Bishop Julius C. Trimble is pleased to announce the selection of David Johns to serve as the Conference Lay Leader for the Indiana Conference of The United Methodist Church effective immediately. David will be assuming the role of Doris Clark, who passed away on January 27, 2019.

“Optimistic and engaged, David will bring necessary spiritual commitment during these anxious times. The strong commitment to lay and clergy partnership exemplified by Doris Clark will continue,” Trimble said.

The role of a Conference lay leader is “to meet regularly with the bishop to discuss the state of the annual conference, the Church, and the needs for ministry both locally and globally,” according to ¶607 in the Book of Discipline.

David is the North Central District Lay Leader and serves on the District’s Operations Team, Leadership Team, and the Lay Servant Ministry Team. He’s a member of the Conference Board of Laity and the Church Development Grant Committee.  A 20+-year member of Shiloh United Methodist (Kokomo), he is the Church Council Chairperson and a longtime adult Sunday School teacher.

David retired from Delphi Corporation in 2015 where he held various global management positions in Information Technology. He has a B.S.B.A. from Indiana Wesleyan University and a M.S. in Manufacturing Operations from Kettering University.

“I am honored and excited about this opportunity,” David said. “Jesus chooses imperfect people to do His perfect work, and I’m certainly an example of this. But it’s not about me, it’s about Him. While excited about this assignment, it is bittersweet. Doris Clark was my friend, my colleague, and sister in Christ. I’m committed to carry on the work she started, serving Jesus in whatever ways He directs.”

David and his wife, Eileen, have 4 adult children.

You may share your thoughts, prayers, and well-wishes with David at davidjjohns@comcast.net.

###
About The Indiana Conference of The United Methodist Church
The Indiana Conference is a regional body of The United Methodist Church and provides leadership, resources, and support for more than 1,120 congregations ranging in size from 20 to 8,000 members in 10 districts across the state of Indiana. There are more than 1,000 pastoral appointments to those churches, ministering to more than 200,000 adult members and 40,000 children and youth.