Council of Bishops: Homepage

Christian Alsted

Active

Europe

Northern Europe and Eurasia Central Conference

Nordic-Baltic Episcopal Area

Bishop Daniel C. Arichea, Jr., is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church He was born in San Narciso, Zambales, Philippines, to Daniel Arichea Sr. and Tarsila Castillo, both public school teachers. The schools he attended include the University of the Philippines (pre-law), Union Theological Seminary (Bachelor of Theology, magna cum laude,), and Duke University (M.R.E. and Ph.D. in Biblical Studies). He also studied linguistics at Ohio State University and was a visiting scholar at Princeton Theological Seminary.  He served churches in Bataan and Manila before joining the faculty of Union Theological Seminary, teaching New Testament. He later joined the United Bible Societies as a translation consultant, and served in that capacity in the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam, and Indonesia and Malaysia. In 1987 he moved to Hong Kong, SAR, P.R. of China to assume the office of Regional Transition Coordinator for the Asia-Pacific Region, a position which he held until his election to the Episcopacy (in absentia) in November 1994.  While serving as resident bishop of the Baguio Episcopal Area for 1994-2000, he also held the following positions: Vice-chair of the National Council of Churches in the Philippines (NCCP), 1995-1997; Chair, NCCP, 1997-1999; President and Chair, Philippine Bible Society (1997-1998), honorary translation adviser, United Bible Societies (1995 to present), and member, Roman Catholic-Methodist International Commission, 1996-2000. Danny (as he is called by friends) is the author of four commentaries primarily written for translators: Galatians (with Eugene A. Nida), 1 Peter (with Eugene A. Nida), Jude and 2 Peter (with Howard A. Hatton), and the Pastoral Letters (with Howard A. Hatton). He has also written many articles on Bible translation, published most often in The Bible Translator. He is married to Ruth Cabralda Mandac, and their marriage is blessed with three children, Miriam, Stephen, and Michael; grandchildren: Joshua Thomas, Arielle Marie and Daniel Benjamin. Publications: <a href="http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=499722" target="_blank">A Handbook on the First Letter from Peter</a> <a href="http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=499719" target="_blank">A Handbook on Paul's Letters to Timothy and to Titus</a>

David Bard

Active

United States

North Central Jurisdiction

Michigan Episcopal Area

United States

W. Earl Bledsoe

Active

United States

South Central Jurisdiction

Northwest Texas-New Mexico Episcopal Area

W. Earl Bledsoe was born in Marlin, Texas. He graduated from Levelland High and from South Plains College (Levelland, Texas) with an A.A. degree; West Texas State University with a B.A. degree in English and Spanish; the M.Div. degree from Perkins School of Theology/SMU, where he was a Benjamin E. Mays Scholar. He earned the Doctor of Ministry degree at Drew University. He was ordained deacon in 1983 by Bishop Finis A. Crutchfield, and elder in 1987 by Bishop Benjamin R. Oliphint in the Texas Conference. Earl Bledsoe was the first elected to the episcopacy in July 2008 at the South Central Jurisdictional Conference and assigned to the Dallas Area. He is currently assigned as episcopal leader of the New Mexico/Northwest Texas Annual Conferences, headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico. He serves as President of the GCORR Board of Directors and as such, is part of the Connectional Table.  He also serves as Jurisdictional Episcopal member of the Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters. He serves on the boards of McMurry University (Abilene, Texas), Southwestern University (Georgetown, Texas); Texas Methodist Foundation (Austin, Texas) and the Methodist Children’s Home. Previous leadership includes: Jurisdictional member of the Connectional Table, 2004-2008; Jurisdictional Episcopacy Committee representative, 2004; General Conference delegate, 1992-2008; Chair of General Conference Committee on Reference (2000 and 2004); Vice Chair General Conference Legislative Committee on Ministry (1996) Chair of Texas Methodist Foundation Board; Chair of Texas Conference Board of Ordained Ministry; Chair of Texas Conference Finance & Administration. Prior appointments include: Episcopal Leader of North Texas Conference (Plano, Texas); Superintendent of the Bryan/West District (College Station, Texas); Senior pastor of Spring Woods UMC (Houston, Texas); Senior Pastor of Cypress UMC (Cypress, Texas); Texas Conference Director of Teaching Ministries (Houston, Texas); Senior Associate pastor of Bear Creek UMC (Houston, Texas); Senior Pastor Hanham Methodist Church – Kingwood Circuit (Hanham Bristol, England); Intern pastor – St, Marks UMC (Baytown, Texas); Assistant Pastor of St. Andrews UMC (Ft. Worth, Texas); Pastor of St. Paul UMC/St. James UMC – Anahuac Circuit (Anahuac, Texas); Local Pastor Wyatt Memorial UMC,(Amarillo, Texas). Earl enjoys fishing, hunting, reading, technology, and traveling with family. On April 6, 1985, Leslie Jean Bray and Wilbert Earl Bledsoe were married. Leslie is a licensed social worker and is totally blind. Together they have six adult children: Gregory Earl, Erika Yvette, Felicia Renee, Roderick Lynn, Erik Jada, and Letitia Gail. They also have 12 grandchildren: Broderick Rashad, Amanda Grace, Gregory Earl Jr., Nicholas, Jasmine, Randy Jr., Alexis, Hannah Gabriel (deceased), Sara, Lindsay, Christopher, and Abigail, and two great-grandchildren: Aiden Devon and Khia Renee.

Heinrich Bolleter

Retired

Europe

Heinrich Bolleter, the son of a businessman, was born and raised in the suburbs of Zurich, Switzerland. He was educated at the Industrial College in Zurich with a degree in mathematics and physics and at the Theological Seminary of the former Methodist Church in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. In the Switzerland/ France Annual Conference he was ordained Elder in 1969. He served as a pastor in the congregations of Baden, Zurich-Wipkingen, Thalwil and Zofingen until 1989. From 1974 to 1985 he was the editor of "Church and World", a weekly magazine of the L`MC in Switzerland. He was active in the field of Interdenominational Concerns since 1972 and served as a delegate to the National Council of Churches in Switzerland. He was chairperson of this Council from 1997-1999. He served as the Secretary of the Council on Ministries (from 1972 through 1989), which includes the Standing Commissions on Theology, Social Affairs and Liturgy. During the same period, he was a member of the Board of Ordained Ministry. He was named Counsel of the Church in 1985 and delegate to the European Council of the UMC since1985. He was a delegate to the Central Conference since 1973, and was a delegate to the General Conference in 1976, 1980, 1984 and 1988. Heinrich was elected to the episcopacy by the 1989 Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe and re-elected as a bishop for life by the 1993 Central Conference of Central and Southern Europe In early 2006, he was awarded the Great Silver Medal of Honor with The Star in the name of the president of the Federal Republic of Austria, in recognition of his abilities as a "bridge builder," particularly for his ability to build connections with Eastern European nations. He retired in May 2006. Heinrich Bolleter has written many articles and monographs in German. His languages are German, French and English. He is married to Marta Bolleter-Zellweger. They have three children, Harald, Muriel and Yvonne.

Benjamin Boni

Active

Africa

West Africa Central Conference

Côte D'ivoire Episcopal Area

Benjamin Boni was born in Arraguie (Agboville, Côte d’Ivoire) to a Christian family.  His deceased father, Clement Boni, was one of the first Catechists of the Methodist Protestant Church of Côte d’Ivoire.  His mother, Francisca Brou, still alive, was among the first entering class of the Methodist Girls’ School in Dabou (Côte d’Ivoire) in the early 1930’s.  Benjamin Boni is married to Berthe Ngbesso Odombo.  They have six children (five girls and a boy).   Benjamin Boni pursued his high school education at Lycee Classique of Abidjan from 1966-1971. He obtained his Baccalaureate with emphasis in Literature in 1971.  It was during his studies at Lycee Classique that he felt a call to the Christian Ministry.  Benjamin Boni attended the Yaounde Theological Seminary in Cameroon from 1971-1975, where he obtained a Bachelor degree in Theology.  He later continued his university education at the Graduate School of Theology at the University of Strasbourg in France.  He earned a Master of Theology with specialty in Family Education.  He participated in several training programs while abroad and at home.  He received training in Family Counseling at the School of Parents and Educators in Strasbourg, France, and training in Communications and Mass Media in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.  Benjamin Boni studied English as a Second language at Selly Oak College in Birmingham, England.   He was ordained elder in January, 1980, at Lakota by Reverend Auguste Lambert Ackah, then President of the Methodist Protestant Church of Côte d’Ivoire.  He has held several positions within and outside the church.  These positions include but are not limited to serving as a pastor in Azaguie, chaplain of the Protestant Student Union, and Director of Literature and Mass Media. On the national front, Benjamin Boni was appointed Member of the National Mediation Committee, Member of the Civil Society Organization on Peace, and Member of the Academy of Science, Arts and African Culture.    Benjamin Boni was elected President of the Annual Conference of the Methodist Protestant Church of Côte d’Ivoire on August 1, 1998.  He was re-elected President on December 23, 2001. On March 12, 2004, he was elected Bishop of the newly established Annual Conference of the United Methodist church in Côte d’Ivoire.

Warner Brown

Retired

United States

Western Jurisdiction

Bishop Warner H. Brown is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church. Bishop Brown was born and raised an only child in Baltimore, Maryland, the son of Ida and Warner Brown. At the age of thirteen, while reading the New Testament, he felt a call to serve. He began preaching as a youth, and was encouraged to continue doing so. As a young adult, he attended the University of Maryland, (B.A. in Sociology, 1969.) He also graduated from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC with a Master of Divinity degree. In 1973 Warner was ordained deacon in the Baltimore Annual Conference by Bishop James K. Mathews. Yet his movement west had already begun with a pastoral appointment in the Western Pennsylvania Annual Conference as both the pastor of a church and Director of Bethany House Ministries in Pittsburgh, a social service ministry for two housing projects. While serving in western Pennsylvania, he was ordained elder in 1975 by Bishop Roy C. Nichols. In 1979, he answered a national search for an associate conference staff position in the California-Nevada Conference, and transferred there. Once in California, it was only six months later that he was asked to serve as Conference Council Director. From this role of program and administrative oversight for the Conference, Warner was appointed just four years later to the Superintendency of the Golden Gate District, the richly diverse area including San Francisco and several rural and suburban counties along the Pacific Coast. Four years after that, he was given the charge of the Taylor Memorial UMC in Oakland, CA. While serving this significant congregation, the community was then assaulted by the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and two years later the holocaust of fires in the Oakland hills. As chairperson of the Oakland Inter-religious Network for responding to this disaster, Warner led the community's ecumenical disaster response. Throughout these years, Warner has been active in the social justice ministries and programs of those communities and church connections where he has been appointed. To list but a sampling: Volunteer Police Chaplain, Trustee of the Glide Foundation, vice-chair of the Community Advisory Commission for Alameda County Medical Center, member of the Governing Board of United Way for Kern County, a member of the. Board of Directors for the Bakersfield Homeless Shelter, recipient of the 1996 Outstanding Leadership and Service Award for Emergency Response Ministries, given by UMCOR, and recipient of a 1998 Special Congressional Recognition from Congresswoman Barbara Lee. Warner's leadership in the church has included service as: delegate to General Conference twice, member of the General Commission on Religion and Race, a faculty member for New DS/CCD training, Harry Hoosier Member of and twice the host for the National Black Methodists for Church Renewal, chair of the Board of Missions in California-Nevada Annual Conference as well as numerous other conference boards and agencies, adjunct consultant to the Alban Institute, and a Wesley Seminary Distinguished Alumni. Following a successful eleven-year pastorate in Oakland, Warner was given a new challenge as Senior Pastor of the predominantly white yet multi-ethnic First UMC of Bakersfield, CA. Only two years into this pastorate, he was nominated and endorsed by his conference for the episcopacy: at the Western Jurisdiction Conference Sessions in Casper, Wyoming, and in July of 2000 he was elected to the episcopacy on the 19th ballot and assigned to the Denver Area. He retired in July 2016. Bishop Brown is married to Minnie Jones Brown; their family includes Catina Marie Harvin, Warner III, and Calvin Brown. Bishop's Writings

Bishop Kenneth Lee Carder is a retired Bishop of the United Methodist Church. Kenneth Lee Carder was born in Washington County, Tennessee, one of five children of Allen and Edith Carder. He was graduated with honors from East Tennessee State University and Wesley Theological Seminary. In 1980 he received the Doctor of Ministry Degree from Vanderbilt Divinity School. Ken was ordained Deacon by Bishop Roy H. Short, and Bishop H. Ellis Finger, Jr., ordained him an Elder. Ken has served churches in Gaithersburg, Maryland, Bristol, Tennessee, Abingdon, Virginia and Knoxville and Oak Ridge, Tennessee. While in Oak Ridge, he helped initiate an ongoing dialogue between scientists and theologians, including a dialogue between members of the Council of Bishops, on In Defense of Creation. He continues an interest in science/technology and theology/ethics. In addition to dialogue between science and theology, Ken has special commitment to Wesley studies, prison ministries, racial and economic justice, and ministry with those who live in poverty. Ken was first elected to Jurisdictional Conference in 1980. He was elected to General Conference in 1984, 1988, and 1992. He was elected to the episcopacy in 1992 while serving as pastor of Church Street Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. He served the Nashville and Mississippi Areas. Upon retiring in 2004, Ken joined the full-time faculty of Duke Divinity School as Professor of the Practice of Pastoral Formation. Linda Miller and Ken Carder were married June 30, 1961. Linda and Ken have two daughters. Sandra Carder Nash and her husband, Kyle, have two daughters, Katelyn and Emily, and a son Michael; and they live in Columbia, SC. Sheri Carder Hood and her husband, John, and their daughters, Megan and Julia Rose, also live in Columbia, S.C. Publications: <a href="http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=926123&rank=1&txtSearchQuery=Kenneth+Carder" target="_blank">Grace to Lead</a> <a href="http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=805195&rank=2&txtSearchQuery=Kenneth+Carder" target="_blank">Living Our Beliefs</a> <a href="http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=356969&rank=3&txtSearchQuery=Kenneth+Carder" target="_blank">Serious Answers to Hard Questions Leader's Guide</a> <a href="http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/search.aspx?ddlSearchScope=author&txtSearchQuery=Kenneth+Carder" target="_blank">Complete List</a>

Kenneth Carter

Active

United States

Southeastern Jurisdiction

Florida Episcopal Area

A native of Georgia, Kenneth H. Carter is a graduate of Columbus College (B.S.), Duke University Divinity School (M.Div.), the University of Virginia (M.A.) and Princeton Theological Seminary (D.Min.).  In addition, Bethune-Cookman University and the United Methodist University of Liberia have awarded him the honorary D.D. degree. He was ordained a deacon in the Western North Carolina Conference in 1983 and an elder in 1986. Subsequently he served a four-point charge, as an associate pastor of missions and evangelism, as a new church planter, and as senior pastor of two large regional churches; his ministry at Providence United Methodist Church in Charlotte was described by the historian Diana Butler Bass in her Christianity for the Rest of Us. He also was the superintendent of the Smoky Mountain District of the Western North Carolina Conference, which included sixty-nine churches in the seven westernmost counties of the state, all within the region of Appalachia. In the Western North Carolina Conference, Ken chaired the Board of Ordained Ministry and the Committee on the Episcopacy. He was elected to five jurisdictional conferences and three general conferences, and he led the WNCC delegation in Tampa in 2012. In the denomination, he has served on the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, the Committee on Faith and Order, the Ministry Study Commission, the University Senate, and the National Plan for Hispanic/Latino Ministry. He currently chairs the United Methodist Church Holistic Strategy for Latin America and the Caribbean and the Task Force on Human Rights and Investment. In 2012, Ken Carter was elected to the episcopacy by the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference of the United Methodist Church and assigned to the Florida Conference. He is a member of the board of trustees of Bethune-Cookman University, Florida Southern College, the Russia United Methodist Theological Seminary in Moscow and the board of visitors of Duke Divinity School. Bishop Carter is the author of eight books, most recently Pray For Me: The Power in Praying For Others (Upper Room, 2012); among those endorsing his latest book was Leighton Ford, brother-in-law of Billy Graham. His books reflect on topics related to practical ministry: stewardship, spiritual gifts, baptism, the Wesleyan means of grace, and intercession. He was also a contributor to the Wesley Study Bible and the Feasting on the Word series. The bishop is married to Pam Carter and they have two daughters: Liz, an editor, research analyst and Chinese Translator with Foreign Policy/Tea Leaf Nation, based in Washington, D.C., and Abby, a student at Duke University Divinity School and a recent graduate of Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Alabama.

Ray Chamberlain

Retired

United States

Young Jin Cho

Retired

United States

Southeastern Jurisdiction

Bishop Young Jin Cho is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church. He was born in Onyang, South Korea, and graduated from Methodist Theological Seminary in Seoul, Korea, where he earned the Th.B. and Th.M. degrees He came to the United States in 1979 and earned M.Div. and D.Min. degrees from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC.  He was ordained in the East Annual Conference of the Korean Methodist Church in 1977 and transferred to the Virginia Conference in 1983. He was senior pastor of Korean United Methodist Church of Greater Washington (KUMCGW) in McLean, for 22 years before being appointed superintendent of the Arlington District in 2005.  In his ministry as District Superintendent, Cho continued to focus on Christ’s vision for the Arlington District.  In seven years, under his leadership, the Arlington District started more than 10 new faith communities and introduced many training events for the clergy and laity to strengthen spiritual foundation of ministry. Young Jin Cho was elected to the episcopacy at the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference in 2012. He is the first Korean-American elected to the episcopacy in the Southeastern Jurisdiction.  While it is uncommon for a newly-elected bishop to be returned to his or her home conference, Cho was assigned to come home to Virginia to lead the Virginia Conference for four years. Cho has served the church and the community in various capacities, including president of the Korean Wesley Foundation, president of Partner’s Church Association for the renewal of the Korean United Methodist Church, Board of Ordained Ministry, Board of Discipleship and Commission on Ethnic Minority Local Church Concerns. He was elected delegate to the 2008 and 2012 General Conferences. Kiok Chang and Young Jin Cho were married on May 19, 1975 in Seoul, Korea. The Chos have two daughters, Grace and Sophia, one son, Chris and one grandson, Luke.

Wilbur Choy

Retired

United States

Charles Crutchfield

Retired

United States

Lindsey Davis

Retired

United States

Southeastern Jurisdiction

Bishop Lindsey Davis is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church. Born in Durham, North Carolina, Lindsey Davis spent most of his life in Kentucky and holds degrees from Union College, the University of Kentucky, Lexington Theological Seminary, and Kentucky Wesleyan College. He was ordained elder by Bishop Paul Duffey, and held pastorates in the Kentucky Conference: the First United Methodist Church of Lexington, Mayo Memorial United Methodist Church, St. Luke United Methodist Church, Superintendent of the Lexington District. He was Assistant Director, Office of Educational Development at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine; Director of Educational Development, University of Alabama, College of Community Health Sciences; and Consultant for the Department of Family Medicine and Pediatrics at the University of Kentucky College of Medicine before entering ordained ministry. He co-chaired the Uniting Transition Team for the Louisville Area in 1996 and was a delegate to General Conference and Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference in 1992 and 1996. Lindsey Davis was elected to the episcopacy at the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference in July 1996, from the Kentucky Conference where he was Superintendent of the Lexington District, and was assigned to The North Georgia Area as of September 1, 1996. In 2008, he was assigned to the Louisville Area. He has served on the General Council on Ministries (1996-2000), as Director of the General Board of Global Ministries, and President of the United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) (2000-2004), and as Vice-President of the General Council on Finance and Administration (2004-2008). In addition to the Board of Trustees of nine United Methodist colleges and numerous other United Methodist agencies in the North Georgia Area, he is a member of the Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center Board of Emory University. Lindsey and Jennifer have two children, Laura Ellen Miller (Dustin) and John Lindsey Davis (Jennifer), and two grandchildren, Davis Scott Miller and Jackson Lindsey Davis.

Emilio DeCarvalho

Retired

Africa

Sudarshana Devadhar

Active

United States

Northeastern Jurisdiction

Boston Episcopal Area

Gaspar João Domingos

Active

Africa

Angola East Episcopal Area

Retired

United States

Bishop Robert E. Fannin is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church. He was born in Ashland, Kentucky, and spent his childhood in Brooksville, Florida. He received a B.S. in Business Administration from Florida Southern College, M. Div. and Doctorate of Sacred Theology from Candler School of Theology, Emory University. His doctoral project dealt with the local ministers' professional relationships to other helping professions. He received honorary doctorates from Florida Southern, Birmingham Southern and Huntingdon Colleges. Before going onto the ministry, Bob Fannin was part of the J.C. Penny management training program, served in the U.S. Army, and became a representative for the Burroughs Computer Corporation. After completion of his doctoral studies, he served in the Florida Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church in Lake Alfred, Gainesville and Stuart. In June of 1986, he was appointed District Superintendent of the Miami District and in June of 1991, to First United Methodist Church, Lakeland. He has served the Florida Annual Conference in the past as Chairperson of the Board of Ordained Ministry, as President of the Credit Union and as Chairperson of the Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry. He has served as a member of the General Council on Ministries, The Board of Higher Education and Ministry, Vice-Chair of GCFA and was the President of the Southeastern Jurisdictional Court of Appeals. Bob Fannin was elected to the episcopacy from the Southeastern Jurisdiction in 1992, and served the Birmingham Area until his retirement in 2004. Bishop Fannin has participated on the faculties of Schools of Christian Mission around the Southeastern United States for many years. He has his wife, Faye, have three children: Stephanie, Allison and Robb, eight grandchildren and three great-grandchildren.

Robert Bob Farr

Active

United States

South Central Jurisdiction

Missouri Episcopal Area

Robert Farr serves as Bishop of the Missouri Area of The United Methodist Church. He was elected by the South Central Jurisdiction in July 2016, and assigned to the Missouri Area beginning September 2016. The Missouri Conference includes 800 local churches, approximately 1,000 retired and active clergy and 80,000 weekly worshippers, offering ministry through local churches, colleges, campus ministries, social services and mission projects throughout the world. Before his work as Bishop, Rev. Bob Farr has served as the Director of the Center for Congregational Excellence for the Missouri Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church from 2007-2016, guiding 35 church starts into life and has overseen over 150 Healthy Church consultations in the Missouri conference. He led 128 individual church consults in 29 conferences across the connection, serving on the Cabinet, Mission Council and as a Conference Director. He offered oversight of new church planting, church transformation, language-based faith communities and shared in leadership development. From 2000-2007, he served as senior pastor of Church of the Shepherd in St. Charles where he led the congregation through relocation that increased worship from 450 to 1,200 in worship attendance. Prior to that, Farr started Grace UMC in Lee’s Summit in 1990 and Hope Church in Lone Jack, a daughter congregation of Grace, in 1998. Farr was ordained deacon in 1983 and elder in 1987 after attending seminary at Perkins School of Theology, where he served student appointments of Celeste, White Rock and Kinston charge and as student associate at Wesley UMC in Greenville, Texas. As a writer, he has co-authored several books with Kay Kotan and published by Abingdon Press, including: <a href="https://www.cokesbury.com/product/9781426715860/renovate-or-die/?rank=0&txtSearchQuery=bob%20farr" target="_blank">Renovate or Die – 10 Ways to Focus Your Church in Mission</a> (2011), <a href="https://www.cokesbury.com/product/9781426759314/get-their-name/?rank=2&txtSearchQuery=bob%20farr" target="_blank">Get Their Name – Grow Your Church by Building New Relationships</a> (2013), <a href="https://www.cokesbury.com/product/9781630883157/10-prescriptions-for-a-healthy-church/?rank=3&txtSearchQuery=bob%20farr" target="_blank">10 Prescriptions for a Healthy Church</a> (2015), and <a href="https://www.cokesbury.com/product/9781501804960/the-necessary-nine/?rank=1&txtSearchQuery=bob%20farr" target="_blank">The Necessary Nine</a> (2015). Farr has also had the opportunity to share learning across the connection through the Healthy Church Initiative, School of Congregational Development, Path One and South Central Jurisdiction new church planting trainings. Bob helped form Route 122, a transformational church network and is a regular guest speaker across the connection. He is a certified Fire Chaplain through Global Board of Higher Education and Ministry. Farr’s passion for the global church has taken him to India, Mexico, South Korea, Russia, South Africa, China, Haiti and Mozambique. For the past five years, he and his wife have helped support Nhachengue UMC in southern Mozambique, including the drilling of a deep water well. He and Susan have been married since 1979 and have two adult children and two grandchildren.

Moises Domingos Fernandes

Retired

Africa

Violet Fisher

Retired

United States

Ciriaco Francisco

Active

Philippines

Manila Episcopal Area

Elias Galvan

Retired

United States

Bishop Elias Galvan is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church. He was born in San Juan Acozac, Puebla, Mexico, into a Methodist parsonage. He has a B.A. degree from California State University at Long Beach and a Rel. D. from the School of Theology at Claremont where he obtained a Rel. D. He became a probationary member of the Southern California-Arizona Conference, and later was received into full membership and ordained an elder. He has served the following appointments: Asbury United Methodist Church as Associate Pastor; Pastor of City Terrace United Methodist Church and the Church of All Nations in Los Angeles; Director of Ethnic Planning and Strategy; District Superintendent, Santa Barbara District, with two years as Dean of the Cabinet; Conference Council Director. He was a delegate to the General and Jurisdictional Conferences of 1972 - 1984, serving as chair of one of the legislative committees in 1972. During 1983 and 1984 he served as President of the Southern California Ecumenical Council. He has been very active in MARCHA, the national Hispanic caucus, of which he was the first chairperson of the coordinating committee; appointed by the Council of Bishops to Chair the Committee to Develop a National Plan for Hispanic Ministries for the 1989-1992 quadrennium. In 1984, he was elected to the episcopacy and was assigned to the newly-created Phoenix Area, Desert Southwest Conference. He served on the General Council on Ministries (1984-88); General Board of Discipleship (1989-92); President of the College of Bishops of the Western Jurisdiction (1989). Trustee, School of Theology at Claremont, California (1985- ); General Board of Global Ministries (1992-2000). Bishop Galvan retired in 2004. On July 12, 1986, he married Zoraida Freytes, a native of Puerto Rico, who was raised in a United Methodist parsonage. They have one son, Elias Gabriel.

Jose Gamboa

Retired

Philippines

Larry Goodpaster

Retired

United States

Southeastern Jurisdiction

Bishop Larry Goodpaster is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church.  He is a former president of the Council of Bishops. He was born in Memphis, Tennessee. He spent his early childhood in Crenshaw, Mississippi, before moving with his family to northern Indiana. He earned his B. A. degree from Millsaps College, then attended Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, where he earned an M. Div. degree. Larry was ordained a deacon in the former North Mississippi Conference by Bishop Edward J. Pendergrass. He was ordained an elder by Bishop Mack B. Stokes. He earned his D. Min. degree from Candler School of Theology. Upon receiving his M. Div. degree, Larry served a variety of appointments in Mississippi, including an appointment as a District Superintendent of the Tupelo District. At the time of his election to the episcopacy, he was Senior Pastor of the First United Methodist Church in Tupelo, Mississippi. He was also a member of the Task Force that brought about the 1988 merger of the former North Mississippi Conference, and the Mississippi Conference, resulting in the current Mississippi Conference.  He was a delegate to three General Conferences (1992, 1996, and 2000), and four Jurisdictional Conferences (1988-2000). Larry M. Goodpaster was elected to the episcopacy at the 2000 Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference and assigned to the Alabama-West Florida Area where he served for eight years. In 2008, he was assigned to the Western North Carolina Conference. He has published a book and several articles in preaching journals, and was an instructor in the Course of Study for Local Pastors for 9 years. Deborah Phoebe Cox and Larry M. Goodpaster were married on September 26, 1971, while he was attending Candler School of Theology. They have two daughters and one son-in-law. Their older daughter is Amy, who is married to Eric Bradley. Their younger daughter is Lucy.

David Graves

Active

United States

Southeastern Jurisdiction

Alabama-West Florida Episcopal Area

Bishop David Graves is the Resident Bishop of the Alabama-West Florida Area, which includes the Alabama-West Florida Conference in the Southeastern Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church. As a district superintendent, Bishop Graves implemented a district strategy that empowered both clergy and laity with leadership tools for effective and vital ministry. This strategy revitalized several churches that experienced growth in worship attendance and membership; Sunday School and small group discipleship; missional giving and professions of faith. On Christmas Eve 2014, through a district offering, the Kingsport District generously gave more $230,000 for the District Partnership with Giru, South Sudan.  Bishop Graves previously served as the Senior Pastor of Church Street United Methodist Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Prior to Church Street, he served six years as the district superintendent for the Kingsport District of the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church. In 2011 and 2012, he served as Dean of the Cabinet. He has been an ordained pastor in the United Methodist Church for over 27 years and previously served as Senior Pastor of Ooltewah United Methodist Church, a large-membership church in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for 11 years. Prior, he served as pastor of two Kingsport area churches, St. Matthew and Mountain View United Methodist. He was on staff and was given his first appointment at Hixson United Methodist Church in the Chattanooga area where he served for 11 years. Bishop Graves is a native of Knoxville, Tennessee, and graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, with a Master of Divinity.  He has shared 36 years of marriage with his wife, Nancy, and they have two children, Casey and Gregg. Casey is married to her husband Bryan, and they reside in Kingsport with their son Brooks and daughter Lucy. Bishop Graves' and Nancy’s son, Gregg, lives and works in the Chattanooga area.

William Grove

Retired

United States

William Boyd Grove was born in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Bethany College (B.A.), Drew University School of Theology (M. Div.), and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary (D.Min.). He has received several honorary degrees, and alumni awards from Bethany College, Drew University and Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He was presented the Distinguished West Virginian Award by Governor Gaston Caperton in 1992. He was received into the Pittsburgh Conference and was ordained deacon and elder by Bishop Lloyd C. Wicke. He served churches in western Pennsylvania from 1954 until his election as bishop. William Boyd Grove was elected to the episcopacy by the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference in 1980 and was assigned to the West Virginia Episcopal Area [1980-1992] and the Albany (NY) Episcopal Area [1992-1996]. He retired from the active episcopacy in 1996. He has served as President of the General Board of Church and Society [1984-1988], and as President of the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns [1988-1996]. From 1996 2000, Bishop Grove served as Ecumenical Officer of the Council of Bishops, the first person to hold that office. He chaired the United Methodist delegations to the National Council of Churches, the Consultation on Church Union and the Eighth Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Harare, Zimbabwe, in 1998. He co-chaired the continuing Dialogue between the United Methodist Church and the Roman Catholic Church from 1996-2000. Bill is a poet and hymn writer, and is a member of the Order of St. Luke, which is committed to liturgical and sacramental renewal. He has traveled widely and has preached throughout the world. Mary Lou Naylor and William Boyd Grove were graduated from Bethany College in 1951, and on July 29, 1951, were married in Franklin Street Church, Johnstown, PA, where they had gone to Sunday School and Methodist Youth Fellowship together. The Groves have two daughters, Susan and Rebecca, and five grandchildren: Hannah, Gretchen, Carissa, Daniel and Sarah.

John Wesley Hardt comes from a parsonage family, having been born to the Reverend and Mrs. W.W. Hardt in San Antonio, Texas. He attended Lon Morris College in Jacksonville, Texas, and then went on to Southern Methodist University to get his B.A. degree, serving much of this time as a supply pastor. John relieved his father as pastor at Malakoff, his future wife's home town. Following the death of his father, he served there another year. He received his B.D. degree at Perkins School of Theology at S.M.U. He later did graduate work at Vanderbilt University and Union Theological Seminary, New York. Ordained deacon and elder by Bishop A. Frank Smith, he joined the Texas Annual Conference. John Hardt served four other pastorates in the Texas Conference, each one involved with a major building program. In 1977 after serving at First United Methodist Church, Beaumont, Texas, for eighteen years, he was appointed District Superintendent of the Houston East District, where he was elected to the episcopacy by the Jurisdictional Conference in 1980. He was assigned to the Oklahoma Area. Following retirement in 1988 he has served as Bishop-in-Residence at Perkins School of Theology at SMU, Dallas Texas, and now is Bishop-in-Residence Emeritus. John was a delegate to all General Conferences from 1960 to 1980, and has been active on general and conference agencies. He has served as a trustee of St. Paul School of Theology, Lon Morris College, Southern Methodist University, Oklahoma City University and has received honorary degrees from Southwestern University and Oklahoma City University. He has been active in Rotary International and has traveled extensively. He is the author of four books, a book of sermons entitled, Not the Ashes, but the Fire, published in 1977, Lakeview, A Story of Inspiring Unity, published in 1992, Cecil Peeples, Giant of the 20th Century, and Forward in Faith, a history of Marvin United Church, Tyler, TX, published in 1999. On September 13, 1943, while John Wesley was serving the Methodist Church in the home town of Martha Carson, they were married. They have four children: Betty (Mrs. Ed Lesko), William C., John S., and James J. (known as Joe). Eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren are also part of their main circle of love and pride.

Cynthia Harvey

Active

United States

South Central Jurisdiction

Louisiana Episcopal Area

Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey is the Resident Bishop of the Louisiana Area, which includes the Conference in the South Central Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church.  In connection with her Episcopal assignment, she serves as the President Designate of the Council of Bishops, having served as the Secretary of the Council of Bishops 2014-2018.  She also serves on the Boards of Trustees for Centenary College, Dillard University, and Southern Methodist University, and The Perkins School of Theology Executive Board.  Bishop Harvey is the Vice-Chair of the Commission on United Methodist Communications for The United Methodist Church is a board member of the United Methodist Foundation of Louisiana and President of the Louisiana Interchurch Conference.  After graduating from the University of Texas in Austin in 1980, Bishop Harvey spent 12 years in the corporate world as a regional director of marketing for the Rouse Company, a shopping center developer with properties throughout the United States. She focused on properties in Texas, Colorado, Arkansas and Louisiana. Harvey went on to serve as associate pastor for The Foundry United Methodist Church in Houston from 1992-1996 and as executive pastor for Memorial Drive UMC in Houston from 1996-2008. She then moved to the position of Director of Missional Excellence for the Texas Annual Conference, serving from February of 2008-May 1, 2010.  Just prior to her election as a United Methodist bishop during the 2012 South Central Jurisdictional Conference, Harvey served as Deputy General Secretary for United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR). She is a graduate of Southern Methodist University, Perkins School of Theology in Dallas, where she earned a Master of Divinity. She and her husband, Dean Alan Harvey, were married in 1981. Dean is a financial advisor and owns his own firm. Their daughter, Elizabeth Grace Harvey Reames is married to Tyler Reames and they make their home in Dallas.

Susan Hassinger

Retired

United States

Sue Haupert-Johnson

Active

United States

Southeastern Jurisdiction

North Georgia Episcopal Area

Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson is the episcopal leader of the North Georgia Annual Conference. She was elected bishop by the 2016 Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference of The United Methodist Church and consecrated July 15, 2016. Her first assignment as bishop is to the North Georgia Episcopal Area of The United Methodist Church and she began serving the North Georgia Conference on September 1, 2016. A Florida native, Bishop Haupert-Johnson (or “Bishop Sue”) is a graduate of the University of Florida (B.S. in Business Administration), University of Florida College of Law (J.D.), and Candler School of Theology at Emory University (M.Div.). She was a federal law clerk and a litigator with the Tampa law firm of Carlton, Fields before she answered her call to ministry. After graduating summa cum laude from Candler, she was ordained a deacon in the Florida Annual Conference in 1996 and an elder in 1998. She subsequently served pastoral appointments as an associate pastor at 4,500-member First UMC, Lakeland; as pastor of a 300- member rural/suburban church, Hillsborough UMC, Tampa; and as a lead pastor of two large-membership churches, First UMC, Cape Coral, and First UMC, Ocala. Bishop Haupert-Johnson served as the North Central District Superintendent of the Florida Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church from 2013-2016. As district superintendent, she guided a diverse area of very large and very small churches, urban, suburban, and rural churches; African-American, Haitian, and Hispanic churches; a Native American ministry; a large camp and retreat center, and a vibrant campus ministry. She was the “missional strategist” for this region, equipping and resourcing churches for ministry and helping them work together to reach their mission fields for Jesus Christ. A leader in the Florida Annual Conference, Bishop Haupert-Johnson served for six years as the Chair of the Order of Elders, calling elders to accountability and seeking to deepen the covenant between clergy. She served on the Conference Strategic Leadership Team and the Conference Board of Pension and Health Benefits. She chaired the Conference Standing Rules Committee and the Resolutions Committee. She served on the Board of Ordained Ministry for nine years and helped shape the development of the Center for Clergy Excellence. She was the Florida Conference's clergy delegation leader for General Conference 2016. She represented the Florida Conference at the quadrennial United Methodist Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference four times and the United Methodist General Conference in 2008, 2012 and 2016. She also was chairperson of the Judicial Administration Legislative Committee at the 2012 General Conference. She currently serves on the General Board of Global Ministries Board of Directors, the Called Session Design Team for 2019 General Conference, the General Council on Finance and Administration Apportionment Sustainability Task Force, Clark Atlanta University Board of Trustees, Emory University Board of Trustees, Gammon Theological Seminary Board of Trustees, LaGrange College Board of Trustees, Oxford College Board of Trustees, Paine College Board of Trustees, Reinhardt University Board of Trustees, Wesleyan College Board of Trustees, Young Harris College Board of Trustees, United Methodist Children’s Home Board of Trustees, Georgia United Methodist Foundation Board of Trustees, Glisson Camp and Retreat Center Board of Trustees, Wesley Woods Senior Living Board of Trustees, Methodist Foundation for Retired Ministers Board of Trustees and as the chair of the Board of Advisors of Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Bishop Haupert-Johnson is married to Rev. Allen Johnson. They have a daughter, Samantha. She enjoys NCAA football and basketball, all things Broadway, reading, movies, yoga, and running.

Robert Hayes

Retired

United States

South Central Jurisdiction

J. Woodrow Hearn

Retired

United States

L. Jonathan Holston

Active

United States

Southeastern Jurisdiction

Columbia Episcopal Area

Bishop L. Jonathan Holston is the Resident Bishop of the Columba Area, which includes the South Carolina Conference in the Southeastern Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church. He was elected to the episcopacy in 2012. Bishop Holston earned his Master of Divinity in biblical studies from The Interdenominational Theological Center, Gammon Theological Seminary, Atlanta, Ga., in 1983. He also holds a Bachelor of Arts in religion from the University of Georgia in Athens, Ga. Coming to South Carolina from the North Georgia Conference, Bishop Holston served as senior pastor of St. James United Methodist Church in Atlanta for seven years before his episcopal election. Prior to that, he served as superintendent of the Atlanta-Decatur-Oxford District from 1997-2005. Bishop Holston has served on numerous boards and committees of The United Methodist Church at the conference and general church level.  Holston served as a member of the General Council on Finance and Administration, chair of General Conference Finance and Administrative Legislative Committee and as a member of the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, the Southeastern Jurisdictional Committee on Episcopacy, Hinton Rural Life Center, Appalachian Development Committee and the Southeastern Jurisdictional Association for Native American Ministries, among other noted roles. His love for missions has taken him around the world and gained him the recognition as a mission specialist. He has also traveled extensively as a specialist in missions to Uganda, Costa Rica, Haiti, Honduras, Zimbabwe, Kenya, India, China and Hong Kong.   Bishop Holston was a delegate for General Conference in 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012.  He served as delegate for Jurisdictional Conference in 1996, 2000, 2004, 2008 and 2012.  In 2001 and 2005 he was a delegate for the World Methodist Conference. Bishop Holston is married to the former Felecia Brown.  They have two grown children: son Karlton and daughter Brittany.

John Hopkins

Retired

United States

North Central Jurisdiction

Bishop John Hopkins is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church. He was born in Montgomery, Alabama, and his childhood was spent in Montgomery, Houston, Atlanta and Ft. Wayne. After marrying Elaine M. Smithson in 1964, he attended Indiana University, receiving a B.A. with Honors in Psychology. He graduated from Yale Divinity School and was selected for the two-year Wheelock Residency at the Church of Christ at Dartmouth College where he practiced hospital, campus and parish ministry. During this residency, he served as the Protestant Chaplain at Mary Hitchcock Memorial Hospital. He was ordained deacon and elder in the North Indiana Conference. After serving a two-point charge in LaPorte, Indiana, John was appointed to be campus minister and Wesley Foundation Director at Ball State University. He later became Director of the Council on Ministries in North Indiana and then was appointed in South Indiana as Senior Pastor at The Methodist Temple in Evansville. He was elected to the episcopacy in July 1996 at the North Central Jurisdictional Conference and assigned to the Minnesota Area for eight years. In September 2004, Bishop Hopkins was assigned to the Ohio East Area. Bishop Hopkins was appointed by the Council of Bishops to serve as Chair of the Connectional Table which provides a forum for the understanding and implementation of the vision, mission, and ministries of the global church. He also served on the Executive Committee of the Council of Bishops and as a member of the United Methodist Publishing House board. Previously, he served on the General Council on Ministries and the Committee for the Advance for Christ and His Church. Bishop Hopkins was instrumental in the formation of Operation Classroom in Sierra Leone and Liberia. His mission travel has also included Angola, Mozambique, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Korea, China, Japan, and Mexico. He enjoys tennis, skiing, guitar and technology. Elaine and John have three sons, Nathan, Zachary and Benjamin.

Robert Hoshibata

Active

United States

Western Jurisdiction

Phoenix Episcopal Area

Robert Tsugio Hoshibata is the Resident Bishop of the Phoenix Area  in the Western Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church. A sansei, or third generation Japanese-American, Hoshibata was born and raised in Hawaii. He learned to know Jesus Christ and grew to love the church through the ministry of Wahiawa United Methodist Church in the plantation town of Wahiawa. Following graduation in 1973 from Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut, with a B.A. with high honors, he studied at the Claremont School of Theology where he graduated with a D.Min. degree in 1977. While in seminary, Bob was named a Crusade Scholar and ordained deacon in 1974. After graduating from seminary, Bob was appointed to serve the North Gardena United Methodist Church and was ordained elder in 1979. After 7 years at North Gardena, Bob moved to the Pacific Northwest Annual Conference in 1984. For 14 years, he served as senior pastor for the Blaine Memorial United Methodist Church in Seattle, Washington. At the invitation of Bishop Elias G. Galvan, Bob was appointed Seattle District Superintendent until his election to the episcopacy in July of 2004 by the Western Jurisdictional Conference. Upon election to the episcopacy, he was assigned to the Portland Area (2004-2012), and in 2012 was assigned to the Phoenix Area (Desert Southwest Conference) then reassigned in 2016. Bob has served as a member of the World Division of the General Board of Global Ministries, and as a board member of the General Council on Ministries for two quadrennia. His general church assignments have included the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (2004-2008); and the General Board of Church and Society (2008-2012, president 2012-2016). Currently he serves as a member of the Board of Trustees for Claremont School of Theology. Bob and his wife, Greta were married in 1974 and have three adult children.

H. Hasbrouck Hughes

Retired

United States

Janice Huie

Retired

United States

South Central Jurisdiction

Bishop Janice Riggle Huie is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church. She is a former president of the Council of Bishops. She serves with the Texas Methodist Foundation in the area of Leadership Formation, following twenty years as a bishop of the United Methodist Church. Previously, she served as bishop of the Texas Annual Conference and the Arkansas Conference. During her tenure in the Texas Annual Conference, she adopted a bold new missional strategy aimed at making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world with primary priorities of: Congregational Excellence (new church starts and re-vitalization of existing congregations), Clergy Excellence (recruiting gifted young pastors and supporting and training current pastors) and a Re-aligned Missional Structure. During her tenure in Arkansas, the former Little Rock Conference and North Arkansas united to form one Arkansas Conference, with a focus on making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. Bishop Huie served as president of the General Board of Higher Education & Ministry from 2000-2004, president of the Council of Bishops from May 2006 through May 2008, president of the UMCOR Board of Directors 2008-2012, and president of the South Central Jurisdiction College of Bishops in 1998 & 2013. After graduating with honors from the University of Texas in Austin in 1969, Bishop Huie went to Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, earning a Master of Theology. In 1989 she was awarded a Doctor of Ministry degree from Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta. Janice Riggle Huie and her husband Bob were married in 1970. Bob is a retired United Methodist pastoral counselor. Their younger son, David, died in an accident when he was thirteen. Their older son Matthew is married to Shambryn Wilson Huie and they have a three children: Abigail Reagan Huie, David Riley Huie and Zachary Park Huie.

Joseph Humper

Retired

Africa

William Hutchinson

Retired

United States

Bishop William W. Hutchinson is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church. He was born in Hobbs, New Mexico, a small oilfield town in the southeastern corner of the state. He attended the University of Oklahoma where he began as an accounting major. Upon accepting the call into ordained ministry, he changed his major and graduated with a BA in Philosophy. Bill received his M.Div. from Duke Divinity School. He was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity from McMurry University in 1987 and from Centenary College in 2003. Bill spent his entire ministry in the New Mexico Annual Conference. His first appointment was to found a new church in Hobbs, New Mexico. From there he served a small rural church in Marfa, Texas, a medium size church in Artesia, New Mexico, and a large church in Las Cruces, New Mexico. He was appointed District Superintendent in 1986 and became pastor of Central United Methodist Church, Albuquerque, New Mexico in 1989. Upon completion of eight (8) years at Central, he was appointed Executive Director of the New Mexico Conference Methodist Conference Foundation, Inc. He was elected to the Episcopacy on July 13, 2000 was assigned to the Louisiana Area. Bill was elected to the General Conference Delegation in 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000. He was elected on the first ballot and headed the clergy delegates in 1992, 1996, and 2000. He was a member of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry from 1988-1996. In that time he was on the faculty for the training event for new District Superintendents and Conference Council Directors; was on the design team for the National Clergywomen's Consultation in 1991 and was Chair of the Identification, Enlistment and Ethnic Minorities Concerns Committee. Kay Aitken and Bill Hutchinson were married on August 30, 1964. They have two sons, John and Mark. Mark is married to Laura Fernandez Hutchinson and they have one child, Madison Ann.

John Innis

Retired

Africa

Liberia Episcopal Area

Bishop John G. Innis is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church. He was born to Philip Dwah and Conwree Innis in Grand Bassa County, Liberia. He obtained his B.Sc. in Education from the William V. S. Tubman Teachers' College. He later attended the Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Missouri, where he obtained a Master of Divinity Degree (M.Div.) in 1988. He returned to Liberia in June of the same year and again resumed work at Camphor, this time as director of the mission station and pastor of the Garfield Memorial United Methodist Church in Tubmanville. During the height of the Liberian Civil War which started in December 1989, the mission station became a place of refuge for thousands of displaced persons. The campus remained opened until 1993 when it was raided by rebels and Rev. Innis was severely beaten and almost killed in the process. He was, in 1994, appointed as Administrative Assistant to Bishop, the Rev. Dr. Arthur F. Kulah. Rev. Innis served in this position until 1996 when he was employed as Executive Secretary of the General Board of Global Ministries in New York. While working in the United States, He received a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Christian Leadership at Columbus University in Metairie, Louisiana, and a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Church Administration from the Institute of Christian Works, Burlington, Washington. Rev. Innis was ordained deacon in The United Methodist Church in 1989 and an elder in 1991. He was elected bishop in December 2000, and assigned to the Liberia Area of The United Methodist Church. In 2003, he was additionally assigned to the Cote d'Ivoire to give supervision to The United Methodist Church there, which he did until the election of Bishop Benjamin Boni in March of 2005. He is married to Irene Janjay Zeon and God has blessed their union with four children: Chenda, Janjay, Bleejay and Blason.

Neil Irons

Retired

United States

Neil L. Irons, born in Elkins, West Virginia, is a graduate of Davis and Elkins College. While in school, he served the Belington Circuit of the Evangelical United Brethren Church in West Virginia. After receiving an M. Div. from United Theological Seminary, he was ordained by Bishop J. Gordon Howard and appointed to First Church in Huntington, West Virginia. Neil then began matriculating at Vanderbilt University with a major in Biblical Studies, especially the Old Testament, and a minor in History of Religions. He earnedboth the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees. During this period he served the Epworth Church in the Tennessee Conference. He was an assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana for three years and then transferred to the West Virginia Annual Conference where he was pastor of the Chapel Hill Church in Buckhannon, as well as a part-time assistant professor at West Virginia Wesleyan College. He was later appointed asthe Romney District Superintendent. He was elected to the episcopacy in 1984 by the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference. He has been awarded honorary degrees by Davis and Elkins College, Centenary College (NJ), West Virginia Wesleyan College, Albright College, and Shenandoah University. In 1999 he was honored as Davis and Elkins College's alumnus of the year. In 2002 he was honored as United Seminary's distinguished alumnus. Neil was the preacher at baccalaureate services at Davis and Elkins, West Virginia Wesleyan, Lycoming, Albright, and Centenary Colleges, and Shenandoah University: opening convocation speaker for LaGrange College and Drew University School of Theology; speaker at the inauguration of the president of United Theological Seminary. Currently he is on the Board of Trustees of Lycoming College. From 1996-2001 Neil was president of the North American Section of the World Methodist Council. He was a member of the WMC presidium, serving until 2006. In 1995, Neil represented the American religious community at the Service of Reconciliation in St. Paul's Cathedral, London, England commemorating the end of WWII. He was also one of five international religious representatives to attend the state dinner sponsored by Queen Elizabeth II on the previous evening for visiting international heads of state and the British representatives. In 2000 he was one of the World Methodist Council's officers to go to South Africa to present the World Methodist Council Peace Award to Nelson Mandela. In 2004 he was selected to become a member of the Order of Jerusalem, WMC. Bishop Irons has served on the General Commission on Archives and History as president; on the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry; the University Senate; General Commission on Theological Education as chairperson; member of the planning team of IAMSCU (International Association of Methodist Schools, Colleges and Universities). In Pennsylvania he serves as the chairperson of the Future Action Team and is a member of the governing board of the Pennsylvania Council of Churches. Neil retired in September, 2004 after serving as resident bishop for the New Jersey Area (1984-1996) and for the Harrisburg Area (1996-2004). In 2009, he began serving as the Executive Secretary of the Council of Bishops, with his office in Washington, DC. Personal interests are pipe organ, piano, and hiking. He has been published as a writer of articles for magazines and books. His wife, Inez, died in 1993, and they have two children, Andrew and Anne. In 2002, he married Susan Thomas. Susan has two children, Jim and Elizabeth. Susan and Neil make their home in Mechanicsburg, PA.

S. Clifton Ives

Retired

United States

Bishop Cliff Ives is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church. He was born in Farmington, Maine, and as the son of a United Methodist minister. He graduated from the University of Maine and from Boston University School of Theology, with both a Master of Divinity degree and later the Doctor of Ministry in Church and Society. S. Clifton Ives was ordained both deacon and elder by Bishop James K. Mathews. He served for thirty years in the Maine Annual Conference, including pastorates at Cape Elizabeth, Bangor, Waterville, and Westbrook. Cliff was Director of the Conference Council on Ministries from 1973-76 and Superintendent of the Southern District from 1986-92. Cliff was first elected to General and Jurisdictional Conference in 1972 and then to successive General Conferences 1976-92. From 1984-88 he served on the Board of Directors of the General Board of Discipleship. For ten years Cliff was a member of the World Methodist Council, and at the time of his election to the episcopacy he was a member of the Anna Howard Shaw Center Committee and the Advisory Board of Habitat for Humanity, as well as President of Spiral Arts Urban Ministry in Portland, Maine.  He served as Vice-President and President of the General Commission on Religion and Race, 1992-2000. In 2000 he was elected President of the General Board of Church and society. S. Clifton Ives was elected to the episcopacy by the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference in 1992 and assigned to the West Virginia Area. Upon his retirement in 2004, Cliff and Jane returned to Maine, now living in Portland. He enjoys running, gardening, swimming, sailing, skiing, carpentry, and mountain climbing. His special interest in world missions has led him twice to Haiti as a volunteer in mission, as well as to Russia, Africa, and Argentina. Cliff and his wife, Jane, have three grown children (Bonnie Marden, Stephen, and Jonathan), and seven grandchildren.

Alfred Johnson

Retired

Bishop Alfred Johnson is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church. He was born to Earl E. and Cora Johnson in Philadelphia, PA. He credits his loving and praying parents and his home church, Tindley Temple UMC, with giving him a strong foundation in the Christian faith. He received an A.A.S. from Community College of Philadelphia. He went on to receive a B.A. from Albright College, Reading, PA, his Th.M. from Boston University School of Theology and a D.Min. in Urban Ministry from Wesley Theological Seminary, Washington, DC. Albright and Centenary Colleges granted him honorary doctorates in Divinity and Humane Letters, respectively. He was ordained deacon and elder in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference. His first full-time appointment was as Pastor-Director of the Chester Missionary Project of Chester, PA. Later, he was appointed pastor of Tioga United Methodist Church in North Philadelphia. From 1983 to 1986 he served as pastor of Leola UMC in Leola, [Lancaster County] PA. From 1994-1996 he served as district superintendent over a section of Philadelphia. Alfred was elected a delegate to the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conferences 1984-1996 and a delegate to the General Conferences of 1988 - 1996. Prior to election as a bishop he served the denomination as a member of the Board of Directors of the United Methodist Development Fund, chair, the Board of Directors of the Northeastern Jurisdictional Multi-Ethnic Center for Ministry, chair, NEJ Court of Appeals and various other task groups. Alfred Johnson was elected to the episcopacy in July, 1996, and assigned the New Jersey Area. As a bishop he was assigned to the General Council of Ministries, NEJ Urban Steering Committee and the Multi-Ethnic Center. He retired from the active episcopacy on September 1, 2004, and served as interim pastor of the Huntington-Cold Spring Harbor Church on Long Island, NY, from November 2004 June 30, 2005 On February 5, 2005, Alfred married the Reverend Sherrie Boyens Dobbs.

Peggy Johnson

Active

United States

Northeastern Jurisdiction

Philadelphia Episcopal Area

L. Bevel Jones

Retired

United States

Bev Jones was born in a Methodist parsonage in Gracewood, Georgia. He earned the A.B. degree from Emory University and the M. Div. degree from the Candler School of Theology. LaGrange College (Georgia), High Point University (North Carolina) and Emory University have conferred honorary degrees on him. He is a member of ODK Honorary Society and the Emory Alumni Association recently presented him with the Emory Medal of Honor. Bevel Jones joined the North Georgia Conference and was ordained both deacon and elder by Bishop Arthur J. Moore. His six pastorates were all in the North Georgia, the same conference in which his late father, the Reverend Lewis Bevel Jones, Jr., served for fifty years, and his son, the Reverend Dr. David Bevel Jones, now serves. L. Bevel Jones was elected to the episcopacy in 1984 by the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference and served the Charlotte Area until his retirement in 1996. He has been Vice Chair of the General Commission on Religion and Race (1984-1988), President of United Methodist Communications (1992-1996) and President of the North American Section of the World Methodist Council (1991-1996). Bev Jones now makes his home in Atlanta where he is bishop-in-residence at a former pastorate, Decatur First United Methodist Church, and also at his alma mater, the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. He is very active in ecumenical and civic affairs and is Chairman of the William H. and Margaret Pitts Foundation. Mildred "Tuck" Jones and Bev were married in 1949 at First Methodist, Decatur, where Bev had been Assistant Pastor during seminary and where her parents had been married 27 years earlier upon her father's graduation from Candler School of Theology. She and Bev have three children: David Bevel, minister; Mark Edward, commercial artist; and Sharon Brewer, Alliance Theater. They have six grandchildren.

Scott Jones

Active

United States

South Central Jurisdiction

Houston Episcopal Area

Scott Jameson Jones currently serves as the resident bishop of the Texas Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church with an office Houston. He was born in 1954 in Nashville, Tennessee and was raised in Tennessee, Illinois, Indiana and Colorado.  He received degrees from the University of Kansas (B.A. in Philosophy), Perkins School of Theology of Southern Methodist University (Master of Theology) and Southern Methodist University (Ph.D. in Religious Studies).  His dissertation research was focused on Wesley Studies and the History of Biblical Interpretation. He was ordained deacon in the Kansas East Annual Conference and elder in the North Texas Annual Conference. From 1986 to 1997 he served as pastor of three congregations in North Texas.  In 2003-2004 he served as interim pastor at Stonebridge UMC in McKinney, Texas. From 1997 to 2004 he served on the faculty of Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. In 2004 he was elected a bishop by the South Central Jurisdictional Conference and assigned to serve as the resident bishop of the Kansas Area as of September 1, 2004. In 2012 the Nebraska Conference was added to his area and he led the creation of the Great Plains Conference which included the UMC congregations of both states. Beginning September 1, 2016 he serves as resident bishop of the Texas Annual Conference. He also serves as bishop of the United Methodist missions in Laos and Thailand. He currently serves as chairperson of the denomination’s Committee on Faith and Order. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for Southern Methodist University, the Texas Methodist Foundation and Houston Methodist Hospital.  His books include The Once and Future Wesleyan Movement, (2016), Ask: Faith Questions in a Skeptical Age, (with Arthur Jones, 2015), The Wesleyan Way: A Faith that Matters (2013), The Future of the United Methodist Church (edited with Bruce Ought, 2010), Staying At the Table: A Gift of Unity For United Methodists (2008), Evangelistic Love of God and Neighbor: A Theology of Discipleship and Witness (2003), and United Methodist Doctrine: The Extreme Center (2002), all from Abingdon Press.  Other books he has written include John Wesley’s Conception and Use of Scripture and Gathered Into One: The World Methodist Conference Speaks. He was co-author of Wesley and the Quadrilateral: Renewing the Conversation. Bishop Scott is married to Mary Lou Reece, who is president of Reece Construction Company.  They have three children: Jameson, Arthur and Marynell.

Charles Wesley Jordan

Retired

United States

Bishop Charles Wesley Jordan is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church. He was born in Dayton, Ohio, son of the Rev. David N. Jordan and Naomi Harper Jordan. His father was the pastor of McKinley M.E. Church in Dayton. He has a B.A. degree from Roosevelt University, a Master of Divinity degree from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary and honorary degrees from Simpson, Morningside, and Rust Colleges. Most of Bishop Jordan's ministry, prior to his election to the episcopacy, was served in the Northern Illinois Conference as a pastor of local churches, a District Superintendent, an Urban Missioner and a Conference Program Staff person. He has participated in many organizations and activities in the denomination and in the communities he has served. He was elected to five General Conferences and chaired his conference delegation twice. He served eight years each on the General Board of Global Ministries and the General Council on Ministries. He was a member of the General Board of Church and Society, 1992-2000, and served as president, 1996-2000. He was the Episcopal representative on the North Central Jurisdiction Commission on Religion and Race, 1992-2000. He also served as trustee of Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (1982-97) and was elected a life trustee in 2000. Charles Wesley Jordan was elected to the episcopacy in1992 by the North Central Jurisdictional Conference. He was assigned as the bishop of the Iowa Area, where he served until his retirement, September 1, 2000. He has been the Bishop in Residence at Claremont School of Theology since 2001. In Southern California, he currently serves on the board of Directors of Progressive Christians Uniting, and is the convener of the Hope for the Children of Africa Committee of the California Pacific United Methodist Conference. Bishop Jordan is married to Margaret Crawford Jordan, and they have two adult daughters, Diana and Charlie Jordan Brookins.

Rodolfo Juan

Active

Philippines

Davao Episcopal Area

Hee-Soo Jung

Active

United States

North Central Jurisdiction

Wisconsin Episcopal Area

Hee-Soo Jung is resident bishop in the Wisconsin Annual Conference, and has served in this role since September of 2012. He played a key role in Wisconsin’s Imagine No Malaria Campaign, which raised more than $1 million. Prior to leading the Wisconsin Conference UMC, Bishop Jung served eight years as bishop of the Northern Illinois Conference (Chicago area). He was instrumental in inspiring the Harvest 2020 movement in Northern Illinois, which resulted in many new faith communities. Previously, Bishop Jung served as an elder in the Wisconsin Conference, where he was a pastor and a district superintendent. Bishop Jung taught and chaired the Department of Religion and Philosophy at Kangnam University in South Korea. He also served as pastor of congregations in California, Texas, and South Korea. He is currently the president of the General Board of Global Ministry, chair of the UM Korean National Plan, and a member of the Board of Directors for Bread for the World. Bishop Jung serves as a member of the Ecumenical Forum for Korea at Geneva, Switzerland, and is actively involved in Korea peace and reconciliation. He has served as faculty for the Two-Year Academy for Spiritual Formation since 2005, and has taught in various Five-Day Academy sessions in the U.S. and abroad. Previously, Bishop Jung served as president of United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR), and as a member of the Board of Directors for the General Board of Discipleship, the UM National Hispanic Plan, the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns, and the General Commission on United Methodist Men.   Bishop Jung earned a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He also holds an M.A. from the Institute of Buddhist Studies, affiliated with the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, CA; an M.A. from the Dongguk University Graduate School in Seoul, South Korea; and a B.Th. from the Methodist Theological Seminary in Seoul, South Korea. Im-Hyon, Bishop Jung’s wife, is an elder in the Wisconsin Conference and currently serves as the director of International Relations, Asia & Global Programs, for the Upper Room/Discipleship Ministries. The Jung’s are the parents of two adult sons, Jae-Hugh and Jae-Joon, who is married to Brittney.

Benjamin Justo

Retired

Philippines

Benjamin A. Justo was born in the Philippines, and is married to Elizabeth Justo, and together they have two children: Karl Barth and Nympha. He received the following degrees: Secretarial Science; Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Divinity, Union Theological Seminary, Cavite; Master of Theology, Southeast Asia Graduate School of Theology; Doctor of Ministry, Union Theological Seminary, Cavite; and Doctor of Education (candidate) De La Salle University, Manila. He was a local pastor for 12 years, Cagayan de Oro, Malaybalay, Bukidnon, Bayombong and Solano, Nueva Vizcaya Chaplain, Children's Garden, Taytay, Rizal College Director/President, Aldersgate College, Solano, Nueva Vi zcaya District Superintendent (6 years) in South Isabela, Nueva Vizcay a, and Quirino Dean of Academic Affairs (8 years), UTS, Cavite Faculty member, UTS, Cavite Part-time Professor, Graduate School of Education, PCU, Cavite Exchange Pastor, Tarzana, CA, USA, 1997 President, Methodist Youth Fellowship, Mindanao, 1959-1961; Member, Evangelistic Team, NVQIW, UMC, 1971-1978 Principal Delegate to the Philippines Central Conference, 1972- 2000. In addition, he serves or has served as Chairman, NPAC Board of Discipleship 1974-1978; Member, Board of Trustees, Eveland College, Isabela 1981-1984; Vice Chairman, Board of Education 1984; Principal Delegate to the General Conference, 1984; Member, PCC Coordinating Council, 1984-1988; Member, Connectional Process Team, General Conference, 1996-2000; Chaplain for 5 years, Magat Lodge 68 F&AM, 1971; Chair, Board of Trustees, Quirino Province Livelihood and Development Center, Inc, 1984-88; Chair, Board of Trustees, Nueva Vizcaya Rural, Socio-Economic and Religious Life, Inc., 1985-87; Vice-Chair, Northern Luzon Ecumenical Council, 1985-87; Coordinator, South East Asia Graduate School of Theology, Philippine Area, 1990-96; Member, Philippine Theological Society, 1988-2000; Affiliate Member-Officer, PCCL University Church, Dasmarinas, Cavite, 1990-2000. Benjamin A. Justo was elected to the episcopacy from the Northeast Philippines Annual Conference on the 7th Ballot, Dec. 16, 2000, during the 2000 PCC Session. He was assigned to serve the Baguio Episcopal Area, and served there until his retirement in 2008.

Charlene Kammerer

Retired

United States

Bishop Charlene Payne Kammerer is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church. She was born in Orlando, Florida. She grew up in Winter Garden where her home church was First United Methodist. She graduated from Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia, with a B.A. degree in Religion and philosophy. She continued her preparation for Christian ministry by obtaining the Master of Christian Education and Master of Divinity degrees from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. She was ordained deacon and elder in the Florida Conference. She received a Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. Charlene P. Kammerer was elected to the episcopacy in 1996, and assigned to the Western North Carolina Conference of the Charlotte Area. She served there until 2004, when she was assigned to the Virginia Conference. Charlene's service in the church has included equal years in parish ministries and connectional ministries, including service as a campus minister at Duke University and a District Superintendent of the Tallahassee District, Florida Conference. Her long-time interests in ministry include higher education, mission involvement, and the spirituality of administration. She has served as a director of the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women and as director of the General Board of Global Ministries, including Chairperson of the United Methodist Committee on Relief from 1992-1996. She has received the Outstanding Alumnae Award from both Wesleyan College and Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary. She was awarded an honorary doctorate from Bethune-Cookman College, Daytona Beach, Florida in 1989. She has led Disciple Bible study groups, retreats and taught in Schools of Mission. Charlene was married to Leigh Kammerer on August 29, 1970. They have one son, Christopher Hal. Charlene and Leigh have been partners in ministry since being students together at seminary.

Kainda Katembo

Retired

Africa

Congo Central Conference

Jonathan Keaton

Retired

United States

North Central Jurisdiction

Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church He was assigned to serve as episcopal leader of the Illinois Area of the United Methodist Church September 1, 2012 until he retired. From 2004-2012, he served as the resident bishop of the Michigan Area, which includes the Detroit and West Michigan Conferences. Prior to Michigan he served as the resident bishop of the Ohio East Area for eight years. Bishop Keaton was elected to the Episcopacy in 1996 after serving as the district superintendent of the Aurora District in the Northern Illinois Annual Conference. Prior to that, he was an Associate Council Director in Northern Illinois. Bishop Keaton also served two churches: Broadway UMC in Rockford, Ill. and St. Luke UMC in Chicago, Ill. Bishop Keaton was elected to three General Conference delegations with the Northern Illinois Conference. Bishop Keaton has served as a member of the General Council on Ministries from 1988-1996; the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry from 2009-2012. Bishop Keaton chaired the denominational initiative, Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century (SBC-21) from 1996-2008.  Bishop Keaton is serving as a member of the Council of Bishop’s Leadership Team on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relations. Bishop Keaton graduated with a Master of Divinity Studies from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary where he later received a Doctorate in Sacred Theology. Bishop Keaton received his Bachelor of Science in Biology degree from Philander Smith College. Bishop Keaton has co-authored two books, “The Confessions of Three Ebony Bishops" with Bishop Edsel A. Ammons and Bishop Ernest S. Lyght and “Our Father, Where Are the Fathers?” with Bishop Ernest S. Lyght. Bishop Keaton and his wife, Beverly, have been blessed with three children: Jonathan II and his wife Lisa reside in Illinois with the Bishop and Mrs. Keaton’s two granddaughters, Maliah and Amara.

Eduard Khegay

Active

United States

Bishop William Bryant Lewis is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church. He was born in Pinckneyville, Illinois, the third child of Harmon Eracie Lewis. Sr., and Ethel Brown Lewis. The family moved to Carterville, Illinois, and Bill grew up and attended public schools there, except for a WWII interlude when his father followed the defense industry and the family lived for a while in Metropolis, Illinois, and Knoxville, Tennessee. Graduating from Carterville Community High School, he responded to a call to the ministry and entered Southern Illinois University. After receiving an A.B. degree from SIU he attended Perkins School of Theology and Vanderbilt Divinity School for two quarters each, then completed his M.Div. at Drew Theological School. Following a year of graduate study at Drew, Bill returned to the Southern Illinois Conference and was appointed to the Vienna Methodist Church. During the next two years he continued his graduate studies at Vanderbilt University and completed his Ph.D. there. During the years at Vienna a Larger Parish was developed under Bill's direction that encompassed a two-county area and included 26 churches. Following pastorates at Murphysboro and Edwardsville of six and eleven years respectively, Bill served a term as Superintendent of the Carbondale District. In 1986 he was appointed Pastor of Union United Methodist Church, Belleville, Illinois, from which he was elected to the episcopacy by the North Central Jurisdictional Conference in 1988. He was assigned to the Dakotas area and served there until his retirement in 1996. Janet Mae Dean and Bill Lewis were married in Carterville, Illinois on December 23, 1951. Their three children, Becky, Connie, and Brad, are married and all three families live in Edwardsville, Illinois, where Bill and Janet now make their home in retirement. There are seven grandchildren.

Richard Looney

Retired

United States

J. Michael Lowry

Active

United States

South Central Jurisdiction

Fort Worth Episcopal Area

Bishop Mike Lowry is the resident bishop of the Central Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church/Fort Worth Episcopal Area, where he is the spiritual leader for approximately 154,000 United Methodists in 320-plus congregations and developing new faith communities. At the time of his election and consecration as bishop in July 2008, he was serving as executive director of New Church Development and Transformation in the Southwest Texas Conference in San Antonio, Texas. Prior to that, he was senior pastor at University United Methodist Church in San Antonio, which grew from 4,800 to 5,700 members during his tenure. His previous appointments include United Methodist Churches in Austin, Corpus Christi, Harlingen and Kerrville and, while a student, serving Plymouth Park in Irving, Texas. Mike began his ministry with the Society of Friends (Quakers) sharing in pastoral leadership for Rich Square Friends Meeting. Bishop Lowry was awarded the B’nai B’rith Award in Social Ethics by Perkins School of Theology (1976) and the Harry Denman Evangelism Award from the Central Texas Conference-Foundation for Evangelism (2015).  Churches under his leadership have received numerous awards and recognitions, including the Habitat for Humanity Award (2004), the President’s Award from Huston-Tillotson University (2004), the Churchmanship Award from the San Antonio Community of Churches (2003) and the Moore Award Evangelism Award three times. He served as a delegate to General Conference of the United Methodist Church in 1996, 2004 and 2008, as well as a delegate to the South-Central Jurisdictional Conference of United Methodist Church in 1996, 2000, 2004 and 2008.  Bishop Lowry has served the larger connection of The United Methodist Church on the Executive Committee of the Council of Bishops (2012-2016), Presiding Bishop for Path One New Church Development (Discipleship Ministries 2009-2016), and President of the South-Central Jurisdiction College of Bishops (2010-2011).  He is currently serving as a member of the United Theological Seminary Board of Trustees, the Texas Methodist Foundation Board, the Texas Wesleyan University Board of Trustees and the Texas Health Resources Board of Directors.  Past service includes the United Methodist Publishing House Board of Directors, the Perkins School of Theology, S. M. U. Executive Board, the Board of Trustees for Southwestern University, and the Methodist Children’s Home Board of Trustees, among others. Prior to his election, Mike Lowry held numerous offices including Chair of the Board of Ordained Ministry, Chair of the Board of Global Ministries’ Committee on Church Extension, and Chair of the Council on Church Revitalization and Church Extension. While serving at the Executive Director for New Church Development and Transformation in the Southwest Texas Conference, he led a successful conference capital campaign to fund new church starts.  Bishop Lowry is a regular blogger at “This Focused Center” <a href="http://www.bishopmikelowry.com/">http://www.bishopmikelowry.com/</a>.  Other publications include:

Ernest Lyght

Retired

United States

Bishop Ernest Lyght is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church. The son of William and Attrue Lyght, he was born in Salisbury, Maryland. He received the B.A. degree in history from Morgan State University and the M.Div. degree from Drew University. Princeton Theological Seminary awarded him the Th. M. degree and the D.Min. degree. Bloomfield College (Bloomfield, NJ) awarded him an honorary doctorate degree, as did Centenary College (Hackettstown, NJ) in 1996. The Peninsula-Delaware Conference ordained Ernest deacon and elder. He later transferred to the Southern New Jersey Conference, where he served three pastoral appointments: St. Mary Street Union Parish, Burlington, NJ; The Church of The Good shepherd, Willingboro, NJ; Old Orchards UMC, Cherry Hill, NJ. He then transferred to the former Northern New Jersey Conference and served for ten years as pastor of The St. Mark's UMC, Montclair, NJ. This pastorate was followed by a seven-year term as District Superintendent of the Raritan District. He served as a Jurisdictional Conference delegate in 1976 and a General Conference delegate in 1984, 1988, 1992 and 1996. He has served on a variety of conference, community and general church agencies/boards, including the General Board of Church and Society (1984-1992) and the General Board of Global Ministries (1992-1996). He served as a Drew University Trustee from 1983 to 2004, when he was elected as a trustee emeritus. Bishop Lyght was elected to the episcopacy in 1996 and assigned him to the New York Area. In 2004 he was assigned to the West Virginia Area until his retirement. Ernest served as president of the United Methodist Men's Commission during the 2000-2004 quadrennium and served as a member of the General Council on Finance and Administration. He also served a second two-year term as secretary of the Council of Bishops. Ernest and Eleanor Bell Lyght have two sons, Eric and Erwyn, and two grandchildren, Corinne and Shawn. Publications: <a href="http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=1054780&rank=1&txtSearchQuery=Ernest+S.+Lyght" target="_blank">Our Father</a> <a href="http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=1078194&rank=2&txtSearchQuery=Ernest+S.+Lyght" target="_blank">Our Father - eBook [ePub]</a> <a href="http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=446147&rank=3&txtSearchQuery=Ernest+S.+Lyght" target="_blank">Many Faces, One Church</a> <a href="http://www.cokesbury.com/forms/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=667101&rank=4&txtSearchQuery=Ernest+S.+Lyght" target="_blank">The Confessions of Three Ebony Bishops</a>

João Somane Machado

Retired

Africa

Tracy Malone

Active

United States

North Central Jurisdiction

Ohio East Episcopal Area

Bishop Tracy S. Malone is the Resident Bishop of the Ohio East Area, which includes the East Ohio Conference in the North Central Jurisdiction of The United Methodist.  She was district superintendent of the Chicago Southern Region, and was dean of the Northern Illinois Conference Cabinet, when she was elected to the Episcopacy in 2016.  Prior to that appointment, Malone served several different churches, the last of which was Gary United Methodist Church in Wheaton, Illinois, where she was senior pastor.  She currently serves as president of the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women and is a member of the Board of Trustees at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary.  As resident bishop, she also serves on the Boards of Trustees at our United Methodist-affiliated colleges, seminaries and organizations in East Ohio. Malone was elected to represent the Northern Illinois Conference as a delegate at General/Jurisdictional Conferences in 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016.  She was chairperson of the delegation in 2012 and served as chairperson of the Agenda and Calendar Committee in 2016. During her ministry, Malone has taught courses as an adjunct professor at Aurora University and at Northern Baptist Seminary in Lombard, Illinois.  She has also published articles, blogs and book reviews, and has written chapters for several books.  Born in Ann Arbor, Michigan and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Malone is the daughter of the late Rev. Willie and the late April Smith. She received her call to ministry at the early age of 13.  Malone earned a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies and Sociology, with a minor in Computer Science, from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. She has a Master of Divinity degree from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. Malone earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.  She and husband Derrick Malone are the parents of two daughters.

Joel Martinez

Retired

United States

Joel is the grandson of sharecropper farmers who came to the U. S. at the turn of the century. He was born in Seguin, TX, to Guadalupe and Dora Martinez. He graduated from the University of Texas at El Paso with a B.A. in history. While in El Paso, he met Raquel Mora, a Methodist pastor's daughter. They married on June 9, 1961, and Joel enrolled in Perkins School of Theology in the fall of 1961. Ordained deacon and elder by Bishop Paul E. Martin, Joel held membership in the Rio Grande Conference until his election to the episcopacy in 1992. Pastoral appointments were in Dallas, San Antonio and El Paso. He served as Director of Planning and Development at Newark Houchen Center in El Paso and later, Executive Secretary, Office of Ethnic and Language Ministries, National Division, GBGM. Joel served as district superintendent in the Rio Grande Conference and as President of the Greater Dallas Community of Churches. He was a delegate to the Seventh Assembly of the World Council of Churches in Canberra, Australia, 1991. From early exposure to the plight of farm workers, and in student ministry to migrant workers, Joel learned to appreciate the urgent need for poor people to organize in order to participate more equitably in society. He worked with Cesar Chavez during the 1970's, worked to establish the first federally funded health clinic for the poor in El Paso, was a founding member of the National Hispanic Caucus in the UMC in 1970, and supported the organizing of poor fishermen on the island of Vieques, Puerto Rico in the late 1970's. Joel worked on the initial proposals to the 1976 General Conference for a Missional Priority on the Ethnic Minority Local Church. He chaired the National Missional Priority Coordinating Committee in 1984-88. He chaired the National Plan for Hispanic Ministries National Committee (1992-2000). From 1992-2000 Joel was assigned to the Nebraska Episcopal Area. In 2000 he was re-assigned to the San Antonio Area where he served until his retirement in 2008.. He served as President of the General Board of Global Ministries for 2000-2008, and as the Interim General Secretary in 2009-2010. Joel is interested in fostering closer relationships between the UMC and the churches in Latin America and the Caribbean. He reads and writes church history with an emphasis on the contributions of Hispanics to the ecumenical church. He enjoys reading, playing golf, and spectator sports - especially track, baseball and football. In 1995 Joel was honored with the Perkins Distinguished Alumni Award. Raquel and Joel have three children: Patty, John and spouse Carol, and Rebecca.

Marcus Matthews

Retired

United States

Northeastern Jurisdiction

Bishop Marcus Matthews is the current Executive Secretary of the Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church (UMC), a position he has held since Sept. 1, 2016.  The Executive Secretary is charged with the day-to-day running of the Council of Bishops' office in Washington, D.C.  He is also a member of the Council of Bishops Executive Committee. Previously, Bishop Matthews served as the Resident Bishop of the Baltimore-Washington Conference from 2012-2016. <h4>Early life</h4> Bishop Matthews was born in Florence, South Carolina. His home church, Cumberland UMC, had a pivotal influence in his life. At Cumberland, he was one of the community developers in the first wave of the Black Community Developers program of the General Board of Global Ministries. In 1970, he was selected by the Ford Foundation's Leadership Development Program to conduct a year-long study of religious institutions such as the Delta Project in Mississippi; the General Commission on Religion and Race, and to do research on a project with juveniles in Syracuse, NY. <h4>Education and Ordination</h4> Bishop Matthews holds a bachelor's degree from South Carolina State College (1968); a master of divinity (MDiv) from Wesley Theological Seminary (1974); and a doctor of ministry (DMin) from New York Theological Seminary (1981).  He was ordained as a deacon by Bishop Paul Hardin, Jr. and he was ordained as an elder by Bishop James K. Matthew in the Baltimore-Washington Conference. <h4>Ordained Ministry</h4> At the beginning of his pastoral ministry, Matthews served as a student intern at Douglas Memorial UMC in Washington, D.C., for a year. He became an assistant pastor at Asbury UMC in Washington, where he continued as associate for two years after his graduation from Wesley. Upon graduation, he served as pastor of Jones Memorial UMC in Washington, DC, (1976-1982) where he oversaw the building of a new sanctuary and established a community development program. He was pastor of Epworth Chapel UMC in Baltimore, from 1982 to 1986, when, during his pastorate, Epworth received 272 new members. <h4>Superintendency</h4> In 1986, Rev. Matthews was appointed District Superintendent of the Baltimore East District and in 1991 was appointed Conference Council Director, a position he held until being appointed Washington West District Superintendent in 1999. He was serving in that position when he was elected. <h4>Episcopacy</h4> Rev. Matthews was elected as a bishop of The United Methodist Church on July 14, 2004, by the Northeastern Jurisdiction on the first ballot.  He was assigned to serve the Philadelphia Episcopal Area (Eastern Pennsylvania Conference and Peninsula-Delaware Conference). In 2008, he was assigned to the New York West Area (Western New York Conference and North Central Conference). In 2010, he became the resident bishop of Upper New York Area (and a new conference uniting four former conferences; Western New York, North Central, Troy and Wyoming).  In 2012, he was assigned to the Washington Area (Baltimore-Washington Conference), where he served until his retirement in 2016. During his ministry, Bishop Matthews served on the General Commission on Religion and Race, the General Board of Global Ministries, Connection Process Team, the General Council on Ministries, Africa University Development Committee, World Methodist Council Executive Committee, and the Board of the Northeastern Jurisdiction Multi-Ethnic Center for Ministry. In 2004 he was elected Co-Chair of the Endorsing Committee of The General Board of Higher Education and Ministry of the UMC. He served as president of the GBHEM from 2008-2012. He was elected in 2005 to the Board of Directors of Africa University and he is currently the chair of the Board. <h4>Family</h4> Bishop Matthews is married to Barbara Walker Matthews and they have two children, Jaime S. Matthews and Marci Matthews, and five grandchildren. His interests include movies, reading, jogging and playing with his grandchildren.

William Bill McAlilly

Active

United States

Southeastern Jurisdiction

Nashville Episcopal Area

William T. (Bill) McAlilly is the bishop of the Nashville Episcopal Area of the United Methodist Church. The Area includes the Memphis and Tennessee Conferences that cover middle and west Tennessee and western Kentucky. He was elected to the episcopacy at the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference in 2012 and was assigned as the resident bishop of the Memphis and Tennessee Annual Conferences beginning September 1, 2012.  A native of Mississippi, Bishop McAlilly earned a Bachelor of Arts in Religion, Millsaps College, Jackson, MS (1978) and a Masters of Divinity, Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA (1981). He was ordained deacon in the United Methodist Church in 1979 and ordained elder in 1982. In the spring of 2017, Bishop McAlilly received an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Rust College in Holly Springs, MS. McAlilly has served in a wide variety of ministry settings in Georgia and Mississippi–a small membership church, a new congregation, a county seat church, a newly organized congregation, and a large membership congregation. Likewise, he has served in a variety of roles including youth minister, associate minister, and lead pastor.   In 2006, he was appointed to serve as the District Superintendent of the Seashore District of the Mississippi Conference in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina and worked closely with Disaster Response and United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR).  He served in many capacities in the Mississippi Annual Conference including the Board of Directors of United Methodist Senior Services, Millsaps College, Mississippi Methodist Foundation; Board of Ordained Ministry; Design Team for the Residency in Ministry Program; and Development of the Transitions Seminar for Moving Pastors.  He has been a delegate to four Jurisdictional Conferences and three General Conferences. For the 2017-2020 quadrennium, Bishop McAlilly currently serves on the Connectional Table as president on the Board of Directors for the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM). He also is Co-Chair of the Endorsing Committee. He also serves on the Council of Bishops’ Leadership Teams on Leadership Development and on Leadership Discernment. In addition, he will serve on the Just Peace Board of Directors for this quadrennium, and as Chair of the Quadrennial Orientation for New Bishops Committee. He served as president of the Southeastern Jurisdiction College of Bishops in 2016-17 and continues to serve on the Southeastern Jurisdiction Committee on Coordination & Accountability. Bishop McAlilly currently serves on the Board of Trustees of Emory University, Atlanta, GA; the Methodist Le Bonheur Healthcare Board, Memphis, TN; and the Board of Trustees of Martin College, Pulaski, TN. Compassion for the least and last has been at the heart of his emphasis on missions throughout his ministry—locally in the communities in which he has served and globally in Mexico, Nicaragua, and Democratic Republic of Congo.  Bishop McAlilly has a pastor’s heart with a vision for the reign of God. A lover of books, music, and movies, Bishop McAlilly also enjoys golf. He and his wife Lynn have been married since 1978. They have two married adult children: Chris McAlilly and Laura McAlilly Paulk, and five grandchildren.

Lawrence McCleskey

Retired

United States

Calvin McConnell

Retired

United States

Cal McConnell was born in Monte Vista, Colorado. His academic preparation for ministry included the University of Denver and the Iliff School of Theology, with a post graduate Master of Sacred Theology degree from Andover Newton Theological School. Bishop Glen R. Phillips ordained him deacon and elder in the Rocky Mountain Annual Conference. He later transferred to the California-Nevada Conference and served in Williams, CA, and later as minister to youth at First United Methodist Church in Palo Alto and as Director of the Wesley Foundation at Stanford University. Subsequently, he transferred to the Oregon-Idaho Conference, serving as University Chaplain and Assistant Professor of Religion at Willamette University, before returning to his home conference and serving churches in Denver, Boulder, and Colorado Springs. He was a General Conference delegate in 1976 and 1980. For 34 years Cal McConnell was married to Dr. Mary McConnell who died in 1986; their family includes two sons, their two spouses and three grandchildren. Cal and Velma Duell were married in December of 1988. The Western Jurisdiction elected Calvin McConnell to the episcopacy in 1980 and assigned him to the Portland Area. In 1988 he was assigned to the Seattle Area. In his active episcopacy he served as President of The Upper Room, and was on the organizing Advisory Board of the Academy for Spiritual Formation, and a member of the editorial board of WEAVINGS: A Journal of the Christian Spiritual Life. He is past President of the General Commission on Religion and Race, and of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry. He served as a trustee of Willamette University, the University of Puget Sound and the Iliff School of Theology. In 1992 he was named by Iliff as its fifth Distinguished Alumnus. He also holds honorary degrees from Rust College and University of Puget Sound. In retirement he was a founding member of the ecumenical extension seminary, Northwest House of Theological Studies in Salem, Oregon, where he taught for two years in the area of the formation and practice of spirituality. He retired from the episcopacy in 1996.

Michael McKee

Active

United States

South Central Jurisdiction

Dallas Episcopal Area

Bishop Michael McKee is the Resident Bishop of the Dallas Area, which includes the North Texas Conference in the South Central Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church. He is a native of Fort Worth, Texas. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Texas at Austin (1973), a Master of Theology from Perkins School of Theology of Southern Methodist University (1978) and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree from Texas Wesleyan University (2005). He also was honored with the Perkins Distinguished Alumnus Award in 2017. He was ordained deacon in 1975 and ordained elder in 1979 in the Central Texas Annual Conference, where he served several churches, including 15 years as the senior pastor of First UMC, Hurst. He has held numerous offices including chair of the Board of Ordained Ministry and the Mid-Cities District Committee of Ordained Ministry. He was a delegate to three Jurisdictional Conferences and two General Conferences. In 2012, McKee was elected to the episcopacy by the South Central Jurisdictional Conference and assigned to serve as the resident bishop of the Dallas Area effective September 1. McKee is the immediate past-president of the South Central Jurisdiction College of Bishops. He is president of the Board of the General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) of the UMC. He serves on the Boards of Trustees of Southern Methodist University, Texas Methodist Foundation, Southwestern University and Methodist Health System, Dallas. He is chair of the Executive Board of Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University. Mike and Joan (Craig) McKee have been married since 1975 and have two children: Erin, who lives with her husband, Darin, and sons, Knox and Ford, in California; and Meredith, who lives in Dallas. --- Spouse: Joan (Craig) McKee Children: Erin McKee, Chidsey Meredith McKee Education and Honors: Texas Wesleyan University, Doctor of Divinity, 2005 Perkins School of Theology, Southern Methodist University, Master of Theology, 1978 The University of Texas at Austin, Bachelor of Arts, 1973 Ministry: Assigned to Dallas Area (North Texas Conference), effective Sept. 1, 2012 Senior Pastor, First United Methodist Church, Hurst, Texas, 1997 Present Pastor, Overton Park United Methodist Church, Fort Worth, Texas, 1992-97 Pastor, Meadowbrook United Methodist Church, Fort Worth, Texas, 1987-92 Pastor, First United Methodist Church, Joshua, Texas, 1982-87 Associate Minister, First United Methodist Church, Fort Worth, Texas, 1976-82 Associate Minister, Richland Hills United Methodist Church, 1973-76 Ordained Elder, Central Texas Conference, 1979 Ordained Deacon, Central Texas Conference, 1975 Membership: Central Texas Annual Conference Other: Delegate, General Conference, 2012, 2008, 2004 (alternate) Delegate, South Central Jurisdictional Conference, 2012, 2008, 2004 Director, General Board of Church and Society Chairperson, Texas Conference Board of Ordained Ministry, 2004 Present Chairperson, MidCities District Committee on Ordained Ministry, 2001-2011 Chairperson, Conference Camps and Assemblies Committee, 1992-2000 Member, Conference Board of Ordained Ministry, 1984-1992; Secretary, 1988-1992 Trustee, Glen Lake Camp Campus Ministry Committee Southern Methodist University Texas Methodist Foundation, Board Member, 1995-Present; Investment Committee, 1995-2000; Executive Committee, 2003 present; Board Chair, 2005-2006; Loan Committee, 2004-Present; Chair, Development/Stewardship Committee, 2002 and 2003; Chair, Long Range Planning, 2008-Present; Member, Clergy Leadership Initiative, 2010 Board of Trustees, Southwestern University, Georgetown, Texas; Member, Executive Committee; Chairperson, Facilities Planning Committee; Board of Trustees, Harris Methodist Health Systems; Chairperson, Pastoral Care Committee; Chairperson, Executive Board, Perkins School of Theology; Co-Chair, Campaign Steering Committee; Past Chairperson, Perkins Alumni Council Past President, Board of Directors, Women's Haven of Tarrant County Past Chairperson, Advisory Board and Member of Steering Committee, More Than Houses Campaign, Habitat for Humanity Founders Award, Trinity Area Habitat for Humanity, 2007 Bishop's Award in Preaching, Central Texas Annual Conference, 2010

Active

Northeastern Jurisdiction

Pittsburg Episcopal Area

Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi was elected as a bishop of The United Methodist Church by delegates to the 2016 Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference, meeting in Lancaster, PA. She began her assignment to lead United Methodists in Western Pennsylvania on September 1, 2016. Bishop Moore-Koikoi earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Loyola College in Maryland in 1988, and a Masters of Arts and advanced certification in school psychology from the University of Maryland in 1992. She worked as a school psychologist for Anne Arundel County Public Schools for 17 years, serving in leadership roles as a layperson before answering her call to the ordained ministry. She answered that call while a member of Sharp Street Memorial UMC in Baltimore, her great-grandfather’s church and the church which sent her father into ministry. Her husband of three years, the Rev. Raphael Koikoi, currently serves as pastor there. The Bishop is familiar with church life and ministry in rural, urban and suburban settings. Growing up in a preacher’s family, when she was in elementary school, her father served a rural hilltop church. Later, they moved to serve a church in suburban Silver Spring, MD, where she went to junior high and high school. Attending Wesley Seminary, she was appointed as a student pastor to “a small congregation with a proud EUB heritage in a section of East Baltimore that was experiencing change.” The congregation had to learn how to navigate that change. Later she was appointed associate pastor at Calvary UMC, a large congregation in Annapolis. Ordained an elder in 2010, she served on the Conference staff working with churches on discipleship. She later served as district superintendent for the Greater Washington Area, and most recently as superintendent of the Baltimore Metropolitan District. In that role, she played a key spiritual role in the city in 2015 during the unrest after the death of Freddie Gray in police custody. She helped to organize United Methodist churches to open their doors and minister to children and families whose schools were closed, and to meet other basic needs. She became the face of the United Methodist Church, and church volunteers in red T-shirts were visible walking through neighborhoods, praying for and ministering to people. Bishop Moore-Koikoi says she sees the work of bishops as “overseeing the work of the church, working prophetically, evangelically and apostolically with all as they cooperate with the Grace of God.” A key component of that, she believes, is leaving space for the transforming movement of the Holy Spirit, especially at times when the denomination is divided and many people wonder what the future holds. “That’s spiritual work -- remembering who God is and who God has called us to be,” she said. “We got God, so we got this.” Bishop Moore-Koikoi said she sees herself as a bridge-builder, clear and confident about what she believes, while respecting others who might not believe the same way. Her vision is of a diverse church that embraces justice and the life-saving love of Christ. As a new bishop, she’s committed to work for that. It won’t be easy, she said, “but I remind myself, God has got this. God is in control.

Susan Morrison

Retired

United States

Gary Mueller

Active

United States

South Central Jurisdiction

Arkansas Episcopal Area

Bishop Gary E. Mueller is the Resident Bishop of the Arkansas Area, which includes the Arkansas Conference in the South Central Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church. He was elected to the episcopacy in 201. After a friend invited him to attend UMYF his sophomore year of high school, Mueller came to a point of being ready to profess his faith in Christ. His call to ministry began to emerge a few years later, while he attended the University of Kansas. He went on to receive his theological education at Iliff School of Theology in Denver, Colorado, and at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. He was ordained an Elder in the North Texas Conference in 1981. Mueller remained in north Texas, serving pastoral appointments at First UMC Richardson, Brewster Memorial and McKenzie Memorial UMC, First United Methodist Church Roanoke-Trophy Club-Westlake, First UMC Denton and First UMC Plano. He also served for four years as Director of Connectional Ministries for the North Texas Conference Council. Before his election to the episcopacy, he held a number of leadership roles, including delegate to the 2012 General Conference; four-time delegate to the South Central Jurisdictional Conference; chair of the North Texas Conference Ministry Center Building Committee during the design and construction of a new Conference Ministry Center; representative on the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry Task Force; and chair of the North Texas Conference Board of Ordained Ministry from 2008 until 2012. He married Karen Goodman Mueller in 2016. Together, they have four adult children and spouses, Hailey and Stephen, Nick and Carrie, Kirk and Tiffany and Jeff and Dusty, as well as two adorable granddaughters, Madeline and Claire. Bishop Mueller’s passion is leading spiritual revival that results in vital congregations that make disciples of Jesus Christ, who then make disciples equipped to transform lives, communities and the world.   ----- Education and Honors: Perkins School of Theology, Master of Divinity, 1979 University of Kansas, Bachelor's degree Ministry: Ordained Deacon, North Texas Conference, 1978 Ordained Elder, North Texas Conference, 1981 Assigned to Arkansas Area (Arkansas Conference), effective Sept. 1, 2012 Senior Pastor, First United Methodist Church, Plano, Texas, 2002-Present Senior Pastor, First United Methodist Church, Denton, Texas, 1995-2002 Director, Council on Ministries, North Texas Annual Conference, 1991-1995 Pastor, First United Methodist Church Roanoke-Trophy Club-Westlake, Texas, 1988-1991 Pastor, McKenzie Memorial United Methodist Church, 1985-1988 Pastor, Brewster Memorial United Methodist Church, 1985-1988 Executive Pastor, First United Methodist Church, Richardson, Texas, 1982-1985 Associate Pastor for Evangelism, First United Methodist Church, Richardson, Texas, 1979-1982 Membership: North Texas Annual Conference Other: Delegate, General Conference 2012 Delegate, South Central Jurisdictional Conference, 2012, 2008, 2004, 2000, 1996 (alternate) Chair, Board of Ordained Ministry, 2008-Present Chair, Task Force to present proposed constitutional amendments to the North Texas Annual Conference, 2009 Chair, North Texas Conference Ministry Center Building Committee, 2003-2007 North Texas representative, South Central Jurisdiction Mission Council (Jurisdictional Executive Committee), 2000-2008 Chair, Board of Ordained Ministry Residency Committee, 1996-2004 South Central Jurisdiction representative, General Board of Higher Education and Ministry Task Force on residency during provisional membership, 1996-2000 Member, Aldersgate Covenant, 1994-1996 Primary author of legislation adopted by General Conference 1996 defining The United Methodist Church's mission statement "to make disciples of Jesus Christ." Chair, North Texas Conference Board of Ordained Ministry residency program design committee, 1988-1999

Albert Frederick Fritz Mutti

Retired

United States

Bishop Albert Frederick Mutti, III is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church. He was born in Hopkins, Missouri, the son of Albert Frederick Mutti, Jr. and Phyllis M. Turner Mutti. All his life he has been identified by the nickname, "Fritz." Fritz holds academic degrees from Central Methodist College (A.B.), Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary (M.Div.) and Saint Paul School of Theology (D. Min.). Central Methodist College and Baker University awarded him honorary doctoral degrees. He was admitted on trial in the former Missouri Conference, and was admitted to full connection in the Missouri West Conference. He was ordained deacon and an elder by Bishop Eugene Frank. Fritz served in a variety of appointments in Missouri and Indiana. He was Pastor of the Union-Star Chapel-Oak Grove circuit for two years after graduating from seminary. Moving from there to Savannah he became the founding Pastor of Crossroads Ecumenical Cooperative Parish. For eight years he was a member of the Missouri West Conference staff serving as Director of Education and Camping and as Conference Council Director. In 1982 he was appointed Senior Pastor of First United Methodist Church, Blue Springs. Bishop W.T. Handy, Jr., appointed him to the Central District in 1987 and to the Kansas City North District in 1989. During these years he was a delegate to five Jurisdictional Conferences and four General Conferences. He led the General Conference delegation in 1984, 1988 and 1992. He served as a director of the General Board of Discipleship (1980-1988), the General Board of Global Ministries (1988-1992), and the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns (1996- 2004). He served as Chairperson of the General Task Force on Concern for Workers (1996-2000), and President of the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns (2000- 2004). In retirement, he serves as a member of the coordinating Council of Churches Uniting in Christ. He and Etta Mae serve as Coordinators of the United Methodist Global AIDS Fund. Fritz Mutti was elected to the episcopacy by the South Central Jurisdictional Conference in 1992 and assigned to the Kansas Area where he served until his retirement in 2004.   He is married to Etta Mae McClurg Mutti and were parents of three sons. Etta Mae and Fritz are the authors of a book, Dancing in A Wheelchair.

Mande Muyombo

Active

Africa

Congo Central Conference

North Katanga Episcopal Area

Emerito Nacpil

Retired

Philippines

Joaquina Nhanala

Active

Africa

Mozambique Episcopal Area

Bishop Joaquina Filipe Nhanala is the Resident Bishop of the Mozambique Area, which includes Mozambique North, Mozambique South and South Africa Provisional Conferences in the Africa Central Conference of The United Methodist Church.   She was elected July 23, 2008, as the first female United Methodist bishop in Africa. Nhanala was the pastor of Matola United Methodist Church in Mozambique when she was elected. Besides serving a large church in Matola, a suburb of Maputo, Nhanala has coordinated women's projects for the Mozambique church and led a World Relief HIV/AIDS program designed to mobilize churches for education and advocacy in Mozambique's three southern provinces. Nhanala and the program were featured in the 2004 Bread for the World video, "Keep the Promise on Hunger and Health." Although she was baptized and confirmed as a Catholic her father's religion, Nhanala also attended her mother's Methodist church. Drawn to the youth programs, she became active in the Methodist church as a teen-ager. Nhanala is married to another United Methodist pastor, the Rev. Eugenio Tomas, and they have four adult children. She and her husband, who married in 1976, were both accepted for theological studies at the 1985 Mozambique Annual Conference and received sponsorship from the Women's Fellowship. They attended Gbarnga School of Theology in Liberia and Nhanala was ordained a deacon in 1989. When the civil war in Liberia disrupted the couple's studies, they moved to Ghana, where she completed her diploma in theology at Trinity College. The family then moved to Kenya, where she attended Limuru University and received a bachelor of divinity degree in 1995. In 1998, she graduated from Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology with a master's degree in Bible studies and theology and also served as a teacher and dean of students there. She speaks five native languages, as well as Portuguese and English.

Eben Nhiwatiwa

Active

Africa

Zimbabwe Episcopal Area

Bishop Eben K. Nhiwatiwa is the Resident Bishop of the Zimbabwe Area, which includes the Zimbabwe East and Zimbabwe West conferences in the Africa Central Conference of The United Methodist Church. He was born in Gandanzara Village, Makoni, Rusape, Zimbabwe. He graduated from Epworth Theological College, Harare, with a Diploma in Theology; from Mennonite Biblical Seminary, Elkhart, Indiana, with a one-year Certificate in Theology; Graduate Certificate in Education from the University of Zimbabwe; BA from Goshen College, Indiana; MSC from Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois, M.Th from Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, and a Ph.D. from Illinois State University, Normal, Illinois. Eben was ordained deacon by Bishop Abel Muzorewa and elder by Bishop Ralph Alton. He served a number of churches and more at Old Mutare Mission where he served from 1984-1991. In 1992 Eben was one of the pioneering professors at the newly-established Africa University in the Faculty of Theology where he lectured in Pastoral Theology. He served the church in various capacities from local, District to Conference levels. Eben was the Conference Secretary for the Zimbabwe Annual Conference from 1992 to 2000 and then in the same capacity for the Zimbabwe East Annual Conference from 2001 to 2004. In 1992 and 2000 he was elected delegate to the Africa Central Conference and then in 2004 he served the church as the clergy delegate and head of delegation for the Zimbabwe East Annual Conference. Eben Nhiwatiwa was elected Bishop of the church in August 2004. He is the Episcopal leader of two Annual Conferences, the Zimbabwe East and West. He currently serves as the Board member and Chair of the Finance Committee of the Africa University Board of Directors. At the November 2005 Council of Bishops , Eben was elected to represent Africa Central Conference and the church at the World Methodist Conference in South Korea, in July 2006. He says that his style of Episcopal leadership is based on the theology of the ministry of presence; that is, being with the people to make them disciples for Jesus Christ to make a difference in the world. Eben and Greater Taremeredzwa Munesi were married on June 2, 1979. They have two daughters Mable and Nyasha.

Alfred Norris

Retired

United States

Bishop Alfred L. Norris, Sr., is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church. He was born in Bogalusa, Louisiana. He is a child of the church, the first son of Mrs. Adele Washington Norris and the late Reverend L.H.P. Norris. Educated in the public schools of Louisiana, he received his high school diploma from the Southern University Laboratory School, Baton Rouge. He furthered his formal education at Dillard University in New Orleans, obtaining a B.A. degree. He completed his seminary education at Gammon Theological Seminary, Atlanta, Georgia, with an M.Div. degree, and was later honored with a D.D. degree. Several other institutions have bestowed honorary degrees upon him. Norris was ordained deacon and then elder by Bishop Noah Moore. In the Louisiana Annual Conference, he has served as pastor of the following churches: Haven; Peck; First Street and Mount Zion. From 1968-1972 he was Director of Recruitment for Gammon Theological Seminary. He was District Superintendent of the New Orleans/Houma District of the Louisiana Annual Conference from 1974-1880, and he served as President of Gammon Theological Seminary of the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta from 1985-1992. Norris participated in a Preaching Mission to Latin America in September 1967, was Guest Preacher for "Bishop's Week" at Mount Sequoyah, Fayetteville, Arkansas, in June of 1980, and served as Guest Preacher for the Liberia Annual Conference in February, 1988. He has been the guest preacher or lecturer at numerous other conferences, seminars, church services and religious activities nationwide. Norris was a delegate to the General Conferences of 1976, 1984, 1988 and 1992 and was elected to lead the Louisiana Conference Delegation in 1992. He was a delegate to the World Methodist Conference each quinquennium since 1976. While in Louisiana, he served as Chairman of the Board of Ordained Ministry from 1980-1988. Additionally, he served on the Board of Publications of the United Methodist Church and was a member of the Association of United Methodist Theological Schools. Alfred Norris was elected to the episcopacy by the South Central Jurisdictional Conference in 1992 and was assigned to the Northwest Texas/New Mexico Area, with headquarters in Albuquerque, New Mexico. At the 2000 Jurisdictional Conference, he was assigned to the Houston Area. From 1996 until 2004, he was a member of GCFA, serving as President from 2000-2004. He retired in 2004 and returned to Gammon Theological Seminary to serve as Bishop-in-Residence. Bishop Norris is a 33º Mason. He and his wife, Mackie L. Harper Norris, have a son, Alfred, II (Lisa), daughter Angela R. Johnson (Tyrone) and four grandchildren, Alfred, III (Trey) and Justin Douglass Norris, and Mark David and Faith Rachelle Johnson. The Norrises reside in Jonesboro, GA.

Nkulu Ntanda Ntambo

Retired

Africa

Congo Central Conference

Bishop Nkulu Ntanda Ntambo is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church. He was born at Kailo in then Zaire. His father is deceased, but his mother Kahole Julienne is still alive. He has been a Christian since childhood. Ntambo finished his six years of elementary school in Kabongo. He went to secondary school in Lubumbashi for six years. Then he went to seminary for four years in Mulungwishi. He has a Master of Divinity degree from Nairobi International School of Theology in Nairobi, Kenya. His professional activities include: 1967-1972, Elementary School Teacher; 1976-1977. Senior Pastor at the parish in Lubudi; 1977-1982, District Superintendent Bukama-Lubudi; 1982-1983, Bishop's Secretary; 1987-1989; District Superintendent Kamina; 1987-1993, Christian Education Director, North Shaba; 1992-1992, Senior Director at Kamina-Ville UMC. Bishop Ntambo worked as Assistant Legal Representative of North Shaba for sixteen years (1977-1993). He occupied the following positions: Executive Committee Vice-President; Secretary for Swahili-speaking people at the North Shaba Annual Conference; General Board of Global Ministries director; interpreter at the 1992 General Conference in Louisville; chairperson of the North Shaba Aviation Committee, Construction Committee, Ordained Ministry Committee; IPIM in the country of Burundi (1993-on as D.S., Supervisor and spiritual coordinator for refugees). This year he was the North Shaba delegation leader for the Central Conference at Wembo-Nyama. Bishop Ntambo planted about 157 churches in the region of Bukuma and Lubudi. He opened two congregations in Nairobi. During his ministry he visited the following countries in order to fulfill his tasks: Zimbabwe, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia, Senegal, Zambia, U.S.A., Israel, Angola, Gambia, and South Africa. He was elected to the episcopacy in 1996 and serves the North Katanga Area, Democratic Republic of Congo until his retirement. He is married to Nshimba Nkulu; they have eight children (three boys and five girls).

James Jimmy Nunn

Active

United States

South Central Jurisdiction

Oklahoma Episcopal Area

Karen Oliveto

Active

United States

Western Jurisdiction

Mountain Sky Episcopal Area

Øystein Olsen

Retired

Europe

Bishop Øystein Olsen is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church. He was born in Narvik, Northern Norway. His parents were Methodists, and he grew up in and became a member of the United Methodist Church in a country with a 90% Lutheran population. He started singing in a boys' choir at the age of 7 and has liked singing since then. Øystein earned a diploma from The UMC Nordic Theological Seminary in Gothenburg, Sweden, and was ordained deacon and elder by Bishop Ole Borgen. He obtained additional education in Pastoral Supervision (ABV). His has served as local church pastor in the southern part of Norway for the following congregations: Egersund; Bergen Central, as youth pastor (50%) and Bethany Hospital as hospital chaplain (50%); Halden; "pastor in charge" in Strömstad, Sweden; Skien; Kjølberg; Oslo Immanuel. He was elected to the episcopacy in March of 2001, and served the Nordic and Baltic Area until his retirement in 2009. He has served on the General Council on Ministries 1996-2000, as member and officer, re-elected 2000-2004; Central Conference Executive Committee/Committee on Episcopacy since 1987; Delegate to NE Central Conference 1985-1997; the Norwegian Annual Conference Committee on Episcopacy from 1989, chair 1989-2001; Annual Conference Board of Ordained Ministry 1980-96, 7 years as chair; Annual Conference Church Board of UMC Norway 1981-1989 (1978-81 substitute); as well as other committees and task forces in the Annual Conference, districts and local churches. In addition, for four years he served as the Norway Annual Conference representative in Nordic Ecumenical Council. After his election to the episcopacy, Bishop Olsen served as Chair of ECOM (European Commission on Mission), a joint coordinating commission between the European UMC episcopal Areas and the British Methodist Churches in Europe; as Chair of EMC (European Methodist Council), a European equivalent to WMC; The Bishops' Initiative: Children and Poverty Task Force and Vice President and Director of GBGM. In 1967, he married Toril, who is a special education teacher. Their children are: daughter, Elisabeth and two sons, Geir Thomas and Trond Christian. All three are married and live in the Oslo region. The Olsens have three grandchildren: Nicolai, Hannah and Natascha.

Daniel Onashuyaka

Active

Africa

Congo Central Conference

Central Congo Episcopal Area

Fama Onema

Africa

Fama Onema was born in Utuhi, Democratic Republic of Congo, the former Belgian Congo. He had his secondary school and theological education in Africa, and was ordained deacon by Bishop Newell Booth. Later, Fama Onema went with his family to Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa, where he received his B.A. majoring in Philosophy and Sociology. After returning to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Fama Onema was ordained elder by Bishop John Wesley Shungu, joined the Central Congo Annual Conference and served as Pastor Youth Director as well as statistician for the Africa Central Conference. He was active in his annual conference, including serving as secretary. He was also Director of the Pastors School, Director of a secondary school and in, 1971, became professor at the ecumenical theological school in the Democratic Republic of Congo. On August 28, 1972, Fama Onema was elected to the episcopacy by the Africa Central Conference at Blantyre Malawi and assigned to the all Congo Area, 1972-1976. After 1976, he was assigned to the Central Congo area. He was Moderator of National Synod for 11 years and President of the Executive Committee of L´Église du Christ au Congo ("The Church of Christ in Congo") for 12 years. He held the position of President of Administration, Council of the Faculty of Protestant Theology in Congo (now Protestant University of Kinshasa). He was a founder of Methodist Patrice Emergy Lumumba University in 1980, which now has five faculties and four colleges (Education, Agriculture, Nursery, Home Economics, Theology, Law and Medicine). He is a member of the General Committee of All Africa Conference Churches, and was Vice-President of All Africa Conference of Churches, and President of the French Protestant Church of Africa. He has lectured for many institutions and seminaries in Congo and abroad. He has a Degree Diploma dis Etudes Superiores (D.S.), two Honorary Degrees and is working on a Ph.D. in Philosophy of Religion on Culture and Gospel. Ekoko and Fama were married on June 5, 1952. They have nine children: Fama, Muyala, Pende, Tawa, Walu, Shaumba, Utshudi, Omba and Shaku.

Donald Ott

Retired

United States

Bishop Don Ott is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church. He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and attended the Milwaukee Public Schools, Carroll College (now University)(B.A. 1961) Waukesha, WI, Perkins School of Theology, Dallas TX, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and Garrett Theological Seminary (now Garrett Evangelical) (B.D./M.Div. 1965) in Evanston, IL. Adrian College, Adrian, Ml, Albion College, Albion, MI and Garrett Evangelicalconferred honorary degrees, Divinity (1994), Sacred Theology (1997), and Divinity (2012)respectively. Don Ott was elected to the episcopacy by the North Central Jurisdiction in 1992. He was assigned to the Michigan Area, which includes the Detroit and West Michigan Conferences. He retired in 2000. At the time of his election as bishop, Don Ott was serving as the District Superintendent of the Milwaukee District, WI Conference. Prior to that appointment in 1987 he had served as pastor at: First UMC, Green Bay, WI; Christ Church-United Methodist, Racine, WI; Wesley UMC, Kenosha, WI; Pleasant Prairie UMC, Pleasant Prairie, WI. Hewas an Associate Council Director and Council Directorof the Wisconsin Conference UMC in the period 1974-1982.He was elected a delegate to the General Conferences of1980-1992 and the North Central Jurisdictional Conferences of1976-1992. Bishop Ott was elected to or assigned to the following agencies of the UMC: the General Council on Finance and Administration (Vice President 1997-2000); the JUSTPEACE Center for Mediation and Conflict Transformation; Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary Board of Trustees; the General Board of Global Ministries; the United Methodist Development Fund (President 1992-1996); United Methodist Communications. Don and Jan Ott were married December 21, 1963. They are the parents of two children, Denise Lynne Shircel (Thomas) of Kenosha, WI; and Duane Donald Ott (Megan) of Oshkosh, WI. They haveseven grandchildren: Nicolas and Madelyn, Brady and KennedyOtt; Tyler, Amy and Cora Shircel. In retirement DonOtt was employed by the Council of Bishops to coordinate the Episcopal Initiative on Children and Poverty, 2001-2004. He served the Council as Retiree Corespondent 2008-2012. Hewas a long time member of the governing Board of the Wisconsin Council on Children and Families andis a member of the City of Pewaudkee, WI Committee on Public Works.

Bruce Ough

Active

United States

North Central Jurisdiction

Dakotas-Minnesota Episcopal Area

Bruce Robert Ough was born in Williston, North Dakota, the oldest of four children. He attended North Dakota State University (B.A.), followed by two years as a school counselor on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation in the Dakotas. Bruce attended Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary, receiving an M.Div. degree. During his seminary years, Bruce served one year as an associate pastor at Grace United Methodist Church in Chicago and interned one year with the Dakotas Area Program Staff. In addition, he has done graduate work at Northwestern University and completed the Upper Room's two-year Academy for Spiritual Formation. Bruce R. Ough served as Council Director of the Dakotas Area), followed by three years as Director of the Oakwood Spiritual Life Center in the North Indiana Conference. From 1985 to 1992, Bruce served as the Council Director for the Iowa Conference, followed by five years as district superintendent of the Cedar Rapids District of the Iowa Conference. In 1997, Bruce was appointed as senior pastor of the 2,800 member St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. He was in this position when elected to the episcopacy by the North Central Jurisdictional Conference in 2000 and assigned to the Ohio West Area. After 12 years in West Ohio, he was assigned to the Dakotas-Minnesota Episcopal Area in July 2012. Bishop Ough was a delegate to the 1988, 1996, and 2000 General Conferences of The United Methodist Church and to the 1988 - 2000 North Central Jurisdiction Conferences. He has served as a member of several jurisdictional and general church agencies, most notably the North Central Jurisdiction Committee on Episcopacy, the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns and the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women. In October 2008 he was elected to serve as President of the General Board of Global Ministries. He has served as the President of the Ohio Council of Churches and the North Central Jurisdiction College of Bishops and also chaired the Council of Bishops' Plan Team on Missional Focus. He led the denomination as chair of the Connectional Table, 2012 - 2016 and as President of the Council of Bishops, 2016 – 2018. Bishop Ough has published a number of professional and devotional articles, including a study of the small membership church, Independent, Courageous, Stubborn and a contribution to The Spiritual Formation Bible. He is a noted leader in the areas of spiritual formation, leadership development and new church development. Charlene Feldner and Bruce were married on August 14, 1976. They have three sons: Lance (Cathie), Stuart (Christine) and Matthew and seven grandchildren.

Retired

United States

Jose Quipungo

Active

Africa

Angola East Episcopal Area

Bishop José Quipungo is the Resident Bishop of East Angola Area, which includes the East Angola Conference in the Africa Central Conference of The United Methodist Church. He is the son of Quipungo (King - Khunga Muxinda), and Elisa (Queen - Mbanza Mumbanda), both deceased, born in East Angola - Baixa de Cassange (kingdom of Khunga Muxinda), in Xá-Muteba, Baixa de Cassange, then the province of Malange, and today known as Luanda North. Quipungo has been an active member of the United Methodist Church since he was a teenager. He served as Youth Director of the District of Quela. He was a student and an associate pastor in Rudge Ramos Methodist Church in Brazil, and he earned his degree in theology (Social Science and Religion) from the Methodist Institute of Higher Education, in S. Paulo, Brazil. He has served as deputy to the National Assembly of Angola, and served as pastor of Monte Sinai United Methodist Church in Luanda from 1999 until his election to the episcopacy. Previously, he served the Central United Methodist Church in Luanda for six years. He was elected to the episcopacy at the 9th Africa Central Conference of the Methodist Church in Maputo, Mozambique, in 2000. At the same time, he was appointed to preside at the Annual Conference of East Angola. "I believe that the more united the Church is, the more prosperous it will be in terms of evangelization, health, and education." In 2004, Quipungo was re-elected to the episcopacy, and became a bishop for life at the 10th Africa Central Conference of the United Methodist Church in Johannesburg, South Africa, on August 19, 2004. He was appointed as President of the Africa Central Conference for four years, continuing as leader of the East Angola Annual Conference. Quipungo is married to Laurinda Vidal Quipungo, a physician. Bishop and Mrs. Quipungo have three sons and two daughters, Arsénio, Arez, Divino, Elisa and Esperança, and three grandchildren.

Retired

Europe

Robert Schnase

Active

United States

South Central Jurisdiction

San Antonio Episcopal Area

John Schol

Active

United States

Northeastern Jurisdiction

New Jersey Episcopal Area

Bishop John R. Schol is the Resident Bishop of the Greater New Jersey Area, which includes the Greater New Jersey Conference in the Northeastern Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church. Bishop Schol was born and raised in a working class family in Philadelphia. It was here that faith and leadership were nurtured and strong values of hard work, honoring diversity, and grace were formed.   He served congregations in Saugus, Mass., Philadelphia, Pa. and West Chester Pa. In each of his congregations worship grew, mission in the community expanded and new disciples were made.   For 12 years, Bishop Schol served as the Executive Director of the Frankford Group Ministry in Philadelphia. This new and emerging cooperative ministry among four United Methodist Congregations went from one staff person to more than 50 staff positions. The organization led the community in developing better race relations, and provided social services, community arts and community economic development. During his ministry and after his leaving the United Methodist ministry in the Frankford community rehabilitated or built more than 200 housing units and served more than 20,000 people a year.   In the 1990’s he was the denomination’s urban executive serving at the General Board of Global Ministries. He developed and led two initiatives, Communities of Shalom and Holy Boldness. The Communities of Shalom initiative started more than 1,000 sites globally and trained more than 5,000 people in church and community development. The Holy Boldness started an urban training and congregational development movement.   Bishop John Schol was consecrated a bishop in 2004 after 25 years of experience as a pastor, community developer and denominational executive. As a bishop he first led the Baltimore-Washington Conference where he led a turnaround of the conference toward health and vitality as he supported the growth of 272 congregations that became Acts 2 churches, which are bearing fruit in the areas of church membership, professions of faith, connectional giving and mission involvement. In 2012 he was assigned to lead the United Methodists in Greater New Jersey. Bishop Schol has assisted church leaders in developing and implementing a strategic plan to create vital congregations. Already the conference has or is near achieving its 2018 goals. During his leadership, the conference created new resources for clergy and laity including coaching and cohort groups, and Team Vital, a comprehensive resource for congregations on the path to vitality. A Future With Hope nonprofit corporation was also started to respond to Superstorm Sandy and the United Methodists have repaired more than 273 homes using more than 12,000 volunteers from 48 states who donated 300,000 hours of volunteer service and raised more than $17 million for this five year effort.   He has also led conferences and congregations in international mission building churches, clinics, parsonages, orphanages and schools in Zimbabwe and Nigeria.   Bishop Schol received a bachelor’s degree from Moravian College and a masters and doctors degree from Boston University. He has helped start six nonprofit organizations and has served on the boards of Sibley Hospital, American University (chaired the academic affairs committee), Wesley Theological Seminary, Jane Bancroft Foundation (founding president), The Board of Child Care, United Methodist Archives and History (chairperson), United Methodist Communications, Wesley Enhanced Living, United Methodist Communities, A Future With Hope, Drew University (chairs the School of Theology), Centenary College, The Pennington School, Moravian College, and the New Jersey Coalition for Diverse and Inclusive Schools, Inc.   Bishop Schol is married to Beverly Schol. They have three grown children, Mark, Kristin and Rebecca, and three grandchildren. His hobbies and interests include family, reading, running, photography and travel.

Beverly Shamana

Retired

United States

Forrest C. Stith is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church. He was born in Marshall, Texas. He earned a B.S. degree in Education at the University of Nebraska and an M. Div. at Drew Theological School. He immediately became a Probationary Member of the Baltimore Annual Conference and was ordained by Bishop G. Bromley Oxnam. Forrest served Douglas Memorial Church, Washington, DC; he was ordained an elder by Bishop Oxnam. He served Sharp Street Church, Baltimore, MD, and became Executive Secretary of the Baltimore Conference Board of Missions and Church Extension and Associate Council Director for Outreach. Forrest became Conference Council Director and was named District Superintendent of Washington East District. At the 1984 Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference, Forrest was elected to the Episcopacy. He was assigned to the New York West Area; and later was assigned to the New York Area in l992. Upon his retirement in 1996, he and his wife, Josephine, served the United Methodist Church of East Africa, providing episcopal oversight to areas of Uganda, Rwanda, and Southern Sudan, where the late Bishop J. Alfred Ndoricimpa was unable to travel because of political strife. Returning home in 2000, the Stiths served an interim pastorate of one and a half years at Gibbons Resurrection United Methodist Church, Brandywine, MD. Forrest holds honorary degrees from Western Maryland College (D.D., 1979) and Nebraska Wesleyan University (D.D., 1986). He has provided leadership to the church, the community, and to the world. Included are the following: COSROW (1984-88), Vice President of GCFA (1988-92) and President 1992-96). He chaired the World Council of Churches Ecumenical Decade--Churches in Solidarity with Women-- for four years. In retirement, Forrest continues to study, to teach, to lecture, and to preach. He serves as Bishop in Residence at Asbury United Methodist Church, Washington DC; he is President of the proposed African American Methodist Heritage Center. He is a Life Member of BMCR and serves on the Board of Directors of Cameron Grove Community in Upper Marlboro, MD, where he and Josephine live. The Stith's daughter, Lori Stith Robinson, and her husband, Mark, live in Maryland.

Bishop Mary Ann McDonald Swenson is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church. She was born in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. She was raised in Jackson, Mississippi, where she was active in Sunday school, youth group, and choir at Capitol Street United Methodist Church. She graduated from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, with a Bachelor of Arts degree, and received a Doctor of Ministry degree from the School of Theology at Claremont. Mary Ann was ordained both deacon and elder by Bishop Wilbur Choy. She served as Associate Pastor of Claremont United Methodist Church in Claremont, California; Pastor of Orchards United Methodist Church, Vancouver, Washington; District Superintendent of the Puget Sound District, Pacific Northwest Conference; Senior Pastor of First United Methodist Church, Wenatchee, Washington. She also served as Youth Director for St. Luke's UMC, and Capitol Street UMC in Jackson, Mississippi, Elma UMC and Mason UMC in the PNW Conference and Claremont UMC in Claremont, California. Mary Ann served as Dean of the Cabinet, PNW Conference. While assigned to First UMC Wenatchee, she also was President of the Board of Directors of the Rape Crisis and Domestic Violence Center, and served on the North Central Washington AIDS Coalition. She has served as a director of the General Board of Discipleship and General Board of Global Ministries, where she also was the Chair of the Committee to Eliminate Institutional Racism, and the Committee on Personnel and Nominations. She was an elected PNW Conference delegate to General and Jurisdictional Conferences in 1980, 1984, 1988 and 1992. Mary Ann Swenson was elected to the episcopacy by the Western Jurisdictional Conference in 1992 and assigned to the Denver Area. During her tenure there she served again with the General Board of Discipleship and as President from 1996-2000. In 2000, she moved to the California-Pacific Annual Conference and began to serve with the GCFA, including President of GCFA. Mary Ann McDonald married Jeff Swenson on August 31, 1968. On their 25th wedding anniversary, the Swensons received a tandem bicycle. Since that time they have become avid riders, completing a California coast tour in 1994, an Oregon coast tour in 1995, Washington State tour in 1996, and riding to and from Annual Conference sessions. In the summer of 1998 they rode across the United States from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, covering 4059 miles in 58 days. In the California-Pacific Conference, they frequently ride to Sunday services wherever Mary Ann is preaching.

Melvin Talbert

Retired

United States

Bishop Melvin G. Talbert is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church. Born in Clinton, Louisiana, Talbert was one of seven children of sharecropper parents, Florence George and Nettles. He was married to Ethelou Douglas for thirty-eight years prior to her death in February 1999. Talbert has one daughter, Evangeline Violet, married to James H. Sifford, Sr. They have three children: Kaetlin, James, Jr. and Melvin Douglas. Talbert married Marilyn W. Magee April 1, 2000. After attending public schools and working various jobs, Melvin received a BA degree from Southern University, Baton Rouge, LA, and an M.Div. degree from Interdenominational Theological Center (ITC)/Gammon Theological Seminary, Atlanta, GA. While at ITC, Talbert became President of the student body during his middler year, while serving a two-point charge in Tennessee. He was ordained Deacon by Bishop Willis J. King, Jr., and was ordained Elder by Bishop Gerald H. Kennedy. After serving as interim at St. John's (Watts), Associate at Wesley, Los Angeles, and Pastor at Hamilton, Los Angeles, Melvin was named Associate Council Director, Southern California-Arizona Conference. One year later, he was appointed District Superintendent for the Long Beach District. In 1973, Melvin was elected General Secretary for the General Board of Discipleship, Nashville, where he served until he was elected to the episcopacy in 1980 and was assigned to the Seattle Area. He was assigned to the San Francisco Area in 1988, where he retired August 31, 2000. Talbert was visiting professor of Evangelism at Claremont, 1978. He was a delegate to General Conference from 1968-80, and was a member of the Social Principles Commission, 1968-72. He is a trustee and Chair of the Board at Gammon, and at various times served as trustee at University of Puget Sound, Claremont School of Theology, and Pacific School of Religion. His civil rights protest experiences impacted his life profoundly, and he takes pride in having spent three days and nights in jail with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. He is a sports enthusiast, loves camping, a hacker golfer, and plays a little guitar. Melvin was a member of the General Council on Ministries, and was Chair of its Missional Priority Coordinating Committee 1976-84; a member of the General Commission on Religion and Race, 1980-88, and served as its President 1983-88; and a member of the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns 1988-96 and 2000-04. He was a director of the National Council of Churches (NCCCUSA) from mid 1970s August 2004, and served as its President 1996-97. He was a member of the World Methodist Council Executive Committee, and the World Council of Churches Central Committee (its Executive Committee and Finance Committee). He was honored as a Distinguished Alumnus of his seminary in 1990. He was Secretary for the Council of Bishops (COB) for two quadrennia 1988-92 and 1992-96, during which time he carried the title Head of Communion. Talbert was one of forty Presidential Guests to accompany US President Bill Clinton on his peace pilgrimage to Northern Ireland and Ireland December 1995, and has visited the White House on several occasions representing the NCCCUSA and the Council of Bishops. Talbert was Ecumenical Officer for the Council of Bishops 2000-04, and served as Interim Executive Director of Black Methodists for Church Renewal, Inc.

Mary Virginia Taylor

Active

United States

Southeastern Jurisdiction

Holston Episcopal Area

Mary Virginia Taylor is the Resident Bishop of Holston Area, which inclues the Holston Conference in the Southeastern Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church. Called Dindy by her friends and family, she was born in Washington, DC. She moved on her fifth birthday to Atlanta, Georgia, and at nine she joined the church on profession of faith, making Decatur First United Methodist Church her church home. After earning her Bachelor's Degree from the University of Georgia, Dindy completed her Master of Divinity degree at Candler School of Theology, Emory University. It was at Candler that she met Rusty Taylor. They were married in June of 1973 and began serving as a clergy couple. They were ordained deacons in 1974 and elders in 1976. Dindy served for 30 years as a member of the Holston Conference. It was in her fifth year as Cleveland District Superintendent that she was elected to the episcopacy in July, 2004, by the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference. On September 1, 2004, she became the first woman to serve as Resident Bishop of the Columbia Area (South Carolina Annual Conference) in the United Methodist Church. After serving the Columbia Area for 8 years, she was assigned to the Holston Area in 2012. Bishop Taylor has served six times as a delegate to the United Methodist General Conference and to the Jurisdictional Conferences. During those 20 years, she served on the General Council on Ministries and the General Board of Church and Society. She has been the chairperson of the Holston Conference Board of Ordained Ministry and the chairperson of the Conference Council on Finance and Administration. In September 2004, Bishop Taylor was elected to serve as president of the General Commission on Status and Role of Women. The Taylors are parents to two daughters: Mandy, who is married to Kyle Young, and Tiffany.

Solito Toquero

Retired

Philippines

Retired

Europe

Debra Wallace-Padgett

Active

United States

Southeastern Jurisdiction

Birmingham Episcopal Area

Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett is the resident Bishop of the Birmingham Episcopal Area. She was elected a Bishop of the United Methodist Church at the 2012 Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference and assigned to the North Alabama Conference (Birmingham Episcopal Area) effective September 1, 2012.   At the time of her election, she was the lead pastor of St. Luke United Methodist Church in Lexington, Kentucky — an appointment she served for eight years. During her tenure, St. Luke UMC grew in membership, strengthened its infrastructure, built a $4.5 million Ministry Life Center and launched a multi-cultural worship service. Her previous service in the Kentucky Conference includes six years as District Superintendent, three years as pastor of Paris First United Methodist Church and 11 years on staff at Lexington First United Methodist Church.   She is a graduate of Berea College (B.A. in Physical Education), Scarritt College and Graduate School (M.A. in Christian Education), Lexington Theological Seminary (M. Div.) and Asbury Theological Seminary (D. Min.).   She has served in a variety of roles in the Kentucky Annual Conference, Southeastern Jurisdiction and the General Church including: <ul> <li>Kentucky Conference Board of Ministries Methodist Home Board chair</li> <li>Kentucky Conference Education chair</li> <li>Kentucky Episcopacy Committee chair</li> <li>District Committee On Ministries / Local Pastors' team chair</li> <li>Primary Task Team Children and Poverty Board</li> <li>Delegate, General Conference, 2012, 2008, 2004, 2000</li> <li>Delegate, Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference, 2012, 2008, 2004, 2000</li> <li>Delegate, World Methodist Council</li> <li>Director, General Commission on the Status and Role of Women, 2004-20012</li> <li>Member, Southeastern Jurisdiction Episcopacy Committee</li> <li>President General Commission on the Status and Role of Women, 2012-2016</li> <li>Member of the Commission on a Way Forward, 2016-2019</li> </ul>   She currently the chair of the standing Committee on Evangelism for the World Methodist Council and a member of the Council of Bishops’ Executive Committee as Council Life Chair.   Bishop Wallace-Padgett is married to Rev. Lee Padgett, a retired deacon in the United Methodist Church. They are the parents of two young adult, Leanndra and Andrew.

Daniel Wandabula

Active

Africa

East Africa Episcopal Area

Hope Ward

Active

United States

Southeastern Jurisdiction

Raleigh Episcopal Area

Bishop Hope Morgan Ward is the Resident Bishop of the North Carolina Conference - Raleigh Area in the Southeastern Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church. A native North Carolinian, she was raised on the Morgan family farm in northeastern North Carolina in the community of Corapeake. Her home church, Parkers United Methodist Church, is on a three point charge. Graduate of Duke University and Duke Divinity School. Met spouse Mike on a volunteer in mission workteam to Bolivia in 1975. They were married in 1977. Together, they served as teaching parents at the Methodist Home for Children in Raleigh, North Carolina. She has served as a youth director, Christian educator, pastor, Director of Connectional Ministries and district superintendent in the NC Conference. She was elected to the Episcopacy in July, 2004 and assigned to the Mississippi Conference in 2004 and 2008. In 2012, she was assigned to the North Carolina Conference. Served as president of the General Board of Global Ministries and as president of JustPeace, which is the Center for Mediation and Conflict Transformation of the UMC. She now serves on the General Board of Church and Society and is the bishop assigned to give oversight of the Vietnam Mission Initiative. Her spouse, Mike Ward, is an educator. He has been a high school teacher, coach, principal, and local school superintendent. From 1997-2004, he served as North Carolina State Superintendent of Public Instruction, an elected position. Mike is on the faculty of NC State University, consults across the United States on education, and is an advocate for children. She and Mike have two children and three grandchildren. Brooke Morgan Ward and her husband, Derek Taira, and grandson, Morgan, live in Hawaii where Derek is on the faculty of the University of Hawaii and Brooke is an educational specialist for the Hawaii Department of Education. Jason Ward and his wife, Alison Greene, and grandsons, Amos and Theo, live in Atlanta, Georgia. Jason teaches history at Emory and Alison teaches at Candler. She and Mike enjoy sailing and other seaside joys, jogging, and reading.

B. Michael Watson

Retired

Southeastern Jurisdiction

Bishop B. Michael Watson is a retired Bishop in The United Methodist Church. He serves as the Ecumenical Officer of the Council of Bishops. He was born into an active Methodist family in Dothan, Alabama. After graduating from Dothan High School, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in finance and real estate from The University of Alabama, a Master of Divinity degree from Emory University's Candler School of Theology, and earned a Doctor of Ministry degree from Vanderbilt University. He was ordained deacon by Bishop W. Kenneth Goodson and elder by Bishop Carl J. Sanders. As a member of the Alabama-West Florida Annual Conference, Mike Watson served as pastor of Aldersgate United Methodist Church in Molino, Florida, and as pastor of Christ United Methodist Church in Milton, Florida. He was appointed to start a new congregation in his hometown, where he served as founding pastor of Covenant United Methodist Church from 1979-1990. From 1990 until his election to the episcopacy in 2000, he served as the pastor of Dauphin Way United Methodist Church in Mobile, Alabama. Dr. Watson also served as president of the Mobile County School Board, which is the largest school system in the state of Alabama with more than 66,000 students and nearly 8,000 employees. He served as chairperson of his conference Board of Ordained Ministry, chairperson of the conference Three-year Covenant Community for Spiritual Formation, chairperson of the steering committee of the Southeastern Jurisdiction's larger church consultation, a member of the Emmaus Community, a trustee of several colleges, a member of Emory University's Clergy Advisory Council, president of two civic clubs, president of The University of Alabama alumni chapter, president of the ministerial union, board member of the United Way, Boys Club, Girl Scouts, Red Cross, and Inner City Mission. A delegate to World Methodist Conferences in Singapore (1991) and Brazil (1996), he is currently a member of the World Methodist Council and a member of the United Methodist National Youth Ministry Organization. Benjamin Michael Watson was elected to the episcopacy by the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference in 2000 and was assigned to the South Georgia Area. He served there until 2008, when he was assigned to the North Georgia Area. Margaret Lee married Benjamin Michael Watson on June 16, 1973, at First United Methodist Church, Dothan. Margaret and Mike have two children: Benjamin (Ben) Lee Watson and Elizabeth Margaret Watson and three grandchildren.

Peter Weaver

Retired

United States

Bishop Peter D. Weaver is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist. He is also a former president of the Council of Bishops. He was born into a parsonage family in Greenville, PA. He received degrees from West Virginia Wesleyan (B.A.), Drew University (M.Div.), and Boston University (Th.D.) and honorary degrees from Albright and Lebanon Valley Colleges. Ordained deacon and elder in the Western Pennsylvania Conference, he served the Whitaker United Methodist Church, Smithfield United Church, and First United Methodist Church of Pittsburgh. Inclusive ministries with urban youth, the poor, industrial workers, the homeless, the arts, young adults, and older adults were developed during these pastorates with a focus on "making disciples of Jesus Christ." During these years, Pete served on many community Boards, was adjunct faculty for Drew and Pittsburgh Theological Seminaries, produced weekly radio programs, and helped found Bethlehem Haven for Homeless Women and "One Voice Against Racism." He was a delegate to the 1984-1996 General Conferences and chair of the Mission Division of the General Council on Ministries. Elected to the episcopacy in 1996, Peter Weaver served the Philadelphia Area (Eastern Pennsylvania and Peninsula Delaware Conferences) from 1996-2004. During this time, more than thirty new congregations were started, and he helped found "Good Schools Pennsylvania," focusing on public education reform. In 2004, he was assigned to the Boston Area (New England Conference) which is "focusing on being "Transformed by the Holy Spirit, united in trust, and boldly proclaiming Christ to the world." Pete was the first President of the Council of Bishops to be nominated by the "discernment process" and elected for a two-year term (2004-2006). He has also served on the General Commission on Christian Unity and Interreligious Concerns, and the General Board of Global Ministries. He has been an active member on the Boards of five colleges and universities and has worked with Jim Wallis and others to "Make Poverty History." The Weaver daughters and families include: Rebecca Hope Schelling and her husband, Brad, and daughter, Emory Grace; Sarah Joy Park and her husband, Jin, and daughter, Audrey Miseon; and Rachel Faith Weaver. Pete is married to the former Linda Sells.

Mark Webb

Active

United States

Northeastern Jurisdiction

Upper New York Episcopal Area

Bishop Mark J. Webb is the Resident Bishop of the Upper New York Area, which includes the Upper New York Conference in the Northeastern Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church. He was elected Bishop in 2012 and assigned to serve as the Episcopal leader of the Upper New York Area effective September 1, 2012.   Bishop Webb holds a M. Div. from Asbury Theological Seminary and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Shippensburg University. He also holds a graduate certificate in nonprofit management from the University of Connecticut. At the time of his election to the episcopacy, Bishop Webb was serving as District Superintendent of the York District of the Susquehanna Conference. Bishop Webb served pastorates at Aldersgate United Methodist Church, Mechanicsburg, Pa. from 1994-2007, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, Wormleysburg, Pa. from 1991-1994, and Linglestown United Methodist Church from 1989-1991. He received the Harry Denman Evangelism Award in 2002. Bishop Webb was a delegate to General and Jurisdictional Conference in 2004, 2008, and 2012. He previously served as a director of The Board of Discipleship and a member of the Northeastern Jurisdictional Committee on Episcopacy.   He currently serves the General Church as President of Discipleship Ministries and as a member of the Connectional Table. Bishop Webb serves as the secretary of the Northeastern Jurisdiction College of Bishops and as a Trustee of United Theological Seminary. Bishop Webb was named as one of the top 100 leaders by the John C. Maxwell Transformational Leadership Award in 2018. Bishop Webb encourages working together to develop strategies and outcomes that will bear fruit. He has a passion for leadership development, New Faith Communities, and ensuring existing congregations grow in vitality and fulfill the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ. Bishop Webb is a native of Williamsport, Pa., and is married to Jodi. They have two sons, Tyler (who is married to Lyndsay) and Benjamin.      Spouse: Joy Dianne Webb Children: Tyler James Webb - 18, Benjamin David Webb - 16 Education and Honors: Asbury Theological Seminary, Master of Divinity, 1989 Shippensburg University, Bachelor of Science, Sociology, 1986 Ministry: Assigned to Upper New York Area (Upper New York Annual Conference), effective Sept. 1, 2012. Superintendent, York District, Susquehanna Conference, 2007-Present Pastor, Aldersgate United Methodist Church, Mechanicsburg PA., 1994-2007 Pastor, St. Paul's United Methodist Church, Wormleysburg, Pa., 1991-1994 Associate Pastor, Lingelstown United Methodist Church, 1989-1991 Membership: Susquehanna Annual Conference Other: Delegate, General Conference, 2012, 2008, 2004 Delegate, Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference, 2012, 2008, 2004 Director, General Board of Discipleship, 2004-2012 Hymnal Revision Committee, 2009 Board of Ordained Ministry Congregational Vitalization Team Sessions Committee District Superintendency Committee, Chair Order of Elder Chair Bishop's Visioning Task Force Commission on Equitable Compensation Episcopacy Committee, Vice Chair Conference Board of Trustees Committee on Loans Conference Leadership Visioning Team Camp Dean Conference Council on Youth Ministries District Youth Coordinator

Rosemarie Wenner

Retired

Europe

Germany Central Conference

Retired

Africa

Congo Central Conference

Bishop David Kekumba Yemba is a retired Bishop of The United Methodist Church. He also serves as the Chancellor of Africa University and one of the moderators of the Commission on a Way Forward. He was born in Dungu, the Democratic Republic of Congo. He graduated from Université Libre du Congo with Licence en Théologie (Distinction) and from Université de Strasbourg with Docteur-ès-Science Religieuse. David was ordained deacon and elder in the Central Congo Annual Conference by Bishop John Wesley Shungu. He combines both academic and pastoral activities in his Christian ministry. He taught Systematic Theology in many institutions of higher learning, including Africa University where he served as founding Dean for almost fourteen years, with a certificate awarded for ten years of pioneer service to the University. Before moving to Africa University in Zimbabwe, he served also as Dean and then as President of the Protestant Interdenominational Seminary in Kinshasa for twenty one years. David Yemba is author of several articles in theological journals and of various church documents and reports. As to pastoral ministry, he served as chaplain of Katubue United High School and as one of the pastors of the International Protestant Parish of Kinshasa. He was Administrative Assistant to the Bishop in the West Congo Annual Conference. David was elected delegate to the Africa Central Conference in 1972, 1980, 1984 and 1988 and to the General Conference in 1992. He also served as member of the African Church Growth and Development Committee of the GBGM. The Congo Central Conference elected him to the episcopacy on February 12, 2005. He was re-elected in 2008. In addition to teaching and administrative duties, David has served as member of the following learning societies and national institutions: National Executive Board of Bible Society in the Congo, Oxford Institute of Methodist Studies and Editorial Board of Quarterly Review with, for the latter, a certificate of recognition awarded. He was elected President of the Association of Theological Institutions in Francophone Africa, Vice President of the World Methodist Historical Society for Africa and Moderator of Faith and Order Commission of the World Council of Church, 1998 – 2006. He was recently elected National President of Civile Society of Churches and Religious Confessions in the Congo and, in that capacity, Vice President of the National Board of Ethics and Election. Henriette K’Untu and David K. Yemba were married on August 24, 1969, at Wembo Nyama Mission. They have five children: Rosalie Ogar, Hélène Ngoy, Emmanuel Yemba, Joseph Yemba and Benjamin Yemba. They also have three grandchildren: Alexandra Ogar, David Ogar and Jonathan Ngoy.

John Yohanna

Active

Africa

West Africa Central Conference

Nigeria Episcopal Area

teaching, equipping, encouraging...