Conferences will bid farewell to 16 bishops
Mar. 17, 2008
NOTE: A list of annual conference dates and meeting locations follows this story. A photograph is available at http://umns.umc.org.
A UMNS Report By Linda Green*
Some United Methodist annual (regional) conferences meeting this spring and summer will say goodbye to retiring bishops and become better acquainted with the candidates they have endorsed to succeed them.
The 2008 meetings will be the last for 11 retiring U.S. bishops. In July, their successors will be chosen by jurisdictional conferences, and the new bishops will begin serving effective Sept. 1. In addition, five bishops from the central conferences - regions in Africa, Asia and Europe - will retire this year or next.
Annual conference is the second of three major churchwide events this year in the United States. The 2008 General Conference, the denomination's top legislative body, convenes once every four years and meets April 23-May 2 in Fort Worth, Texas. Afterwards, the church's 63 U.S. annual conferences meet individually during the spring and early summer, followed by the conferences for the five U.S. jurisdictions, which also convene once every four years, in July.
Bishops hold the top clergy positions in The United Methodist Church and are elected in the United States for life. Bishops in Africa, Europe and Asia are elected for a specific term, and if they are not re-elected, they return to the pastorate and are no longer considered a bishop. Bishops outside the United States who retire while serving their term are considered bishops for life.
Retiring U.S. bishops as of Aug. 31 include one Hispanic man, one African-American man, four white men, two African-American women and three white women.
Church law requires U.S. bishops to retire after jurisdictional conference if turning 66 on or before July 1 of the jurisdictional year. Outside of the United States, different disciplinary requirements dictate the mandatory retirement age for bishops.
A Task Force to Study the Episcopacy is asking the 2008 General Conference to increase the mandatory retirement age by two years to 68.
Four bishops in the central conferences also are retiring this year: Joseph Humper of Sierra Leone; Benjamin Justo and Solito Toquero of the Philippines; and João Somane Machado of Mozambique. The retirement of Bishop Øystein Olsen of the Nordic and Baltic Area of Europe is effective in 2009. Their successors will be chosen at their respective central conference gatherings, which are held at various times throughout the year.
Jurisdictional conferences
The North Central Jurisdiction Conference convenes July 15-19 in Grand Rapids, Mich. Delegates will elect a bishop to succeed retiring Bishop Sharon Brown Christopher.
The Northeastern Jurisdiction Conference meets July 16-18 in Harrisburg, Pa., and will fill three openings left by the retirements of Bishops Violet Fisher, Jane Middleton and Susan Hassinger. Hassinger has served as an interim bishop to fulfill the unexpired term of Bishop Susan Morrison, who retired in 2006 for health reasons. When the delegates meet, they could decide to merge the episcopal areas of New York West and Albany, folding four conferences into one and reducing the number of bishops in the jurisdiction from 10 to nine. The proposed date for the change is 2010.
The South Central Jurisdiction meets July 16-19 in Dallas, where the retirements of four bishops will be on the agenda. Retiring are Bishops Benjamin Chamness, William Hutchinson, Joel Martinez and Alfred Norris. Norris has been serving as interim bishop since 2006 following the death of Bishop Rhymes Moncure.
The Southeastern Jurisdiction Conference convenes July 16-19 in Lake Junaluska, N.C., where delegates will elect a bishop to succeed retiring Bishop J. Lawrence McCleskey.
The Western Jurisdiction Conference meets July 16-19 in Portland, Ore., and will fill two openings being left by the retirement of Bishop Beverly Shamana and the voluntary resignation of Bishop Edward Paup. Paup was elected March 11 to lead the United Methodist Board of Global Ministries, the church's mission agency, effective Sept. 1.
Annual conferences
The annual conference is the "basic unit" of the church, according to the denomination's Book of Discipline. It may include an entire state, part of a state or even parts of two or more states. In addition, three U.S. missionary conferences rely on the denomination for funding.
During the annual conference gatherings in the United States, Africa, Europe and the Philippines, one-year appointments of all conference clergy members are announced. New deacons and elders are ordained, candidates for ordination approved, and special projects and ministries recognized. A bishop presides over each annual session.
The first session of 2008 conference gatherings was held in February when the Northwest Philippines Conference convened. The U.S. gatherings begin in May when the Red Bird Missionary Conference convenes May 9-10 in Coalgood, Ky., and will conclude June 22 with the adjournments of the California-Pacific Annual Conference in Redlands, Calif., and the Oregon-Idaho Annual Conference in Moscow, Idaho.
The United Methodist Council on Finance and Administration lists the following annual conference meeting dates and places:
U.S. ANNUAL CONFERENCES
North Central Jurisdiction
Dakotas, June 4-7, Fargo, N.D. Detroit, May 16-18, Adrian, Mich. East Ohio, June 16-19, Lakeside, Ohio Illinois Great Rivers, June 4-7, Peoria, Ill. Iowa, June 5-8, Ames, Iowa Minnesota, May 27-30 Saint Cloud, Minn. North Indiana, May 29-31, West Lafayette, Ind. Northern Illinois, June 5-7, Saint Charles, Ill. South Indiana, June 5-7, Bloomington, Ind. West Michigan, June 15-18, Grand Rapids, Mich. West Ohio, June 9-12, Lakeside, Ohio Wisconsin, June 8-11, Madison, Wis.
Northeastern Jurisdiction
Baltimore-Washington, May 22-24, Nation Harbor, Md. Central Pennsylvania, June 5-7, Grantham, Pa. Eastern Pennsylvania, May 29-30, Philadelphia Greater New Jersey, May 28-30, King of Prussia, Pa. New England, June 13-15, Wenham, Mass. New York, June 11-14, Hempstead, N.Y. North Central New York, May 30-June 1, Liverpool, N.Y. Peninsula-Delaware, June 13-15, Princess Anne, Md. Troy, June 4-7, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. West Virginia, June 5-8, Buckhannon, W.Va. Western New York, June 13-15, Buffalo, N.Y. Western Pennsylvania, June 12-15, Grove City, Pa. Wyoming, May 28-31, Scranton, Pa.
South Central Jurisdiction
Arkansas, June 8-11, Hot Springs, Ark. Central Texas, May 31-June 4, Fort Worth, Texas Kansas East, June 4-7, Baldwin City, Kan. Kansas West, May 28-30, Salina, Kan. Louisiana, June 1-4, Shreveport, La. Missouri, June 6-9, Springfield, Mo. Nebraska, June 11-14, Lincoln, Neb. New Mexico, June 3-6, Glorieta, N.M. (In joint session with Northwest Texas) North Texas, June 8-11, Plano, Texas Northwest Texas, June 3-6, Glorieta, N.M. (In joint session with New Mexico) Oklahoma, May 25-29, Tulsa, Okla. Oklahoma Indian Missionary, June 5-8, Antlers, Okla. Rio Grande, June 12-14, Corpus Christi, Texas Southwest Texas, June 4-7, Corpus Christi, Texas Texas, May 25-28, The Woodlands, Texas
Southeastern Jurisdiction
Alabama-West Florida, June 1-4, Montgomery, Ala. Florida, May 29-31, Lakeland, Fla. Holston, June 8-11, Lake Junaluska, N.C. (Called session June 1 for clergy session and ordination at Central United Methodist Church, Knoxville, Tenn.) Kentucky, June 1-4, Louisville, Ky. Memphis, June 3-6, Jackson, Tenn. Mississippi, June 8-10, Jackson, Miss. North Alabama, June 5-7, Trussville, Ala. North Carolina, June 11-14, Greenville, N.C. North Georgia, June 17-20, Athens, Ga. Red Bird Missionary, May 9-10, Coalgood, Ky. South Carolina, June 1-4, Florence, S.C. South Georgia, June 8-11, Columbus, Ga. Tennessee, June 8-10, Murfreesboro, Tenn. Virginia, June 15-17, Roanoke, Va. Western North Carolina, June 5-8, Lake Junaluska, N.C.
Western Jurisdiction
Alaska Missionary, May 30-June 1, Anchorage, Alaska California-Nevada, June 18-21, Sacramento, Calif. California-Pacific, June 18-22, Redlands, Calif. Desert Southwest, June 12-15, Scottsdale, Ariz. Oregon-Idaho, June 18-22, Salem, Ore. Pacific Northwest, June 17-20, Moscow, Idaho Rocky Mountain, June 18-21, Denver Yellowstone, June 11-15, Billings, Mont.
CENTRAL CONFERENCES
(Complete information on some conferences is unavailable.)
Austria Provisional, May 15-18, Salzburg, Austria Bulgaria Provisional, Sept. 4-7, Sofia, Bulgaria Central Luzon Philippines, May 23-25, Baguio City, Philippines Czech & Slovak Republics, May 22-25, Slovak Republic Estonia, June 12-15, Tallinn, Estonia Finland-Finnish-speaking Provisional, June 25-29 Finland-Swedish-speaking Provisional, June 14-17, Vasa, Finland Germany East, Schwarzenberg, Germany Germany North, Hamburg, Germany Germany South, Deutschland, Germany Hungary, April 9-12, Szolnok, Hungary Liberia, Harper City, Maryland County, Liberia North Central Philippines, Feb. 21-24, Tumanuini, Isabela, Philippines Northeast Luzon Philippines, March 27-30, Baguio City, Philippines Northeast Philippines, April 3-6, Rizal. Santiago City, Isabela, Philippines Northern Philippines, June 5-8, Buguey, Cagayan, Philippines Northwest Philippines, Feb. 7-10, Baguio City, Philippines Norway, June 19-22, Stavanger, Norway Pangasinan Philippines, May 15-18, Bani, Pangasinan, Philippines Poland, June 13-15, Kielce, Poland Serbia-Macedonia Provisional, Oct. 9-12, Strumica, Macedonia Switzerland-France, June 26-29, Basel, Switzerland Tarlac Philippines, Feb. 28-March 2, Matatalaib, Tarlac City, Philippines
*Green is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in Nashville, Tenn.
News media contact: Linda Green, (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
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United Methodist News Service Photos and stories also available at: http://umns.umc.org
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