He was a theologian, a fundraiser, and a son of the upper class who cared passionately about the needs of the clergy, indeed, of all humanity. William Lawrence, Bishop of Massachusetts from 1893 until 1927, was all these things. But probably his greatest long-term impact on the lives of Episcopal clergy was as the moving force behind the Church Pension Fund.

As the story goes, it was in November 1909 when Bishop Lawrence went to his friend, J.P. Morgan, one of America's richest men. "I have come to you to support me in a plan for the endowment of a pension system," he told Morgan. With those words, Bishop Lawrence set out to create one of the earliest major pension funds in America, a fund which would became a model for many others, including the United States social security system.

In the early 20th century, Episcopal clergy knew about charitable benevolence, since a number of local funds existed to assist priests and their families. But Bishop Lawrence wanted something more. He wanted to enable all members of the clergy to retire at an appropriate age, and he wanted to guarantee that all clergy families would receive financial support in case of serious clergy illness or death.

Launching this creative new pension and benefit program consumed much of Bishop Lawrence's life between 1910 and 1917. He led a group that asked the 1910 General Convention to appoint a commission to study the idea. With Bishop Lawrence's leadership, the commission's recommendation to the 1913 General Convention was approved. Then, between 1913 and 1916, he led the effort to raise the $5 million believed to be needed to officially launch the Church Pension Fund. This effort was so successful that more than $8.5 million was raised by the fund's March 1, 1917, start date.

Bishop Lawrence then served as the fund's president from 1917 through 1931 and remained on its board until he died in 1941. During those years the fund activities grew in size and scope. Today the fund is one of the financially strongest in the United States. Its major affiliates include Church Publishing, Inc., begun in 1916; Church Life Insurance, 1922; and Church Insurance, acquired in 1934.

Bishop Lawrence's superb leadership demonstrated a phenomenon we continually stress: Creativity and contribution are not reserved for the young. When he began developing the Church Pension Fund - arguably his greatest effort - Bishop Lawrence was 67 years old. He had already raised the money to transform St. Paul's Church in Boston into a cathedral, solicited more than $1 million for Harvard University salaries and $10 million to endow its graduate schools of chemistry, art and business. He was a trustee of St. Paul's School, Groton School and Smith College. He was president of the board of Wellesley College, leading the effort to raise $3 million to restore its main building following a fire.

He was born in 1850, graduated from Harvard in 1871, and from the Episcopal Theological School (ETS) in 1875. He served as curate, then rector, of Grace Church in Lawrence, Mass., from 1876 to 1883; he was dean of ETS from 1889 until 1893, when he became Bishop of Massachusetts, a post he retired from in 1927.

When Bishop Lawrence died, city, state and church flags flew at half-mast. He was honored for his good work, for his exhaustive efforts to free ministers to minister, and for the many lives he touched. His was an exemplary life, illuminating the good that flows from a life of service and devotion. His son-in-law, Charles Slattery, succeeded him as bishop. Bishop Lawrence and his wife, Julia, had five daughters and two sons - Appleton and Frederic. Both followed their father into the ministry. o

Alan F. Blanchard is the president of the Church Pension Group. He resides in New York City.