Cleland Boyd McAfee

Cleland Boyd McAfee (1866–1944)

Cleland Boyd McAfee was born on September 25, 1866, in Ashley, Missouri, one of five children of John A. McAfee, founder of Park College in Parkville, Missouri. He became a prominent Presbyterian minister, theologian, and hymn writer, best known for composing the gospel hymn "Near to the Heart of God", including its tune “McAfee,” inspired by the deaths of two of his young nieces from diphtheria.

McAfee graduated from Park College in 1884 and later studied at Union Theological Seminary in New York. He returned to Park College to serve as a professor of philosophy, choir director, pastor, and dean until 1901. He then ministered at the First Presbyterian Church of Chicago before moving in 1904 to the Lafayette Avenue Church in Brooklyn, New York. From 1912 to 1930, he taught systematic theology at McCormick Theological Seminary.

In 1912, McAfee authored "The Greatest English Classic: A Study of the King James Version of the Bible", reflecting his deep engagement with Scripture. He served as moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the United States and led the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Missions from 1930 to 1936.

McAfee married Harriet “Hattie” Lawson Brown on August 10, 1892, and they had three daughters: Ruth Myrtle, Katharine Agnes, and Mildred Helen. His daughter Mildred Helen McAfee Horton became the first director of WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) in the United States Navy.

Cleland Boyd McAfee passed away on February 4, 1944, leaving a legacy of hymnody, theological scholarship, and devoted ministry.