ne­bras­ka. He be­came a Me­tho­dist bish­op in 1948, serv­ing in Port­land, Ore­gon.

In 1964, he worked on the texts sub­com­mit­tee for the Me­tho­dist Hym­nal.

He wrote 17 books, and, in 1954, gave the Ly­man Beech­er Lec­tures at Yale Uni­ver­si­ty.