Buncombe Street United Methodist Church welcomes Bishop William H. Willimon for special worship services
January 13, 2022
Internationally recognized American Theologian to visit Greenville
Buncombe Street United Methodist Church is pleased to welcome the Bishop William H. Willimon to its Downtown Campus on Sunday, January 30th for three special worship services.
A Retired Bishop of the United Methodist Church, Bishop Willimon is one of the most well-known theologians in the United Methodist Church and the author of more than 100 books with over a million copies sold. An international survey conducted by Baylor University named him one of the Twelve Most Effective Preachers in the English-speaking world, and he has lectured nationally and internationally at prestigious universities including Harvard, Princeton, Vanderbilt, Pepperdine and Oxford.
Bishop Willimon will preach during two traditional worship services on January 30th: 8:45 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. in the church’s main sanctuary. His sermon will be simulcasted during the 11:00 a.m. Table service, a contemporary style of worship held in Buncombe Street’s Sisk Hall.
“Bishop Willimon is a highly distinguished bishop and theologian, and we are very honored to welcome him back home as a special guest of Buncombe Street United Methodist Church,” said Reverend Brian Gilmer, senior pastor. “We look forward to hearing his message and invite the Greenville community to attend our services on January 30th.”
A native of Greenville who grew up at Buncombe Street, Bishop Willimon is a graduate of Wofford College, Yale Divinity School and Emory University, in addition to being awarded honorary degrees from 13 colleges and universities. He has written church curriculum materials for youth and adults, and his Pulpit Resource is used weekly by thousands of pastors worldwide. A 2005 study by the Pulpit and Pew Research Center found Bishop Willimon to be the second most widely read author by mainline Protestant pastors. Bishop Willimon served eight years as Bishop of the North Alabama Conference of The United Methodist Church, where he led 157,000 Methodists and 792 pastors. He also served as Dean of the Chapel at Duke for 20 years and is now Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry at Duke Divinity School. He serves on the Board of Trustees at Wofford College and Emory University.
Buncombe Street United Methodist Church (est. 1834) is a large United Methodist church in Greenville, South Carolina and serves a congregation of over 2500 through two campus locations, a Downtown Campus and the Trinity Campus. Buncombe Street UMC enables members and visitors to experience God’s grace, to grow in knowledge, and to live out discipleship through service and outreach. With various worship opportunities and ministry areas, all are welcome with the purpose “To Be and Make Disciples of Christ.”
