Bishop Julius C. Trimble is the Resident Bishop of the Indiana Area of the United Methodist Church.

Bishop Trimble has the personal mission to encourage all people with the love of Jesus Christ to rise to their highest potential. It is his commitment to his personal mission that led Bishop Trimble to create the “To Be Encouraged” Podcast along with co-host Rev.Dr. Brad Miller.

Bishop Trimble says, “I am compelled by Jesus to share with you an encouraging word or two about Jesus, theology, the Bible, the pandemic, the environment, racism, voting rights, human sexuality, and the state of the United Methodist Church.”

To Be Encouraged with Bishop Julius C. Trimble is to be published weekly and is available at www.tobeencouraged.com and all the podcast directories.

https://www.inumc.org/bishop/office-of-the-bishop/

### Show Notes for Episode 116 of "To Be Encouraged" Podcast

**Episode Title:** "Transition and Transformation: Bishop Trimble's New Role as General Secretary of Board of Church and Society in the UMC"

Hosts:

* Bishop Julius C. Trimble

* Rev. Dr. Brad Miller

In this soul-stirring episode of "To Be Encouraged," Rev. Dr. Brad Miller engages in a profound conversation with Bishop Julius C. Trimble as he transitions from his role as the Bishop of the Indiana Area United Methodist Church to becoming the General Secretary of the Board of Church and Society. Recorded during the summer of 2024, Bishop Trimble shares his journey, highlighting God's new plans for him and shedding light on his passionate commitment to social justice and peacemaking.

### Summary:

Rev. Dr. Brad Miller welcomes Bishop Julius C. Trimble for a heartfelt conversation focusing on what lies ahead for the Bishop. Known for his unwavering encouragement and spiritual leadership, Bishop Trimble expresses his eagerness to continue serving God, albeit in a different capacity. As he transitions from overseeing the Indiana Area United Methodist Church, he steps into the significant role of General Secretary of the Board of Church and Society.

### Key Takeaways:

1. **A Life of Encouragement:**

Bishop Trimble reflects on his long-standing role as an instrument of encouragement, stating his intent to continue uplifting various communities. His personal mission to inspire others aligns seamlessly with his new responsibilities, providing hope and advocacy through the Board of Church and Society.

2. **Purposeful Transition:**

Towards the end of his tenure as the Bishop, Trimble sought divine guidance on how to serve next. His new role was a surprising yet fitting next step, bridging his leadership experience and passion for social justice. This transition illustrates the importance of remaining open to God's plans, even when they diverge from expected paths.

3. **Impactful Work of the Board of Church and Society:**

Bishop Trimble delves into the vital work of the Board, dedicated to living faith, seeking justice, and pursuing peace. He emphasizes the Board’s role in advocating for the marginalized, addressing issues such as hunger, civil rights, climate care, and more. His experience as a former board member and community activist uniquely positions him to lead these efforts effectively.

4. **Prophetic Voice and Local Church Engagement:**

One of the central themes of the discussion is the prophetic role of the church in modern society. Bishop Trimble encourages local church leaders to not shy away from social issues, providing concrete examples of how they can integrate these concerns into their ministries. He underscores the need for churches to act on their stated values, moving beyond words to actionable faith.

5. **Encouragement and Vision:**

Finally, the episode closes with a word of encouragement from Bishop Trimble, drawing from the prophet Micah. His message calls for humility, service, compassion, and the pursuit of justice, resonating deeply in today’s often tumultuous world. It’s a touching reminder that no one should be left behind in the spiritual and social mission of the church.

Join Rev. Dr. Brad Miller and Bishop Julius C. Trimble as they explore these meaningful transitions and the work ahead in this inspiring episode of "To Be Encouraged." Listen in to find encouragement and guidance for both individual and communal spiritual journeys.

General Board of Church and Society

Bishop, welcome to our conversation, as we start to talk about

what's next for you. Thank you, Brad. God is always doing a

new thing, as the prophet Isaiah said. So we ought to we

ought to we ought to stay ready for whatever god has in store for us,

and I'm looking forward to what's next for me.

And and I I hope to continue to do something that I've been

doing for a number of years, and that is being a an an instrument of

encouragement for all of the populations that I'm privileged to

encounter. Well, one of the things that has happened to you

is we're in this transition period as we record this,

in the summer, on July 30, 2024. You just probably

got about another month or so to go as a bishop of the Indiana

Area United Methodist Church. But what happened in this tran in this

transition period a few months ago, you were elected as a

general secretary of the Board of Church and Society. So we know that's one

of the things that's next for you. You're not really you're

relieving the episcopacy, but you're not retiring. You're moving on to some something else

here. So tell us a little bit about how that came

about, and then we'll talk for a second about, you know, what that's gonna

mean. How'd that come about? Well, even even when I was

approaching my final my 8th year as the

resident bishop of the Indiana Conference, I began to pray to to the

Lord and have conversation with my partner in marriage and ministry

for over 40 years. You know? I know God has something for

me to do to continue. Is it to serve as a as a

visitation pastor or interim minister or or to teach

part time at one of our colleges or work with the hospital

system as a as a chaplain or prison ministry.

I I knew that I wanted to continue to stay busy,

certainly not working the kind of schedule that a residential

bishop would have. But I I asked god, lord, whatever you would open

doors for me to do, let it be something I could be passionate

about, and I can bring some value to that work in that

ministry. And as it as it were, the General

Board of Church and Society opportunity opened itself. It

was announced in April that the board had actually elected

me, and I had been encouraged by several people to consider

applying for this position. And it's a bit unusual that a bishop

would retire and then take a full time position

doing just about anything. Right. But but something other

than the local church ministry. I had served, for an

8 for 8 years on 2 terms, 2

quadranton on the General Board of Churches Society as a board

member sometime ago prior to me being elected a

bishop. In fact, right right up to the time before I was elected bishop,

actually. And so that's 16 years

ago when I was really on the on the board of church

and society as a board member. So I was aware of the work

of social justice and peacemaking and the opportunity

to encounter elected congressmen and senators

at at at the cap Capitol Hill. I was

aware. I've been to the United Methodist building, which is right across the

street from the Capitol building and right next door to the Supreme

Court building. I had been there on several occasions and had been

there for board meetings as well. And had been there,

Brad, because I had been involved with the Council of Bishops immigration

task force team. So we had several meetings and several protests

in Washington DC around comprehensive

immigration reform. So this is on one

sense, it's it's a surprise for a lot of people that I would take this

position, but my wife and others know know that

this is very much ally in alignment with some of the work

that I have passion about. And you aware of that too in terms

Absolutely. Well the churches where the church interfaces

the society and our communities in the area of

peacemaking and social justice. Well, it did just say just a little more about

that, about the actual kind of the work that the JIRP board the

Board of Churches and Society does, kinda why it exists,

and why it's important to local churches. And, just say a little bit more

about that so can people can have a little better understanding what it does. The

Genp for the Church and Society is dedicated to the work of living faith,

seeking justice, and pursuing peace. It it's called to

seek the implementation of the social principles and whatever

other policies that are passed by the general conference

regarding Christian social concerns. So in our book of

discipline, the General Board of Church and Society is mandated

to carry out our social principles and those

those initiatives that are passed by general conference that relate

to our work on Christian social social

concerns, relating the gospel of Jesus Christ to communities

in which they live, showing their reconciliation

involves personal, social, and civic righteousness. We we

work with ecumenical and interfaith organizations in

the area of peacemaking, in the area of

advocating on behalf of the poor,

eradicating hunger, addressing civil and human

rights issues so that people might experience

equality across the board. More than

30 social issues on which the United Methodist Church has claimed a

position, whether it's the right to

bargaining for workers, whether it's climate

concern and climate care. Those are all things that that are that are

involved. Rather than the political basic human rights like health

care, addressing, for example, right now, addressing

the whole issue of of the unhoused homelessness.

So the General Board of Church and Society on behalf of the United

Methodist Church and in conjunction with other faith

based and nongovernmental organization, works to address the things

that that really impact the marginalized communities

across the globe. Yeah. And it seems like it it exists also that

intersection where where faith based communities,

the church, comes into play with things like,

government and business and other societal concerns, both in our

country and around the world, and how you can have some influence

on policy making and things of that nature. Is it is that a

part of what you're about? Absolutely. So so, yeah,

we would we would invite and we we help to assist

local churches and annual conferences and individuals in their

efforts to make an impact with their elected

officials in their low local communities and across the

globe on matters that really would make for a

better communities for all of us that would advance what I call the

common good Mhmm. For all of creation. Sure. So Whether

it whether it's the dignity of work or whether it's corporate

responsibility or human trafficking and slavery

and poverty and income in inequality, all of these

all of these matters of things that we think Jesus would want us to

be engaged in. Certainly, John Wesley would want us because he

he he wrote a lot about his

concern for those in that experience poverty. Well, what do you bring

to the table here, Bishop? What is your vision for the Border Church and

Society moving forward? And, you know, what do you have to offer

here that can move the mission along and maybe

expand it or take it to different directions? Well, I think that

well, I what I bring is a passion and and a an ability, I

think, to communicate and to connect communities. I started

actually prior to becoming an ordained minister. I was a

community organizer in Chicago briefly and a social worker.

My major was sociology with an emphasis in social work in

in my undergrad studies. So that was the, you

know, several years before I started seminary at Garrett Evangelical

Theological Seminary. So I believe that a lot of good

can be done when we are engaged in relationships in our communities,

and we do those we we are able to do good when we do it

in in conjunction and in collaboration

with the persons who are in those communities. So I think I bring

together both experience, a passion,

and and my experience as a bishop of being able to connect with persons

across the globe. So I already bring a certain number a

certain number of portals of relationships that can help

us advance. So the work of the social principles and the work of the things

that we have on paper. Brad, you know, for for this for a fact,

methodists are good at putting together good statements and Oh,

okay. And resolutions. But I think

our challenge is always, how do we take those words that are on paper

and help people live that out in their Christian witness? So my

hope is to come and work alongside a a fantastic,

talented, mostly young young staff, and to

help help accentuate that work that's already being done. So a piece

of this is application and implementation of some of the

policies and opportunities that are in place. So I know I

know that in the press release regarding your election, it was mentioned

about your own personal mission statement and about the mission statement of the

church. And in both your personal mission statement,

you talk, you know, you talk about helping people reach their highest

potential, encourage their highest potential. And then the church

mission statement, it talks about, you know, to transform the world. It seems

to me that those are places where implementation

are stated, and we need to be

true to that statement. Can you say a word about that, maybe about

your your need to encourage people but also to help them rise to their

level and our church mission statement and how that how this position

may be ideal for you to, implement some of these things.

Thank you, Brad. That was a that was a a good segue to, you know,

basically saying that my mission to encourage really is a

good connecting point for the mission of General Board of Church

and Society to help congregations impact their

communities. To encourage also means to challenge.

So to challenge us not to just be, you know,

readers of the word, but to be doers of the word,

the challenge is not just to complain maybe about the things

that we find are wrong or or not just to pray, as I said

in my sermon, the jurisdictional conference, that pray that line

from the serenity prayer. Lord, help me accept the things I

cannot change. We really need to also pray, Lord,

help me to change the things that we should not accept, and you

don't accept the exclusion of people, the oppression of

people, the the human trafficking and exploitation

of people. Those are things that Jesus would not does not want

us to accept accept,

and we should help people realize that there are ways that we can

demonstrate our faithful discipleship and witness by engaging

and making sure those things no longer happen and reduce

reduce the amount of pain and suffering that so much of the world

community experienced. Sure. Sure. But when you were elected to

this position at Fortive Church and Society, you were quoted as saying

there is no this is no time for United for the United Methodist Church to

press the mute button on our prophetic witness for a more

just and humane world. I would encourage our churches to speak

out boldly on social issues from the solid

theological biblical foundation of our church's social

principles. I'd like you to say a word about that, about how we can take

these things. And what you and I often do in our conversations is make sure

we take it home to the local church and to the local pastor. How can

we take those things and not be mute in

our local churches and in as local church pastors to

the matters lifted up in the social principles.

I just had a meeting, about a week ago with pastors.

I was in the process of giving away some of the many books on my

bookshelf. Was was marginally

successful, but we had a great conversation. And part of what

I said was one of the question was,

how do we how do we express in our congregations the things

that we believe as a denomination or as Christians,

particularly when when some people might see that they're crossing the

line of our religious practice and

dipping over into political

expression. And, what I said was I I

I acknowledged that from my seat, it as

a bishop, it has been a lot easier for me to feel

less pressure, and we even expressing more

what I thought were prophetic statements consistent

with what the Bible and our social principles say, then it would

be as as a local church pastor. But what I encourage

pastors to do was to continue to preach

the from the bible and lectionary if you use the lectionary's

readings, but also share with people

some aspect of teaching what it means to be

United Methodist, and included in that are our social

principles. Excuse me. So you're

not really you shouldn't be on thin ice if you're

if you're preaching from the bible, preaching from the lectionary.

I said in a good way to do that is is a sermon series.

Yeah. What does it mean to be United Methodist? Sure. I've been

in some of the churches that were doing that. Sure. You know, what does

it mean, during the particular season of the Christian

calendar Yeah. Which then also and I have

to admit when I look back, I did very little of sharing

from our social principles. Sometimes I quoted a piece in the

midst of a sermon, but in all of the years of my ministry,

I always thought there was somebody else's job, so I'd assume that That was the

general board of church and society, and there you go. Then I realized that

we were we were really shortchanged in our laity because they didn't

really know unless they were a mem unless they were unless they were a

member of unless they were a member of comp conferences,

they did not get a chance to know much about the policy of our

church. That's one of the things I wanted us to kinda unpack what it's all

about and why local churches, local pastors should

be aware of that resource that's there, and then be

engaged. We'll just wrap it up with I wanna say this, and then I want

you to wrap it up with a thought about, you know, how this

about where we're gonna go in society and church

and society. I just wanna say that, the prophetic the

prophetic voice is still profound and still so important,

and you do have that spiritual quality about

it, about you, that spiritual gift. And I do think I wanna

congratulate you on your election to the Border Church and Society and look

forward to seeing that prophetic gift

be manifested not only in that office, but how it then

rings out in the halls of congress and in the United Nations,

any place else in the world that have actual impact on

policies that have to do with poverty, with women's

health issues, with, war and peace, and look

forward to see a kind of a, a amplified

voice in that area. And I just wanna congratulate you on that and wish you

well in this next step in your journey. And just wanna see if you have

any final words around this issue that you wanna share to

be a word we always ask you to give a word of encouragement to people

to conclude our our podcast episodes. So what's a word of encouragement

for a society in a world that's often, you know,

upset and and on fire where we

can speak to them with a word of how the church can

speak to their circumstances. The

the, prophet Micah, I I I often say that the words of

god echo through the words of the bible. And what

does the lord require of us? And echoed throughout the

ages from the old to the new testament are the words from

8. What does the lord require of us

but that we do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with

god? This is a season where we need not

walk away from the gift of humility,

the gift of service, the gift of compassion, the gift of love,

but also to do justice and to love mercy.

And no one needs to be left out or left behind in that process.

I love where where the Bible says, how can we say

that we love God whom we have not seen

and yet we refuse to love our neighbor whom we see

every day. That's awesome. Well, thank you for sharing that.

Some good words and some prophetic words from bishop Julius c Trimble

here on the to be encouraged podcast. We look forward to hearing more from

him and his role as the general secretary of the Board of Church and

Society. We thank you for listening to the to be

encouraged podcast, the podcast where we look to offer an encouraging

word to an often discouraged world. I'm your cohost,

reverend doctor Brad Miller.