Bishop's Corner
Messages from Our Bishop - August 2, 2023
8/2/2023
Greetings in the name of Jesus Christ. I am praying for our churches and our conference. As I pray, I am comforted, and I am confident. We have a strong connection and a bright future. I have been mentioned in the news more than I would prefer in recent weeks. I was named in two lawsuits – one by First United Methodist Church and another by Church of the Servant, both of Oklahoma City. I am sure you are as weary of the negative news about our conference as I am. And I long for the ...
A message from Bishop Nunn
7/13/2023
Greetings in the name of Christ. I am hopeful, and I am sad. I am excited, and I am disappointed. I invite you to join me in prayer, and that is why I am reaching out to you today. These are times of great momentum and regeneration of the United Methodist Church, especially in the Oklahoma Conference. In the aftermath of two waves of disaffiliations based on Paragraph 2553 in our Book of Discipline, we’ve lost valued members of our church. But it has also offered opportunities of extreme growth ...
Messages from our Bishop - March 6, 2023
3/6/2023
United Methodist Friends, When we focus on the mission that God has given the United Methodist Church, great things happen. The mission of the United Methodist Church is to “make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world” (Paragraph 120, The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, BOD). Last week, I shared nine simple words that point us toward the mission. Love God Love people Make a difference Make disciples I also referenced paragraph 121, a key ...
Messages from our Bishop - March 2, 2023
3/2/2023
United Methodist Friends, I have heard some people say that tough years are ahead for the Oklahoma Conference of The United Methodist Church. This forecast will come true if we abandon our mission as a Church. The mission of The United Methodist Church “is to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world” (Paragraph 120, 2016 The United Methodist Book of Discipline BOD). Paragraph 121 tells us the rationale for the mission of the church. We fulfill the mission by “...
Pastoral Letter Clarifying Calls
12/6/2022
Advent Greetings. We have entered the season of preparation called Advent. My prayer for you and your church is that you will use this time to focus on the coming of the Christ child into our midst. In an uncertain time some 2,000 years ago, God did a new thing by sending Jesus to a hurting world. During these uncertain times, may we be on the lookout for what God is doing in our midst. I am writing today to both clarify upcoming conference meetings as well as invite you to hold yet one ...
Pastoral Letter to the Church and Pastors in Oklahoma
7/8/2022
I appreciate the ministries of our local churches and pastors. There is so much good being done through our ministry and witness. Please know that I am praying for each of you during this summer season. The Conference is also blessed with an outstanding conference staff and excellent district superintendents. Everyone is working well together with a strong commitment to the mission of the church and dedication to serve with excellence in ministry. I express my gratitude to each of the ...
From Bishop Nunn regarding Discipline paragraph 2548.2
6/30/2022
Greetings in the name and power of Jesus Christ! I am writing this notice to you in order to provide guidance to those congregations that may be considering withdrawing from The United Methodist Church using Par. 2548.2 of The Book of Discipline - 2016. The constitutionality of the use of this paragraph for disaffiliation is currently being considered by the Judicial Council of the UMC. Our conference will not utilize paragraph 2548.2 until the Judicial Council affirms that its use for ...
Bishop’s State of the Annual Conference Address
6/8/2022
The theme for this Annual Conference is “Rekindle the Gifts of God: Love, Power, and Self-Control.” It is drawn from the Apostle Paul’s words to Timothy. At the time he was writing, Paul suffered feelings of abandonment and confusion, humiliation and isolation. He suffered from betrayal and wrote from prison, not knowing his fate. If we find ourselves at a loss in our current situation, I remind us to look to Paul and the setting from which he wrote. Paul encouraged Timothy to rekindle the ...
Bishop Announces October 21-22, 2022, Called Annual Conference
4/21/2022
In accordance with paragraph 603.5 of The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church, 2016, with this notice, Bishop Nunn calls a special session of the Oklahoma Annual Conference for October 21-22, 2022 at Church of the Servant, Oklahoma City. The purpose of the called session is as follows: To worship together as an Annual Conference, To receive and act on a report from the Conference Board of Trustees on recommendations for disaffiliation, To receive and act on a report from the ...
Bishop’s Call to Prayer for United Methodists
3/7/2022
In the past weeks, the world has been gripped by the news reports of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I have been in daily prayer for the situation. I urge United Methodists to join me. However, the situation did not develop overnight. Early in 2014, armed conflict erupted as Russian troops entered Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine. According to a 2017 report by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, almost 10,000 people had been killed and over 23,000 had ...