Rev. Dr. Meredith J. Sprunger

Rev. Dr. Meredith Justin Sprunger, 97, graduated to the Mansion Worlds on Tuesday, April 17 in Muncie, IN where he lived for the past 18 months. He was born on April 16, 1915 to Sylvia and Alvin Sprunger in Woodburn, IN. By the time Meredith was ten, both of his parents had died, and he and his three younger siblings went to live with different relatives. Meredith lived with his Aunt and Uncle Ervin Lochner near Bluffton and graduated from Kirkland High School. Dr. Sprunger's central interests have always been nature, philosophy, and religion; and at a very early age he began his lifelong quest for knowledge and truth. His course of study took him to Mission House College (now Lakeland) where he graduated (1937) with a B.A. in Philosophy. He then proceeded through Mission House Theological Seminary and became an ordained minister in 1940. Meredith received his M. Th. at Princeton Theological Seminary in 1941 and his Ph.D. in Psychology from Purdue University in 1947. Throughout his educational endeavors, Meredith worked many jobs to finance his own college studies. He became a licensed psychologist/therapist with a Private Practice Certificate in Psychology in the State of Indiana. As a minister he served churches throughout the Midwest: Trinity UCC in Mulberry, IN 1941-49, Highland UMC in Chicago 1950, Grace UCC in Culver, IN 1950-59, and Plumtree UCC near Warren, IN 1964-79. In 1959 the Sprunger family moved to Fort Wayne, and Dr. Sprunger began teaching at Indiana Institute of Technology where he served appointments as Head of the Department of Psychology, Chairman of the Division of Liberal Arts, and Interim President. While living in Fort Wayne, Dr. Sprunger also administered psychological tests and consulted for corporations/industry. He retired in 1977 to pursue other interests. Dr. Sprunger realized that a new spiritual approach was needed in mainline Christian theology and initiated The Spiritual Fellowship Journal, serving as editor and then associate editor from 1991-2006 . Meredith wrote extensively and authored many pamphlets and two books, Spiritual Psychology, 1990 and The Abridged Urantia Papers, 2008. He served as president of the Urantia Brotherhood from 1976-79, and spoke at conferences and study groups all over the United States. Throughout Dr. Sprunger's remarkable life and career, colleagues have described him as wise, focused, spiritually discerning, knowledgeable, appreciative, dignified, zealous, forward-looking, industrious, inspiring, assured, devoted, and a compassionate friend. Meredith married his lifelong helpmate, Irene L. (Scherry) on June 30, 1940, and they were married 66 years until her death in 2007. They have two daughters: Ruth Payne (husband Wayne) of Muncie, IN and Grace Sprunger-Young (husband Greg) of Germantown, WI . Four grandchildren blessed their lives: Ellen Payne Osborn (husband Kent), Andrew Payne, Justin Young, and Gabrielle Young. In 1947 Meredith and Irene began spending their summer vacations in Upper Michigan, and he built their cottage on Winslow Lake 50 years ago. It has served as their spiritual retreat. Meredith and Irene were active members of Grace St. John's United Church of Christ where Meredith taught a Sunday School class. Dr. Sprunger was preceded in death by his parents; his wife; his granddaughter Ellen; his brother, Blanchand L. Sprunger; and two sisters, Marguerite Erickson and Lucille Zuercher. The Memorial Service to celebrate Dr. Sprunger's life will be Saturday, May 12 at 2:30 p.m. at Grace St. John's United Church of Christ, 4120 South Webster Street, Fort Wayne, IN 46807. Son-in-law, Rev. Greg Young, will officiate. Visitation is one hour prior to service. In lieu of flowers, kindly send memorials to Grace St. Johns Church, The Urantia Book Fellowship, P.O. Box 6631, Broomfield, CO 80021, or Urantia Foundation, 533 Diversey Parkway, Chicago, IL 60614. Arrangements by Klaehn, Fahl & Melton Funeral Home. Online guest book may be signed at www.klaehnfahlmelton.com