The following quotes were pulled from the episcopal nominees’ materials that are all available on the SEJ website. For more quotes, including the references, please check out this public Trello board.

Global Regionalization

  • "For me, it's this idea of growing the church by expansion, going into what the church is, but also growing the church by extension, so churches can plant other churches."-

    Iosmar Alvarez

  • “A plan of regionalization like that proposed in the Christmas Covenant would help our global church deal with these issues in a manner of mutual respect. At the same time, we can continue to work together globally to spread scriptural holiness, serve with the poor and marginalized, and work for social justice despite our disagreements on human sexuality.”

    Tom Berlin

  • "In much the same way that we must continue to work to eliminate racism here in the United States, I believe that we are called to repent of our US-centrism and the colonialism which permeates our interactions with our brothers and sisters across the world."

    Amy Coles

  • "How do we create an environment where we are producing more adaptive leaders? In particular, I think that when we start to ask where the places where we’ve not been in mission and ministry, or where we don’t have a strong presence. To be able to expand our mission field. We are already at work in Africa and in the Philippines. We don’t have as much presence in South America, we do have some ministry there, but I think that we have to always keep asking 'what are the ways in which God is asking us to expand the mission field?'”

    Ken Nelson

  • “It’s time for us to boldly change steps, instead of fear-filled, incremental changes of self-protection and self-preservation. I welcome a new governance structure of regionalization that celebrates every region and I pray that all who remain United Methodist will embrace our diversity and commit to lives of unity gifted by the Holy Spirit.”

    Connie Shelton

LGBTQ marriage and inclusion

  • "Separation may be necessary for a time to create a space and place which ends the harming of our LBGTQIA+ brothers and sisters and fully welcomes them into the community of faith."

    Amy Coles

  • “One who stands and believes in the Wesleyan concept of grace, I think that we are in process and therefore, I think abeyance is an appropriate way to go until we have been able to work through this issue. That’s how I would approach this as an upholder of the Book of Discipline with the understanding that we are in process.”

    Byron Thomas

  • “I am for full inclusion where clergy can officiate same gender weddings, and churches can host same gender weddings, and LGBTQ people with gifts and grace for ministry [and] credentialed by the boards of ordained ministry are ordained.”

    Connie Shelton

  • “In the future I anticipate sexual orientation will also be included for appointment protection and justice.”

    Edie Gleaves

  • "You should recognize the realities of of the UMC and what our current book of discipline currently says which is that no self-avowed practicing homosexual can be a candidate for ministry in the UMC. I would also advise that [gay] candidate to give considerations to where the places God might be inviting them to serve are. There may be some other places, and you might want to keep an eye on the UMC as it discerns its future… but currently by our book of disciplines that person would not be allowed to be a candidate at this time."

    Ken Nelson

  • "I believe that homosexuality is sinful behavior, as well as not loving them and not welcoming them into our churches unconditionally, even if they don’t change."

    Iosmar Alvarez

  • “Vilification and limitations of the personhood of anyone as less than God’s good creation are beyond the bounds of our purview. Our exclusion, attacks, and violence have also perpetuated generational trauma and the loss of promising leaders to other denominations and the church. I’m uncertain how we expect to fulfill the mandate of the Great Commission by defining all to mean some.”

    Sharon Austin

  • "I'm not the arbitrator of sin."

    Sharon Bowers

  • “I affirm that the sexuality of gay and lesbian persons is an orientation that is an expression of the image of God in their lives. I have worked to change The Book of Discipline so that local churches and their pastors will be given the ability, but not the requirement, to offer Christian marriage to gay couples. Members of local churches have varying views on same-sex marriage.”

    Tom Berlin

Racial Justice

  • “The term we ought to be dealing with is white privilege…privilege in this nation has and continues to be an issue which, not only is it unchristian, but it leads to the oppression of so many people, even the persons who are in a privileged situation.”

    Byron Thomas

  • “I wonder if jurisdictions have become a symbol, like our former state of Mississippi flag, of our racist past.”

    Connie Shelton

  • "We have to continue to ask questions about racism in the world and where people experience a kind of brokenness."

    Ken Thomas

  • “As the first District Superintendent of color for the district, and only the second female, I take particular sense of accomplishment in the growing partnership with our African Methodist Episcopal Zion churches in efforts towards fostering racial reconciliation and justice.”

    Edie Gleaves

  • "What I see about racism is at its core, we don't see each other as beloved children of God. So what we do is look at a person's race and we judge their capacities and their characteristics based on the color of their skin or their ethnicity and then we make a judgment as to whether they are superior or inferior."

    Amy Coles

  • "Even though we are open itineracy, I don't think that its necessarily a good thing to just assign someone cross racially to an appointment because that could be detrimental to the congregation as well as the individual; however, I think sometimes we use that as a copout because we don't want to do the hard work."

    Sharon Bowers

  • “I have been so clear on values of inclusion, anti-racism and other important social issues that we have both lost and gained members as a result. Doing the right thing is not easy, but it is a requirement for Christian leaders.”

    Tom Berlin

  • “It makes all the difference in the world when the bishop is not only willing to call it into being (resources and intentional effort) but to ensure it (the work of anti-racism) continues and grows... The work of anti-racism is really the work of discipleship. It is a part of our sanctifying grace that we grow in this way. We have work to do and no one can do the work for us.”

    Sharon Austin

  • "I believe that the role of the church is to join and affirm the Civil Rights Movement and those victories we have in the fight for equality. Not only in equality of treatment, but also equality of opportunity, and equality of protection. Seeking to help the poor and listening to the concerns. To join the oppressed in his fight for equality and for protection and for due process before the law."

    Iosmar Alvarez

UMC Committment

  • "I believe unity in Christ enables us to agree and disagree with the peace of the Lord which passes all understanding... I want to see the church enjoy as much unity as possible but I also understand we are a global 12 million person methodist denomination. We have many cultures and we have many viewpoints. I want to be a part of a United Methodist Church that shares Christ and welcomes everyone."

    Tom Berlin

  • "We must do more. We must become and remain relevant. We must seize the moment and decide to do church differently. We must look at the context and decide to extend our parameters beyond the survival circle."

    Sharon Bowers

  • "The United Methodist Church illuminates the importance of personal holiness, which includes accountability to God, self, and others and its relationship to social holiness. I commit to remaining in a Church where personal and social holiness is vital to the practice of our tradition and where the sacraments are administered and celebrated as ongoing reminders of God’s inimitable grace in my life and those I serve."

    Sharon Austin

  • "I’m looking forward to the moment when we know who's staying and who’s leaving. After we know that, for the first time in many years, everyone who is staying and deciding to stay wants to be here. We are going to be single-minded in visions and that’s powerful. "

    Iosmar Alvarez

  • "I think the bishop is one who has to be at the center of making sure that people receive the kind of information that they need in order to be able to know what the options are."

    Ken Nelson

  • “The greatest challenge for the UMC has been the same since the beginning of the Methodist movement which is to maintain— 'In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; in all things, charity.' Whether said by St. Augustine of Hippo or by John Wesley, the UMC has been a wide umbrella seeking to practice unity, which is not uniformity, in Christian love.”

    Edie Gleaves

  • “I long for all of our churches to remain together, to reflect the breadth and depth of our shared life for the sake of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I don’t tolerate diversity, I value it.”

    Connie Shelton

  • "It starts with that attitude. That everyone is needed. Everybody is important. And that we really do do this in partnership together. That each one of us is working as a part of the community of faith."

    Amy Coles