Pastor Paul Addresses His Recent GMC Updates
Senior Pastor Paul Lawler recently made an announcement from the stage about his involvement with the Global Methodist Church. We sat down with him to go deeper—to hear the story behind the announcement, the weight of what he’s navigating, and what he wants the Christ Methodist family to know.
For anyone who may have only caught part of your announcement, can you walk us through what’s happening?
In the Global Methodist Church, nobody runs for bishop—bishops are called forth by the body. I was first contacted by the Mid-South Conference back in November. They’re made up of Kentucky, middle, and eastern Tennessee, and they informed me that I was their nominee for the Episcopacy. I was asked to pray and consider their nomination. I prayed, incorporated some fasting for about two weeks, and then responded that I was honored, but I would not be available.
Then in February, the South Carolina Conference contacted me, shared that I was their nominee, and asked to interview me. I prayed about that as well, fasted, and reached back out and told them I was honored, but the answer was no at that time.
When I met with our own conference—the Mississippi West Tennessee Conference—in person, they wanted to nominate me as an Episcopacy candidate. I shared with them that I’d already said no twice and that my answer was still no. I also serve on the Connectional Council in the Global Methodist Church and as Vice Chair of Kingdom Advancement. We were having meetings in Florida about a week before this recording, focused on mobilizing Global Methodist Church pastors and leaders into church planting and disciple-making. During those meetings, Dr. Steve Cordle, who leads the River Network, approached me and shared that he was interested in my name being on the ballot for the Episcopacy.
I told him I’d already said no three times. But that conversation ended up catalyzing a season of prayer. And, Lance, I sensed God speaking to me—not audibly, but with a sense of peace—that I needed to let go and trust Him. That He may be speaking through His body, and that I needed to pay attention to that. And so I have allowed my name to be submitted as a candidate for the Episcopacy in the Global Methodist Church.
You said no three times. What changed on the fourth?
I appreciate that question. I actually put in writing to a few leaders in our church that I don’t know why I did not feel clear in November, in February, or in the meeting leading up to our own delegation in March. I really don’t have an answer. I know God’s timing sometimes doesn’t fit our own.
What I know is that in that hotel meeting room in Orlando, I had the peace of God that passes understanding. I didn’t hear an audible voice—just a sense in my own heart that the Lord was speaking to me to release control and trust that He may be leading. I say “maybe” because there’s no guarantee that God is calling me to the Episcopacy. I only know that I was obedient in taking this first step.
Can you walk us through what that prayer actually looked like?
I just expressed to the Lord, “I surrender.” I’ve prayed that prayer many times—I actually pray it daily. But the distinction was that I was praying it honed in around one specific topic. Steve Cordle had just spoken to me, and I sat down as the meeting began. As it was ongoing, I was in prayer.
The peace of God just came. And I—I hope nobody was looking at me, because there were tears coming down my cheeks. Simply because the presence of God was bearing witness. This may be a little deep for a podcast, but with the peace came a sense of release. And that release was more about letting go of being in control. I think what God was getting at is that people in the body were giving voice—they wanted to submit me as someone who would stand for possible election—and I was resisting what Jesus may have been expressing through His body.
Can you talk about the tension you felt between your love for Christ Methodist and your sense of calling to the broader church?
That’s a very perceptive question, and as I look back, the way you worded that nailed something very dear to my own heart. I love the local church, and more particularly, I love the people of Christ Methodist Church Memphis—deeply. I feel a strong loyalty by virtue of God calling Missy and me to Memphis. It’s strong.
I love our staff. I love our church. I love our leaders. I love what God’s doing here, and it matters deeply to me. It burns in my soul. So when conferences began expressing that they’d like to call me forth, I’ll be honest—I was holding on tight to that loyalty, to what my soul values. That tension has been real. But I didn’t fully recognize it until that Sunday morning when I sensed God’s peace and the release to allow my name to be submitted.
You mentioned talking to Missy after this. What was her response?
I need to give a little anecdote about Missy first. Every few years, she’ll look at me and say something like, “Just remember, if I weren’t married to you, I would be on the mission field.” We both grew up in families where teasing and laughter were part of the fabric, so this is her creative way of reminding me: Paul, however God leads, you need to know I’m all in.
It doesn’t mean it’s easy—we’re not being Pollyanna about it. Jesus never said, “Follow Me, and it will be easy.” He said, “Take up your cross.” There are seasons of following Jesus that are highly counterintuitive, with high levels of misunderstanding and even confusion. Missy recognizes those things. She was the first person I called. I was crying—I don’t cry easily—and I shared with her, “Honey, something is happening in my spirit that I cannot intellectually and rationally deny. I’m really sensing God’s leading in this way.” Her exact words were, “Honey, I’m in. However God leads, I’m in.”
And I’ll say this: my late father used to tell me repeatedly, “Son, you outran the kick coverage when you married Missy.” That is true.
Practically speaking, what does it mean to be a bishop in the Global Methodist Church?
Most people in the Global Methodist Church came out of the United Methodist Church, where people literally had campaigns and ran for the office. You’re not allowed to do that in the GMC—and thank God for that. In the Global Methodist Church, the body has to call you forth because the body of Christ sees and senses gifts and graces in you to lead out of spiritual authority, not positional authority.
I’ll read one paragraph—paragraph 6.02 from the Book of Doctrines and Discipline, because it gives a precise answer:
“Bishops are elected from among those within the order of elders and set apart for a ministry of visionary servant leadership, general oversight and supervision in support of the church in its mission. As followers of Jesus Christ, bishops are charged with guarding the faith, order, liturgy, doctrine, and discipline of the church. The basis of such leadership lies in a life characterized by personal integrity, rigorous discipleship, and the anointing and empowerment of the Holy Spirit. Bishops shall be persons of genuine faith and upstanding moral character. They should possess the gift of encouragement, a vital and renewing spirit, and a commitment to the vision of the church adopted by the general conference. Episcopacy candidates should also have a strong record of effectiveness in leading the church in evangelism, discipleship, and mission. Bishops shall be unwaveringly committed to upholding the doctrines and polity of our church and able to communicate the historic Christian faith from a Wesleyan perspective.”
The Book of Doctrines and Discipline has more to say, but that paragraph captures the primary essence of the role.
After hearing that definition, you were asked four times to step into that role. How does that sit with you?
It always feels good to be affirmed—and perhaps it matters that others may see the way God has wired or gifted you. But I also want to be very clear: in my heart and spirit, I’m not pining for anything. I am deeply thankful to serve as the senior pastor of Christ Church Memphis. That is a deep honor.
Ultimately, the way it makes me feel is: I’m in His hands. Missy and I are in the hands of the Lord, and we trust that He is directing our steps. And I’d also submit that’s where we all want to be. The first step with Jesus is always surrender. Romans 12:1–2 tells us His will is good, pleasing, and perfect—you cannot improve on it. So my response is that it’s good to rest in His hands.
How did you guard yourself against the sense of flattery after being asked so many times?
I have to go back to my life in my thirties. I was a young pastor, church planting, and I made a lot of mistakes. My leadership style was to charge the hill—and sometimes I’d charge the hill so fast I wouldn’t take people with me, and people got hurt. I learned some painful lessons. And part of what God was developing in me through those lessons was understanding the distinction between the fear of men and the fear of God, and being liberated from being governed by what people think.
Scripture says the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life. I’m human—I’m not saying that if someone says something kind, it won’t appeal to my ego. It can. But I have been chastened by the Lord—tempered and formed with a motive of love. He chastens those whom He loves. In my thirties, I really began dying to be driven by what people say. And God used that season—probably seven or eight years—to genuinely set me free and tune my heart toward abiding in Him and reverencing Him.
And that also deepens your dependence on God, because you know how weak you are. For a believer, weakness is really your greatest strength, because weakness keeps you dependent. Every pastor gets to learn that. Because you have people walk out on Sunday saying, “Great job, pastor,” and if you let that feed your flesh, that will take you to dangerous places. But if you keep it in perspective—if somebody’s heart was spoken to, you didn’t do that. That came from the Lord. You keep reverencing Him and depending on Him, because fruitfulness can only come from abiding in Jesus. Apart from Him, we can do nothing.
How does the bishop role in the GMC differ from what it was in the United Methodist Church?
In the United Methodist Church, bishops carried a tremendous amount of administrative responsibility; all appointment responsibilities ultimately fell to them in conjunction with their cabinets, along with significant administrative responsibilities not only in their conference but in the greater church. Bishops spent a great deal of time in meetings centered around administration.
In the Global Methodist Church, while bishops do carry some administrative responsibilities, the role is primarily visionary rather than administrative. Conference superintendents and cabinets do the work of aligning appointments, and bishops ultimately bless that process—but it’s not as intensive as before. This frees bishops to cast vision, equip the church, empower movement in evangelism, mission, mercy ministry, and reaching unreached people groups—fulfilling the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ and spreading scriptural holiness across the globe.
Annual conferences in this iteration are also structured with much more capacity for breakouts and equipping the church in her primary mission of evangelism and discipleship. This is a new day. It’s an exciting day—one that aligns more fervently with classical Wesleyan Christianity, which the world desperately needs.
What does the process actually look like leading up to the Global Methodist gathering in Johannesburg?
Episcopacy candidates who have been called forth by delegations respond in writing to 33 questions. I’m in the midst of that process right now. Those responses are submitted to the Global Episcopacy Committee—our own Don Borland here at Christ Methodist is a member of that body. They will vet the candidates, and the pool will be narrowed down through that process.
From that narrowed pool, I believe there will be additional interviews conducted by video that will be made public, so that delegations from around the world have the opportunity to hear directly from candidates. That allows people to make prayerful, informed decisions as they’re guided in how they may vote.
Then, at the General Conference in Johannesburg, votes will be taken from the entire body on Episcopacy candidates. If I understand correctly, eight will be elected. Each of those eight will be assigned areas made up of approximately eight annual conferences. Those conferences don’t have to be contiguous—they may include annual conferences in more than one country or region of the world.
You also mentioned that some current bishops will be up for reelection. Can you explain how that works?
First, I want to honor the bishops who are currently serving in these two-year terms. And I’ll note upfront that there are a lot of moving parts here—I may not get every detail exactly right.
Some of the current bishops will not stand for election again. Those who do will need to be approved by a three-fourths majority vote of the General Conference in order to stand for reelection. There is an exception: Bishop Mark Webb, who served as a bishop in the United Methodist Church and was part of the founding of the Global Methodist Church, would not have to meet that criteria. Bishop Scott Jones, who is our bishop and who we’ll be hosting here at Christ Methodist very soon, is going to retire.
And if I’m reading the Book of Doctrines and Discipline correctly, no more than 50% of the former bishops in the two-year window will be able to stand for election or reelection, even with the three-fourths vote. If they all receive three-fourths votes, those who are permitted to stand would be taken in order of who received the most votes.
If you are elected, what does the transition timeline look like—for you and for the church?
Before I answer that, I need to reiterate something I’ve shared in other conversations. When the Global Methodist Church came out of the convening conference in San Jose, Costa Rica, we numbered a little more than 3,000 churches across approximately 38 annual conferences. Today, we are at 52 annual conferences around the world with over 7,000 churches.
I say that because there is no presumption that I’m going to be elected. As we record this, we’re in the middle of March Madness—this is not a slam dunk. David prayed in Psalm 22, “Lord, keep me from presumptuous sins.” I do not presume anything. I am walking by faith, not by sight.
With that said, hypothetically, if God, through the people of God, called me to serve as a bishop, I would take office in 60 days. And I want the Christ Church family to know that potential candidates for senior pastor have already been identified. We’re not in active conversations with them, but they have been identified because we want to be faithful to Jesus’ bride here at Christ Methodist.
I would also affirm that the pool we’re looking at is already like-minded. If there were a pastoral transition here, it would not be a whiplash. It would be in the flow of who we already are as a church. The Global Methodist Church is right in the heart of classical Wesleyan theology—and that’s who we are as a body. We are committed to full-orb Christianity, to being on mission locally and globally, to being present in our city in a rich way. That’s a reflection of Wesleyan theology, as John Wesley was engaged in a myriad of justice ministries while also taking the gospel to the nations. I just want the body of Christ here to know: there is not an overwhelming likelihood that I’m going to be called to the Episcopacy. But if God were to lead in that direction, it’s not going to be a whiplash season for the Christ Church family.
And if you’re not elected, what’s next?
Let’s keep it real. If I’m not elected, and that is a valid possibility, we’ll navigate something of a liminal time together. It’ll feel a little strange, because human beings can’t help but project expectations. And all of us listening have lived long enough to know that sometimes the expectations we project onto circumstances simply aren’t real. So let’s validate that we would navigate that together.
What I can say with a clear mind and a clear heart is that I would remain full bore in pursuing our mission and vision as a church family. We are not letting off the gas pedal in any way. We are going to continue to pursue glorifying God and making disciples of Jesus Christ among all peoples. We’re going to continue to pursue our goals around discipleship, mission, worship attendance, and church planting locally and globally. We will not miss a beat in those arenas as we’re faithful to Jesus as we should be.
What do you most want the people of Christ Methodist to hear from you right now?
Keep your eyes on Jesus. He is the prize. The things of earth are temporary, and the kingdom of God is an organic kingdom. Living things at times get shifted, plucked up, rerouted. But keep your eyes on Jesus, who is the author and perfecter of your faith.
I also don’t want to be dismissive of the reality that when a senior pastor is in some type of transition, it stirs something in the congregation. I recognize that, and I don’t want to brush past it. I want our church family to know that it’s safe to express what you’re feeling. The languages of grief are mad, sad, scared, hurt, and glad—which can also represent sarcasm or cynicism. If you’re feeling something, it is okay to say, “This makes me sad,” or “I feel hurt,” or “I feel angry.” It is important for us to be the body of Jesus and love each other well, to be safe with one another, and to be real. And it’s very important not to be dismissive of those things. I want our congregation to know it is safe to come to me and say, “Pastor, here’s what I’m feeling. Here’s what I’m thinking.”
And I’ll circle back to this: Jesus is using all things together for good for those who love Him. The good He’s after—as the very next verse tells us—is our development into the likeness of Christ. Our classroom is our circumstance. He is at work in this circumstance, and He will not stop. This is not a wasted hour. This is not a season of paralysis. God is on the throne, He is working, and we’re on mission. We will keep our eyes on Jesus, and we will also honor what we’re feeling and what we’re thinking—because the first responsibility of a follower of Jesus is to love deeply. To love God, to love one another. God, help us to live into that as a faith family.
How can the Christ Methodist family be praying in this season—for you, for the church, and for our leaders?
I would go to what Jesus has already said. He said that we are to pray: His kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in heaven. And as I say often, you cannot improve on God’s will. Romans 12:1–2 says it is good, pleasing, and perfect. When you’re in the will of God, what Paul’s describing there is God saying, “it’s good,” and people going, “This is good.” God saying, “It’s pleasing,” and people going, “This is pleasing.” God saying, “It’s perfect,” and people going, “Wow, this is perfect.” You cannot improve on that.
So the most important thing to pray is: Lord, we submit our hearts and lives to You, and we pray Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven in this circumstance. For His glory—so that we stand in awe of His goodness and His beauty. He is gracious: He gives us what we don’t deserve. He is merciful: we don’t get what we deserve. And we get to relish and enjoy the beauty of who He is.