The preachers for the 2013 session of the Iowa Annual Conference have been announced. Two are Bishops from other conferences in addition to Bishop Julius Calvin Trimble and Rev. Robert Burkhart.
Bishop J. Michael Lowry is the Resident Bishop of the Central Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church. He will speak to the Clergy Session on Friday, June 7 as well as the guest preacher for the Opening Worship Service on Saturday morning, June 8. “Bishop Mike Lowry is the spiritual leader for about 164,000 United Methodists in 320 congregations and developing faith communities. At the time of his election and consecration as bishop in July 2008, he was serving as executive director of New Church Development and Transformation in the Southwest Texas Conference in San Antonio, Texas. Prior to that, he was senior pastor at University United Methodist Church, a 5,800-member congregation in San Antonio that grew from 4,800 to 5,700 members during his tenure.”
Bishop Sally Dyck will preach at the service of Ordering of Ministry on Sunday morning, June 9. “Bishop Sally J. Dyck, ordained as a United Methodist clergywoman in 1981, was consecrated a bishop in 2004 and assigned to lead the Minnesota Area. She was reassigned for another quadrennium in 2008. In 2012, she was assigned to the Chicago Episcopal Area comprising the Northern Illinois Conference. Her leadership priorities are based on the Great Commandment and the Great Commission: to guide people to love God with their whole selves, to daily practice spiritual disciplines and to share God's love with those who do not know God. She has devised a "spiritual pyramid," based on the FDA food pyramid, which illustrates the spiritual practices that build healthy people of faith.”
Bishop Julius Calvin Trimble will preach at the Retirement Celebration on Saturday afternoon, June 8. “On July 18, 2008, Bishop Julius Trimble was elected to the Episcopacy by the North Central Jurisdiction. On September 1, 2008, he became the Resident Bishop of the Iowa Area… Ordained Deacon and Elder in the Northern Illinois Conference, Bishop Trimble served two churches: South Deering UMC in Chicago and Emmanuel UMC in North Chicago. In 1987, the Trimble family relocated to Cleveland, Ohio. While in the East Ohio Conference, Bishop Trimble served the Mount Pleasant UMC in Cleveland, as Cleveland District Superintendent, and as Senior Pastor of the Aldersgate UMC in Warrensville Heights, OH.”
Rev. J. Robert Burkhart will preach at the Memorial Service on Sunday afternoon, June 9. He currently serves as Assistant to the Bishop for Administration. He will retire on June 30 of this year. His ministry includes being Superintendent of the former Cedar Rapids District as well as pastoral appointments to St. Paul’s UMC, Cedar Rapids; First UMC, Indianola; Eldridge; Marshalltown First UMC as Associate Pastor; and Keokuk, Emmanual-Sandusky.
The 2013 session of the Iowa Annual Conference will be held June 8-10, 2013 at the Iowa Events Center/Hy-Vee Hall in Des Moines. The Clergy Session will convene on Friday, June 7, from 4:00 until 6:30 pm, in the newly-renovated Veterans Memorial Auditorium.