Retired bishop named to fill Dallas post

Alfred Norris to serve through
August 2008 for Rhymes Moncure

United Methodist News Service
DALLAS—Retired Bishop Alfred L. Norris has been assigned to lead the North Texas Conference through August 2008.
Norris, 68, who retired from the active episcopacy in 2004, is completing the term of the late Bishop Rhymes H. Moncure Jr. in the Dallas Episcopal Area.
Moncure died Aug. 19 following complications from neurosurgery.
Norris is to succeed Moncure Nov. 1, Bishop Robert Schnase (Missouri Episcopal Area), president of the South Central Jurisdiction College of Bishops, announced Sept. 13.
“I hope you will join with me in giving God thanks for the gifts of ministry that Bishop Norris and his wife, Mackie, bring to the United Methodist churches of the North Texas Conference,” Schnase said in a letter to conference members.
Schnase praised Moncure’s ministry. The late bishop served as a pastor in the Missouri Conference before being elected to the episcopacy in 2000. Moncure supervised the Nebraska Episcopal Area for four years before being appointed to the Dallas Episcopal Area.
“Bishop Moncure blessed us all with his life and ministry, and his death has been painful for everyone,” Schnase wrote. “I thank the pastors and lay members of the conference for your prayers, faithfulness and understanding during this time of grief and transition.”
The Council of Bishops is responsible for filling episcopal vacancies when bishops die, retire from office, resign, face judicial action or take on special assignments, Paragraph 408 of the 2004 United Methodist Book of Discipline says.
The jurisdictional college of bishops recommends to the full council names to fill the vacancy, following consultation with the jurisdictional committee on episcopacy. That committee assigns bishops to episcopal areas.
Discipline Paragraph 519.2 says the committee may recommend the reassignment of one or more previously elected bishops.
Norris, 68, was elected to the episcopacy in 1992 and served eight years as leader of the New Mexico and Northwest Texas Episcopal Area. From 2000 to 2004 he was bishop of the Houston Episcopal Area.
He is now bishop in residence at Gammon Theological Seminary, Atlanta. He was president of that seminary at the time he was elected a bishop.
Born in Bogalusa, La., Norris is a graduate of Dillard University, New Orleans, and Gammon. He served four pastorates in the Louisiana Conference and was New Orleans District superintendent before becoming director of recruitment, and later, president of Gammon.
Norris was featured preacher for the 2003 Bishop’s Thanksgiving Gathering at University UMC, San Antonio.