UMC Panel Forces Texas Bishop's Retirement Over Administrative Skills

(Photo Credit: United Methodist News Service/Mike DuBose)Bishop W. Earl Bledsoe, leader of the United Methodist Church's North Texas Conference, gives the sermon at Katuba United Methodist Church during a visit to Kamina, Democratic Republic of the Congo, in April 2010.

A United Methodist Church regional committee on Tuesday voted to place the leader of the North Texas Conference Bishop W. Earl Bledsoe in involuntary retirement, with a committee leader saying there were concerns about his administrative abilities, not his spiritual leadership.

The South Central Jurisdiction's episcopacy committee voted 24 to4 with two abstentions, more than the necessary two-thirds margin, according to the United Methodist News Service. He can still appeal the decision to the top court in the church, the Judicial Council.

Don House, the committee chair and a lay church member of the Texas Annual (regional) Conference called Bishop Bledsoe "a dedicated Christian man in the church," according to UMNS.

"Our only concern about Bishop Bledsoe was his administrative skills," he said. "But as a spiritual leader, as a dedicated Christian, never any question."

A ruling by the Judicial Council in late 2011 found that a restructuring plan for the North Texas Conference that Bledsoe implemented did not comply fully with church law. Bledsoe had also been criticized for how consultations for clergy appointments were handled.

The decision came after a two-day committee hearing closed to the public involving Bishop Bledsoe and nine hours of deliberations.

Bishop Bledsoe said he was "disappointed" in the decision but didn't want to focus on that.

"I just want to say a big thank you to God and to my Savior Jesus Christ for the North Texas Conference and the wonderful people who faithfully serve Christ in the local setting," he said.

Bishop Bledsoe had initially announced a plan to retire on June 1, but reversed his decision on June 5, declaring he was being forced out and would not stand for it, according to the report.

He said he based his decision on positive statistical data from his conference, noting it had 20 new church starts, increased giving and two consecutive years of increased worship attendance.

House issued a report on June 8 stating that an evaluation of Bishop Bledsoe found "mixed" results.
He also said committee members did not think Bishop Bledsoe "would be an effective Episcopal leader" in another annual conference.

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