congregations death_place death_date writings birth_place children parents offices_held birth_date spouse article_title education name church
first avenue church of brooklyn , new york presbyterian church of chicago , illinois ; lafayette asheville , north carolina 04 february 1944 ` the king james version of the bible '' the greatest english classic : a study of ashley , missouri , united states mildred agnes helen mcafee horton , ruth myrtle and katharine john armstrong mcafee and anna waddell bailey moderator church , director , presbyterian board of foreign missions , general assembly of the united states presbyterian 25 september 1866 harriet her death -rrb- `` hattie '' lawson brown 1867 1959 -lrb- cleland boyd mcafee
 park college union theological seminary cleland boyd mcafee presbyterian
cleland boyd mcafee

cleland boyd mcafee -lrb- september 25 , 1866 -- february 4 , 1944 -rrb- was an american theologian , presbyterian minister and hymn writer , best known for penning the gospel hymn , `` near to the heart of god , '' and its tune called `` mcafee '' .
he wrote the song after the concurrent deaths of two of his young nieces , caused by diphtheria .
he also is believed to be the creator of the acronym tulip , which represents the five points of calvinism .
mcafee was born in ashley missouri , in 1866 , as one of five children .
his father , john a. mcafee , was the founder of park college in parkville , missouri and its president from 1875 until his death in 1890 .
the son graduated from park college in 1884 , and later graduated from union theological seminary in new york .
mcafee went on to serve as a professor of philosophy , choir director , pastor and dean of park college until 1901 , when he left to minister at the first presbyterian church of chicago .
mcafee moved from first presbyterian in 1904 , to pastor the lafayette avenue church of brooklyn , in brooklyn , new york .
mcafee also taught systematic theology at mccormick theological seminary , from 1912 to 1930 .
in 1912 , mcafee authored the treatise , `` the greatest english classic : a study of the king james version of the bible . ''
he was moderator of the general assembly of presbyterian church in the united states of america , and led the presbyterian board of foreign missions from 1930 to 1936 .
he died in 1944 .
on august 10 , 1892 , mcafee married harriet `` hattie '' lawson brown ; they had three children , ruth myrtle , katharine agnes , and mildred helen .
mildred helen mcafee horton went on to become president of wellesley college -lrb- 1936-1949 -rrb- and the first director of waves -lrb- women accepted for volunteer emergency service -rrb- in the united states navy -lrb- 1942 -- 46 -rrb- .
