HUMP#022: Bishop Julius Calvin Trimble-Incoming Bishop to the Indiana Area United Methodist Church

On July 16, 2016 the North Central Jurisdiction of United Methodist Church announced that Bishop Julius Calvin Trimble presently serving the Iowa Annual Conference UMC was assigned to become the resident Bishop of the Indiana Area of the UMC as of September 1, 2016.

A few months prior Dr. Brad Miller had an opportunity to interview Bishop Trimble about his call to ministry, his views on the state of the church and about his book on issues of the church in global health.   The conversation that Dr. Brad had with Bishop Trimble is shared here in Episode #022 the Hoosier United Methodist podcast and provides great insight into the the spiritual depth and passions which drive the man whom will become the new Episcopal leader for the United Methodist Church in Indiana.

You will learn:

• The influence on his life of a strong local United Methodist Church in Chicago which was active in the civil rights movement and the impact of United Methodist church camp experiences on his call to ministry.
• The importance and guiding principle of his personal mission statement: “To encourage all people with the love of Jesus Christ to rise to their highest potential.”
• His journey in service at all levels of the church, including pastorates in Chicago and Cleveland, serving as a district superintendent and his experience as resident bishop in Iowa.
• His views on the importance of higher education based on his experiences as a schoolteacher and community organizer.
• The power of partnering with the church in Africa.
• His views on justice for people in immigrant communities and his passion for comprehensive immigration reform.
• His investment in issues of "environmental holiness" and global health which include writing his book “A Faithful Church and a Healthy World" and commitment to the “Imagine No Malaria” campaign.
• His passion to reach the “NONES" (unchurched) in particular younger people by appealing to their sense of call to "transform" the world.
• His overall optimism about a church at the crossroads which is ebodied in his call to be an encourager.
• How he loves to play ping pong and plays often when he visits local churches.

Episode #022 of The Hoosier United Methodist Podcast provides a great introduction for Indiana United Methodist to learn about the man who become the episcopal leader of the UMC in Indiana.  Furthermore, Dr. Miller calls upon Hoosier United Methodist to become encourager's to Bishop Trimble and his wife during their time of transition through prayers, cards and notes.   The call is to encourage our new Bishop of encouragement.   

The purpose of the Hoosier United Methodist Podcast is to strengthen the connection in the United Methodist Church in Indiana to achieve the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.