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March 2007 |
Bishop announces Bushfield as new director of South Council on Ministries
INDIANAPOLIS - Indiana Area United Methodist Bishop Michael J. Coyner announced recently the appointment of the Rev. Dr. James C. Bushfield as the new Director of Connectional Ministries for the South Indiana Conference of The United Methodist Church based in Bloomington, Ind. The appointment is effective July 1.
Bushfield will succeed the Rev. Robert Sharp, who has held a similar Conference Council Director position since Nov. 1, 2001. Sharp will retire in June. Currently, Bushfield is superintendent of the Columbus District based in Columbus, Ind.
In announcing Bushfield's appointment, Coyner said, "Jim will provide capable, trusted and visionary leadership in this position. I believe he will work well with the team of staff we have in place."
Commenting on Bushfield's appointment, Pat Shidler, chairperson of the Conference Council on Ministries, said, "We are delighted that he is going to be working with the South Indiana Conference Council on Ministries, he has a lot of skills he will use. In this time of transition it is good to have a person that is forwarding thinking and creative in his approach to ministry."
The position was filled by an application-and-interview process with the Executive Committee of the South Indiana Conference Council on Ministries, who presented a list of preferred names to Coyner and the South Indiana Cabinet for the final appointment. The position was open to both laity and clergy. According to Shidler, there were 11 applicants from whom the executive committee selected five to be interviewed. There were both clergy and laity who applied for the position.
As Director of Connectional Ministries, Bushfield will supervise the 17-member Council on Ministries staff based in Bloomington at the South Indiana Conference Center. The Council is responsible for the mission and ministry of The United Methodist Church in South Indiana including the annual sessions of the South Indiana Annual Conference held each June at Indiana University in Bloomington.
Bushfield has served the South Indiana Conference for 32 years. First appointed to Indianapolis' Good Shepherd UMC in 1975, he has since served Rockdale/New Trenton UMCs, Veedersburg UMC, the Methodist Temple in Evansville, Milroy UMC, Fairview UMC in Bloomington, Meridian Street UMC in Indianapolis where he served as associate pastor, and most recently as superintendent of the Columbus District, where he has served since 2002.
Bushfield holds Master of Divinity and Doctorate of Divinity degrees from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. He was chairman of the South Indiana Conference Board of Ordained Ministry and a member of the Conference Executive Committee from 1993-2001. In addition to his pastoral duties, Bushfield co-authored in 1994 with Deborah Bushfield, his wife, the book, Things They Never Taught You in Seminary.
Bushfield and his wife Deborah are natives of Indianapolis; the two met as youth during a Methodist Youth Fellowship event at Woodside UMC.
Last updated on 25 Apr 2008