Greetings Trinity Family,
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
With the Global Episcopacy Committee’s release of the nominee slates submitted by all eight Episcopal Areas today, I want to share more personally about the prayerful process that led to the recommendations from Episcopal Area 1, which includes Trinity.
Over the past several weeks, the members of our Area Committee on Episcopacy (ACE) have carried out the sacred responsibility entrusted to us by the conferences we represent, in accordance with The Book of Doctrines and Discipline (¶604.1.b). Our committee brings together clergy and lay leaders from across our global connection in Tanzania, Covenant Philippines, Mega Manila, India, Panama, Mississippi-West Tennessee and the Trinity Conference. Many voices, cultures and ministry contexts were represented around the table, yet we were united in our desire to seek the will of one Lord for the growth and strengthening of His Kingdom here on earth.
From the beginning, we approached this work with humility, integrity and complete dependence upon the Holy Spirit. We carefully reviewed the materials submitted by all 24 episcopal nominees, completed 11 initial interviews and invited four nominees to participate in a second round of interviews. After hearing from other ACEs, we invited additional nominees to meet with the Committee. Between each step, we entered seasons of prayer, fasting, conversation, and holy conferencing as we listened for the Lord’s guidance.
These conversations were not simply an evaluation of qualifications. They were an act of mutual discernment as we sought to understand how God may be calling bishops, Conferences and the wider connection into partnership for the work ahead. The five names we submitted represent more than the conclusion of a committee process; they are the fruit of a shared journey of prayer, careful listening and trust in the leadership of the Holy Spirit.
Following this time of discernment, the committee unanimously approved and submitted the following ranked slate of nominees:
Our ranked list was submitted on July 22, along with the recommendations of the other seven Area Committees on Episcopacy. The Global Episcopacy Committee has now compiled and released those slates to the wider Church, providing delegates with important guidance as they prepare for the episcopal elections at General Conference in Johannesburg August 30 – September 5, 2026.
I am deeply grateful for the prayers of the Trinity Conference throughout this process. Please continue to pray for each nominee, for the delegates who will gather in Johannesburg and for the entire Global Methodist Church as we discern those whom God is calling to serve as our episcopal leaders. May the leaders we elect embody the same spirit of prayerful, connectional partnership that has guided this process, and may every decision strengthen the unity of our global connection and advance our shared mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ and spread scriptural holiness across the globe.
Grace and Peace,
Oscar Garza, Esq.
Chair | Area 1 Committee on Episcopacy
Conference Co-Lay Leader | Trinity Conference
