The Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church has approved episcopal supervision recommendations for the Southeastern Jurisdiction due to the retirement of four bishops.
After much prayer and discernment, the bishops have approved Bishop Leonard Fairley as resident bishop of the North Carolina Conference (Raleigh area), in addition to his role as resident bishop of the Kentucky Conference (Louisville Area).
“We are delighted and grateful that Bishop Fairley will lead the NC Conference. He will know many of us as he arrives, knows our context, and he is indeed “one of us,” says Gray Southern and Emily Innes, who serve on the Jurisdictional Committee on Episcopacy.
As we welcome Bishop Fairley back to North Carolina, let us pray for him, his leadership, his family, and our conference.
Loving God, we praise you for being our Shepherd. We praise you too for the gift of Bishop Leonard Fairley, who will come among us again to guide us as our bishop. Strengthen him to serve you and us. Encourage him with your Spirit. Guide him to lead us to grow together in unity, love, and service. Inspire him to offer us your truth. Care for him as we seek to care for one another, serve the world, and offer Christ to all. Give us wisdom and grace to follow your leading power and sustain us with Bishop Fairley to honor you with our lives, lives you have redeemed and made new in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.