Purd Eugene Deitz

Purd Eugene Deitz was an American Reformed minister, practical theologian, church administrator, editor, prayer writer, and hymn author. Born in York, Pennsylvania, in 1897, he studied at Ursinus College, where he participated in the college choir, glee club, and student journalism, graduating in 1918. He continued theological study at Central Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio, and later pursued graduate study at the University of Edinburgh. Ursinus awarded him an honorary Doctor of Divinity in 1937.

Ordained in 1921 in the Reformed Church in the United States, Deitz served Fourth Reformed Church in Dayton and then Trinity Reformed Church in Philadelphia. He later became professor of practical theology at Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis and served the Evangelical and Reformed Church in national leadership, including work with its Board of National Missions. He was also a member of the committee responsible for the denomination's Book of Worship.

Deitz's published devotional work included hymns and prayers shaped by Reformed worship, Christian service, mission, and church renewal. His writing reflects a ministry that joined congregational worship with practical theology and denominational responsibility.