Missouri Celebrates Two Candidates for Bishop
News
“I am honored that the WLT sought fit to acknowledge my gifts for the broader church,” said Lynn Dyke, Ozarks district superintendent. “This is a calling I responded to slowly after much prayer and discernment. As a member of the Missouri delegation, I will continue to support my colleague and friend Bob Farr in his call and our endorsement of him. I hope my participation in the election can further deepen the discussions around inclusion in the Church and specifically, our jurisdiction.”
Dyke is the second Missourian in the episcopal election. She joins Rev. Bob Farr, who was endorsed overwhelmingly by the delegation during its first gathering on Saturday, August 29 in Columbia.
“I welcome Lynn as a candidate and am happy to have her join the process. We are great friends and have talked about this a lot,” said Bob Farr, Director of Congregational Excellence. “We will do this together and covet your prayers.”
Farr went further during the delegation’s conference call on Sat., Jan. 9, making a motion of support: “the Missouri delegation supports the candidacy of our colleague Lynn Dyke for election as bishop.” The motion received unanimous support.
Farr and Dyke join an approximate field of 10 clergy candidates for the South Central Jurisdictional Conference episcopal elections in July 2016 in Wichita, Kansas. Annual conference elected delegations will begin interviewing candidates at end of January.
“I’m not entirely surprised that others are affirming what we, in Missouri, already know about Lynn Dyke,” said Bishop Robert Schnase. “The Missouri annual conference abounds in excellent leadership, and I wish both Bob and Lynn the best as they represent Missouri to throughout the Jurisdiction.”
The Missouri delegation comprises 12 delegates for General Conference in May 2016 in Portland, Oregon as well as an additional 12 jurisdictional delegates and 4 alternates for the Jurisdictional Conference in Wichita, Kansas in July. The delegation’s next meeting will be Feb. 20. The delegation requests prayers for their work in preparing for General Conference as well as prayers for the work of conference delegations from the South Central Jurisdiction and the broader connection.
To join Missouri Methodists in 24-hours of prayer for General Conference and its delegates on March 7, please sign up for a 30-minute session of virtual prayer at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/30e0944aeaa2ea6fd0-general.
Read the Women’s Leadership press release at: www.moumethodist.org/womensleadershipteampressrelease.
Read the Missouri delegation’s endorsement of Farr press release at: www.moumethodist.org/newsdetail/2049522.