COB History is Made as Bishop Harvey Becomes First Hispanic Woman to be President
During Spring Meeting COB decides on naming of upcoming General Conference; Colleges of Bishops to cover episcopal vacancies in wake of postponed Jurisdictional Conferences.
Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey of the Louisiana Episcopal Area assumed the mantle as president of the Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church during the council’s global and virtual April 29-May 1 meeting. Bishop Harvey is the first female Hispanic to be president of the Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church, and is also the first woman of color to lead the more than 128 active and retired bishops of the one of the largest denominations in the world."I pray that I might lead with the knowledge that we are intricately connected," said Bishop Harvey in her message after taking office. "We are a web of interactive relationships. Our connection has never been more critical. I pray I will lead with integrity, accountability, compassion, love, and grace for all."
Bishop Harvey follows Bishop Ken Carter of the Florida Area, who had led the Council of Bishops (COB) since 2018. Bishop Harvey, who has served as president-designate since 2018, was elected president at the November 2019 meeting of the bishops.
Other new COB officers:
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Bishop Tom Bickerton of the New York Area, president-designate;
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Bishop Tracy Smith Malone of the East Ohio Area, secretary;
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Bishop Bruce Ough of the Dakota and Minnesota Area, executive secretary;
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Bishop Sally Dyck of the Chicago Area, ecumenical officer;
Bishop Ough and Bishop Dyck will follow Bishop Marcus Matthews and Bishop B. Michael Watson as COB Executive Secretary and COB Ecumenical Officer, respectively, on September 1.
Reflecting on the shutdown brought by COVID-19, Bishop Harvey added, “The question of when we resume in-person worship is paramount for everyone. The recognition that the learning curve has been steep on every corner of the planet is undeniable. As bishops, we believe our churches are entrusted with the responsibility to care for our neighbor. We believe that the greatest expression of love for our neighbor has to be our priority,” she said.
The April/May meeting of the Council of Bishops also received leadership reports regarding immigration, ecumenical relations, racism, disaster relief, and other mission and ministry work around the global denomination.
Other highlights from the three-day meeting include:
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The bishops agreed that the General Conference that will be held in 2021 should be referred to as the postponed 2020 General Conference.
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The bishops approved a motion to support the young people’s call for the Commission on the General Conference to consider school/college schedules in setting the dates for the postponed 2020 General Conference.
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The bishops supported a global letter calling on the U.S. government to rescind its decision regarding funding of the World Health Organization.
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With the postponement of General Conference and the Jurisdictional/Central Conferences, the bishops see the Colleges of Bishops, in consultation with Jurisdictional/Central Committees on Episcopacy, as the appropriate bodies to provide coverage of vacancies in episcopal areas dues to retirements, with final approval by the Council of Bishops (BOD, 407, 408).