July 16, 2004

McGarvey withdraws as episcopal candidate

DAVENPORT, Iowa -- The Rev. Gregory McGarvey, senior pastor of Carmel United Methodist Church, withdrew his candidacy for bishop during elections today here at the North Central Jurisdictional Conference.

McGarvey withdrew following the 12th ballot when he finished in fifth place with five candidates remaining. Another one of those five was the Rev. Mark Fenstermacher, senior pastor of Trinity UMC in Elkhart. Also remaining in contention for the third bishop to be elected at the four-day conference are the Revs. Sally Dyck of Moreland Hills, Ohio; Gregory Stover of Cincinnati; and Timothy Bias of Peoria, Ill.

In his remarks as he withdrew, McGarvey thanked his wife, Peggy, and the South Indiana Conference who had endorsed his candidacy, for their support. He then said he heard the words come to him earlier in the week, "we must lose our lives in the mission." He shared with the 328 delegates plus visitors that he was moved by a story in the Hoosier United Methodists Together newspaper about the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa and how for about 50 cents a mother can take medicine that will prevent the dreaded disease in her yet-to-be-born child.

McGarvey continued saying that he heard the message come to him again this morning, "why have you not spoken my message?" With these words he asked the conference to take a lead in preventing HIV/AIDS by purchasing medicine to prevent the disease in Africa.

After he withdrew, the Rev. Michelle Cobb, Lafayette District Superintendent, requested a ten-minute time of prayer in clusters and small groups to discern God's will for the conference. Her request was granted. Following the time of prayer, delegates cast their 13th ballot and recessed for lunch.

Yesterday, July 15, the North Central Jurisdictional Conference elected two bishops. Making history, delegates first elect the Rev. Hee-Soo Jung, the first Korean-American to be elected a bishop in the NCJ. He serves as a district superintendent in Green Bay, Wis. Later in the day, they elected the Rev. Deborah Kiesey, a district superintendent of the Iowa conference of Waterloo.

Both of these bishops-elect will join the third bishop to be elected in being consecrated bishops tomorrow morning here in Davenport. During the service of consecration, episcopal assignments for the jurisdiction, including Indiana, will be announced.

For more information, log on to www.ncjumc.org and www.umc.org.