For Immediate Release
Wednesday, January 08, 2020
Bishop Michael Coyner dies
Bishop Michael Coyner, former retired Bishop of Indiana Area, died today January 8, 2020. Bishop Coyner had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer that had spread to his liver.
Mike Coyner is originally from Anderson, Indiana. He received his B.A. from Purdue University, his M. Div. from Duke Divinity School, and his Doctor of Ministry from Drew Theological School. He has also received honorary doctorates from Dakota Wesleyan University and from the University of Evansville.
He was elected a bishop of The United Methodist Church in 1996 and was assigned to serve the Dakotas Area, where he served two terms. In 2004, he has assigned to return to the Indiana Area as Bishop. He oversaw the life and ministry of 1250 United Methodist congregations in the North and South Indiana Conferences, comprising more than 225,000 members.
He is the author of several articles and three books from Abingdon Press:
Making a Good Move: Opening the Door to an Effective New Pastorate (1999), Prairie Wisdom: Reflections on Life in the Dakotas (2000), and
The Race to Reach Out: Connecting Newcomers to Christ in a New Century (2004).
He is survived by his wife, Marsha Lynn , and two children: Laura, an engineer employed with General Electric in Louisville, KY; and Steve, a pharmaceutical sales representative with TAP in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Funeral arrangements have not been finalized and we will inform of details as soon as we get them. Please keep the Coyner family in your prayers.
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Media Contact: Rev. Dr. Maidstone Mulenga
Director of Communications – Council of Bishops
The United Methodist Church
mmulenga@umc-cob.org
202-748-5172
www.unitedmethodistbishops.org
