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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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.
- 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
- A Joyful Journey (5/30/2018) - Bishop David A. Bard reflects on the scriptural value of listening to each other with respect ... Welcome with open arms fellow believers who don’t see things the way you do. And don’t jump all over them every time they do or say something you don’t agree with – even when it seems they are strong on opinions but weak in the faith department. Remember, they have their own history to deal with. Treat them gently…. Each person is free to follow the convictions of conscience. (Romans 14: 1, 5b, The Message) When I was the pastor of First United ...Read More