Gregory V. Palmer

Bishop Gregory V. Palmer

Active

United States

North Central Jurisdiction

Ohio West Episcopal Area

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Bishop Gregory V. Palmer was elected to the episcopacy in 2000. He is the Resident Bishop of the Ohio West Area, which includes the Ohio West Conference in the North Central Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church.

In 2008, he became the President of the Council of Bishops to serve a two-year term.

From July 1, 2021 through January 1, 2022, Bishop Palmer also served as an interim bishop of the Illinois Great River Area.   
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Bishop Palmer was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He received his undergraduate degree from George Washington University, and later earned his Master of Divinity degree from Duke University. In 1999 he received an honorary Doctor of Divinity Degree from Baldwin-Wallace College. He was ordained deacon by Bishop James M. Ault in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference and ordained an elder by Bishop James S. Thomas in the East Ohio Conference.

Greg served as Senior Pastor of the United Methodist Church of Berea, Ohio, for seven years. Prior to that he had been a district superintendent, and had served churches in both Ohio and North Carolina. He was the organizing pastor of the James S. Thomas United Methodist Church of Canton, Ohio.

Gregory Vaughn Palmer was elected to the episcopacy in 2000 and was appointed to the Iowa Area, which he began serving on September 1, 2000. In 2008 he was assigned to the Illinois Area. After serving in the Illinois Area for four years, he was assigned to the West Ohio Annual Conference in July 2012.

Bishop Palmer has served the church in other ways: President of the Interdenominational Ministerial Alliance of Canton, Senegal Task Force of the General Board of Global Ministries, General and Jurisdictional Delegate, as a teacher at Pastor's School in the Burundi Annual Conference and Trustee of Baldwin-Wallace College, Ohio Wesleyan University and United Theological Seminary. He served as President of the Council of Bishops from 2008-2010.

In addition, Bishop Palmer has served the communities in which he has lived: Trustee of the Berea Children's Home and Family Services Board, Board of Zoning and Appeals in Cleveland and Trustee of the Regional Transit Authority in Canton.

He and his wife, Cynthia, have two children: Monica and Aaron.