Author: Cedrick Bridgeforth

Bishop Cedrick D. Bridgeforth offers a timely message of compassion and action as the federal government shutdown begins to affect families across the Greater Northwest and beyond. Pastoral leaders are encouraged to share this message with their congregations as a call to open hearts and respond to community needs.

Bishop Cedrick D. Bridgeforth has issued a pastoral letter to United Methodists in the Greater Northwest. In light of a recent IRS ruling on political endorsements, he reminds us: the Church’s mission is not aligned with parties or candidates, but rooted in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Our pulpits are not platforms for partisanship — they are spaces where love, justice, and grace are lived out.

Bishop Bridgeforth offers an early update on significant leadership transitions coming to the Pacific Northwest and Oregon-Idaho conferences. Beginning in January, we will share announcements related to new superintendency appointments and an experimental team-based model designed to bring leadership closer to the local church while easing financial burdens. These changes come as several current superintendents complete their service in the next 18 months. We’re also expanding the cabinet to include leadership in Indigenous Ministries and continuing our commitments to equity and innovation. The bishop remains committed to sharing transparently as we shape a future responsive to the needs of today’s church.

On this morning after a contentious election cycle, GNW Area Bishop Cedrick Bridgeforth shares this reminder of the people we are called to be in community.

Bishop Cedrick D. Bridgeforth shares a pastoral letter reflecting on violence in the Middle East and closer to home. He writes, "War anywhere in the world is a sign that everyone has work to do. The only way we bury our heads in the sand is to deny the interconnected nature of life and our globalized economic and war-making alliances."