An Update on Our Episcopal Discernment Process

These are exciting and important days for the Trinity Conference and the Global Methodist Church! As we prepare for General Conference in Johannesburg, South Africa, later this month, I want to share where we are in the process of electing and assigning bishops and how we arrived at this moment.

For those who may be unfamiliar with the process, General Conference is the global gathering of lay and clergy delegates who make important decisions on behalf of our denomination. Among their responsibilities this year will be the election of bishops, who are also known as episcopal leaders and general superintendents. These are the women and men who will be elected to provide visionary spiritual leadership and to defend our orthodox Wesleyan doctrines and discipline across the Global church.

Our Episcopal Area’s Top Five Nominees

On July 22, our Area Committee on Episcopacy (ACE) submitted its ranking of the five nominees it most strongly believes are called and equipped to serve as General Superintendent of our Episcopal Area:

1. Rev. Dr. Luther Oconer
2. Rev. Paul Lawler
3. Bishop Carolyn Moore
4. Bishop Jerry P. Kulah
5. Rev. John Pena Auta

You may also view the complete rankings submitted by all eight Area Committees on Episcopacy.

This ranking is not the final election. Rather, it provides General Conference delegates with the prayerful discernment and perspective of our Episcopal Area as they prepare to vote.

What Happens Next

Every delegate to General Conference is now being asked to study, pray, and listen carefully for the guidance of the Holy Spirit in preparation for the election of bishops. 

• Each delegate has two primary resources available:
  • The nominees’ written responses to 33 questions related to the character, responsibilities, and work of the episcopacy.
  • The top-five rankings submitted by each Area Committee on Episcopacy following its discernment process.
• The election of bishops will take place during General Conference.
  • A nominee must receive at least 60 percent of the delegates’ votes to be elected.
  • Bishops will be simultaneously elected to the episcopacy and assigned to serve a specific Episcopal Area. 
• Newly elected bishops will be consecrated on September 5 during General Conference.
• Their terms of service will begin on November 4, 2026.

What Has Led Us to This Moment

This process has involved many months of prayer, conversation, and careful discernment.

• On September 6, 2025, the Trinity Conference elected its clergy and lay delegation to General Conference.
• Our delegation met to pray and discern whom Trinity would nominate for the episcopacy.
• The delegation nominated:
  • Rev. Heather Sims
  • Rev. Dr. Luther Oconer
• The delegation elected two representatives to serve on the Area Committee on Episcopacy:
  • Mr. Oscar Garza, Esq. 
  • Rev. Jason Burnham
• The delegation also unanimously identified the conferences with which Trinity believed it could most fruitfully share an Episcopal Area.
• On May 30, representatives from all 51 annual conferences around the world gathered for an online plenary session to establish the new Episcopal Areas.
• Trinity was placed in an Episcopal Area alongside:
  • Tanzania
  • Panama
  • India
  • Mega Manila
  • Covenant Philippines
  • Mississippi–West Tennessee
• Mr. Oscar Garza, Esq. was elected chair of our ACE.
• From May 30 through July 22, the committee:
  • Studied the qualifications and written responses of the 24 episcopal nominees.
  • Prayed and fasted together.
  • Interviewed nominees.
  • Sought the guidance of the Holy Spirit regarding those most clearly called to the episcopacy and best equipped to serve our particular Episcopal Area.
• During that discernment period, our ACE regularly communicated the progress in the process with the full delegation.
• On July 22, the committee completed its assignment by submitting its top-five ranking that is listed above.

As the Vice Chair of the Global Episcopacy Committee (GEC) of the Global Methodist Church, I am truly and deeply grateful for the prayerful and faithful work that has brought us to this point. Please continue praying for every nominee, every delegate, and the entire Global Methodist Church as we seek the Lord’s will together. May this process be marked not simply by voting, but by genuine spiritual discernment for equipping our Global movement with Holy Spirit-filled defenders of the faith for the next season of ministry together.  

Peace, 
Jason Burnham
Conference Superintendent

P.S. Feel free to explore the episcopal election process in greater detail by visiting the officialEpiscopal Elections page, the Episcopal Election Discernment Guide, and the GMC’s Episcopal Election Process Overview.  Finally, you may also want to review paragraph 604 of the Global Methodist Church’sBook of Doctrines and Discipline.