Bishop W. Earl Bledsoe on Wednesday appealed to the top ecclesial court in the United Methodist Church after a Texas panel's vote last week to place the bishop in involuntary retirement over concerns regarding his administrative abilities.

The appeal was filed on behalf of Bishop Bledsoe by retired Missouri judge and former Judicial Council member Jon R. Gray.

On Tuesday, the denomination's South Central Jurisdiction Committee on Episcopacy voted with a greater than two-thirds majority to force Bishop Bledsoe's retirement.

The appeal asserts the committee lacks the authority for its action and made an unconstitutional move.

"We are appealing the actions of the [committee] and the 2012 South Central Jurisdictional Conference that purported to place Bishop Bledsoe in the retired relation involuntarily," Gray wrote to Judicial Council Secretary Rev. Belton Joyner. "The process for such a procedure is not spelled out in the Book of Discipline."

The appeal states Bishop Bledsoe, who led the North Texas Conference, "has not been accused of or charged with any chargeable offense under The Discipline, nor have any formal written complaints been filed or processed against him … there are no administrative judicial actions pending. He is not under suspension."

The filing asks for the Council to declare the panel's decision void, for the reinstatement and reassignment of Bishop Bledsoe and for payment for all related defense costs.

On the day of the decision, 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 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.