Retired Bishop Jane Allen Middleton will be assigned as interim bishop for the New York Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church, from Jan. 1, 2015, through Aug. 31, 2016. Bishop Warner Brown, president of the Council of Bishops, announced that the Executive Committee of the council has approved the assignment recommended by the Northeastern Jurisdiction College of Bishops. Retired Bishop Neil Irons will continue to serve as interim until Dec. 31. Irons has been serving as interim bishop since July when Bishop Martin McLee went on leave because of illness. McLee passed away Sept. 6; his funeral was September 15 at The Riverside Church.
"We continue to give thanks to God for the creative and fruitful ministry of Bishop Martin McLee who served as Bishop of the New York Conference from September 1, 2012, until his death on September 6, 2014. We invite your prayers for the McLee family, the New York Conference and all who continue to serve there," Bishop Brown's statement said. Read Bishop Middleton's bio.