August 2024

August 29, 2024

Greetings!

When I began serving as bishop for the Arkansas Conference in January of last year, I never would have guessed that I would also be assigned the bishop of the Oklahoma Conference and the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference just 20 months later. This change comes as we seek to provide episcopal leadership for the church that is both transformational and sustainable, and I am excited about the chance to be a part of this adaptive work. There will obviously be a significant learning curve during this initial time; there are already new things to figure out every day. I am grateful to be learning from other bishops across our church who lead conferences in multiple states and in some places, even in multiple countries. I trust that God is in this, leading us, changing us, and working for good in all things.

I will officially begin in this new expanded role on September 1, upon the retirement of Bishop Jimmy Nunn. Staff members of all three conferences have already been at work to coordinate my schedule. Through the fall, I will be present in all three conferences, with some priority given to being in Oklahoma. This will give me time to be on the ground at different points across that state during this early stage, getting to know new people and places. I plan to continue living in the Episcopal residence in North Little Rock and will take some time to determine the best solution for lodging while I am in Oklahoma. 

I have made sure that all of our staff administrators and directors have met the people holding their equivalent positions in the other conferences, for the purpose of building relationships and discovering opportunities for collaboration. 

In addition, as I move back and forth, I will be in frequent contact with my assistants while also maintaining regular communication with conference directors and district superintendents. Our staff and I will use technology platforms for communication and coordination of our work. We’ll use Zoom and even old-fashioned phone calls to keep our working relationships productive, transparent, and organized. Be assured that I will continue to work closely with the Arkansas Conference staff to maintain our work—making appointments, equipping lay and clergy leaders, and building connectional relationships with local churches and the worldwide church.

I want you to know that I am praying for you daily:

I pray for our clergy, who work hard to lead our communities of faith and to fulfill the many different tasks that fall to them. I pray for their own lives of faith, and I pray for their families. 

I pray for our laity, who love their churches with their whole hearts, who want to know the love of Jesus more and more. I pray for those discerning leadership roles, and for any who are feeling God tugging at their hearts or wondering what the call to discipleship means for their daily lives. 

I pray for our District Administrators and Superintendents, who work hard to stay connected to you, to assist you, and to minister to you. 

And last but not least, I pray for our conference staff, who along with many of you have struggled through the trials

of recent years. They have lost team members and have accepted increased duties for decreased compensation, doing more with less.  

My heart is with all of you, and I see you. I hope you will see and pray for each other as well.

Our church has traveled through some challenging territory, and challenges continue for some of our clergy and laity. Some continue to wrestle with decisions made by the General Conference earlier this year, while others have seen magnificent growth since that gathering. What is clear is that the call of God upon us to embody and share the love of Jesus Christ is as compelling as it has ever been. My hope is that we will work together, using every resource God has planted in and around us, to bless and build up the lives of people in our communities.  

Let’s stay connected to one another in this coming chapter as good United Methodists! Your conference and districts are offering wonderful opportunities for connection and resources for vital ministry this fall. Our staff folks are working hard as a coordinated team to make this transition a smooth one. Know that although I will be traveling more, they will keep us connected and moving together.

Some of you have asked how you can pray for me. I am asking God for an open mind and heart, ready to listen and learn. I am praying for energy, wisdom, courage, and a sense of humor. And most of all, I pray that this will be a time when our church in these places will discover in Christ everything we need to bless the world with his grace. It is to that grace that I owe my life, and if we can keep that kind of truth before us, we will surely prosper in the thing God sends us to do. 

With great hope, 

Bishop Laura Merrill