Chicago bm.  In 1852, Simpson was elected as an American Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Bishop Simpson was an influential leader and friend of President Abraham Lincoln. He contributed greatly to Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and delivered the eulogy at Lincoln's funeral.  Matthew Simpson (June 21, 1811 – June 18, 1884) was an American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, elected in 1852 and based mainly in Philadelphia. During the Reconstruction Era after the Civil War, most evangelical denominations in the North, especially the Methodists, were initially strong supporters of radical policies that favored the Freedmen (former slaves) and distrusted the Southern whites. However, by the late 1860s in border state conferences, the MEC North moved well away from their work with the Freedmen's Bureau and often sided with the grievances of Southern white members. Bishop Simpson played a leading role in mobilizing the Northern Methodists for the cause. His biographer calls him the "High Priest of the Radical Republicans."  Simpson became a trusted friend of President Abraham Lincoln, who considered his advice of great value. He attended the family at Lincoln's death and gave the sermon at his funeral in Springfield.[4] During the War, Bishop Simpson delivered a number of speeches in behalf of the Union. He was urged by the Secretary of War to undertake the organization of the freedmen at the establishment of the Freedman's Bureau. After the war, Bishop Simpson was invited by President Grant to go as a commissioner to San Domingo but he declined both offers.