Ingram Nathaniel Irvine

Ingram Nathaniel Washington Irvine ("Father Nathaniel"), a convert to Orthodox Christianity from the Episcopal Church, was active in the Russian Mission in the United States during the early twentieth century. He strongly advocated the use of English in church services.

Life

Irvine was born in Ireland on July 8, 1849 and immigrated to America in 1865. He graduated from General Theological Seminary in New York City in 1874, after which he was ordained an Episcopal priest. Irvine was noted to be firm in his upholding of the canons of the church. He served in various Episcopal parishes for over 25 years.

On April 25, 1900, Irvine, then rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in Huntingdon, Pennsylvania, was defrocked by his bishop, Ethelbert Talbot, for "conduct unbecoming a clergyman." Irvine fought for five years to have himself reinstated, but was unsuccessful. In the fall of 1905, he was received into the Orthodox Church, and on November 5, 1905, he was ordained a priest by St. Tikhon (assisted by St. Raphael), at St. Nicholas Russian Orthodox Cathedral in New York City. Having taken the name "Father Nathaniel," Irvine was placed in charge of "English work" within the Russian Orthodox diocese.

After his ordination, Irvine was a close advisor to Ss. Tikhon and Raphael, and was a strong advocate of the use of English in church services. He reposed in New York City on January 23, 1921, at the age of 71.

Writings

• "The Ordination of Rev. Ingram N.W. Irvine, D.D." in the Vestnik (Russian Orthodox American Messenger) (November 1905 English Supplement)
• "Greek Orthodox Catholicity: Religion of Syria, Greece, Russia, Etc." in Unity of Religions (1910)
• "The Choir and the Church" (Response to Isabel Hapgood) in the Vestnik (Russian Orthodox American Messenger) (September 23, 1915)
• Letter to Fr. Sebastian Dabovich on relations with the Episcopal Church (September 16, 1916)

Sources and external links

• Part 1 and 2 of podcasts on Irvine, by Matthew Namee on the American Orthodox History program on Ancient Faith Radio
• Articles on Irvine at OrthodoxHistory.org
• Early biographical sketch of Irvine, in the book Yaphank as it is, and was, and will be, by L. Beecher Homan (1875)
• New York Times article on Irvine's ordination (November 6, 1905)
• Biographical and genealogical information on Irvine, in the book The Irvines and Their Kin, by Lucinda Boyd (1908)