John Shelby Spong

The Right Reverend John Shelby Spong
Bishop Emeritus of Newark
Spong in 2006
Church	Episcopal Church
Province	Province 2
Diocese	Newark
In office	1979–2000
Predecessor	George Rath
Successor	John P. Croneberger
Orders
Ordination	December 1955 by Edwin A. Penick
Consecration	June 12, 1976 by John Allin
Personal details
Born	(1931-06-16)June 16, 1931 Charlotte, North Carolina, US
Died	September 12, 2021(2021-09-12) (aged 90) Richmond, Virginia, US
Nationality	American
Denomination	Anglican
Parents	John Shelby Spong, Doolie Boyce Griffith
Spouse	Joan Lydia Ketner (m. 1952, d. 1988) Christine Mary Bridger (m. 1990)
Children	5
Previous post(s)	Coadjutor Bishop of Newark (1976–1979)
Alma mater	University of North Carolina Virginia Theological Seminary
Website	johnshelbyspong.com

John Shelby "Jack" Spong (June 16, 1931 – September 12, 2021) was an American bishop of the Episcopal Church, born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He served as the Bishop of Newark, New Jersey from 1979 to 2000. Spong was a liberal Christian theologian, religion commentator, and author who called for a fundamental rethinking of Christian belief away from theism and traditional doctrines.^[1] He was known for his progressive and controversial views on Christianity, including his rejection of traditional Christian doctrines, his advocacy for LGBTQ rights, and his support for interfaith dialogue.^[2] Spong was a contributor to the Living the Questions DVD program and was a guest on numerous national television broadcasts. Spong died on September 12, 2021, at his home in Richmond, Virginia, at the age of 90.^[3]