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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 (3082 notes).

Note 3080 by UMNS on July 24, 1996 at 16:32 Eastern (4678 characters).

SEARCH: black, conference, bishops, elected, geographic, assigned,
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CONTACT: Linda Green                           366(10-31-71){3080}
         Nashville, Tenn. (615) 742-5470             July 24, 1996

African American episcopal leadership in 
the United Methodist Church increases

by Linda Green*

     NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- The African-American presence among
United Methodist episcopal leaders increased slightly when four
African-American clergymen were elected bishops during the week of
July 15-19 at five simultaneous regional conferences. 
     The African-American bishops are among 17 elected by church
representatives this summer to replace those who have died during
the last four years or who retire this year.  They join six other
black bishops among the denomination's 50 active bishops in the
United States. Bishop Woodie White, an African-American, is
president of the church's 125-member Council of Bishops.
     The new African-American bishops will assume their four-year
assignments effective Sept. 1.  They are:
     * The Rev. Cornelius L. Henderson, 62, president-dean of
Gammon Theological Seminary in Atlanta, appointed to serve the
Florida Area. He was elected by delegates of the nine-state
Southeastern Jurisdiction on the ninth ballot. 
     * The Rev. Alfred Johnson, 46, superintendent of the Harry
Hosier District of the Pennsylvania Annual (regional) Conference,
appointed to the New Jersey Area. He was elected by delegates of
the 10-state Northeastern Jurisdiction, including the District of
Columbia, on the 13th ballot.
     * The Rev. Jonathan D. Keaton, 50, superintendent of the
Aurora District of the Northern Illinois Annual Conference,
appointed to serve the Ohio East Area. He was elected by delegates
of the nine-state region of the North Central Jurisdiction, on the
17th ballot.
     * The Rev. Ernest S. Lyght, 52, superintendent of the Raritan
District of the Northern New Jersey Conference, appointed to the
New York Area. He was elected by delegates of the 10-state
Northeastern Jurisdiction, including the District of Columbia, on
the 19th ballot.
     Eleven black United Methodist bishops have retired status. 
Ten bishops in the United Methodist Church serve geographic areas
throughout the continent of Africa.
     The African and African-American episcopal leaders are known
fondly as "The Ebony Bishops" by the approximately 319,870
African-American members of the United Methodist Church.
     The four African-American U.S. bishops each received 60
percent of votes cast on a ballot by an equal number of clergy and
lay delegates attending the quadrennial jurisdictional
conferences.
      The other six African-American bishops assigned to
geographic areas are:
     * Bishop Charles W. Jordan, Iowa Area;
     * Bishop Felton E. May, Harrisburg (Pa.) Area;
     * Bishop William M. Morris, Alabama-West Florida Area;
     * Bishop Alfred L. Norris of the Northwest Texas-New Mexico
Area;
     * Bishop Melvin Talbert, San Francisco Area; and
     * Bishop Woodie White, Indiana Area.
     The 11 retired African-American bishops include two who
retired following the 1996 quadrennial conferences -- Bishop
Forrest C. Stith, from the New York Area, and Bishop F. Herbert
Skeete, from the Boston Area.
     Other retired black U.S. bishops are L. Scott Allen, Edsel A.
Ammons, Edward Carroll, W.T. Handy, Jr., Leontine T.C. Kelly,
Ernest W. Newman, Roy C. Nichols, Prince A. Taylor, and James S.
Thomas.
     The United Methodist Church was created in 1968 by the merger
of the Evangelical United Brethren (EUB) and Methodist churches.
Methodists elected their bishops at one national gathering until
1940 when the jurisdictional system was established. Bishops in
the EUB Church were elected at one national gathering until the
1968 Uniting Conference.
     Bishops are elected for life and normally serve no more than
eight years in one episcopal area but may be reassigned to the
same area for a third time under special circumstances. Bishops
must retire when their 66th birthday falls on or before July 1 of
the year in which the jurisdictional conference is held.
                               # # #

     * Green is the director of the Nashville, Tenn. office of
United Methodist News Service.

     NOTE: Head-and-shoulder photos of most bishops are available
upon request: (615) 742-5470. Photos are also available for
electronic transmission by calling Mike DuBose at (615) 742-5150.

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