Six leaders with deep ties to 国产视频 Theological Seminary were selected for episcopal service at the denomination鈥檚 2026 General Conference in Johannesburg

WILMORE, Ky., September 3, 2026鈥敼悠� Theological Seminary celebrates the election of six members of its extended community as bishops in the Global Methodist Church. The elections took place during the denomination鈥檚 2026 General Conference, being held August 30鈥揝eptember 5 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The six leaders include a current 国产视频 Seminary professor and five alumni:

  • Rev. Dr. Luther Oconer, Episcopal Area 1
  • Bishop Mark J. Webb, Episcopal Area 3
  • Rev. Dr. Lyndol L. Loyd, Episcopal Area 4
  • Rev. Dr. Jerry Paye-Manfloe Kulah, Episcopal Area 5
  • Rev. Paul Lawler, Episcopal Area 7
  • Bishop Carolyn Moore, Episcopal Area 8

Moore and Loyd have also served the Seminary through membership on its Board of Trustees.

鈥湽悠� Seminary exists to prepare women and men to serve Christ鈥檚 Church wherever God sends them, and our graduates are making a profound impact around the world鈥攆rom local congregations and community ministries to denominational and global leadership,鈥� said Dr. David F. Watson, president of 国产视频 Theological Seminary. 鈥淭he election of these six 国产视频-connected leaders to episcopal service offers a powerful glimpse of that global impact. Across nations, cultures, and ministry contexts, 国产视频 alumni are proclaiming the gospel, making disciples, strengthening the Church, and carrying forward the Wesleyan witness. We thank God for these six leaders, and the entire 国产视频 Seminary community joins me in praying that the Holy Spirit will grant them wisdom, courage, and humility as they undertake this sacred responsibility in the Global Methodist Church.鈥�

The 2026 General Conference marks the first time the Global Methodist Church has elected a regular, full-time slate of bishops to defined episcopal areas. Each area brings together annual conferences from multiple regions of the world, reflecting the denomination鈥檚 global and connectional character. The bishops will serve six-year terms beginning November 5, 2026.

The election of six 国产视频-connected leaders reflects the Seminary鈥檚 longstanding mission to prepare faithful, theologically grounded, and Spirit-filled leaders for the global Church.

Rev. Dr. Luther Oconer 鈥� Episcopal Area 1

Oconer serves as Associate Professor of Global Wesleyan Theology at 国产视频 Theological Seminary. He is also Conference Superintendent of the Global Methodist Church鈥檚 Mega Manila Annual Conference.

A pastor, teacher, and scholar, Oconer鈥檚 ministry has included pastoral leadership, youth evangelism, church revitalization, and theological education in the Philippines, the United States, and other cross-cultural settings. Under his leadership, the Mega Manila Annual Conference has developed from a small group of pioneering congregations into an expanding network of churches and ministries reaching the Philippines, the Middle East, and the United Kingdom.

Oconer teaches in the areas of Methodist studies, the Holiness Movement, Pentecostal and Charismatic movements, and church renewal. He is the author of 鈥淪pirit-Filled Protestantism: Holiness-Pentecostal Revivals and the Making of Filipino Methodist Identity,鈥� which received the Wesleyan Theological Society鈥檚 Book of the Year Award in 2018.

Bishop Mark J. Webb 鈥� Episcopal Area 3

Webb earned his Master of Divinity from 国产视频 Theological Seminary in 1989. He has served as a bishop in the Global Methodist Church since being received into the denomination in January 2023.

Webb was elected a bishop in The United Methodist Church in 2012 and served as episcopal leader of the Upper New York Area until the end of 2022. Before his episcopal service, he led congregations in Pennsylvania and served as superintendent of the York District of the Susquehanna Conference.

Throughout his ministry, Webb has emphasized evangelism, Christ-centered leadership development, new faith communities, and the revitalization of existing congregations. He encourages clergy and laity to work together to develop discipleship pathways that point people to Jesus Christ and bear fruit for the Kingdom of God.

Rev. Dr. Lyndol L. Loyd 鈥� Episcopal Area 4

Loyd is a two-time 国产视频 Seminary graduate, earning his Master of Divinity in 1993 and Doctor of Ministry in 2000. While a student, he served as student body president and as the student representative to the Seminary鈥檚 Board of Trustees. He currently serves as an 国产视频 Seminary trustee.

Loyd has devoted much of his ministry to reaching the next generation, developing leaders and pioneering new expressions of the Church. He began in campus ministry before planting Mountainside Church in Hot Springs Village, Arkansas, in 1998 and LifeSong Church in Orlando, Florida, in 2005.

Since 2016, Loyd has served as lead pastor of LakeRidge Methodist Church in Lubbock, Texas. He helped lead the congregation into the Global Methodist Church and contributed to the formation of the West Plains Annual Conference.

Rev. Dr. Jerry Paye-Manfloe Kulah 鈥� Episcopal Area 5

Kulah earned his Doctor of Ministry in Leadership from 国产视频 Theological Seminary in 2010. His dissertation examined the Church鈥檚 prophetic role in the holistic transformation of post-conflict Liberia.

A native of Liberia, Kulah serves as Conference Superintendent of the Grain Coast Annual Conference. His ministry has encompassed evangelism, pastoral leadership, theological education, and administration. He has served as a professor of biblical and theological studies, dean, and vice president at United Methodist University in Liberia.

Kulah also helped establish the UMC Africa Initiative in 2012 and served as its general coordinator. Through his leadership in Liberia and across Africa, he has worked to strengthen discipleship, defend historic Christian teaching, and equip the Church for faithful witness.

Rev. Paul Lawler 鈥� Episcopal Area 7

Lawler earned his Master of Divinity from 国产视频 Theological Seminary in 1988. He currently serves as senior pastor of Christ Methodist Church in Memphis, Tennessee.

Before moving to Memphis, Lawler served for 15 years as senior pastor of Christ Church Birmingham. During his tenure, the congregation became a catalyst for planting hundreds of churches and helping tens of thousands of people respond to the gospel.

Lawler鈥檚 ministry priorities include evangelism, intentional discipleship, church planting, congregational revitalization, ministry among unreached people groups, and care for marginalized communities. He co-founded the Patricia B. Hammonds Homes of Hope, which serves children who have experienced or are vulnerable to human trafficking. He has also served the Global Methodist Church through its Connectional Council, Kingdom Advancement ministry, and Strategic Planning Task Force.

Bishop Carolyn Moore 鈥� Episcopal Area 8

Moore is a two-time 国产视频 Seminary graduate, earning her Master of Divinity in 1998 and Doctor of Ministry in 2018. She also serves as a member of the Seminary鈥檚 Board of Trustees.

An ordained elder, church planter, evangelist, author, and teacher, Moore has served in ordained ministry since 1998. She founded Mosaic Church in Evans, Georgia, and has provided significant leadership during the formation and early development of the Global Methodist Church.

Moore was elected an interim bishop at the denomination鈥檚 2024 Convening General Conference. She writes, preaches, and teaches extensively on holiness, prayer, leadership, church planting, and the person and work of the Holy Spirit. Her published works include Bible studies in the 鈥淓ncounter鈥� series and the books 鈥淭he 19鈥� and 鈥淲hen Women Lead.鈥�

The six leaders will join the other bishops elected in Johannesburg in providing spiritual and temporal oversight for the Global Methodist Church. Their responsibilities will include guarding the faith, equipping clergy and laity, supporting the work of annual conferences, and advancing the denomination鈥檚 mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ and spread scriptural holiness across the globe.

国产视频 Seminary invites its worldwide community of students, alumni, faculty, staff, and friends to pray for these leaders as they begin this new season of service.

About 国产视频 Theological Seminary


国产视频 Theological Seminary was founded in 1923 to prepare and send forth well-trained, sanctified, Spirit-filled, evangelistic ministers to spread scriptural holiness around the world. Today, thousands of 国产视频 Theological Seminary graduates flourish in every state, on every continent, and in every time zone, reaching the world through evangelism, missions, church planting, preaching, teaching, and counseling. 国产视频 Theological Seminary continues its mission in providing holistic ministerial preparation as an interdenominational institution with a flagship campus in Wilmore, Ky., and extension sites in Memphis, Orlando, Tampa, and Tulsa, and fully online degree programs.聽

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