Bishop David Alan Bard
Bishop David Alan Bard is the presiding bishop of the Michigan Conference of The United Methodist Church. Bishop Bard also shepherds the Minnesota Annual Conference as interim bishop until 2022, and serves as President of the North Central Jurisdiction College of Bishops.
Prior to arriving in Michigan in September 2016, Bishop Bard was serving at First United Methodist Church in Duluth, Minnesota since 2005. He was elected to the episcopacy on July 13, 2016 at the North Central Jurisdictional Conference held in Peoria, IL. He has been in ministry for more than 30 years and served in many roles within both the Minnesota Annual Conference and the General Church.
Bishop Bard was a General and Jurisdictional Conference delegate in 2000, 2004, 2008, and 2012. He was an episcopal nominee in both 2004 and 2008.
Within the Minnesota Conference, Bishop Bard was chair of the Episcopacy Committee and the Higher Education Ministry Team, and he served on the Board of Ordained Ministry and the Congregational Response Team. He was also the conference parliamentarian. He was a district superintendent from 1998 to 2005 and spent three years on the Commission on Religion and Race.
Within the General Church, Bishop Bard serves on the Study on Ministry Commission, the Committee on Faith and Order, and the North Central Jurisdiction Committee on Episcopacy. He has also previously served on the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry, the Commission on General Conference, and the Commission on Theological Education.
Bishop Bard received a BA from the University of Minnesota, Duluth in 1981; his Master of Divinity was earned at United Theological Seminary, Twin Cities 1984; and in 1994 he received a Ph.D. from Southern Methodist University with a focus on Christian ethics
Bishop Bard has a wife, Julie, and three adult children. In his free time, he enjoys music, reading, baseball, and walking outside.
- Prepare our hearts for Jesus (12/7/2022) - In this Advent edition of Joyful Journey, Bishop David Bard encourages us to open our hearts, our lives, and our communities so Jesus can show up in us and through us to touch the world... Friends, we are again entering the Christian season of Advent, the time of preparation for the celebration of the birth of Jesus at Christmas. The word “advent” means “arrival,” “appearance,” or “coming.” Traditional Advent hymns are about anticipation, such as “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” or “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus.” As Christians, our preparations are to be about more than making gift lists, decorating, or… ...Read More
- Press on for Jesus Christ (10/26/2022) - In this month’s Joyful Journey, Bishop David Bard reflects on North Central Jurisdictional Conference, scheduled for November 2-5, 2022, and what it means for him and the missional work we’ve been called to be part of as Michigan United Methodists... When I arrive in Fort Wayne, IN, on October 31, it will be the sixth time I have attended a jurisdictional conference for the North Central Jurisdiction (NCJ) of The United Methodist Church, but my first time as a bishop. I am also currently the president of the NCJ College of Bishops. In that position, I have had some significant… ...Read More
- Listen to autumn’s reverie (10/6/2022) - Bishop David Bard, in this month’s Joyful Journey, invites us to slow down during the changing seasons, pay attention, and take time to appreciate life’s good gifts... As the calendar turns from September to October, there is no shortage of difficult and challenging topics that could be addressed. Hurricane Ian devastated many parts of Florida, particularly the southwest coast. If you have not given to UMCOR to help respond to this disaster, I encourage you to do so. There’s also a national shortage of cleaning kits (flood buckets), and a Michigan rally to collect them has been extended to October 24. While no… ...Read More