Author and retired bishop of Episcopal Diocese of Newark
The Rt. Rev. John Shelby Spong considers the most rewarding aspect of his years in service, scholarship and leadership as "having 11 clergy who served with me in the Diocese of Newark become bishops." He feels that the greatest challenge facing people of faith today is "separating the explanations of the past from the reality of the God experience." In reference to the Christianity he gives his heart to and what he considers the essence of that faith, Bishop Spong states, "The Christianity that calls me to live fully, to love wastefully, and to be all that I can be . . . compels me to make the same thing possible for everyone else." Regarding his message to people searching for faith and meaning today and his book, Reclaiming the Bible for the Non-Religious World, the bishop believes that "the Bible is not sacred; it points to that which is sacred and it guides us toward that goal."
