Title
To recognize and congratulate retired Bishop C. Joseph Sprague as he is honored on February 11, 2012 for being instrumental in the creation of “Shalom Zones” in inner-city neighborhoods.
Body
WHEREAS, Bishop Sprague accepted the call of God on his life while in junior high school in inner-city Dayton; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Sprague obtained his Bachelors Degree from Ashland College, and his Masters of Divinity Degree from the Methodist Theological School in Ohio also known at Methesco. He received honorary doctoral degrees from Kendall College, Ohio Wesleyan University, and the Chicago Theological Seminary; and
WHEREAS, for six years, Bishop Sprague faithfully served as the senior pastor of the North Broadway United Methodist Church in Clintonville before being elected to the episcopacy by the North Central Jurisdiction in 1996; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Sprague was a delegate to four General Conferences of the United Methodist Church and five North Central Jurisdictional Conferences. He was one of the main organizers of the Shalom Zone initiatives that was established at the United Methodist General Conference in 1992; and
WHEREAS, “Shalom Zones,” were created to designate safe areas in troubled inner-city neighborhoods. Today there are 120 “Shalom Zones” in the United States and Africa, including one in Columbus; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Sprague was instrumental in organizing the Greater Hilltop Shalom Zone at the Hilltonia United Methodist Church on the west side of Columbus. The center hosts numerous programs and has served nearly 10,000 hot meals to children, teens and adults since June; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Sprague is the recipient of the AFSC Courage of Conviction Award, the Rainbow Push Civil Rights/Peace Award, and the William Sloane Coffin Award for Justice and Peace. He is a co-author of a chapter in the seminary textbook, Pastor As Educator, and wrote Affirmations of a Dissenter, published in 2002. He and his wife, Diane have been married for 52 year and are the proud parents of four children and ten grandchildren; and
WHEREAS, Bishop Sprague is known for combining biblical scholarship, personal piety, preaching and teaching with social justice ministries and commitments. He is a voice for peace, an inclusive church, racial justice and gender equality; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That this Council does hereby recognize and congratulate retired Bishop C. Joseph Sprague as he is honored on February 11, 2012 for being instrumental in the creation of “Shalom Zones” in inner-city neighborhoods and thank him for his contributions to the Columbus community.