Background
Spike was born in Buffalo, New York and educated at Denison University, Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University, and Colgate-Rochester Divinity School.
Spike was born in Buffalo, New York and educated at Denison University, Union Theological Seminary, Columbia University, and Colgate-Rochester Divinity School.
Bachelor of Arts, Denison University, 1944. Bachelor of Divinity, Colgate-Rochester Division School, 1946. Doctor of Education, Columbia, 1954.
Doctor of Humane Letters Moravian College, Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, 1964.
He began his career as pastor at the Judson Memorial Church on Washington Square in Greenwich Village in 1949, reviving the social activism of this famous urban church. During his tenure there neighborhood kids played basketball in the church’s ramshackle gym and an interracial, international residence for students was established. Spike also helped to create an art gallery where artists such as Claes Oldenburg, Allen Kaprow and Jim Dine could exhibit their, then unconventional, work.
In 1958 Spike left his parish ministry to take on a national role as General Secretary of the United Church Board Foreign Homeland Ministries.
In 1963 he was appointed the Executive Director of the National Council of Churches’ Commission on Religion and Race, which became an important arm of the Civil Rights Movement. Anna Arnold Hedgeman joined his staff there as a Coordinator of Special Events.
Spike worked with Robert Parris Moses to set up the Freedom Summer project In January 1966 Spike took a position as Professor of Ministry and Director of the Doctor of Ministry Program in the Divinity School at the University of Chicago.
Less than a year after assuming his post in Chicago, Spike was bludgeoned to death at Ohio State University in Columbus on October 17, 1966.
Number one was ever tried for his murder. After a systematic review some church sources believe that he was assassinated. Police investigations attempted to link Spike"s murder with his bisexuality.
Upon learning of Review
Spike"s death, Martin Luther King Junior. was quoted as stating, "He was one of those rare individuals who sought at every point to make religion relevant to the social issues of our time. He lifted religion from the stagnant arena of pious irrelevancies and sanctimonious trivialities.
His brilliant and dedicated work will be an inspiration to generals yet unborn. We will always remember his unswerving devotion to the legitimate aspirations of oppressed people for freedom and human dignity.
lieutenant was my personal pleasure and sacred privilege to work closely with him in various undertakings.".
Member National Endowment for Humanities. Member Phi Beta Kappa, Omicron Delta Kappa, Lambda Chi Alpha. Member editorial board Christianity and Crisis.
Married Alice West. Coffman, August 20, 1945. Children: Paul Robert, John Thomas.