Leaders endorse Mike Lowry as candidate for bishop

The Southwest Texas Conference delegation to the 2008 General and South Central Jurisdictional conferences unanimously endorsed the Rev. J. Michael Lowry as a candidate for bishop Sept. 10.
Lowry, 57, executive director of new church development and transformation, was also endorsed for the episcopacy in 2004.
The jurisdictional conference, scheduled to meet July 13-18 in Dallas, is to elect four new bishops.
“I’m deeply humbled and honored that the delegation would endorse me,” Lowry said. “I offer myself to the jurisdiction and to the general church in the spirit of the Wesley Covenant Prayer.
“I’m committed to a vision of the church that is both open and orthodox, truly Wesleyan, unashamedly evangelical, and passionately mis-sional through ministries of love,
justice and mercy.”
The 32-member Southwest Texas delegation voted to support Lowry’s candidacy after a monthlong discernment process, said Jay Brim, delegation leader. The process involved prayer, studying Lowry’s written responses to questions developed by the South Central Jurisdiction Committee on the Episcopacy and a group interview.
“Mike’s energetic spirituality spoke to me as we interviewed him,” said Brim, conference lay leader and a member of Westlake UMC, Austin.
The Rev. Kim Cape, Austin District superintendent and clergy leader of the Southwest Texas delegation, said, “Mike brings intelligence, a deep love of the church and broad experience dealing with complex systems. Mike’s experience in new church development makes him uniquely qualified to provide dynamic leadership for the 21st century. We’re excited and grateful to be able to offer the jurisdiction and general church the quality of leadership Mike can provide.”
Lowry began his ministry in 1974 in the North Illinois Conference. He transferred to Southwest Texas in 1976.
Before joining Bishop Joel N. Martinez’s cabinet in 2006, Lowry was senior pastor of the 5,500-member University UMC, San Antonio, for five years. That’s the largest congregation in the Southwest Texas Conference.
From 1997 to 2001 he served the 2,500-member Bethany UMC, Austin. Before that he was pastor of Asbury UMC, Corpus Christi (1984 to 1997), Wesley UMC, Harlingen (1980 to 1984) and St. Paul’s UMC, Kerrville (1977 to 1980).
Lowry graduated from Earlham College, Richmond, Ind., in 1972. He received a master of theology degree from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University in 1976 and a doctor of ministry degree from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary in 1985.