wfn.org | To Elect Bishop, Reassign Others

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"UNITED METHODIST DAILY NEWS" by SUSAN PEEK on Aug. 11, 1991 at 13:58 Eastern,
about FULL TEXT RELEASES FROM UNITED METHODIST NEWS SERVICE (3005 notes).

Note 3005 by UMNS on June 11, 1996 at 16:08 Eastern (4578 characters).

SEARCH: Western Jurisdiction, episcopal, election, bishop,
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CONTACT:  Ralph E. Baker               291(11-16-18-21WJ-71){3005}
          Nashville, Tenn. (615) 742-5470             May 11, 1996

Western United Methodists to elect one bishop,
reassign others for the next four years

                 by United Methodist News Service

     Every four years the United Methodist Church's five U.S.
jurisdictions hold simultaneous conferences to elect new bishops
replacing those who are retiring or who have died during the past
four years.  
     The Western Jurisdictional Conference will hold its
quadrennial session July 17-20 at the University of Washington in
Seattle.  Delegates represent nearly 485,000 United Methodists in
the six episcopal areas covering the 10-state jurisdiction --
Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana,
Nevada, Oregon and Washington. 
     Retiring this year from the denomination's Western
Jurisdiction is Bishop Calvin D. McConnell, 67, Seattle Area.  
     At the conference bishops who continue will be given their
assignments for the next four years.
     According to the United Methodist Book of Discipline, the
church's book of law, bishops must move after two four-year terms
(a total of eight years) in the same area unless a two-thirds
majority of the jurisdictional committee on episcopacy and a two-
thirds majority of the jurisdictional conference approves the
bishop remaining in that appointment an additional four years when
it deems that assignment "to be in the best interest of the
jurisdiction."  
     The Discipline further says that a newly elected bishop shall
not be assigned to the area served in at the time of that bishop's
election.
     This year, Bishop Elias G. Galvan, 58, in the Phoenix Area;
Bishop William W. Dew Jr., 60, in the Portland (Ore.) Area; and
Melvin G. Talbert, 61, in the San Francisco Area each complete
their eighth year so that they will be eligible for reassignment.
     Other bishops serving in the Jurisdiction are:
Mary Ann Swenson, 48, Denver Area; and Roy I. Sano, 64, Los
Angeles Area.
     The following candidates have been endorsed for bishop:
     -- the Rev. Marvin B. Abrams, 61, pastor of the Native
American United Methodist Church, Norwalk, Calif., has been
endorsed by the Native American International Caucus;
     -- the Rev. Keat B. Yeoh, 55, pastor of Sand Point United
Methodist Church, Seattle, Wash., has been endorsed by the
National Federation of Asian-American United Methodists.
     Candidates nominated for bishop by annual conferences in the
jurisdiction include:
     -- the Rev. Paul Dirdak, 46, pastor of Trinity United
Methodist Church, San Francisco, by Alaska Missionary Conference
and California-Nevada Conference;
     -- the Rev. Anita Iceman, 56, superintendent of the South
District, by Desert Southwest Conference;
     -- the Rev. Edward W. Paup, 50, assistant to the bishop of
the Denver Area and liaison for ministerial services, by Rocky
Mountain Conference.
     At the jurisdictional conference in July, delegates will
write their choices on a blank paper for the first ballot. Any
candidate who receives a specified number of votes is considered a
candidate. A two-thirds majority of valid ballots cast is required
to elect in the Western Jurisdiction.
     The United Methodist Church, with approximately 9.8 million
members worldwide, was formed in 1968 by the merger of the
Evangelical United Brethren and the Methodist churches. In both
traditions, the church was superintended by bishops. Their
responsibility, according to the Book of Discipline is "To lead
and oversee the spiritual and temporal affairs of the United
Methodist Church, ...  and particularly to lead the church in its
mission of witness and service in the world."
     When his retirement is effective in September, Bishop
McConnell plans to settle in the Portland, Ore., area.
                              #  #  #

     NOTE:  United Methodist News Service will coordinate the news
room at all five jurisdictional conferences. Ralph E. Baker will
coordinate the news room services for the Western Jurisdictional
Conference in cooperation with communicators from the annual
conferences of the jurisdiction.

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