wfn.org | [UMNS-ALL-NEWS] UMNS# 304-Northeastern United Methodists assign bishops

[NewsDesk <NewsDesk@UMCOM.ORG>]

>Northeastern United Methodists assign bishops

>Jul. 18, 2008

NOTE: A photograph is available at http://umns.umc.org.

>By Linda Bloom*

HARRISBURG, Pa. (UMNS)-The new United Methodist bishop in the Northeast
has been assigned to the denomination's Philadelphia Area for the next
four years.

Bishop Peggy Johnson will oversee the Eastern Pennsylvania and
Peninsula-Delaware annual (regional) conferences in that area.

The assignments for episcopal areas - announced July 18 during the
Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference - will take effect Sept. 1.

Because of an earlier vote to redraw conference boundaries, two
episcopal areas - New York West and Albany (N.Y.) - will be
significantly changed in 2010. Bishop Marcus Matthews has been assigned
to the New York West Area, covering the North Central New York and
Western New York conferences. Bishop Violet Fisher, who led New York
West for the past eight years, is retiring.

The Northeastern Jurisdiction's College of Bishops is requesting the
United Methodist Council of Bishops appoint retired Bishop Susan
Hassinger to the Albany Area, according to Bishop John Schol. She has
served there for about two years since the early retirement of Bishop
Susan Morrison.

Hassinger will work with the New York West Area on the realignment of
four conferences in New York state into what will become the Upper New
York Area, he said. She also will work with the Boston Area to
transition Vermont churches in the Troy Conference to the New England
Conference and with the Harrisburg Area to transition northeast
Pennsylvania churches in the Wyoming Conference to the Central
Pennsylvania Conference.

"Her assignment will be completed when the Albany Area completes its
work in 2010," Schol added.

The seven other active Northeast bishops have served in their current
locations for the past four years and have been assigned to a second
term there. They are:

Bishop Peter Weaver -- Boston Area, covering the New England Conference
and the states of Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island and New Hampshire.

Bishop Jane Allen Middleton -- Harrisburg Area, covering the Central
Pennsylvania Conference.

Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar -- New Jersey Area, covering the Greater New
Jersey Conference.

Bishop Jeremiah J. Park -- New York Area, covering the New York
Conference, which includes southern New York state and Connecticut.

Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton -- Pittsburgh area, covering the Western
Pennsylvania Conference.

Bishop John Schol -- Washington Area, covering the Baltimore-Washington
Conference.

Bishop Ernest Lyght -- West Virginia Area, covering the West Virginia
Conference.

The Northeastern Jurisdiction is home to United Methodists in
Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire,
New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and West
Virginia. It also includes the District of Columbia. The Northeastern is
one of five U.S. jurisdictions along with seven central conferences that
serve United Methodists around the globe.

*Bloom is a United Methodist News Service news writer based in New York.

News media contact: Linda Bloom, New York, (646) 369-3759 or
newsdesk@umcom.org.

>********************

United Methodist News Service Photos and stories also available at: http://umns.umc.org

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