As Notorious UMC Bishop Retires, Liberal Successor Enters

by Jim Brown
July 22, 2004

(AgapePress) - A controversial figure in the United Methodist Church, a bishop who denies the eternal deity, virgin birth, and bodily resurrection of Jesus Christ, is set to retire next month.

Bishop Joe Sprague of the UMC's Northern Illinois Conference refers to himself as a "Christonormative Inclusivist." He believes Muslims, Jews and born-again Christians all worship the same god. And now, even though his tenure is coming to an end, the bishop claims the religious community has not seen or heard the last of him.

Sprague says he is retiring from what is known as "effective" or "active" leadership over any UMC jurisdiction, so he will not be serving as president or resident in the life of a United Methodist annual conference. "I'm not retiring from ministry," he says, "which means I'll still be preaching and teaching and probably stirring some pots."

Bishop Sprague, 65, has been arrested several times for civil disobedience in the name of his pro-homosexual and anti-war activism. He was most recently arrested while protesting the war in Iraq.

Mark Tooley

Mark Tooley of the Institute on Religion and Democracy says some United Methodists are greeting Sprague's retirement with a sense of relief, since he "was probably our most radical bishop in recent history and perhaps ever in the history of American Methodism." Tooley adds that cannot think of any other senior church official who, like Sprague, so "publicly and explicitly denied key doctrines of the Christian faith."

Sprague will be replaced by South Korean-born Bishop Hee Soo Jung, 49, a pastor and church administrator from Appleton, Wisconsin. Jung is described as more theologically moderate than Sprague but quite liberal, with a reputation for being deeply committed to social activism.

Tooley says although Jung is theologically liberal, he will not be as divisive as Sprague has been. The IRD spokesman notes, "Most Korean Methodists tend to be conservative; however, this particular individual seems to have been quite an activist in the past, very active in student demonstrations in South Korea before he came to the U.S., and he appears to be politically outspoken since he came to the U.S."

Tooley says it appears that Jung is not supportive of the UMC's current stance on homosexuality, although the bishop-elect says he will uphold the Book of Discipline.