DUKE'S Willimon might shake up Methodism
Raleigh News - Raleigh,NC,USA
... Now, Willimon -- an outspoken, often puckish champion of Christian
faith -- has been elected a bishop in the United Methodist Church, the
second-largest ...
<http://www.newsobserver.com/news/story/1432060p-7555764c.html>

Four years ago, Willimon ran into a maelstrom of criticism when he and Keohane agreed to allow the blessing of same-sex unions in Duke Chapel. Although the United Methodist Church does not permit same-sex unions, they said the chapel was a university facility not tied to a particular denomination.

In an interview Thursday, Willimon said that as bishop he will defend the doctrine and faith of the United Methodist Church, which sees gays as persons of "sacred worth," but denies them ordination or same-sex blessings.

Willimon's colleagues at Duke Divinity School, where he has taught for 20 years, said that as bishop he would challenge the assumption that the church must kowtow to popular culture.

"He's very critical of the church always reaching out in a reflexive way toward relevance," said Richard Lischer, a professor of preaching at the Divinity School. "He'll say, 'Forget relevance. Let's work on truth. The truth will make us relevant.' "

Willimon's most famous book, co-written with Hauerwas, is called "Resident Aliens." In it, Willimon argues that American Protestants have been too busy trying to accommodate Christianity to modern life. They should instead become more countercultural, or "resident aliens," set apart from society and capable of critiquing it when necessary.

METHODIST bishop set to retire after stormy term
Chicago Tribune (subscription) - Chicago,IL,USA
Provocative Methodist cleric Bishop C. Joseph Sprague will retire next
month as bishop of northern Illinois, ending a tumultuous tenure in which
he came under ...
<http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-0407160232jul16,1,7688139.story?coll=chi-news-hed>

Provocative Methodist cleric Bishop C. Joseph Sprague will retire next month as bishop of northern Illinois, ending a tumultuous tenure in which he came under frequent attack for his support of gay rights and interpretation of Scripture.

During his eight-year term, Sprague challenged the United Methodist Church's stand against same-sex unions and gay ordination and protested the U.S. attacks in Iraq and Afghanistan. But what riled his critics more was his interpretation of doctrine, such as his description of the virgin birth as "a myth."

Sprague's supporters praise his commitment to social justice and say his honesty has inspired others to confess they have questions about their faith.

His successor will be announced Saturday in Davenport, Iowa, where Methodists from nine Midwestern states met this week to elect new bishops for the region. The northern Illinois jurisdiction includes about 400 churches and 125,000 Methodists, reaching from Lake Michigan west to the Mississippi River, and from Wisconsin south to Interstate Highway 80.

The controversy surrounding Sprague mirrors a similar conflict between orthodox believers and more progressive Christians in the larger church--particularly over the issue of homosexuality, which has been roiling many mainline Protestant denominations in recent years.