Assembly of Bishops Gather for Historic First Meeting

By Dianne Burnett

In a landmark moment for the Global Methodist Church, the Assembly of Bishops gathered for their inaugural meeting from December 3-5, 2024, in Dallas, Texas. This pivotal event signified a major milestone in the life of the denomination as the bishops came together to reaffirm their shared mission, embrace the church’s visionary purpose, and strengthen their collective commitment to Spirit-led leadership for the global body of Christ.

Rev. Mike Schafer, Connectional Operations Officer of the Global Methodist Church, participated in this gathering, demonstrating his and the bishops’ commitment to fostering collaborative and aligned leadership.

Centering on Mission, Vision, and Covenant

The Assembly of Bishops began their time together by reaffirming the Global Methodist Church’s shared mission and vision: to make disciples of Jesus Christ, spread scriptural holiness across the globe, and, through the empowerment of the Holy Spirit, multiply disciples who flourish in scriptural holiness by worshiping passionately, loving extravagantly, and witnessing boldly. This unified purpose served as the foundation for their collaboration.

“We want to operate as a leadership team, not just a team of leaders,” said Bishop Mark J. Webb on behalf of the Assembly, underscoring their reliance on the Holy Spirit and their commitment to prioritizing the church’s mission over personal preferences. A key focus of the meeting was creating a covenant to guide their work, inspired by the principles of unity, service, and transparency outlined in Ephesians 4:4-13.

Highlights of their covenant include commitments to:

• Dedicate concentrated times for prayer during every meeting.
• A dependence upon the guidance and power of the Holy Spirit.
• Respect the roles of bishops and conference superintendents while working collaboratively.
• Foster a culture of learning, spiritual growth, and transparent communication.
• Uphold holy boundaries by maintaining a balance between work, rest, and spiritual renewal.

This covenant reflects the Assembly’s dedication to leading the Global Methodist Church with integrity, unity, and a Spirit-led focus. The full covenant, which outlines the guiding principles and aspirations of the Assembly of Bishops, can be viewed online here.

Leadership Structure and Collaboration

The Assembly of Bishops took important steps to formalize their leadership structure and ensure effective collaboration. Bishop Mark J. Webb was elected Dean of the Assembly, and Bishop Jeff Greenway was chosen as the Secretary of the Assembly.

To ensure consistent communication and strengthen teamwork, the bishops have committed to meeting weekly via Zoom and gathering in person twice a year. Rev. Mike Schafer, Connectional Operations Officer, will actively participate in each in-person meeting.

Assignments to General Commissions

In addition to organizing their leadership, the bishops discerned assignments to General Commissions that will oversee key areas of denominational focus:

• Bishop Kimba Evariste: Evangelism, Church Multiplication, Missions, and Disaster Response
• Bishop Scott Jones: Discipleship, Doctrine, and Just Ministry
• Bishop Kenneth Levingston: Ministry and Higher Education
• Bishop John Pena Auta: Finance and Administration
• Bishop Jeff Greenway: General Conference
• Bishop Carolyn Moore: Ecumenical Relationships
• Bishop Leah Hidde-Gregory: Conferences
• Bishop Mark Webb and Bishop Kimba Evariste: Connectional Council

By thoughtfully distributing these responsibilities, the Assembly of Bishops aims to guide the Global Methodist Church with clarity, focus, and collaborative leadership.

A Vision for the Future: Priorities for 2024-2026

As the Global Methodist Church looks to the future, the Assembly of Bishops outlined three key priorities to guide the denomination’s growth and spiritual vitality:

• Clear Doctrinal Teaching: Anchoring the church firmly in biblical truths and scriptural holiness.
• Christ-Following Leadership Development: Equipping leaders to serve with humility, purpose, effectiveness and faithfulness.
• Holy Living: Encouraging all disciples to embody Christ’s teachings in their everyday lives.

Central to these priorities is a commitment to fostering a church-planting culture. The bishops set an intentional goal of establishing at least one African-American and one Hispanic congregation in every U.S. Annual Conference as a reflection of their dedication to building a diverse and inclusive church.

In alignment with their focus on transparency and communication, the bishops recorded a teaching video on Scriptural Holiness during their gathering. This resource, which highlights the denomination’s mission and vision, will be shared with the church early next year. To further engage the membership, profile videos are also being developed to help church members connect with the bishops on a personal level.

“This is a pivotal moment for our church,” said Bishop Jeff Greenway, “As we move forward, our goal is to cast a vision for a Spirit-filled Methodism that inspires and equips believers to worship passionately, love extravagantly, and witness boldly.”

The Assembly of Bishops’ first meeting stands as a defining moment for the Global Methodist Church, laying a strong foundation for leadership and ministry. Guided by unity and the Holy Spirit, the bishops are committed to boldly leading the church into its next chapter of growth and faithfulness.

Dianne Burnett serves as the Executive Director of Communications for the Global Methodist Church