2 Southwest Texans considered for bishop

	Lowry	Schnase

11 candidates seeking
to fill vacancies made
by 4 retirements Aug. 31

Two Southwest Texas Conference pastors—and another from the Rio Grande Conference—are among 11 candidates being considered for bishop next week in Corpus Christi.
The Southwest Texas Conference has nominated the Revs. J. Michael Lowry, senior pastor of University UMC, San Antonio, and Robert C. Schnase, senior pastor of First UMC, McAllen.
The Rio Grande Conference is backing the Rev. Roberto L. Gomez, pastor of El Mesias UMC, Mission.
Delegates from 15 conferences in eight south central states are to gather in Corpus Christi July 14-17 to elect four people to replace bishops retiring Aug. 31.
In addition, the South Central Jurisdictional Conference is to hear institutional reports, elect directors to oversee denominational agencies and assign bishops to geographic areas for the next four years.
The conference is to meet at the Bayfront Plaza Convention Center—traditional site of the Southwest Texas Annual Conference session—and First UMC, Corpus Christi.
The conference begins July 14 with a 6:30 p.m. Holy Communion and Memorial Service at First UMC.

 

Announced candidates for bishop Donald Avery...................Louisiana Charles Crutchfield....... New Mexico Young-Ho Chun.............. Kansas East Roberto Gomez.............. Rio Grande Robert Hayes............... Texas Scott Jones................. NorthTexas Michele Sue Shumaker-Keller...... Missouri J. Michael Lowry........... Southwest Texas Robert C. Schnase........ Southwest Texas Marie Palmer Williams Louisiana Gail Ford Smith............ Texas

Balloting for new bishops is to begin July 15 after an 8:30 a.m. organizational session. Voting is to continue through July 16 until all four bishops are elected.
Bishop William B. Oden of Dallas, one of four episcopal leaders retiring, is to deliver a “State of the Church” message to the 340 delegates—half clergy, half laity— July 15.
Carl Young, president of the jurisdictional association of conference lay leaders, is to give a laity address the same day.
During the final business session July 16, all 11 active bishops in the jurisdiction will be assigned to episcopal areas for the next four years.
New bishops will be consecrated in a 10:30 a.m. service July 17 at First UMC.
The meeting of the South Central Jurisdiction and four other jurisdictional conferences in the United States will run concurrently. The five sessions must elect 20 new bishops and assign all active U.S. bishops to geographic areas for the next four years.
A United Methodist bishop is elected for life but may lead one episcopal area for no more than 12 years. The traditional tenure is two four-year terms.
Bishops are charged by The Book of Discipline to “lead and oversee the spiritual and temporal affairs” of the church and to “guard, transmit, teach, and proclaim, corporately and individually, the apostolic faith as it is expressed in scripture and tradition, and, as they are led and endowed by the spirit, to interpret that faith evangelically and prophetically.”
Newly elected bishops are to take office Sept. 1 and fill vacancies created by the retirements of Oden; Bruce Blake, Oklahoma Area; Alfred “Fritz” Mutti, Kansas Area; and Alfred L. Norris, Houston Area.
Continuing bishops, who may stay in their current assignments or be sent to new episcopal areas, are Ben Chamness, Fort Worth Area; William W. Hutchinson, Louisiana Area; Joel N. Martinez, San Antonio Area; Rhymes Moncure, Nebraska Area; Janice Riggle Huie, Arkansas Area; Ann B. Sherer, Missouri Area; and D. Max Whitfield, Northwest Texas-New Mexico Area.
Any United Methodist elder in full connection is eligible to be elected as bishop. Nominations or endorsements are common but not necessary.
The 15 conferences in the jurisdiction have 1.8 million members. They live in Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas.