bishops

General Church
Bishops Tracy S. Malone and Ruben Saenz Jr. preside over a memorial service on April 26 during the bishops’ spring meeting in Jacksonville, Fla. Saenz is the new Council of Bishops president and co-convener of the 2026 Leadership Gathering’s design team. Malone, the council’s immediate past president, said the Oct. 20-24 event is part of the bishops’ commitment “to providing strategic, visionary, inclusive, innovative and missional leadership for the church.” Photo by Paul Gómez, United Methodist Communications.

Survey gives shape to Leadership Gathering

United Methodists participating in the Leadership Gathering got a preview April 25 of what they will be working on when they meet in October.
Bishops
Council of Bishops President Tracy S. Malone, who also leads the Indiana Conference, delivers her final presidential address during the bishops’ spring meeting in Jacksonville, Fla. She challenged the bishops to let go of anxiety about the institution and see how God is forming the church for the future. Screen shot courtesy of the Council of Bishops via Facebook by UM News.

Bishops urged to stop looking backward

In a time of great instability and injustice, United Methodist Council of Bishops President Tracy S. Malone encouraged fellow church leaders to move beyond institutional anxieties and be formed anew as witnesses for Christ.
Judicial Council
Retired Bishop Marcus Matthews and other United Methodist bishops process into the opening worship service of the United Methodist General Conference in Charlotte, N.C., on April 23, 2024. The Judicial Council, the denomination’s top court, has released three decisions, including one related to the allocation of U.S. bishops. File photo by Paul Jeffrey, UM News.

Church court overturns bishop funding structure

The United Methodist Church’s top court has ruled unconstitutional some changes General Conference made that affect the funding of U.S. bishops.
Violence
(From left) Bishop Werner Philipp, local preacher István Pásztor from Hungary, Bishop Stefan Zürcher and Bishop Knut Refsdal stand under a Ukrainian flag at Nevytske Castle, north of Uzhhorod, during their visit to Ukraine on March 26-30. The bishops’ trip was intended as a sign of solidarity and a reminder to people in Ukraine that they have not been forgotten. Photo courtesy of EmK-Öffentlichkeitsarbeit Germany, UM News.

United Methodist bishops encounter hope in Ukraine

Three European bishops traveled to western Ukraine to visit United Methodist congregations and meet people who have been living in war for years. The journey was about presence, solidarity and reminding people they have not been forgotten.

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