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Northeastern Jurisdiction

Bishops
In an episcopal election that saw several firsts, the Rev. Delores Williamston (left), the first Black female bishop elected to the South Central Jurisdiction; the Rev. David Wilson (right), the first Native American bishop in The United Methodist Church; and the Rev. Laura Merrill stand during their consecration service. The South Central Jurisdiction’s service of consecration was Nov. 5 at Houston First United Methodist Church. Photo courtesy of the Louisiana Conference via Facebook.

Jurisdictions see shift in bishops, more cooperation
Even as The United Methodist Church faces mounting disaffiliations, those who plan to remain United Methodist are working together more across jurisdictional lines. Jurisdictional conferences also elected more women and more people of color as bishops.
Bishops
The Rev. Héctor A. Burgos-Núñez addresses the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference after being elected bishop on Nov. 2. Burgos, who has been serving as a district superintendent in the Greater New Jersey Conference, was elected on the third ballot. His wife, Jazelis Burgos, is at his side. The conference is meeting Nov. 2-4 in College Park, Md. Photo by the Rev. Thomas Kim, UM News.

Northeastern Jurisdiction elects Burgos-Núñez as bishop
With his election on the third ballot, the Rev. Héctor A. Burgos-Núñez became the first Hispanic/Latino bishop elected in the jurisdiction.
Bishops
The Rev. Kennetha Bigham-Tsai (right) and her husband, Kee, greet delegates at the North Central Jurisdictional Conference meeting in Fort Wayne, Ind., following her election as bishop. Photo courtesy of NCJ Communications.

North Central elects Bigham-Tsai bishop in historic vote
The Rev. Kennetha Bigham-Tsai, chief connectional ministries officer for the Connectional Table, was the first to be elected on the first round of voting within the North Central Jurisdiction’s history.
Bishops
The Virginia Conference’s Bishop Sharma D. Lewis (upper right corner) leads the devotional during the April 30 session of the United Methodist Council of Bishops spring meeting. The bishops maintained that no elections of bishops or agency board members would be held this year, despite some delegates urging otherwise. Screengrab courtesy of the Council of Bishops via ZOOM by UM News.

Bishops: No episcopal elections until 2022
United Methodist bishops declined General Conference delegates’ calls for episcopal elections this year but opened the door to a vote on new leaders in 2022.

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