In September United Methodist bishops across the United States took on additional work as some of their colleagues retired.
With the second pandemic-caused delay of General Conference, the Council of Bishops also has postponed the jurisdictional conferences that elect U.S. episcopal leaders. The five U.S. jurisdictional conferences are now scheduled for Nov. 2-4, 2022, with central conference elections in Europe, Africa and the Philippines to follow.
In the meantime, 11 U.S. bishops who already postponed their retirement after General Conference’s first delay are stepping down or taking on new roles as they bump up against the denomination’s age requirements for bishops to retire. Two have already taken new roles with the Council of Bishops. Of the other retirements, six take effect Sept. 1, one on Oct. 1 and two on Jan. 1, 2022.
That leaves other bishops to take on interim roles. Five bishops who planned to retire also have agreed to stay on.
Bishops, in consultation with their episcopacy committees, have made plans to provide interim episcopal supervision. The Council of Bishops approved each jurisdiction’s plans.
Active bishops who take on more work do not receive additional pay. The board of the General Council on Finance and Administration sets the compensation for all bishops. Retired bishops who take on interim roles receive the difference between the retired bishop’s pension amount and a bishop’s current salary level. The GCFA board has kept bishops’ pay flat since 2019.
The result is that as some bishops step down and other bishops take on expanded assignments, they are also shoring up the financially strapped Episcopal Fund that supports bishops’ work.
Here are the episcopal assignments for this transitional time, listed by conference.
Dakotas and Iowa: Bishop Laurie Haller.
East Ohio: Bishop Tracy S. Malone.
Illinois Great Rivers: Bishop Frank J. Beard is on medical leave through Dec. 31. In the interim, Bishop Gregory V. Palmer will lead both the Illinois Great Rivers and West Ohio conferences.
Indiana: Bishop Julius C. Trimble
Michigan and Minnesota: Bishop David Bard.
Northern Illinois: Retired Bishop John Hopkins is assigned to serve from Jan. 1 until another bishop is assigned, no later than Dec. 31.
Wisconsin: Bishop Hee-Soo Jung.
Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware: Bishop LaTrelle Easterling.
Greater New Jersey and Eastern Pennsylvania: Bishop John Schol.
New England: Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar, who has delayed his retirement.
New York: Bishop Thomas Bickerton, who is also Council of Bishops president-designate.
Upper New York: Bishop Mark Webb.
West Virginia, Western Pennsylvania and Susquehanna: Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi and Bishop Sandra Steiner Ball.
Arkansas: Bishop Gary Mueller
Central Texas and Great Plains: Bishop Ruben Saenz Jr.
Louisiana: Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey, who is also Council of Bishops president
Missouri: Bishop Robert “Bob” Farr.
New Mexico and Rio Texas: Bishop Robert C. Schnase.
North Texas: Bishop Mike McKee, who is delaying his retirement.
Northwest Texas, Oklahoma and Oklahoma Indian Missionary: Bishop James G. Nunn.
Texas: Bishop Scott Jones.
Alabama-West Florida and South Georgia: Bishop David Graves.
Florida and Western North Carolina: Bishop Ken Carter.
Kentucky, Red Bird Missionary and North Carolina: Bishop Leonard Fairley.
Mississippi: Bishop James Swanson Sr., who is delaying his retirement.
North Alabama and Holston: Bishop Debbie Wallace-Padgett.
North Georgia: Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson.
South Carolina: Bishop L. Jonathan Holston.
Tennessee and Memphis, proposed to become Tennessee-Western Kentucky in January: Bishop Bill McAlilly.
Virginia: Bishop Sharma Lewis.
Desert Southwest and California-Pacific Conference: Bishop Grant Hagiya, who is also delaying his retirement.
California-Nevada Conference: Bishop Minerva Carcaño.
Alaska, Oregon-Idaho, Pacific Northwest: Bishop Elaine JW Stanovsky, who is also delaying her retirement.
Mountain Sky: Bishop Karen Oliveto.
excerpt from a story by Julie Dwyer, News Media Contact, UMNS
One of seven apportioned giving opportunities of The United Methodist Church, the Episcopal Fund pays for bishops’ salaries, office and travel expenses, and pension and health-benefit coverage. Please encourage your leaders and congregations to support the Episcopal Fund apportionment at 100 percent.
