Transitional Leadership Council Nominates Nine Persons for the Office of Two-Year Bishop if Proposed Episcopacy Legislation is Adopted
Launched on May 1, 2022, the Global Methodist Church (GM Church) continues in a state of transition until duly elected delegates from around the world meet for its convening General Conference September 20-26, 2024, in San Jose, Costa Rica. In just over two years, 4,635 local churches have joined the GM Church, and 31 provisional conferences have been organized to connect them together. The General Conference, the denomination’s principal authoritative body, will consider a number of legislative matters.
One of the important issues to be addressed is how the Global Methodist Church will provide leadership at the general church level for its annual conferences and local congregations. The Transitional Leadership Council has proposed legislation that provides for bishops to be elected as general superintendents of the Church. As part of the proposal, two-year bishops will be elected to serve on a part-time basis from November 1, 2024, until their successors are elected at the 2026 General Conference. The TLC has determined that six part-time, two-year bishops will be elected in 2024. These six two-year bishops, if elected, would join Bishops Scott J. Jones and Mark J. Webb who would serve as full-time bishops from 2024-2026.
An alternative approach has been proposed for the delegates consideration that would not elect part-time two-year bishops in 2024; it calls for waiting until 2026 to elect bishops to full six-year terms. The delegates to the convening General Conference will debate and choose between the two proposed approaches.
The TLC invited all GM Church members to submit, by July 15, 2024, the names of persons to create a diverse pool of potential nominees; fourteen names were submitted. Only one name submitted was from outside the United States. Having determined that six persons would be elected, the TLC was tasked with nominating nine individuals. On Monday, July 22, the TLC considered those fourteen names and nominated the following persons, listed in alphabetical order:
- Ryan Barnett (MidTexas)
- John Beyers (North Georgia)
- Kimba Evariste (Democratic Republic of Congo)
- Jeffrey E. Greenway (Allegheny West)
- Leah Hidde-Gregory (MidTexas)
- Kenneth Levingston (Trinity)
- Carolyn Capers Moore (North Georgia)
- Gregory D. Stover (Allegheny West)
- Rob Townsend (Northeast)
Biographical statements prepared by each of these nominees may be viewed here.
According to the TLC proposed legislation, the delegates to the 2024 convening General Conference may nominate additional candidates for the office of part-time, two-year bishop by providing a biographical statement for each additional candidate. Nominations must be received not less than thirty days before the start of the convening General Conference (August 21). They should be sent to Teresa Marcus (tmarcus@globalmethodist.org) to arrive not later than August 21.
If additional candidates are proposed, delegates will vote for up to three additional candidates to be added to the list of nominees presented by the TLC. Those additional candidates receiving a two-thirds majority vote of delegates present and casting valid ballots on a nominating ballot for additional nominees will be added to the list of nominees presented by the TLC.
Should the TLC proposed episcopacy legislation be adopted, the delegates will elect six two-year bishops. To be elected, a person must receive sixty percent plus one vote of the delegates present and casting valid votes.
Readers can learn more about the Global Methodist Church by exploring its general website, and now they can follow all the details about the convening General Conference by visiting So the World Will Know.