44 Bishops to Preach April 20

Written: 4/16/2008

44 bishops to preach in area churches April 20

In an unprecedented exhibition of episcopal commitment, 44 United             Methodist bishops will be preaching in the immediate Fort Worth area while attending Council of Bishops meeting and General Conference. This will be the first time in Method-ism's long history that so many of its bishops have preached simultaneously in the same area.

This group is a microcosm of worldwide United Methodism. Eleven are bishops in Africa; two serve in Europe, three  preside in the Philippines. There are three from the Western Jurisdiction, four from the North-eastern, six each from the Southeastern and North Central, and nine from the South Central Jurisdiction.

There are a number of personal relationships which make some of these preaching assignments very special.

Bishop Charles N. Crutchfield of the Arkansas Area will fill the pulpit for Dr. Jerry Chism in Fort Worth's Arlington Heights UMC. The bishop's grandfather, Finis A. Crutchfield, was the pastor of the church in 1941-1944 and he will be preaching to people who heard and appreciated his grandfather.

Bishop Felton May will preach at Genesis UMC where Rev. James Conner is pastor. They are friends, for Rev. Conner's father performed the marriage of Bishop and Mrs. May.

Bishop Monk Bryan will preach for Rev. Glenn Jones at First UMC in Weatherford. Bishop Bryan knows Weatherford well, for he was graduated from Weatherford College and honored as a distinguished alumnus of that institution.

Bishop Clay Lee, Jr. will preach on April 20 for Rev. Tim Boeglin at Colleyville UMC where one of his nephews is a member. On April 27 he will preach for Dr. Ben Disney at Fort Worth's Arborlawn church where his wife's sister is a member.

Bishop Will Willimon will preach at First UMC of Arlington for pastor Dr. David Mosser. Bishop Willimon wrote the forward for one of Dr. Mosser's books. Bishop John Wesley Hardt will preach for Dr. Thomas Childs at LifePoint UMC. Dr. Childs was a Baptist studying at Perkins School of Theology where Bishop Hardt was the bishop in residence, and it was under the bishop's influence that he became a United Methodist minister.

Bishop Hans Vaxby of the Eurasia Area will preach for Dr. Neil Norman at First UMC of Granbury, a congregation that has been active in supporting work in Russia.

Bishop Patrick Streiff of Central and Southern Europe will preach for Dr. Matt Gaston at First UMC of Denton which is active in supporting congregations in his area.

A Central Conference bishop who obviously cannot yet be named, will be surprised when his interpreter proves to be a person whom he baptized in his home country.

Bishop Woodie W. White will be preaching for Dr. John McKellar at White's Chapel where it was suggested that if he preaches with his usual elan, the church might be renamed "Woodie White's Chapel."

When asking bishops to preach, it was predicted that few, if any would be willing to do so since they would be coming long distances, going through strenuous meetings, and being involved in innumerable tiring events.

The fact that such a large number has volunteered to do so is a testimony to the dedication and commit-ment of our episcopal leadership. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Fort Worth Area United Methodists to experience the strength of their worldwide church.

Rev. Michael Patison, who with Dr. Lamar Smith had the respon-sibility for "recruiting" bishops and assigning them to local churches, found the task exhilarating. "Over the course of 46 years I had six bishops telling me where to go," he said. "Now I have gotten to tell 44 bishops where to go, and I hope they find their appointments as fulfilling and joyous as I found each of mine."

Preaching Schedule for Sunday, April 20

Bishop Daniel C. Arichea, Jr. Retired, Philippines

Meadowbrook UMC, Fort Worth

Bishop Thomas J. Bickerton  Western Pennsylvania Conference

Trinity UMC, Arlington

Bishop Benjamin Boni

Cote D'Ivoire Episcopal Area

St. Paul UMC, Hurst

Bishop Warner H. Brown, Jr.

Rocky Mt./Yellowstone Conference

First UMC, Dallas

Bishop Monk Bryan

Retired, U.S.

First UMC, Weatherford

Bishop Minerva G. Carcano

Desert Southwest Conference

Acton UMC, Granbury

Bishop Michael J. Coyner

North/South Indiana Conference

University UMC, Fort Worth

Bishop Charles N. Crutchfield

Arkansas Conference

Arlington Heights UMC, Fort Worth

Bishop Emillio J.M. DeCarvalho

Retired, Angola

Springtown UMC, Springtown

Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar

Greater New Jersey Conference

St. Barnabas UMC, Arlington

Bishop Gaspar Joao Domingos

Western Angola

St. Luke UMC, Fort Worth

Bishop Sally Dyck

Minnesota Conference

First UMC, Fort Worth

Bishop Vilot L. Fisher

North Central/Western New York

William C. Martin UMC, Bedford

Bishop John Wesley Hardt

Retired, U.S.

LifePoint UMC, Keller

Bishop John L. Hopkins

East Ohio Conference

Richland Hills UMC,  N. Richland Hills

Bishop Joseph C. Humper

Sierra Leone Episcopal Area

Colleyville UMC, Colleyville

Bishop John G. Innis

Liberia Episcopal Area

Campus Drive UMC, Fort Worth

Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton

Detroit/West Michigan Conference

St. John the Apostle UMC, Arlington

Bishop Arthur F. Kulah

Retired, Sierra Leone & U.S.

First UMC, Grapevine

Bishop Clay F. Lee, Jr.

Retired, U.S.

Smithfield UMC, Smithfield (4-20)

Arborlawn UMC, Fort Worth (4-27)

Bishop Richard C. Looney

UM Foundation for Evangelism

Lighthouse Fellowship UMC, Fort Worth

Bishop Felton E. May

Retired, U.S.

Genesis UMC, Fort Worth

Bishop Joel N. Martinez

Southwest Texas/Rio Grande Conferences

La Trinidad UMC, Fort Worth

Bishop Jane Allen Middleton

Central Pennsylvania Conference

First UMC, Joshua

Bishop Nkulu Ntanda Ntambo

North Katanga Episcopal Area

Saginaw UMC, Saginaw

Bishop Fama Onema

Retired, DR Congo

First UMC, Crowley

Bishop Bruce R. Ough

West Ohio Conference

Arborlawn UMC, Fort Worth

Bishop Edward W. Paup

Alaska Missionary/Pacific NW

Ridglea UMC, Fort Worth

Bishop Ann B. Sherer

Nebraska Conference

Alliance UMC, Fort Worth

Bishop Patrick Streiff

Central/Southern Europe

First UMC, Denton

Bishop Jose Quipungo

Eastern Angola

First UMC, Azle

Bishop Dan E. Solomon

Retired, U.S.

McMillan UMC, Fort Worth (4-20)

First UMC, Beford (4-27)

Bishop Leo A. Soriano

Davao Episcopal Area, Philippines

New World UMC, Arlington

Bishop James E. Swanson

Holston Conference

First UMC, Mansfield

Bishop Solito K. Toquero

Maila Episcopal Area, Philippines

Edge Park UMC, Fort Worth

Bishop Hans Vaxby

Eurasia Episcopal Area

First UMC, Granbury

Bishop B. Michael Watson

South Georgia Conference

Aledo UMC, Aledo

Bishop Daniel Wandabula

East Africa Episcopal Area

First UMC, Grand Prairie

Bishop Peter D. Weaver

New England Conference

First UMC, Burleson

Bishop Woodie W. White

Retired, U.S.

White's Chapel UMC, Southlake

Bishop Max D. Whitfield

NW Texas/New Mexico Conferences

St. Andrew UMC, Fort Worth

Bishop William H. Willimon

North Alabama Conference

First UMC, Arlington

Bishop David Yemba

Central Congo Episcopal Area

First UMC, Euless

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