2005-06 Stroud Visiting Scholar:
Rev. Dr. William A. Ritter, ’62

Dr. William A. Ritter retired on June 30, 2005 after 40 years as a United Methodist minister and 12 years as senior minister of First United Methodist Church of Birmingham. Prior pastoral assignments include First United Methodist Church of Dearborn (1965-1969), Newburg United Methodist Church, Livonia (1969-1980), and Nardin Park United Methodist Church, Farmington Hills (1980-1993).

A Detroit native, Ritter was raised on the northwest side of the city and was a member of Westlawn United Methodist Church. His educational path traveled through Mackenzie High School (1958), Albion College (B.A., 1962) and Yale Divinity School (M.Div., 1965). Albion College awarded him an honorary D.D. in 1981.

Ritter preaches widely, serves on a number of denominational boards and community agencies, and has been a trustee of Albion College for the last 23 years. In addition to authoring a book of prayers and a book of sermons, he has contributed essays to recently-published collections on the subjects of marriage and grandparenting. His latest book, "Take the Dimness of My Soul Away: Healing After a Loved One’s Suicide", was published by Morehouse in 2004.

Ritter currently teaches as a visiting professor at Duke Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina and Ecumenical Theological Seminary in Detroit, Michigan. During spring semester 2005-06, he served in two roles at Albion College: as the Joe H. Stroud Visiting Scholar for the Gerald R. Ford Institute for Public Policy and Service and as Executive-in-Residence for the Carl A. Gerstacker Liberal Arts Institute for Professional Management. Additional post-retirement responsibilities include a mentoring contract with the Methodist Union of Greater Detroit linking him with clergy in their first decade of ministry.

Ritter lives in the Detroit area with his wife, Kristine. They have a daughter, Julie Hopkins.