Candidates for Bishop

United Methodist News Service

Here are the candidates for the episcopacy in the 2012 episcopal elections. No candidates are listed for the Western and North Central Jurisdictions because no elections are scheduled to take place in those regions.

Southeastern Jurisdiction

• Robert Beckum, pastor of St. Luke United Methodist Church, Columbus, Ga., nominated by South Georgia Annual (regional) Conference.
• Larry Bryars, pastor of Shalimar (Fla.) United Methodist Church, nominated by Alabama-West Florida Annual (regional) Conference.
• Ken Carter, superintendent of the Waynesville District, nominated by Western North Carolina Annual (regional) Conference.
• Randy Cooper, pastor of First United Methodist Church in Martin, Tenn., nominated by Memphis Annual (regional) Conference.
• Young Jin Cho, superintendent of the Arlington District, nominated by Virginia Annual (regional) Conference.
• David Graves, superintendent of the Kingsport (Tenn.) District, nominated by Holston Annual (regional) Conference.
• L. Jonathan Holston, pastor of St. James United Methodist Church, Atlanta, nominated by North Georgia Annual (regional) Conference.
• Sharma Denise Lewis, superintendent of the Atlanta-Decatur-Oxford District of the North Georgia (annual) Conference, endorsed by Black Clergy Women Caucus.
• Bill McAlilly, superintendent of the Seashore District, nominated by Mississippi Annual (regional) Conference.
• Tim McClendon, superintendent of the Columbia District, nominated by South Carolina Annual (regional) Conference.

• Deborah A. McLeod, pastor of Mandarin United Methodist Church in Jacksonville, Fla., nominated by Florida Annual (regional) Conference.

• Ivelisse Quinones, associate pastor and lead pastor for the Hispanic ministry, St. Luke United Methodist Church, Columbus, Ga., endorsed by Methodists Associated to Represent the Cause of Hispanic Americans (MARCHA).

• H. Gray Southern, superintendent of the Durham District, nominated by North Carolina Annual (regional) Conference.

• Farley Stuart, conference superintendent, nominated by Red Bird Missionary Annual (regional) Conference.

• Debra Wallace-Padgett, pastor of St. Luke United Methodist Church, Lexington, nominated by Kentucky Annual (regional) Conference.

Northeastern Jurisdiction

• Sung H. Ahn, director of connectional ministries, Greater New Jersey Annual (regional) Conference, endorsed by the National Federation of Asian American United Methodists.

• Sandra Steiner Ball, director of connectional ministries of Peninsula-Delaware Annual (regional) Conference, nominated by the conference and endorsed by the delegation.

• Darryl Barrow, superintendent of Crossroads District in the Upper New York Annual (regional) Conference, endorsed by the Northeastern Jurisdiction Black Methodists for Church Renewal and the Multi-Ethnic Center for Ministry of the jurisdiction.

• Vicki Miller Brendler, pastor of Bridgewater (N.J.) United Methodist Church, nominated by the Greater New Jersey Annual (regional) Conference.
• J. Montgomery Brown, pastor of St. Marks United Methodist Church, Charleston, W.Va., nominated by West Virginia Annual (regional) Conference.

• Irving Cotto, director of congregational development for Eastern Pennsylvania and appointed in 2012 to be superintendent of the Northeast District, endorsed by MARCHA.

• Aida Fernandez, pastor of Hope United Methodist Church, Belchertown, Mass., endorsed by New England Annual (regional) Conference and MARCHA.

• Edward C. Horne, pastor of United Methodist Church of Westport and Weston (Conn.), nominated by New York Annual (regional) Conference.

• Heasun Kim, director of Global Women's Leadership Center, endorsed by the National Federation of Asian American United Methodists.

• Christopher J. Kurien, director of connectional ministries for Eastern Pennsylvania Annual (regional) Conference, nominated by the conference and endorsed by the National Federation of Asian American United Methodists.

• Sung Ho Lee, superintendent of the Mohawk District of Upper New York Annual (regional) Conference, endorsed by the National Federation of Asian American United Methodists.

• Martin D. McLee, superintendent for the Metro Boston Hope District of the New England Annual (regional) Conference, endorsed by the Northeastern Jurisdiction BMCR and the Multi-Ethnic Center for Ministry of the jurisdiction.

• William Meekins, superintendent of the Greensburg District, nominated by Western Pennsylvania Annual (regional) Conference.

• Eric Park, superintendent of the Washington District, nominated by Western Pennsylvania Annual (regional) Conference.

• Maxine Nixon, pastor of the Fenimore Street United Methodist Church in Brooklyn, N.Y., endorsed by the Northeastern Jurisdiction BMCR.
• Adrienne Brewington, superintendent of Long Island West District, nominated by New York Annual (regional) Conference.
• imothy Riss, pastor of Hickville (NY) United Methodist Church, nominated by New York Annual (regional) Conference.

• Rodney Smothers, pastor of St. Paul-Corkran Memorial Cooperative Parish in Oxon Hill, Md., nominated by the Baltimore-Washington Annual (regional) Conference.

• Mark Webb, superintendent of the York District, Susquehanna Annual (regional) Conference, nominated by the conference.

South Central Jurisdiction

• Cheryl Bell, superintendent of the Wichita East District, Kansas West Annual (regional) Conference, nominated by the conference and endorsed by South Central BMCR and Jurisdictional Women’s Leadership Team.

• Robert Farr, Missouri Annual (regional) Conference director of congregational excellence, nominated by the conference.

• Cynthia Harvey, director of the United Methodist Committee on Relief, endorsed by the Jurisdictional Conference Women’s Leadership Team.

• Michael McKee, pastor, First United Methodist Church, Hurst, Texas, nominated by Central Texas Annual (regional) Conference.

• Gary Mueller, pastor of First United Methodist Church, Plano, Texas, endorsed by North Texas Annual (regional) Conference delegation to the South Central Jurisdictional Conference and South Central BMCR.

• Elijah Stansell, treasurer of the Texas Annual (regional) Conference, endorsed by BMCR.

• C. Chappell Temple, pastor of Lakewood United Methodist Church, nominated by the Texas Annual (regional) Conference.
• Fred Wideman, pastor of Broadmoor United Methodist Church, Baton Rouge, endorsed by Louisiana Annual (regional) Conference delegates to the South Central Jurisdictional Conference.

• David Wilson, superintendent of the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Annual (regional) Conference, nominated by the conference.

• Eradio Valverde, superintendent of the Corpus Christi District, nominated by Southwest Texas Annual (regional) Conference.