e-HUM Alert

July 19, 2004

Here is an article for your church newsletter.

Bishop Coyner returns to Indiana

Bishop Michael J. Coyner, current United Methodist Bishop of North Dakota and South Dakota, will return to Indiana to begin his new episcopal assignment Sept. 1. He was assigned July 17 to the Indiana Area by the 328 delegates of the North Central Jurisdictional Conference of The United Methodist Church meeting in Davenport, Iowa.

Shortly after his assignment, Coyner, 54, a native of Anderson, Ind. said, "It's very special to come back to Indiana. We have so many family connections in Indiana. And The United Methodist Church is so strong in Indiana." He also said it's an honor for him to succeed Bishop Woodie W. White. Before becoming bishop in 1996, Coyner served a year as executive assistant to White, who retires Aug. 31.

Coyner is a 1971 graduate of Purdue University in West Lafayette with a history degree. He earned his master of divinity degree from Duke Divinity School in Durham, N.C. and a doctor of ministry degree from Drew Theological Seminary in Madison, N.J.

He was ordained an Elder in the North Indiana Conference in 1975. He served Indiana congregations in Peoria, Peru, South Bend and Fort Wayne before serving as a district superintendent in Lafayette from 1990 to 1995.

Coyner has been married 34 years to his wife, Marsha. They have two grown children: Laura, an engineer with General Electric in Fort Wayne, and Steve, a student at Purdue University.

Coyner will be formally installed as Bishop of the Indiana Area of The United Methodist Church during a special worship celebration on Sunday, Sept. 12 at 4 p.m. in the sanctuary of St. Luke's United Methodist Church in Indianapolis.

A print quality color image of Bishop Coyner is available at the UMNS Web site: http://umc.org/umns/photos_headshots.asp?ptid=2&mid=2060&photo=hsc034

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