Alfred W. Gwinn
Encyclopedia
Alfred Wesley Gwinn, Jr. is the current residing bishop
of the North Carolina Annual Conference
of the United Methodist Church
. He has held the office of Bishop of North Carolina since 2004. His offices are located in Raleigh, North Carolina
.
in Lexington, Kentucky
.
During his ten-year tenure at Lexington Centenary, he led the congregation through relocation and the building of an $11 million facility. Worship attendance doubled and became the largest in the conference. In addition, the church parented a new multicultural congregation, developed an ongoing ministry partnership with a congregation in Londrina, Brazil, and brought an African-American pastor on staff, the first in the conference to serve a predominately-white congregation.
They have two adult daughters: Debbie Mann and Christy Morgan. They have four grandchildren, Wesley, Luke, Tyler, and Ally.
Member of the General Council on Ministries and the Southeastern Jurisdictional Administrative Council
Resident Bishop (United Methodist)
A Resident Bishop in the United Methodist Church is a Bishop appointed to a specific Episcopal Area . A Resident Bishop also is the Presiding Bishop of any and all Annual Conferences of the Church within the Area...
of the North Carolina Annual Conference
North Carolina Annual Conference
The North Carolina Conference is an Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. This conference serves the eastern half of the state of North Carolina, with its administrative offices and the office of the bishop located in Raleigh, North Carolina. It is part of the Southeastern...
of the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
. He has held the office of Bishop of North Carolina since 2004. His offices are located in Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Raleigh is the capital and the second largest city in the state of North Carolina as well as the seat of Wake County. Raleigh is known as the "City of Oaks" for its many oak trees. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the city's 2010 population was 403,892, over an area of , making Raleigh...
.
Biography
Bishop Gwinn's last appointment was as the Senior Pastor of Lexington First United Methodist ChurchFirst United Methodist Church
First United Methodist Church is a common name for the first United Methodist church established in a particular locality. Many First United Methodist Churches exist around the world....
in Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington, Kentucky
Lexington is the second-largest city in Kentucky and the 63rd largest in the US. Known as the "Thoroughbred City" and the "Horse Capital of the World", it is located in the heart of Kentucky's Bluegrass region...
.
During his ten-year tenure at Lexington Centenary, he led the congregation through relocation and the building of an $11 million facility. Worship attendance doubled and became the largest in the conference. In addition, the church parented a new multicultural congregation, developed an ongoing ministry partnership with a congregation in Londrina, Brazil, and brought an African-American pastor on staff, the first in the conference to serve a predominately-white congregation.
Personal Life
Bishop Gwinn is married to Joyce Hannah Gwinn, a retired coronary care nurse.They have two adult daughters: Debbie Mann and Christy Morgan. They have four grandchildren, Wesley, Luke, Tyler, and Ally.
Titles and honors
- Associate Director of the Conference Council on Ministries.
- Lexington District Superintendent (during which time he served as Dean of the Cabinet)
- Chairman the of Board of Ordained Ministry (1996 – 2004)
- Chairman of the Committee on New Church Starts
- Trustee of Methodist Wesley Village and Kentucky United Methodist Foundation
- Trustee of Kentucky Wesleyan College for 14 years.
- Chairman the Area Episcopal Committee (1992-2000)
- General Conference Delegate in 1988, 1992, 1996 and 2000 (secretary of the Legislative Committee on Higher Education) and head of the delegation in 2004
Member of the General Council on Ministries and the Southeastern Jurisdictional Administrative Council
Degrees
- Bachelor's degreeBachelor's degreeA bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from University of KentuckyUniversity of KentuckyThe University of Kentucky, also known as UK, is a public co-educational university and is one of the state's two land-grant universities, located in Lexington, Kentucky... - Master of DivinityMaster of DivinityIn the academic study of theology, the Master of Divinity is the first professional degree of the pastoral profession in North America...
from Asbury Theological SeminaryAsbury Theological SeminaryAsbury Theological Seminary is a multi-denominational, graduate institution that offers a variety of master degree and postgraduate degree programs through the schools of Biblical Interpretation and Proclamation, Theology and Formation, Practical Theology, World Missions and Evangelism, and... - Honorary Doctor of DivinityDoctor of DivinityDoctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
from Union CollegeUnion CollegeUnion College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...
, Kentucky Wesleyan CollegeKentucky Wesleyan CollegeKentucky Wesleyan College is a private Methodist college in Owensboro, Kentucky, a city on the Ohio River. KWC is just 40 minutes east of Evansville, Indiana, 2 hours north of Nashville, Tennessee, 2 hours west of Louisville, Kentucky, and 4 hours east of St. Louis, Missouri...
, and Asbury Theological SeminaryAsbury Theological SeminaryAsbury Theological Seminary is a multi-denominational, graduate institution that offers a variety of master degree and postgraduate degree programs through the schools of Biblical Interpretation and Proclamation, Theology and Formation, Practical Theology, World Missions and Evangelism, and...
Pastoral Appointments
- 1967 Red House
- 1969 Mount Zion
- 1974 Associate Director, Conference Council on Ministries
- 1976 Covington First United Methodist
- 1980 Corbin First United Methodist
- 1982 Winchester First United Methodist
- 1987 Lexington Centenary
- 1997 Lexington District Superintendent
- 2000 Lexington First United Methodist
- 2004 Bishop, North Carolina Conference
- 2008 Bishop, North Carolina Conference