Bishops in Methodism

The bishop's role is typically called the "episcopacy", based on the Greek word episkopos (επισκοπος), which literally means overseer.

Williams (the first Methodist (CME) bishop elected from Louisiana), Teresa Elaine Jefferson-Snorton, and Thomas Bickerton.

In the African Methodist Episcopal Church bishops are the chief officers of the Connectional Organization.

They lead the church to fulfill its mission which requires them to be holy examples with skill and experience to provide oversight.

Among their most critical duties is the ordination and appointment of clergy to serve local churches as pastor, presiding at sessions of the annual, jurisdictional, and general conferences, providing pastoral ministry for the clergy under their charge, and safeguarding the doctrine and discipline of the church.

In all of these areas, bishops of United Methodist Church function very much in the historic meaning of the term.

To travel through the connection at large as the Council of Bishops (¶ 526) to implement strategy for the concern of the Church.

To provide liaison and leadership in the quest for Christian unity in ministry, mission, and structure and in the search for strengthened relationships with other living faith communities.

To divide or to unite a circuit(s), stations(s), or mission(s) as judged necessary for missionary strategy and then to make appropriate appointments.

To read the appointments of deaconesses, diaconal ministers, lay persons in service under the World Division of the General Board of Global Ministries, and home missionaries.

To fix the Charge Conference membership of all ordained ministers appointed to ministries other than the local church in keeping with ¶443.3.

To transfer, upon the request of the receiving bishop, ministerial member(s) of one Annual Conference to another, provided said member(s) agrees to transfer; and to send immediately to the secretaries of both conferences involved, to the conference Boards of Ordained Ministry, and to the clearing house of the General Board of Pensions written notices of the transfer of members and of their standing in the course of study if they are undergraduates.

The collegial expression of episcopal leadership in the United Methodist Church is known is the Council of Bishops.