Beata Ferris, far left, joins the executive committee of the Interjurisdictional Commitee on Episcopacy on the platform for the presentation of the committee's report to General Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina. Photo by Dave Stucke, Dakotas UMC.

General Conference approved funding for 32 bishops for the 2025-2028 quadrennium. Currently, there are 39 active bishops across five jurisdictions in the United States. Based on decisions of the North Central Jurisction and General Conference, one of the current bishops serving in the North Central Jurisdiction will likely transfer to another jurisdiction.

The United Methodist Church in the United States of America is structured into five areas known as jurisdictions: Northeastern, Southeastern, North Central, South Central, and Western. Every four years, the jurisdictional conferences meet to elect new bishops, assign bishops, and select members of general boards and agencies.

The Dakotas Conference is part of the North Central Jurisdiction. The North Central Jurisdiction will meet in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, July 10-13, 2024. 

The Interjurisdictional Committee on Episcopacy, elected at the 2020 General Conference, plays a crucial role in determining the number of bishops who need to be elected in the United States. Rev. Sara Nelson, reserve clergy delegate for the Dakotas Conference, and Beata Ferris, Dakotas Conference reserve delegate, were elected and serve on this committee. Beata Ferris was elected secretary of the committee.

On the last day of the General Conference, the Interjurisdictional Committee on Episcopacy recommended, and the body approved, the number of bishops for each jurisdiction in the 2025-2028 quadrennium. There will be six bishops for the North Central, Northeast, and South Central Jurisdictions. Nine bishops will serve the Southeast Jurisdiction. Five bishops will serve as episcopal leaders in the Western Jurisdiction.

 Nine bishops currently serve the North Central Jurisdiction (NCJ). Two are retiring: Bishop Gregory Vaughn Palmer, Ohio West Episcopal Area, and Bishop Julius Trimble, Indiana Area.

In January 2024, the NCJ College of Bishops called a special session where two new episcopal areas, (1) Northern Illinois and Wisconsin and (2) East Ohio and West Ohio, were approved. The assumption, in January, was that the jurisdiction there would be seven bishops serving in 2025-2028. 

 The North Central Jurisdictional Committee on Episcopacy is responsible for the bishop assignments.  For the Dakotas Conference, Nelson and Ferris serve on that committee. The assignment of bishops will be  announced at the conference in July.