Upon the recommendation of the Committee on Episcopacy, the Western Jurisdiction has assigned Bishop Elaine Stanovsky to Greater Northwest area for the 2016-2020 quadrennium.
Elected in the episcopacy in 2008 by the Western Jurisdiction, she has served for eight years in the Mountain Sky Area of The United Methodist Church. While leading the church there she has made significant connections with the Native American community of the area and been a champion inside and outside the church for reconciliation with Native People and providing an honest telling of the history of the atrocities done in the name of the church.
Jan Nelson, Oregon-Idaho Conference Lay Leader and a member of the Episcopacy Committee shared these thoughts on the assignment, “I wish Bishop Hagiya the best in his new assignment, and I am excited to welcome Bishop Stanovsky to ministry with us in Oregon-Idaho and in the episcopal area. It will be a pleasure to help her get to know our conference and to help our members get acquainted with her. I am confident we all will do exciting ministry together.
Rev. Carlo Rapanut, Superintendent of the Alaska Annual Conference reflected, “We look forward to working with Bishop Elaine and look forward to welcoming her to the Alaska Conference.”
“Bishop Elaine will bring innate knowledge of the Greater Northwest culture; there are many things about us and the communities we serve that she won’t have to learn.” Offered Rev. Craig Parrish, “She has a deep care for clergy and for the churches that serve as beacons of God’s love. Bishop Elaine has a justice mind and heart that will serve our area well.”
A full biography is available on the umc.org website.
Bishop Grant Hagiya has been assigned to the California-Pacific Annual Conference and will begin his term there September 1.
Other Assignments:
California-Nevada: Bishop Minerva Carcaño
Desert Southwest: Bishop Robert Hoshibata
Mountain Sky Area (Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone Conferences): Bishop Karen Oliveto
Welcome home, Bishop Stanovsky!
Welcome Bishop Elaine. We in the Greater Northwest Episcopal Area look forward to your Spirit-filled leadership in the future. I greatly enjoyed your preaching at General Conference 2016, and I look forward to working with you to help transform the UMC by the fully inclusive love of Jesus Christ.
[…] Conference. This was the first time we held Annual Conference together; three conferences now – as of 2016 – share a Bishop within the Greater Northwest Episcopal area, which also includes the Alaska […]