The Institute on Religion and Democracy : “Crashing”... -
[Cached Version]
Published on: 9/1/2004
Last Visited: 2/4/2005
Linda Rhodes, the newspaper's editor, opined that she was "shocked" that the "blatant enemy of everything Bishop Sprague has stood for" (i.e. the IRD) should have "crashed" this good-bye event for the bishop's family and friends.
This good-bye event was advertised by the conference newspaper as "open to all."
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In her editorial, Rhodes indignantly complained that John Lomperis is "not a United Methodist."
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Rhodes, who works for one of the fastest declining conferences within declining United Methodism in the U.S., enthused about our denomination's "open hearts, open minds, open doors."But too often, those hearts, minds and doors are closed to orthodox expressions of Christianity.
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Rhodes expressed hope that the farewell banquet for Bishop Sprague might serve as a Damascus road experience for John, awaken him to the "light of Christ," and cause him to quite "persecuting" the Christians.
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As Rhodes noted, St. Paul went on to "spread Christianity to the gentiles."