The United Methodist Church’s top court ruled that the Council of Bishops has the authority to call jurisdictional conferences to elect and assign new U.S. episcopal leaders but not to change the date when those new bishops take office.
While acknowledging the start of a breakaway denomination, new Council of Bishops President Thomas Bickerton shared his hopes for a revived United Methodist Church. Among those leaving for the new denomination is a fellow bishop.
In her final address as Council of Bishops president, Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey urged as much unity as possible even as a new denomination plans to launch. The bishops also heard about the history of previous denominational separations.
