Rüdiger Rainer Minor
Encyclopedia
Rüdiger Rainer Minor is a German
Bishop
of the United Methodist Church
, elected in 1986. He was born 22 February 1939 in Leipzig, Germany, the son of a Methodist family. He went to school and university in his home city. He is a graduate of Karl Marx University
, Leipzig (Dr. Theol.
and Dr. Theol. Habil., 1968) and of the United Methodist Theological Seminary in Bad Klosterlausnitz, Germany. He married Gerlinde Johanna Mueller (born 5 August 1938) on 24 October 1964. They have three children: Mechthild Barbara, Bertram Christoph, and Friedrun Susanne, as well as five grandchildren.
Ruediger joined the Middle German Annual Conference
in 1964 and was appointed Assistant Minister at Plauen
. He was ordained Elder by Bishop Friedrich Wunderlich in 1966. While pastoring in Jena (1970-76) he became a part-time faculty
member at the United Methodist Theological Seminary in Bad Klosterlausnitz. He was appointed full time faculty in 1976, and served as the Director of the Seminary, 1984-86. On 22 May 1986 he was elected Bishop by the Central Conference in the German Democratic Republic
and was assigned to the Dresden
Episcopal Area. In 1992 he was assigned to the Commonwealth of Independent States
. He was elected Bishop for the Eurasia
Area by the North European Central Conference in 1993.
Minor was a delegate to the 1980 General Conference of the U.M. Church. He was a member of the U.M. General Council on Ministries (1980-86), and of the World Methodist Historical Society beginning in 1973, serving on its Executive Committee (1976-86) and as a Vice-President for Europe (1986-91).
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
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...
, elected in 1986. He was born 22 February 1939 in Leipzig, Germany, the son of a Methodist family. He went to school and university in his home city. He is a graduate of Karl Marx University
University of Leipzig
The University of Leipzig , located in Leipzig in the Free State of Saxony, Germany, is one of the oldest universities in the world and the second-oldest university in Germany...
, Leipzig (Dr. Theol.
Doctor of Theology
Doctor of Theology is a terminal academic degree in theology. It is a research degree that is considered by the U.S. National Science Foundation to be the equivalent of a Doctor of Philosophy....
and Dr. Theol. Habil., 1968) and of the United Methodist Theological Seminary in Bad Klosterlausnitz, Germany. He married Gerlinde Johanna Mueller (born 5 August 1938) on 24 October 1964. They have three children: Mechthild Barbara, Bertram Christoph, and Friedrun Susanne, as well as five grandchildren.
Ruediger joined the Middle German Annual Conference
Annual Conference
An Annual Conference in the United Methodist Church is a regional body that governs much of the life of the "Connectional Church." Annual conferences are composed primarily of the clergy members and a lay member or members from each charge . Each conference is a geographical division...
in 1964 and was appointed Assistant Minister at Plauen
Plauen
Plauen is a town in the Free State of Saxony, east-central Germany.It is the capital of the Vogtlandkreis. The town is situated near the border of Bavaria and the Czech Republic.Plauen's slogan is Plauen - echt Spitze.-History:...
. He was ordained Elder by Bishop Friedrich Wunderlich in 1966. While pastoring in Jena (1970-76) he became a part-time faculty
Faculty (university)
A faculty is a division within a university comprising one subject area, or a number of related subject areas...
member at the United Methodist Theological Seminary in Bad Klosterlausnitz. He was appointed full time faculty in 1976, and served as the Director of the Seminary, 1984-86. On 22 May 1986 he was elected Bishop by the Central Conference in the German Democratic Republic
German Democratic Republic
The German Democratic Republic , informally called East Germany by West Germany and other countries, was a socialist state established in 1949 in the Soviet zone of occupied Germany, including East Berlin of the Allied-occupied capital city...
and was assigned to the Dresden
Dresden
Dresden is the capital city of the Free State of Saxony in Germany. It is situated in a valley on the River Elbe, near the Czech border. The Dresden conurbation is part of the Saxon Triangle metropolitan area....
Episcopal Area. In 1992 he was assigned to the Commonwealth of Independent States
Commonwealth of Independent States
The Commonwealth of Independent States is a regional organization whose participating countries are former Soviet Republics, formed during the breakup of the Soviet Union....
. He was elected Bishop for the Eurasia
Eurasia
Eurasia is a continent or supercontinent comprising the traditional continents of Europe and Asia ; covering about 52,990,000 km2 or about 10.6% of the Earth's surface located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres...
Area by the North European Central Conference in 1993.
Minor was a delegate to the 1980 General Conference of the U.M. Church. He was a member of the U.M. General Council on Ministries (1980-86), and of the World Methodist Historical Society beginning in 1973, serving on its Executive Committee (1976-86) and as a Vice-President for Europe (1986-91).