Cedrick D. Bridgeforth (born in Decatur, Alabama) is an American United Methodist clergyman who was elected bishop by the Western Jurisdictional Conference in November 2022.
He is the first openly gay African American man to be elected bishop in the United Methodist Church.
[3] He was elected on the 18th ballot at the conference held at Christ United Methodist Church in Salt Lake City, Utah.
His previous ministry appointments have included serving as pastor of Crenshaw United Methodist Church in Los Angeles, California (2003-2008); district superintendent in Pasadena, California (2008-2015); and lead pastor of Grace United Methodist Church in Los Angeles (2015-2017, 2018-2021).
[1][5] He is married to Christopher Hucks-Ortiz[1] and is the author of Alabama Grandson: A Black, Gay Minister's Passage out of Hiding (Precocity Press, 2021).