The Bishop is coming!

We are very excited to be hosting our new Bishop for Oklahoma to Faith UMC on March 30th. Our District Superintendent has asked us to have a “come and go” reception for her that day and he is inviting all the churches in the southern section of our North East District to come. I first came to Faith as the Youth Director in 2006 and I don’t remember any Bishop arriving at Faith in all these years. So I said yes immediately when asked.

Bishop Laura Merrill is originally from South Texas and much of her ministry was along the border between Texas and Mexico. She served as pastor, District Superintendent and Conference Communications Director. Bishop Merrill is a third-generation United Methodist pastor, elected at the South Central Jurisdictional Conference in 2022 on the first vote. She was then assigned to Arkansas. With the retirement of Bishop Jimmy Nunn, Bishop Merrill is now the episcopal leader for Arkansas, Oklahoma, and the Oklahoma Indian Missionary conference. She is also the first ever female Bishop to serve in our conference. I ask you to help me welcome her to Faith and to our guests hoping to meet here. If you are willing to serve on March 30th to help prepare snacks or greet, please email me here before March 23rd. I will be answering emails in the evenings next week while I am on the mission trip. My plan is to host in our beautiful chapel and to have tables in the hallway with snacks and drinks.

She has a very busy day planned in Tulsa. She will be worshiping at St Paul’s on Cherry Street for their 100th birthday. Then Pastor Seungrok and I will be joining her for lunch hosted at one of our newest congregations, Community Brookside. Then she will head south to Faith for a tour of the building and some time to rest before the reception.

Love you,