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Bishop David Alan Bard

Bishop David Alan Bard is the presiding bishop of the Michigan Area. 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.

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, 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.

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Within the General Church, 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

Bard has a wife, Julie, and three adult children. In his free time, he enjoys music, reading, baseball, and walking outside.

bishop@miareaumc.org

David and Julie Bard have three children: (L to R) daughter Beth with husband Michael, son David with wife Kristina, Bishop David, daughter Sarah with husband and Julie Bard.
David and Julie Bard have three children: (L to R) daughter Beth Bard-Henke with husband Michael; son David Bard with wife Cristina Diaz; Bishop David, daughter Sarah Bard with fiance Aaron White and Julie Bard.
  • A Joyful Journey (9/3/2018) - Bishop David A. Bard speaks about clay vessels as he announces opportunities to listen and converse, with him and Michigan delegates, around questions and concerns about the 2019 General Conference ... First of all, I want to express gratitude to you all for my time away this summer. Thank you for your support and patience. Thanks to my wonderful Executive Assistant, Deana Nelson, for keeping my work organized when I am away, and to my Clergy Assistant, Rev. John Boley, who does superlative work all the time, and is great at keeping things moving forward in my absence. Julie and ...Read More
  • A Joyful Journey (8/1/2018) - Bishop Bard looks back at the 2018 Michigan Annual Conference in response to members' feedback ... Last month I wrote about January in July. Annual Conference in August seems like a good follow-up, but for those of you who skim quickly please note that there will be no proposal offered here to move our Annual Conference session into the month of August! While some would like to see our Annual Conference session moved, either earlier or later, no one has suggested August. I know this because the Commission on the Annual Conference Session met in late June to begin planning ...Read More
  • A Joyful Journey (7/1/2018) - At mid-year 2018, Bishop David Bard does some looking backward and looking forward ... Janus is the Roman mythological figure with two faces, one looking backward and one looking forward. It is thought that we take the name for the first month of the year, January, from Janus – a time to look back to the year gone by, and a time to look forward to the new year. Allow me to offer a little January in July, some looking backward and some looking forward. I look back in deep gratitude, again, for all those who helped make our Annual ...Read More
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