bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

is a senior role in many

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

denominations. The bishop's role is typically called the "

episcopacy A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

", based on the Greek word ''episkopos'' (), which literally means overseer.

Superintendent Superintendent may refer to: *Superintendent (police), Superintendent of Police (SP), or Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), a police rank *Prison warden or Superintendent, a prison administrator *Superintendent (ecclesiastical), a church exec ...

is another translation of ''episkopos'' but in Methodist churches this is a role distinct from bishop. The first Methodist bishops were appointed in America, and American Methodist denominations still recognize the office of bishop.

Origins of Methodist episcopacy

John Wesley John Wesley (; 2 March 1791) was an English cleric Clergy are formal leaders within established religions. Their roles and functions vary in different religious traditions, but usually involve presiding over specific rituals and teaching ...

consecrated Thomas Coke a "general superintendent" and directed that

Francis Asbury Francis Asbury (August 20 or 21, 1745 – March 31, 1816) was one of the first two bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the United States. During his 45 years in the colonies and the newly independent United States, he devoted his life t ...

also be consecrated for the United States in 1784, where the

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...

first became a separate denomination apart from the Church of England. Coke soon returned to England, but Asbury was the primary builder of the new church. At first he did not call himself "bishop", but eventually submitted to the usage by the denomination. Notable bishops in Methodist history include Coke, Asbury,

Richard Whatcoat Richard Whatcoat (February 23, 1736 – July 4, 1806) was the third bishop of the American Methodist Episcopal Church. Early life Whatcoat was born in Quinton Gloucestershire, England. His mother and father were Charles and Mary Whatcoat. H ...

Philip William Otterbein Philip William Otterbein (June 3, 1726 – November 17, 1813) was an American clergyman. He was the founder of the United Brethren in Christ, which merged with the Evangelical Church in 1946 to form the Evangelical United Brethren Church. That c ...

Martin Boehm Martin Boehm (November 30, 1725 – March 23, 1812) was an American clergyman and pastor. He was the son of Jacob Boehm and Barbara Kendig who settled in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Boehm married Eve Steiner in 1753 and in 1756 he was chosen by ...

Jacob Albright Jacob Albright (also spelled Jakob Albrecht; May 1, 1759 – May 18, 1808) was an American Christian leader, founder of Albright's People (''Die Albrechtsleute'') which was officially named the Evangelical Association (''Evangelische Gemeinsch ...

John Seybert John Seybert (1791 – 1860) was an American bishop of the Evangelical Association. He was only the second Bishop of this denomination, a predecessor to the Evangelical United Brethren Church (and the United Methodist Church). He was elected ...

Matthew Simpson Matthew Simpson (21 June 1811 – 18 June 1884) was an American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, elected in 1852 and based mostly in Philadelphia. During the Reconstruction Era after the Civil War, most evangelical denominations in ...

John S. Stamm John Samuel Stamm (1878–1956
) was an American

William Ragsdale Cannon William Ragsdale Cannon (April 5, 1916 – May 11, 1997) was the dean of Candler School of Theology (1953-1968) and an American bishop of the United Methodist Church, elected in 1968. Birth and family William was born in Chattanooga, Tenness ...

Marjorie Matthews Marjorie Swank Matthews (July 11, 1916 – June 30, 1986) was an American bishop of the United Methodist Church and the first woman to serve as a Methodist bishop. Early life She was born July 11, 1916 in Onaway, Michigan, to Jesse Alonzo ...

(the first female Methodist bishop),

Leontine T. Kelly Leontine Turpeau Current Kelly (March 5, 1920 – June 28, 2012) was an American bishop of the United Methodist Church. She was the second woman elevated to the position of bishop within the United Methodist Church, and the first African American ...

Vashti Murphy McKenzie Vashti Murphy McKenzie (born May 28, 1947) is the interim president and general secretary of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. She's also a retired bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Church, and author of six books. In ...

William B. Oden William Bryant Oden (1935–2018) was an American bishop of the United Methodist Church, elected in 1988. He was born 3 August 1935 in McAllen, Texas. He was married to Marilyn Brown Oden, the author of over eight books. They have four children ...

William Willimon William Henry Willimon (born May 15, 1946) is a retired American theologian and bishop in the United Methodist Church who served the North Alabama Conference for eight years. He is Professor of the Practice of Christian Ministry and Director of th ...

, R.S. Williams (the first Methodist (CME) bishop elected from Louisiana), Teresa Elaine Jefferson-Snorton, and

Thomas Bickerton Thomas J. Bickerton (born July 2, 1958) is an American United Methodist bishop. Bickerton was raised in West Virginia and graduated from West Virginia Wesleyan College in 1980 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Psychology. Subsequentl ...

Duties

African Methodist Episcopal Church

In the

African Methodist Episcopal Church The African Methodist Episcopal Church, usually called the AME Church or AME, is a Black church, predominantly African American Methodist Religious denomination, denomination. It adheres to Wesleyan-Arminian theology and has a connexionalism, c ...

bishops are the chief officers of the Connectional Organization. They are elected for life by a majority vote of the general conference which meets every four years.

Free Methodist Church

The ''Book of Discipline'' of the

Free Methodist Church The Free Methodist Church (FMC) is a Methodist Christian denomination within the holiness movement, based in the United States. It is evangelical in nature and is Wesleyan–Arminian in theology. The Free Methodist Church has members in over 100 ...

states that "Bishops are the overseers of the church. They lead the church to fulfill its mission which requires them to be holy examples with skill and experience to provide oversight. They must understand the nature and purpose of our church. They must also be able to communicate clearly the gospel, the church's mission and the vision of the Free Methodist Church; possess a well cultivated understanding of other cultures; and identify, develop, and lead godly, competent leaders."

Global Methodist Church

In the

Global Methodist Church The Global Methodist Church (shortened to GM Church, or GMC) is a Methodist denomination of Protestant Christianity subscribing to views consistent with the conservative Confessing Movement. The denomination is headquartered in the United Stat ...

, bishops have a similar role to that in the United Methodist Church, although they are elected to limited terms, not appointed for life.

United Methodist Church

In the

United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was a leader in evangelical ...

, a resident bishop is appointed to a specific

episcopal area An episcopal area in the United Methodist Church (UMC) is a basic unit of this denomination. It is a region presided over by a resident bishop that is similar to a diocese in other Christian denominations. Each annual conference in the UMC is w ...

(i.e., the bishop ''resident'' in the area; unless a bishop happens to be retired and simply ''residing'' in the area, not assigned to it). A resident bishop is the Presiding Bishop of any and all annual (i.e., regional) conferences of the church within the area. Such bishops are said to have ''residential'' as well as ''presidential'' duties within his/her area. In the UMC, bishops serve as administrative and pastoral superintendents of the church. They are elected for life from among the ordained elders (presbyters) by vote of the delegates in regional (called jurisdictional) conferences, and are consecrated by the other bishops present at the conference through the laying on of hands. (Central conferences may choose to elect their bishop for a term shorter than life; in many cases the practice is election for a term of four years.) In The United Methodist Church bishops are not ordained in the traditional sense (i.e. belonging to the threefold ministry of bishop, presbyter, deacon) but remain members of the " Order of Elders" while being consecrated to the " Office of the Episcopacy." Within The United Methodist Church only bishops are empowered to consecrate bishops and ordain clergy. Among their most critical duties is the ordination and appointment of clergy to serve local churches as pastor, presiding at sessions of the annual, jurisdictional, and general conferences, providing pastoral ministry for the clergy under their charge, and safeguarding the doctrine and discipline of the church. Furthermore, individual bishops, or the Council of Bishops as a whole, often serve a prophetic role, making statements on important social issues and setting forth a vision for the denomination, though they have no legislative authority of their own. In all of these areas, bishops of United Methodist Church function very much in the historic meaning of the term. According to the ''

Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church The ''Book of Discipline'' constitutes the law and doctrine of the United Methodist Church. It follows similar works for its predecessor denominations. It was originally published in 1784, in the Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Epis ...

'', a bishop's responsibilities are

Annual conference

In each annual conference, United Methodist bishops serve for four year terms, and may serve up to three terms before either retirement or appointment to a new annual conference.

Council of Bishops

The collegial expression of episcopal leadership in the United Methodist Church is known is the ''Council of Bishops''. The ''Council of Bishops'' speaks to the church and through the church into the world and gives leadership in the quest for Christian unity and interreligious relationships.''The Book of Discipline of the United Methodist Church: Council of Bishops — ¶ 526'' (retrieved 27 May 2007). The ''Conference of Methodist Bishops'' includes the United Methodist ''Council of Bishops'' plus bishops from affiliated autonomous Methodist or United churches.

References

{{Portal bar, Methodism *