William Frederick Allen Phipps (May 4, 1942 – March 4, 2022) was a Canadian ordained minister of the United Church of Canada, lawyer and social activist. He served as the 36th Moderator of the United Church of Canada from 1997 to 2000, and engendered controversy for expressing support for gay ordination and not believing in a physical Resurrection of Jesus.
Early life and ministry
Phipps was born in Toronto, the son of Cora Stinson and Reginald Phipps. He graduated from Osgoode Law School in 1965, but felt a call to ministry rather than the law, and enrolled at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. During his studies, he worked with community activist Saul Alinsky, and marched with Martin Luther King. After graduation in 1968, Phipps moved to Toronto to article for his law degree Although several contemporary theologians and scholars were surprised by the fierce backlash, saying that Phipps' theological views were not considered radical,
Other initiatives
Phipps travelled across Canada to speak to people in an initiative called "Faith and the Economy". He also co-authored Bearing Faithful Witness: United Church–Jewish Relations Today with Rev. Clint Mooney, about the church's relationship with Judaism.
In 2002, Phipps was the New Democratic Party candidate in the Calgary Southwest by-election contested by newly elected Canadian Alliance leader Stephen Harper. Phipps challenged Harper's conservative economic and social views. During the campaign, Harper commented that he "despise[d]" Phipps, and declined to participate in debates with him. In the election, Phipps came in second with just over 20 per cent of the vote.
In 2005, Phipps was awarded the Alberta Centennial Medal.
Phipps retired from ministry in 2007, but stayed actively involved with community projects. He died on March 4, 2022, at the age of 79.