Meet Bishop Leonard Fairley: Get Your Spirit in Shape

From the roots of his “vision tree,” young Leonard Fairley wrote and thought about how life could be different. Today the United Methodist bishop shares how faith in Jesus Christ makes the difference.
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Bishop Leonard Fairley remembers his roots. Born into poverty on “the wrong side of town,” he found a place in the church. “There were times when I didn’t have food,” he remembers. “There were tables that I knew I was not invited to. But there was always room at God’s table... I always knew that at this table there was always enough, that I was always welcome.”

Bishop Leonard Fairley serves the Kentucky Annual Conference and the Redbird Missionary Conference. Photo by Kumolu Studios, used with permission.
In this conversation, Bishop Fairley—a pastor, poet, and man of deep, quiet faith—shares the story of first receiving that welcome and the joy he finds in telling others that they too have a place at God’s table. Meet Bishop Leonard Fairley.
Bishop Fairley serves the Kentucky Annual Conference and the Redbird Missionary Conferece of The United Methodist Church.
Bishop Leonard Fairley
- Read Bishop Fairley’s bio on UMC.org.
- Explore the Kentucky Annual Conference and the Redbird Missionary Conference of The United Methodist Church.
- Sample Bishop Fairley’s writing in his blog.
- Who Shall Hear My Voice? by Bishop Fairley on Amazon.com
Popular UMC.org stories
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- Charles Wesley’s Gift of Music
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Transcript
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This episode originally posted on June 21, 2018.