October 11, 2022
The Connectional Table (CT) executive committee announced at their October 6th meeting the transition of the CT Chair. Bishop Mande Muyombo will transition to the role as the chair of the Connectional Table on December 1, 2022. Bishop Muyombo will succeed Bishop Christian Alsted, who has served as chair since 2016. Bishop Muyombo is the resident bishop of the North Katanga Episcopal Area, which includes the North Katanga, Tanganyika and Tanzania annual conferences.
“Bishop Alsted has done a wonderful job of leading the CT to embrace its role of discerning and articulating the vision for our worldwide church,” said the Rev. Kennetha Bigham-Tsai, Chief Connectional Ministries Officer of the CT. “We look forward to Bishop Muyombo bringing his expertise and experience to the CT and have appreciated the ways in which these two bishops have worked together in this transition.”
Bishop Muyombo will bring extensive experience as a leader at Global Ministries and as an episcopal leader in Africa in one of the largest episcopal areas on that continent. Like Bishop Alsted, he will bring global leadership capacity to the CT that can expand upon its strong worldwide emphasis.
Bishop Alsted, who leads the Nordic and Baltic Episcopal Area and was the first central conference bishop to lead the CT, has previously said, “I am pleased with the direction we have set for the Connectional Table and for the foundation we have built. Bishop Muyombo represents the kind of leadership we need for the Connectional Table and the church, particularly at this time in the life of our denomination.”
As noted in the Book of Discipline, regarding The Connectional Table’s organization…“An effective bishop, selected by the Council of Bishops, serves as the chair of the Connectional Table,” ¶906.
“I would like to express my gratitude to Bishop Alsted for leading the Connectional Table in a new way and for pushing us to shift to a new mission focus,” said Bishop Muyombo.
The Connectional Table works to steward the mission, vision and ministries of The United Methodist Church. For more information, please visit umcct.org
