The Council of Bishops Meeting This Week

CHARLOTTE, N.C. –  The Council of Bishops (COB) of The United Methodist Church will hold its Spring meeting beginning on April 17, 2024, to prepare for the 2020 General Conference, which is being held here from April 23 to May 3, 2024. The 2020 General Conference was postponed due to the Covid epidemic.
 
The COB is made up of all active and retired bishops of The United Methodist Church. About 95 bishops are expected to attend the in-person meeting at the Omni Hotel in Charlotte.
 
Provide presidential duties.
The main duty of the bishops during the General Conference is to serve as presiding officers during plenary sessions. During the bishops’ meeting, there will be training on presiding at this General Conference. Bishops have the responsibility to see that the rules, regulations, and mission strategies approved by General Conference are carried out.
 
“While bishops have the opportunity to convene conversations and share our insights, our primary role will be that of presider, interpreter, and pray-er,” said COB President Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton. “It will be a privilege to take seriously the role of spiritual guide and intercessor for the delegates at this session of the General Conference.”
 
Celebrate historical change of leadership.
In the second week of General Conference, Bishop Tracy S. Malone, the area bishop of the East Ohio Conference, will become the president of the Council of Bishops. She will be the first Black woman to be elected to lead the more than 150 bishops in the global denomination that includes Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.
 
Bishop Malone said she will be honored to receive the gavel from Bishop Bickerton.
 
“As I receive the sacred trust as President of the Council of Bishops, I resolve to lead in a way that inspires hope, that will help to unite The United Methodist Church in our collective efforts to becoming a more inclusive, grace-filled church, and to help deepen and expand our commitment to discipleship, mission, equity, and justice in the Church and in the world,” Bishop Malone said. 
 
The other COB officers to be installed are: 

• President-Designate:  Bishop Ruben Saenz 
• Secretary: Bishop L. Jonathan Holston 
• Executive Secretary: Bishop Gregory V. Palmer 
• Co-Ecumenical Officers: Bishop Hope Morgan Ward and Bishop Rosemarie Wenner 
• Immediate Past President: Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton 

 
The current office holders are Bishop Bickerton, president; Bishop Malone, president-designate; and Bishop Holston as secretary.
 
The executive secretary serves as the operations officer of the Council and collaborates closely with the president to monitor actions of the Council and the Executive Committee. The ecumenical officer is responsible for relationships with other Churches and/or ecclesial bodies. Both serve four-year terms and will take office on September 1, 2024. Bishop Bruce Ough and Bishop Sally Dyck are the Executive Secretary and Ecumenical Officer, respectively.
 
Tackling budget concerns
The bishops’ meeting will start with opening worship and the presidential address by Bishop Bickerton, in which he is likely to address the budget challenges facing this session of the General Conference, and how to chart a new course for The United Methodist Church.  
 
The first plenary session, led by the Anti-Racism Leadership Team, will tackle racism, tribalism, and the rise of nationalism. Later during the meeting, the bishops will hear a proposal on stopping political violence and the rise of authoritarianism.
 
The afternoon will be reserved for the Memorial Service honoring bishops and spouses who have died since the bishops last met in November.
 
The bishops also plan to discuss Ecumenical work, the future of the episcopacy, and to hear updates on General Conference legislation and logistics.
 
Each day of the meeting will begin with worship service led by a cohort of newly elected bishops.