He derived support for himself and family from books that he published.

From Australia in 1863, he sent seeds of the Eucalyptus tree to a California Horticulturist and from these seeds came the Eucalyptus trees on the Pacific Coast.

He developed the “Pauline System” of support for Missionaries where they took contributions, which proved to be insufficient, and labored, like Paul, with their own hands. He organized systems of self-supporting schools throughout the world. In 1884, he retired from the “itinerant ministry” in order to work independently of Ecclesiastical oversight.

He attended the General Conference in Philadelphia as a lay delegate from South America and was elected Missionary Bishop for Africa at age 63, and served in this post for 12 years. He sent many missionaries to this continent. His work in Africa proved to be unusually difficult for his “self-supporting” missionaries and his great strength began to break under the burdens he carried.

In 1896, at age 75 he was relieved of his responsibilities by the General Conference. He returned to Southern California to be reunited with his wife Isabelle Ann Kimerlin, whom he married on October 21, 1846, and three sons.

Bishop Taylor died on May 18, 1902. He was buried in Mountain View Cemetery, Oakland California (lot 44, Plot 33). His grave is listed as an Historic Site. *

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Many writers state that Bishop Taylor was the most outstanding man in his denomination. They compare his imagination to that of Cecil Rhodes and further state that his energies matched his imagination. His firm belief that “God” had taken William Taylor into a peculiar partnership, filled him with the intrepidity and assurance of an apostle. ***     

* Resource: Dictionary of American Biography. 18 Steward Trowbridge. “R” 920 Dictionary Scribners, pp. 345-346 (Richmond Public Library)