Eleven new United Methodist bishops were elected in three U.S. jurisdictions in conferences Wednesday through Friday. Jurisdictional conferences meet every four years, with half the delegates being lay people and clergy the other half. In 2010, conference realignments resulting from membership losses in the U.S. required that four of the five U.S. jurisdictions eliminate one episcopal post by 2012. For this reason, no bishops were elected in the Western and North Central jurisdictions after the retirement of Bishop Mary Ann Swenson (Los Angeles Area) and Bishop Linda Lee (Wisconsin Area). The Southeastern Jurisdiction [...]