Bishop Gregory Palmer

Bishop Gregory V. Palmer was elected to the episcopacy in 2000 and has served in various leadership roles within The United Methodist Church, including as Resident Bishop of the Iowa, Illinois, and West Ohio Areas before retiring on September 1, 2024. That same day, he began a four-year term as the Council of Bishops Executive Secretary, having previously served as the Council’s President from 2008 to 2010. Born in Philadelphia, he earned degrees from George Washington University and Duke University and received an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Baldwin-Wallace College. Ordained in the Eastern Pennsylvania and East Ohio Conferences, he pastored churches in Ohio and North Carolina, including founding the James S. Thomas United Methodist Church in Canton. He also served as a district superintendent and Senior Pastor of the United Methodist Church of Berea. Bishop Palmer has been actively involved in church leadership, global ministry efforts, and community service, holding positions on various boards and committees. He and his wife, Cynthia, have two children, Monica and Aaron.