William Henry Willimon (born May 15, 1946) is a retired American

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...

and

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

in the

United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelical ...

who served the North Alabama Conference for eight years. He is Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry and Director of the Doctor of Ministry program at Duke Divinity School. He is former Dean of the Chapel at

Duke University Duke University is a private research university in Durham, North Carolina. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present-day city of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco and electric power industrialist James ...

and is considered by many as one of America's best-known and most influential preachers. A Pulpit & Pew Research on Pastoral Leadership survey determined that he was one of the two most frequently read writers by pastors in mainline Protestantism alongside the Roman Catholic writer

Henri Nouwen Henri Jozef Machiel Nouwen (January 24, 1932 – September 21, 1996) was a Dutch Catholic priest, professor, writer and theologian. His interests were rooted primarily in psychology, pastoral ministry, spirituality, social justice and commu ...

. His books have sold over a million copies. He is also Editor-At-Large of ''

The Christian Century ''The Christian Century'' is a Christian magazine based in Chicago, Illinois. Considered the flagship magazine of US mainline Protestantism, the monthly reports on religious news; comments on theological, moral, and cultural issues; and reviews ...

''. His 2019 memoir
Accidental Preacher
' was released to wide acclaim, described by Justo L. Gonzalez as "An exceptional example of theology at its best."

Biography

Bishop Willimon, originally from

Greenville, South Carolina Greenville (; locally ) is a city in and the seat of Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 census, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. Greenville is located approximately halfway be ...

and raised at Buncombe Street UMC in

Greenville, SC Greenville (; locally ) is a city in and the seat of Greenville County, South Carolina, United States. With a population of 70,720 at the 2020 census, it is the sixth-largest city in the state. Greenville is located approximately halfway be ...

, received a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...

from

Wofford College Wofford College is a private liberal arts college in Spartanburg, South Carolina. It was founded in 1854. The campus is a national arboretum and one of the few four-year institutions in the southeastern United States founded before the America ...

in 1968, a

Master of Divinity For graduate-level theological institutions, the Master of Divinity (MDiv, ''magister divinitatis'' in Latin) is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America. It is the most common academic degree in seminaries and divi ...

from

Yale Divinity School Yale Divinity School (YDS) is one of the twelve graduate and professional schools of Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut. Congregationalist theological education was the motivation at the founding of Yale, and the professional school has ...

in 1971, and a

Doctor of Sacred Theology The Doctor of Sacred Theology ( la, Sacrae Theologiae Doctor, abbreviated STD), also sometimes known as Professor of Sacred Theology (, abbreviated STP), is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Catholic Church, ...

from

Emory University Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...

in 1973. He has also received thirteen honorary doctorates, from schools including Colgate, Moravian Seminary,

Lafayette Lafayette or La Fayette may refer to: People * Lafayette (name), a list of people with the surname Lafayette or La Fayette or the given name Lafayette * House of La Fayette, a French noble family ** Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette (1757� ...

, Lehigh, and Westminster. Willimon is a member of the

Phi Beta Kappa Society The Phi Beta Kappa Society () is the oldest academic honor society in the United States, and the most prestigious, due in part to its long history and academic selectivity. Phi Beta Kappa aims to promote and advocate excellence in the liberal ar ...

Professional life

Willimon first served as pastor of United Methodist churches in the

North Georgia North Georgia is the northern hilly/mountainous region in the U.S. state of Georgia. At the time of the arrival of settlers from Europe, it was inhabited largely by the Cherokee. The counties of north Georgia were often scenes of important eve ...

South Carolina )''Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

, and

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

Conferences. From 1976 to 1980, he was on the faculty of

Duke Divinity School The Divinity School at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, is one of ten graduate or professional schools within Duke University. It is also one of thirteen seminaries founded and supported by the United Methodist Church. It has 39 regular ...

as Professor of Liturgy and Worship. After serving as pastor of Northside United Methodist Church in

, he became Dean of the

Chapel A chapel is a Christian place of prayer and worship that is usually relatively small. The term has several meanings. Firstly, smaller spaces inside a church that have their own altar are often called chapels; the Lady chapel is a common ty ...

in 1984 where he served for twenty years. He was elected to the

episcopacy A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

in 2004 and assigned to the

North Alabama Annual Conference {{methodism The North Alabama Conference is an Annual Conference (a regional episcopal area, similar to a diocese) of the United Methodist Church. This conference serves the northern half of the state of Alabama, with its administrative offices an ...

. He retired from the episcopacy at the conclusion of the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference in 2012. In 2013, he was appointed pastor of the

Duke Memorial United Methodist Church Duke Memorial United Methodist Church is a historic Methodist church at 504 W. Chapel Hill Street in Durham, North Carolina. It was originally established in 1886. The congregation's growth paralleled Durham's growth as a manufacturing center i ...

Durham, North Carolina Durham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Durham County, North Carolina, Durham County. Small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County, North Carolina, Orange County and Wake County, North Carol ...

. He has written over 80 books which have sold over a million copies, been translated into six languages, and won numerous awards. He has collaborated with his friend the theologian

Stanley Hauerwas Stanley Martin Hauerwas (born July 24, 1940) is an American theologian, ethicist, and public intellectual. Hauerwas was a longtime professor at Duke University, serving as the Gilbert T. Rowe Professor of Theological Ethics at Duke Divinity School ...

on six books, including their widely influential '' Resident Aliens: Life in the Christian Colony
The Concise Encyclopedia of Preaching
' which he wrote with

Richard Lischer Richard Alan Lischer (born November 12, 1943, in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American author, memoirist, preacher, practical theologian, and professor emeritus at Duke Divinity School. Duke Divinity School After serving as a Lutheran pastor for nin ...

is widely used as a seminary homiletics text. He was, with

Joel B. Green Joel B. Green (born May 7, 1956) is an American New Testament scholar, theologian, author, Associate Dean of the Center for Advanced Theological Study, and Professor of New Testament Interpretation at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, ...

, the general editor of

The Wesley Study Bible ''The Wesley Study Bible'' is a Methodist-oriented biblical study text with introductory text for each book, explanations and commentary 'to help the reader to understand the biblical text', and with 'special references to the writings of John ...

, published in 2009. His book
Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Christian Ministry
' is used in dozens of seminaries around the world. In 2018, his book
Who Lynched Willie Earle? Preaching to Confront Racism
' was made book of the year by the Evangelical Press Association. With his stress on the wisdom of the church through the centuries, he is sometimes associated with the post-liberal movement and

narrative theology Postliberal theology (often called narrative theology) is a Christian theology, Christian theological movement that focuses on a narrative, narrative presentation of the Christian faith as regulative for the development of a coherent systematic th ...

. Willimon has garnered a reputation as an outstanding preacher, being named in a 1996

Baylor University Baylor University is a private Baptist Christian research university in Waco, Texas. Baylor was chartered in 1845 by the last Congress of the Republic of Texas. Baylor is the oldest continuously operating university in Texas and one of the fir ...

survey along with

Billy Graham William Franklin Graham Jr. (November 7, 1918 – February 21, 2018) was an American evangelist and an ordained Southern Baptist minister who became well known internationally in the late 1940s. He was a prominent evangelical Christi ...

as one of the 12 best preachers in the English-speaking world. Some of his sermons can be found a
A Sermon for Every Sunday
A former student, Michael A. Turner, says about Willimon in the boo
''A Peculiar Prophet''
which he co-authored with William F. Malambri: "First and foremost Willimon is a pastoral theologian whose primary message is that the God revealed in Jesus matters for everything in life. Thus his most influential work has been in calling the Church to be a faithful witness to the God revealed to us in the person of Jesus Christ." In the same book, they also say: "Willimon, it seems, never tires of telling the Church just how distinctive our way of life should be because of the particular God who has captured us." He has served as a trustee of

Huntingdon College Huntingdon College is a private Methodist college in Montgomery, Alabama. It was founded in 1854 as a women's college. History Huntingdon College was chartered on February 2, 1854, as " Tuskegee Female College" by the Alabama State Legislature ...

, Birmingham-Southern College, and

Personal life

He married Patricia Parker on June 7, 1969. They have two children: Harriet and William, both Wofford graduates.

Publications

Sole author

* ''Lord of the Congaree: Wade Hampton of South Carolina''. Columbia, South Carolina: Sandlapper, 1972 * ''Between Two Advents''. Lima, Ohio: C.S.S. lergy Services and Supplies 1978. * ''Eating with Jesus: Biblical Background on the Lord’s Supper''. Leaflet 6. Graded Press, 1978. * ''The Gifts of God for the People of God: Theological Background on the Lord’s Supper''. Leaflet 7. Graded Press, 1978 * ''Saying YES to Marriage''. Valley Forge, Pennsylvania: Judson, 1979. * ''Worship as Pastoral Care''. Nashville: Abingdon, 1979. * ''Word, Water, Wine, and Bread: How Worship Has Changed over the Years''. Valley Forge, Pennsylvania: Judson, 1980. * ''Remember Who You Are: Baptism, A Model for Christian Life''. Nashville: Upper Room, 1980. * ''Integrative Preaching: The Pulpit at the Center''. Nashville: Abingdon, 1981. * ''The Bible, A Sustaining Presence in Worship''. Valley Forge, Pennsylvania: Judson, 1981. * ''The Way''. Nashville: Graded Press of the United Methodist Publishing House, 1981. * ''Sunday Dinner: The Lord's Supper and the Christian Life''. Nashville: The Upper Room, 1981. * ''The Service of God: Christian Work and Worship''. Nashville: Abingdon, 1983. * ''What’s Right With the Church: A Spirited Statement for Those Who Have Not Given Up on the Church and for Those Who Have''. San Francisco: Harper & Row, 1985; New Orleans: Insight, 1998. * (Lesson analysis with Charles M. Laymon) ''The International Lesson Annual, 1984-1985'', edited by Horace R. Weaver. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1984. * (Lesson analysis) ''The International Lesson Annual, 1985-1986'', edited by Horace R. Weaver. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1985. * ''Sighing for Eden: Sin, Evil, and the Christian Faith''. Nashville: Abingdon, 1985. * ''With Glad and Generous Hearts: A Personal Look at Sunday Worship''. Nashville: The Upper Room, 1986. * (Lesson analysis) ''The International Lesson Annual, 1986-1987'', edited by Horace R. Weaver. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1986. * ''Promises of Marriage: A Guide for Couples Seeking Advice While on the Brink of Matrimony, or for Couples Renewing Their Love''. Nashville: Discipleship Resources, 1987. * (Lesson analysis) ''The International Lesson Annual, 1987-1988'', edited by Horace R. Weaver. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1987. * ''Acts. Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching''. Atlanta: John Knox, 1988. * ''Clergy and Laity Burnout. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1989. * ''Making Disciples: A New Approach to Confirmation. Confirmand's Journal and Mentor's Guide. Inner Grove Heights, Minnesota: Logos, 1990. * ''Making Disciples: A New Approach to Confirmation. Coordinator's Guide. Inner Grove Heights, Minnesota: Logos, 1990. * ''Why I Am a United Methodist''. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1990. * (Lesson analysis with Pat McGeachy) ''The International Lesson Annual, 1991-92'', edited by Horace R. Weaver. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1991. * ''Good-bye High School, Hello College''. Nashville: Dimensions for Living, 1992. * (editor). ''The International Lesson Annual, 1992-93''. Lesson Analysis by Pat McGeachy. Nashville: Abingdon, 1992. * (editor). ''The International Lesson Annual, 1993-94''. Lesson Analysis by Pat McGeachy. Nashville: Abingdon, 1993. * ''Advent/Christmas: Interpreting the Lessons of the Church Year''. Proclamation 5, Series B. Minneapolis: Fortress, 1993. * (editor with Patricia P. Willimon). ''The International Lesson Annual, 1994-95''. Lesson Analysis by Pat McGeachy. Nashville: Abingdon, 1994. * ''The Intrusive Word: Preaching to the Unbaptized''. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1994. * ''On Your Own But Not Alone: Life After College''. Nashville: Dimensions for Living, 1995. * ''Calling and Character: Virtues of the Ordained Life''. Nashville: Abingdon, 2000. * ''Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Ordained Ministry''. Nashville: Abingdon, 2002. * (editor) ''The Sunday after Tuesday: College Pulpits Respond to 9/11''. Nashville: Abingdon, 2002. * ''A Peculiar Prophet: William H. Willimon and the Art of Preaching'', edited by Michael A. Turner and William F. Malambri, III. Nashville: Abingdon, 2004. * ''Sinning Like a Christian: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins''. Nashville: Abingdon, 2005. * ''Conversations with Barth on Preaching''. Nashville: Abingdon, 2006. * ''United Methodist Beliefs: A Brief Introduction''. Louisville: John Knox, 2007. * ''Who Will Be Saved?'' Nashville: Abingdon, 2008. * ''A Guide to Preaching and Leading Worship''. Louisville, Kentucky: Westminster John Knox, 2008. * ''This We Believe: The Core of Wesleyan Faith and Practice''. Nashville: Abingdon, 2010. * ''Preaching Master Class: Lessons from Will Willimon’s Five-Minute Preaching Workshop'', edited by Noel Snyder. Eugene: Cascade, 2010. * ''The Best of Will Willimon: Acting Up in Jesus’ Name''. Nashville: Abingdon, 2012. * ''Bishop: The Art of Questioning Authority by an Authority in Question''. Nashville: Abingdon, 2012. * ''Incorporation: A Novel.'' Eugene, OR: Cascade, 2012. * ''Incarnation: The Surprising Overlap of Heaven and Earth''. Nashville: Abingdon, 2013. * ''Sinning Like a Christian: A New Look at the 7 Deadly Sins.'' Nashville: Abingdon, 2013. * ''Fear of the Other: No Fear in'' ''Love'. Nashville: Abingdon, 2016 * ''Pastor: The Theology and Practice of Ordained Ministry, Revised Edition.'' Nashville: Abingdon, 2016. * ''I’m Not From Here: A Parable.'' Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 2017. * ''Who Lynched Willie Earle?: Preaching to Confront Racism.'' Nashville: Abingdon, 2017. * ''Accidental Preacher: A Memoir.'' Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2019. * ''Aging: Growing Old in Church.'' Ada, MI: Baker Academic, 2020. * ''Stories by Willimon''. Nashville: Cokesbury, 2020. * ''Leading with the Sermon: Preaching as Leadership.'' Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2020.

Collaborative efforts

* (with Patricia Willimon and Hoyt Simmons) ''Turning the World Upside Down: The Story of Sarah and Angelina Grimke''. Columbia, South Carolina: Sandlapper, 1972. * (with John H. Westerhoff, III) ''Liturgy and Learning Through the Life Cycle''. Akron, Ohio: OSL, 1980. * (with Harriet Willimon Cabell) ''Family, Friends, and Other Funny People: Memories of Growing Up Southern.'' Orangeburg, South Carolina: Sandlapper, 1980. * (with Charles M. Laymon) ''The International Lesson Annual, 1984-1985'', edited by Horace R. Weaver. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1984. * (with Pat McGeachy) ''The International Lesson Annual,'' ''1988-1989'', edited by Horace R. Weaver. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1988. * (with Pat McGeachy) ''The International Lesson Annual, 1991-1992'', edited by Horace R. Weaver. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1991. * (with Stanley Hauerwas) ''Preaching to Strangers''. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1992. * (with Patricia P. Willimon, eds.) ''The International Lesson Annual, 1994-95''. Nashville: Abingdon, 1994. * (with Thomas H. Naylor) ''The Abandoned Generation: Rethinking Higher Education''. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1995. * (with Thomas H. Naylor) ''Downsizing the U.S.A.''. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1997. * (with Stanley Hauerwas) ''Resident Aliens''. Tokyo: Kyo Bun Kwan, 1999. * (with Martin B. Copenhaver and Anthony B. Robinson) ''Good News in Exile: Three Pastors Offer a Hopeful Vision for the Church''. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans, 1999. * (with Stanley Hauerwas) ''The Holy Spirit.'' Nashville: Abingdon, 2015.

Ordained ministry

*Pastor, Level Creek UMC, Buford, GA, 1971 *Associate Pastor, Broad St. UMC, Clinton, SC, 1971–73 *Pastor, Trinity UMC, North Myrtle Beach, SC, 1973–76 *Pastor, Northside UMC,

, 1980–84 *Professor,

Durham, NC Durham ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Durham County. Small portions of the city limits extend into Orange County and Wake County. With a population of 283,506 in the 2020 Census, Durham is the 4th-mos ...

, 1984-2004 (one of the youngest professors in the history of Duke Divinity School) *Dean,

Duke Chapel Duke University Chapel is a chapel located at the center of the campus of Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, Durham, North Carolina, United States. It is an ecumenism, ecumenical Christianity, Christian chapel and the center of religion a ...

, 1984-2004 *Bishop,

, The

, 2004-2012 *Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry,

, 2012- *Pastor, Duke Memorial UMC,

, 2014

References

The Council of Bishops of the United Methodist ChurchInfoServ, the official information service of The United Methodist Church.Official BiographyBiography

External links

A Peculiar Prophet
Bishop Willimon's Blog where he posts about publications and appearances
Bishop Willimon's podcastA Collection of Willimon Sermons
{{DEFAULTSORT:Willimon, William H 1946 births Living people American religion academics American sermon writers American theologians Methodist theologians Methodist writers Arminian ministers Arminian theologians Duke Divinity School faculty Emory University alumni University and college chaplains in America United Methodist bishops of the Southeastern Jurisdiction Wofford College alumni Methodist chaplains American university and college faculty deans 21st-century Methodist ministers 20th-century Methodist ministers Yale Divinity School alumni

Biography

Professional life

Personal life

Publications

Sole author

Collaborative efforts

Ordained ministry

See also

References

External links