South Central Jurisdiction Committee on Episcopacy Recommendations

From the SCJ Committee on Episcopacy: "We intend to recommend to the SCJ Conference that there be no election of bishops in 2024. This recommendation is informed by the high number of disaffiliations in our Jurisdiction, the changing landscape of the church, and the projected financial pressures on the episcopal fund.

Bishop Jimmy Nunn, currently serving the Oklahoma, Oklahoma Indian Missionary, and Northwest Texas annual conferences, has announced his intention to retire as of August 31, 2024. As a result, there will be seven active bishops in the SCJ available for assignment in the next quadrennium.

The 2024 General Conference could always act in a way that would change our thinking. But given what we know today, as we consider ministry affinities, geographic proximity, and relative annual conference strength, we intend to make the following recommendations to the 2024 SCJC regarding episcopal areas:

1. One bishop assigned to the Arkansas Episcopal Area and the Oklahoma Episcopal Area (OK and OIMC annual conferences)

2. One bishop assigned to the Dallas-Fort Worth Episcopal Area (Central Texas, North Texas, and Northwest Texas annual conferences or their successor)

3. One bishop assigned to the Houston Episcopal Area (Texas Annual Conference)

4. One bishop assigned to the Great Plains Episcopal Area

5. One bishop assigned to the Louisiana Episcopal Area

6. One bishop assigned to the Missouri Episcopal Area

7. One bishop assigned to the New Mexico Episcopal Area and the Rio Texas Episcopal Area

We make these recommendations after extensive consultation with the SCJ college of bishops and in line with their recommendations to us. These recommendations as well as the specific bishops assigned to each area, will need to be voted on by the Jurisdictional Conference in July."