All of the following quotes is used from the Western Jurisdiction UMC website.

Church family and friends,

I have recently returned from Salt Lake City, Utah. There 99 other delegates and I prayed, discussed and worked very hard to elect 3 new Bishops for the Western Jursidiction. Beginning January 1, 2023 we our new Bishop will begin his service for the Greater Northwest area. Our conference covers all of Washington, Oregon, parts of Idaho and Alaska. I’ve had the privilege of knowing our Bishop for many years and experience him as a man of faith, integrity and excellence.

Bishop Cedrick Bridgeforth is the first openly gay man to serve in the episcopal role. According to the Western Jurisdiction UMC “ He has been a local church pastor, district superintendent, professor and is an established author with the recent book “Alabama Grandson: A Black, Gay Minister’s Passage out of Hiding.” You can learn a lot more by clicking this link.

Bishop Carlo Rapanut has been elected from our conference. “Rapanut is the first Filipino-American to serve as a United Methodist bishop in the United States. He is also the first bishop ordained in a central conference who will serve in the U.S.” Bishop Dottie Escobedo-Frank is the final bishop we elected. You can learn a lot more by clicking this link.

This Sunday, I plan on sharing my personal experience as a voting delegate as we worship together. I look forward to seeing you in person or online!

Rev.DJ