The Rev. David Graves Elected United Methodist Bishop

  • Thursday, July 14, 2016
  • John Shearer
Rev. David Graves
Rev. David Graves
The Rev. David Graves, who formerly served at Hixson and Ooltewah United Methodist churches, was elected bishop Wednesday during the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference of the church in Lake Junaluska, N.C.

Mr.
Graves, the senior pastor at Ooltewah UMC from 2001-09 and the minister of youth and recreation at Hixson from 1989-94, was the second of five bishops elected to fill open positions around the Southeast. He was elected on the fourth ballot.


To be elected bishop, a candidate must receive 60 percent of the vote of the delegates.

The conference he will serve in the Southeast will be determined Thursday, and he will be consecrated along with the other newly elected bishops Friday morning. It will be a conference other than the Holston Conference in which Chattanooga is located, as current bishop the Rev. Mary Virginia “Dindy" Taylor will be serving another four-year term.

Mr. Graves, who has served as senior pastor of Church Street UMC in downtown Knoxville since 2015, is expected to assume his new position in the coming weeks.

Prior to coming to Church Street, Mr. Graves was district superintendent of the Kingsport District.

He is the third Church Street UMC senior pastor to be named bishop in recent decades. Dr. Richard Looney was elected in 1988, while Dr. Kenneth L. Carder was chosen in 1992.

Mr. Graves grew up in Knoxville and graduated from Knoxville Central High School in 1976. The position at Hixson UMC was his first ministerial appointment.
Church
An Evening With Keith & Kristyn Getty Is Oct. 17 At Redemption To The Nations Church
  • 5/2/2024

Redemption to the Nations Church, 1908 Baily Ave. in Chattanooga will host "An Evening with Keith and Kristyn Getty" on Thursday, Oct. 17 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $40, or $100 for a family ... more

Middle Valley Church Of God Service, Sermon Titled 'There Are Three Of Us'
  • 5/2/2024

Middle Valley Church of God, located at 1703 Thrasher Pike in Hixson, Tennessee, announces that Pastor Mitch McClure will be preaching on Sunday, April 28, in the 10:30 a.m. service. His sermon ... more

Bob Tamasy: We Can Be Certain That Life's Uncertain
Bob Tamasy: We Can Be Certain That Life's Uncertain
  • 4/25/2024

Be honest: Has life turned out pretty much the way you expected? No major changes in direction, just about everything going according to plan? If that’s the case for you, congratulations. You’re ... more