Building Bridges: Connection

On April 17, the General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church withdrew a petition to the 2008 General Conference seeking divestment of holdings in Caterpillar Inc. as a result of talks brokered by Tim Bias between the church agency and the Peoria-based heavy equipment manufacturer.

Bias got involved in facilitating conversation because no conversation took place between the two parties prior to the petition’s filing.

“If we are to bring transformation to the world, we will do so by building trust and gaining trust with persons whose views may be different than our own,” Bias said. “We don’t bring about transformation when we go toe-to-toe; we do it when we go hand in hand. We sit down and find common ground and in the midst of the conversation, we find a way to address the issue together.”

Bias hopes that the fruits of the talks could impact the way people talk to one another within The United Methodist Church. When a proposed petition came to the floor of General Conference concerning socially responsible investing, Bias offered an amendment which passed stating that the church was committed to holy conferencing with the parties involved.

Tim Bias has also provided leadership, serving on the General Board of Global Ministries. At home, Peoria First UMC is a leader among the North Central Jurisdiction in support of second-mile giving through The Advance.

As bishop, Tim Bias is committed to seeing “holy conferencing” as an expectation of our general boards and agencies as well as individuals. As a way of building relationships across the connection, Bias will work to develop strategic partnerships with annual conferences from other parts of the globe.

"When I talk about the United Methodist Church with Tim Bias, I can feel the spiritual strength and the vision for a better tomorrow.
I have known Tim Bias for several years and I honestly say that he is one of the most mature and strong leaders I have met in a long time. When I am with Tim, I am not a Hispanic, or a male, I am a child of God who is welcomed without judgmental issues.
Tim is a person whom we must prayerfully consider to be an Episcopal leader. He not only brings vision and faith to the challenges of this day, but he is also a sober thinker, a calming presence in times of turmoil, an intellectual that is open to be guided by God in all his endeavors.
The United Methodist Church needs Episcopal leaders who will make a difference! Tim Bias is the person we need for such a time like this!"
Virgilio Vázquez-Garza
San Antonio District Superintendent
Southwest Texas Conference