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The Very Rev. Bill Phipps (born 1942) is a Canadian church leader and social justice activist. He was Moderator of the United Church of Canada from 1997 to 2000. He has also been minister at Scarboro United Church in Calgary, Alberta since 1993.
He was trained as a lawyer before entering theological college, and was ordained to the ministry in 1969. While studying theology in Chicago he worked for noted social activist Saul Alinsky. In his career, Phipps has worked as a poverty lawyer, community organizer and pastor. From 1974 to 1983 he was minister at Trinity-St. Paul's United Church in downtown Toronto, Ontario. After leaving Trinity-St. Paul's United, he moved to Alberta to work in church administration.
A theological liberal, Phipps engendered controversy when shortly after becoming moderator he said "I don't believe Jesus was God", that he didn't consider the resurrection a scientific fact, and that he was agnostic on the question of an afterlife. What is important, Phipps argued, is not notions of the afterlife but fighting poverty and suffering on earth. "Your soul is lost unless you care about people starving in the streets," according to Phipps. He said that what is important is not so much whether or not the Bible is a literal historical record but the teachings and example of Jesus. This sparked great debate in the church, with some congregations passed motions asserting their faith in Jesus' literal resurrection.
During his term as moderator, he apologized to Canada's indigenous First Nations for abuse in church-run residential schools earlier in the century.
In the spring of 2001, he was part of an Ecumenical mission to Africa.
In 2002, Phipps was the New Democratic Party of Canada 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. Harper said he "despises" the cleric [1] (http://www.yourlibrary.ca/community/richmondreview/archive/RR20020522/yourview.html) and refused to debate him. In the election, Phipps came in second with just over 20% of the vote.
In 2003, Phipps supported the Rev. Bill Blaikie in that year's NDP leadership race.
Phipps is currently active with the Interfaith community's Faith and the Common Good project in Canada.
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