Termination of Office.----An elder who is serving as a bishop up to the time of retirement shall have the status of a retired bishop. An elder whose term of office expires prior to the time of compulsory retirement age shall retain the title of bishop, but other rights and privileges shall be suspended until the time of his/her retirement when ¶ 510 will apply; his/her time of office shall expire at the close of the jurisdictional conference at which his/her successor is elected, and he/she shall therefore be entitled to participate as a bishop in the consecration of his/her successor.
4. Resignation.----a) A bishop may voluntarily resign from the episcopacy for assignment as an active clergy member under appointment in an annual conference after 8 years of episcopal service or at any quadrennial interval following. Six months' notice shall be given to the jurisdictional or central conference Committee on the Episcopacy so a successor may be elected. The bishop would re-enter the appointive process in the annual conference from which he/she was elected.
b) A bishop may voluntarily resign...until a successor is elected and assigned.
c) In both cases, tThe consecration papers of a bishop...
General Conference Webmaster: Susan Brumbaugh
PETS Creator: John Brawn
Petition Text: 21528-MN-509-D
1996 United Methodist General Conference