United Methodist Bishops Karen Oliveto and Minerva Carcaño retire from the episcopacy in the denomination’s Western Jurisdiction this week. Oliveto is succeeded by the Pacific School of Religion’s Kristin Stoneking as California-Pacific Conference elder Sandra K. Olewine succeeds Carcaño.
Oliveto, the denomination’s first bishop consecrated as an openly partnered lesbian, has presided over the Mountain Sky Conference since 2016, despite Oliveto’s same-sex marriage violating the Church’s Book of Discipline. Oliveto’s episcopacy was deemed invalid by the denomination’s Judicial Council in 2017, but Oliveto and her conference ignored this decision in favor of inclusivity, a move IRD’s John Lomperis called “giving the middle finger to the rest of the church.”
Since her installation as bishop, Oliveto has faced heresy charges over her denial of the divinity of Christ, attempted to defect from the UMC after 2019’s passage of the Traditional Plan, and is among the key architects of the UMC’s recent liberalization on human sexuality.
The conference celebrated Oliveto’s retirement in June at a gathering appropriately titled “In the Midst of New Dimensions & Changing Ways.” Reflecting on her time as bishop with Yellowstone Public Radio, Oliveto described this year’s General Conference decision as a “big joy” and praised the Western Jurisdiction’s role as the “leading edge” of progressive theology. Oliveto responded hopefully to the future of the UMC as a “bridge-building denomination” and expressed openness to her future in ministry post-retirement.
Oliveto’s successor, Kristin Stoneking, also a married lesbian, seems entirely in lockstep with her predecessor’s radical progressivism. At PSR, which styles itself as a “progressive Christian seminary,” Stoneking wrote an op-ed hailing the 2024 General Conference as an example for other denominations to follow. Stoneking also welcomed the UMC’s retreat from traditional Christian ministry and transformation into a “large, non-governmental institution.” In an interview with her conference, Stoneking followed Oliveto in describing the Traditional Plan as a moment of “deep despair.”
Carcaño, the California-Pacific Conference’s bishop since 2004, has also been at the forefront of liberalization in the Western Jurisdiction. Carcaño has long been a proponent of same-sex marriage in the Church, harshly denouncing African General Conference delegates against the practice, “…wondering when our African delegates will grow up,” and falsely accused African delegates of comparing homosexuality to bestiality.
Despite Carcaño’s bigoted remarks about African delegates, she has made immigration reform in the U.S. a primary goal of her episcopacy. Carcaño is a regular attendee at ecumenical protests in Arizona and Washington, D.C. against deportations of illegal immigrants. She has also called critics of open-border policies as opponents of the “reign of God.”
Carcaño also faced a trial for allegedly violating church law, being the first bishop in nearly a century. The charges accused the bishop of “disobeying the order and discipline of The United Methodist Church, undermining the ministry of another pastor, committing harassment (including but not limited to racial and/or sexual harassment) and committing fiscal malfeasance.” Although Carcaño was found not guilty by a jury in the Church’s court, the Church’s counsel’s analysis of Carcaño’s episcopacy as marked by “cuttingly fierce” retaliation against dissenters remains relevant.
Carcaño’s successor, Sandra K. Olewine, seems to continue her predecessor’s liberalism and questionable leadership. Olewine testified at Carcaño’s trial in her favor and has long been an ally in the Church’s pro-Palestine movement. Olewine collaborated with Carcaño at the 2016 General Conference to kill a resolution condemning anti-semitism because it may limit the Church’s criticism of Israel.
Olewine has also been criticized for the same sort of financial mismanagement that her predecessor was put on trial for. In 2023, when Olewine was district Superintendent, Surf City Church in Huntington Beach sent a letter condemning Olewine for denying the congregation the right to disaffiliate. In the letter, Surf City Church accused Olewine of theft and treating congregations like “plantations,” eschewing ministry for the continued extraction of tithes and real estate proceeds. If her superintendence is any measure, Olewine is likely to continue the gangster episcopacy towards conservative congregations that has become all too common in the UMC.
As the Western Jurisdiction welcomes its new overseers, we pray for a return to traditional Christian teaching but are unlikely to see our hopes realized. Instead, a doubling down on theological liberalism and a disregard for church law and discipline will likely mark the future of the Western Jurisdiction. For the recently retired bishops Karen Oliveto and Minerva Carcaño, we can hope they spend their retirement restfully, prayerfully, and, God willing, repentantly.
Comment by MikeB on September 1, 2024 at 9:40 am
What are the odds of a married lesbian bishop replacing another one…
It sure seems like this political mafia has never once asked God what He thinks once in their lives.
It’s amazing how they view the Church as a fundraising and activist generating organization to be used to further their own policies and power.
Comment by Michael Cooper on September 1, 2024 at 6:50 pm
It would be interesting to hear how their respective areas did numerically and financially during their tenure.
Comment by George on September 1, 2024 at 8:59 pm
I would like to know how much Oliveto’s retirement is. But since I have no idea how she got her “appointment “ or how her replacement got hers, I really doubt if anyone really knows.
This all happens because good people did nothing when they had the responsibility to stop it. They ignored the Bible and the Book of Discipline. And guess what? Those responsible are drawing their retirements just like Oliveto is.
Comment by Tim Ware on September 2, 2024 at 12:41 am
I feel the same way about the drawing of retirement for the UMC pastors who, knowing the path the denomination was taking, stayed UMC in order to secure their retirement benefits, but then try to soothe their consciences by fooling themselves into thinking they were actually staying to somehow effect change in the denomination. That in and of itself tells me that the UMC has problems that run much deeper than homosexuality, for they have pastors who sell their souls for retirement benefits. That, at least in my opinion, is a much greater destructive force than homosexuals.
The same is true for the PCUSA, the ELCA, etc. I have absolutely no respect for these people who stayed for their retirement benefits but are trying to fool themselves that they stayed to effect change.
Comment by MikeB on September 2, 2024 at 12:52 am
TimW
You seem to hate everyone, who do you actually like.
Sure many have problems, and there are flase shepards all over, but who do you support?
You are against retired clergy but pro Russia/Hamas?
Comment by Steve on September 2, 2024 at 8:40 am
There is one common denominator in each failing mainstream denomination. The ordination of female pastors. Like it or not, if you have eyes, you can’t miss the fact that women bishops and pastors have been at the forefront of progressive liberal Christianity. I was raised Lutheran and left as the ELCA churches have become apostate. The final straw for me was when our pastor retired and was replaced by a liberal woman from the bay area of California. I’m told there are lots of empty seats there on Sunday. Same thing happened to ELCA church 8 miles away. Their liberal pastor talks about Pride parades in her sermons. It’s a large church just outside Pittsburgh. Now has one service with 20 to 40 people in attendance. Both churches have become glee clubs.
Comment by Bob on September 2, 2024 at 12:55 pm
Oliveto ran Glide for 8 years, with reported attendance going from 3000 to 1900…only after her departure her successor Jay Williams did an honest count and the number was around 950…at least a 40% decline. Mountain Sky likewise dropped roughly 40% in in-person attendance under her 8 year leadership. May all such ‘Progressive” UM leaders imitate her example of media popularity, adulation from wok worshippers … and her ‘effectiveness’ in actually reaching ANYONE for Jesus…
Comment by MikeB on September 2, 2024 at 4:26 pm
Bob,
You bring up a very telling point. The liberals tell us that if we don’t welcome sin into the church then we won’t reach people.
But in every instance, churches that no longer stand for God die, the faithful leave, and the glee club that remains becomes a tiny haven of sinners with no commitment.
Comment by Tim Ware on September 3, 2024 at 12:06 am
Steve, I wholeheartedly agree with your observation about women’s ordination. That was the mistake that sealed the fate of the mainline. It led to the extreme feminization of the mainline, the touchy-feely services, and ultimately to promoting the gay agenda, because what is the gay agenda except anti-masculine? Having been in 2 different churches with female pastors, I can vouch for the fact that it is a terrible mistake. I would never attend a church with a female pastor.
Comment by Tim on September 3, 2024 at 6:47 am
Congratulations to two fantastic bishops on guiding the church through a very difficult period. For all the sneering at her, Oliveto only lost 38 churches to disaffiliation. Her critics are in the vast minority. Most Methodists recognized her hard work and ministry.
Carcano reminded us that to be Christian is to care about social justice. That our economy depends on undocumented labor but we refuse to change our laws to acknowledge this and treat the workers fairly is clearly a violation of Numbers 15:16 and many other Biblical mandates.
Comment by MikeB on September 3, 2024 at 9:15 pm
Tim
Tsk tsk…
You like Numbers 15? But they put to death someone breaking the Sabath in that chapter…
That’s quite arbitrary of you considering you hate Leviticus 20…
It’s almost as if you are… not interested in the Bible at all… Just in attacking those you hate…
Comment by Tim on September 3, 2024 at 10:00 pm
Hey Mike
Try and find something hateful in my post. It’s literally a congratulations to two leaders who I think have worked very hard to show Christ’s love here on earth.
Comment by MikeB on September 3, 2024 at 11:37 pm
Tim,
You went all in on not violating Numbers 15, where they kill someone that breaks the Sabbath…
Sounds kinda hateful to me…
Not very graceful….
Comment by Tim Mc on September 4, 2024 at 8:10 am
Quote: For all the sneering at her, Oliveto only lost 38 churches to disaffiliation. Her critics are in the vast minority.
All Closed Churches from 2019 to present:
234 in the Western Conference
Mountain Sky 65 of those.
Comment by KCB on September 4, 2024 at 4:32 pm
I notice a common thread here… the movement in the UMC and Western Jurisdiction are toward “liberal/progressive” theology and praxis is due to the ordination of women. I wonder what fear is behind this belief.
Comment by Tim Mc on September 5, 2024 at 7:20 am
Mountain Sky conference statistics.
year 2016 attendance 448,918 offering received 76,836,581.00 year
year 2019 attendance 117,992 offering received 2,077,955.00 year
year 2023 attencance 47,445 offering received 970,614.00 year
Comment by David on September 5, 2024 at 9:39 am
Churches are more heavily supported by the older generation, the group that was most strongly affected by the pandemic. In 2019, my high school class had 2 deaths. In 2020, it was 15.