Axios,
If the congregation is actually Broadway UMC, which I suspect it is, then there is no miracle there. Compromise with wrong doing for the sake of peace is never the correct solution.
There are many congregations that have been revitalized since Mr. Sprague came to my neck of the woods. But then, that has always been true. There are other congregations that have collapsed recently and that has always been true.
If you know the congregation, there are over 400 of them in the Northern Illinois Conference, that might help to pin it down. It might not since I don't know the inner workings of that many congregations. In any event the revitalization or collapse of this or that congregation has never had very much to do with who the bishop was.
Like I said, I tip my hat to Mr. Sprague's administrative ability. I reject his theology as does most of the Christian Church.
Dan Lauffer
