United Methodist Church delegates to jurisdictional conferences have elected and assigned 11 new bishops to the annual (regional) conferences where they will oversee members.

The new bishops represent roughly one fourth of the 46 active bishops overseeing the denomination's 7 million U.S. members.

The jurisdictional conferences (North Central, Northeastern, South Central, Southeastern, Western) took place simultaneously between July 18-21. Only three conferences had new bishops. Jurisdictional conferences meet once every four years.

Elections for bishops in Africa, Europe and the Philippines will take place in the coming months, according to United Methodist News Service. The denomination has 13 million members worldwide.

The new bishops' assignments will start on September 1. The area to which they are assigned is followed by the annual (regional) conferences in parentheses.

Of the new bishops, three are women and eight are men. Their average age is 54.

Southeastern Jurisdiction

- Rev. L. Jonathan Holston, assigned to Columbia Area (South Carolina Annual Conference)
- Rev. Young Jin Cho, assigned to Richmond Area (Virginia Annual Conference)
- Rev. Kenneth H. Carter, assigned to Florida Area (Florida Conference)
- Rev. William T. McAlilly, assigned to the Nashville area (Tennessee and Memphis Conferences)
- Rev. Debra Wallace-Padgett, assigned to the Bigmingham area (North Alabama Conference)

Northeastern Jurisdiction

- Rev. Sandra Lynn Steiner Ball, assigned to the West Virginia area (West Virginia Conference)
- Rev. Martin McLee, assigned to the New York area (New York Conference)
- Rev. Mark J. Webb, assigned to the Upper New York area (Upper New York Conference)

South Central Jurisdiction

- Rev. Cynthia Fierro Harvey, assigned to the Louisiana area (Louisiana Conference)
- Rev. Gary E. Mueller, assigned to the Arkansas area (Arkansas Conference)
- Rev. Michael McKee, assigned to the Dallas area (North Texas Conference)

North Central Jurisdiction - No elections

Western Jurisdiction - No elections

More on the web:

Full listing of 2012 Episcopal assignments by jurisdiction