Bishop aims big in short tenure at UM Men

Bishop James E. Swanson Sr. has honed his elevator pitch to perfection in the early days of his tenure steering United Methodist Men on an interim basis.

“How do we get men away from the pancake breakfasts to being a Big Brother?” he asked — with a grin — during an interview with United Methodist News, referring to the youth mentoring program.

Moving beyond meetings and getting out into the community through Scouting and other ministries is key, he says, along with committing to authentic Christian discipleship.

Swanson wants to make progress rather than being a placeholder after the departure of Greg Arnold, who left in November after serving just more than two years. The retired bishop has committed to staying on through General Conference, which is set for April 23-May 3 in Charlotte, North Carolina. He is well familiar with United Methodist Men having served as president of the board from 2012 to 2022 while leading the Mississippi Conference.

Swanson talked about the future of the agency and the denomination as United Methodists grapple with the disaffiliation of a quarter of U.S. congregations.

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