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New bishop to lead United Methodists
By Jim Niemijniemi@herald-leader.com
A minister who served two United Methodist Churches in Lexington and one in Paintsville has been named bishop of the denomination that serves most of Kentucky.
The Rev. Lindsey Davis takes office Sept. 1 for the Louisville Area, which includes the Kentucky Annual Conference, and the Red Bird Missionary Conference, which comprises 22 churches and a school, hospital and clinic in southeastern Kentucky. The total area stretches from Ashland to Land Between the Lakes and excludes only the far Western part of the state, near Paducah, Davis said.
”We’re happy to be coming back to Kentucky,“ Davis said.
Since 1996, Davis has been resident bishop of North Georgia. ”We had 12 good years in Atlanta,“ he said.
Davis sees good times ahead for United Methodists in the state.
”The conference is strong, and the population in Kentucky is growing some,“ he said. ”It’s always a good time to be in ministry.“
The challenge the conference faces coincides with Davis’ personal mission: planting new churches and evangelism.
”We need to find ways to reach people who are spiritually hungry but who have not found answers in the church,“ he said.
”At least half of the population (of Kentucky) is not involved in the life of the church. We need to reach out to those who are not here yet.“
Davis holds degrees from Union College, the University of Kentucky and Lexington Theological Seminary. Before being elected as bishop in North Georgia, he was pastor at First United Methodist Church and St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Lexington, and at Mayo Memorial United Methodist Church in Paintsville. He was superintendent of the Lexington District from 1994-1996.
Davis said he will continue his role as trustee at Emory University in Decatur, Ga., and as a board member of the school’s Robert W. Woodruff Health Sciences Center.
The bishop and his wife, Jennifer, have a home in Lexington but will reside in the parsonage at Crestwood, headquarters of the Kentucky Annual Conference.