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New Bishop

Bishop Mike Lowry was consecrated on Saturday, July 19, 10:30 a.m. at First United Methodist Church, Dallas and will report for work in the Central Texas Conference on September 1. 

Bishop Lowry, Executive Director of New Church Development and Transformation in the Southwest Texas Annual Conference, will serve as a general superintendent for the Church assigned to the Central Texas Conference.   Lowry saw law school and seminary and the ordained ministry as his life choice, but "that call was very clear in my life."   bio attached

The Jurisdictional Episcopacy Committee has recommended, and the  delegates have ratified, the placement of bishops for the 2008-2012 quadrennium.
     Bishop Earl Bledsoe, North Texas
     Bishop Mike Lowry, Central Texas
     Bishop Jim Dorff, San Antonio Area (Southwest Texas and Rio Grande Conferences).
All other bishops will continue in the episcopal areas they served for  the 2004-2008 quadrennium.

In the United Methodist tradition, bishops are not “ordained” as bishops, but are clergy elected and consecrated to the office of bishop.  Bishops give general oversight to the worldly and spiritual interests of the Church. Bishops also have the responsibility to see that the rules and regulations developed by General Conference are carried out. Bishops are responsible for setting all clergy appointments in the annual conferences they serve. Most bishops also serve on a general agency board, often as the president. The bishop is the presiding officer at the annual conference session and rules on points of law.