Puerto Rico extends Bishop Vera’s term to 2009
|
Bishop Juan A. Vera Méndez |
Bishop Juan A. Vera Méndez |
May 2, 2006
By United Methodist News Service*
The episcopal term of Methodist Bishop Juan A. Vera Méndez of Puerto Rico
has been extended an additional period of three years through Dec. 31, 2009.
The action was taken during a special session
of the General Conference of the Methodist Church of Puerto Rico in April.
About 83 percent
of the ministerial
and lay delegates approved the recommendation of the church’s episcopacy
and superintendency committee.
Vera was first elected in 1997 to finish the term of Bishop Víctor
L. Bonilla. At the 2000 General Conference, he was re-elected for a six-year
term.
The bishop thanked delegates for the vote of confidence and the affirmation
of his leadership and the leadership of his work team. “The Methodist
Church of Puerto Rico is in a great moment, developing projects of transformation
and social impact and evangelization all for the well-being of the church
and the country,” he said.
Vera is president of the Council of Methodist Bishops in Latin America and
the Caribbean and a member of the United Methodist Council of Bishops. He
also is assisting the Methodist church of Colombia as an “accompanying
bishop.”
The Methodist Church of Puerto Rico and the United
Methodist Church have a “concordant
agreement” that recognizes the special connection of the Puerto Rican
church, which became autonomous in 1992.
In other action, the Puerto Rico General Conference changed the name of its
annual assembly from “annual conference” to “conexional
conference,” which will meet every two years, starting in 2006.
The General Conference will be in session every six years instead of every
four years, to allow more opportunities to implement programs, projects and
initiatives before the reports are presented. Pastoral appointments and ordinations
will take place every two years instead of annually.
* Information for this report was provided by the Methodist church of Puerto
Rico.
News media contact: Linda Bloom, New York, (646) 369-3759 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
|
|