Mary Ann Swenson

Mary Ann Swenson in an American Bishop of the United Methodist Church, elected in 1992.

Birth and Family

Mary Ann Swenson (née McDonald) was born 8 June 1947 in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. She was raised and educated in Jackson, Mississippi, where she was active in Sunday School, church youth group and choir at the Capitol Street Methodist Church. She married Jeffrey Joe Swenson of Elma, Washington 31 August 1968. Growing up on a dairy farm, Jeff is a graduate of the University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, Washington with a B.A. degree in fine arts. He also served in the U.S. Navy in Vietnam. The Swenson family also includes their dog, Bubba.

Education

Mary Ann graduated from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi in 1969 with a B.A. degree in Religion. She earned a D.Min. degree from the School of Theology at Claremont in 1975. Her thesis was "A Synthesis Between Personal Piety and the Social Gospel in the Modern Church."

Ordained Ministry

Mary Ann Swenson served as the Youth Director for the St. Luke and Capitol Street United Methodist Churches in Jackson, Mississippi, 1966-69. She was the Director of Youth Ministry at the Mason U.M. Church in Tacoma, Washington and the Elma U.M. Church, 1969-72, then at the Claremont U.M. Church in Claremont, California.

The Rev. Mary Ann Swenson was ordained to the ministry of the Pacific Northwest Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church by Bishop Wilbur Choy (Deacon in 1973 and Elder in 1976). Her pastoral appointments included: Associate Pastor, Claremont U.M.C. (1973-74); Pastor, Orchards U.M.C., Vancouver, Washington (1974-83); and Senior Pastor of First U.M.C., Wenatchee, Washington (1989-92). The Rev. Dr. Swenson was also appointed Superintendent of the Puget Sound District of the Pacific Northwest Conference (1983-89).

As District Superintendent Dr. Swenson also served as the Dean of the Bishop's Cabinet (1988-89). While appointed to Wenatchee, she also served as President of the Board of Directors of the Rape Crisis and Domestic Violence Center, and was on the North Central Washington AIDS Coalition.

Denominational Service

For the greater U.M. Church, Dr. Swenson served as a Director of the U.M. General Board of Discipleship (1976-84) and of the Division of Lay Life and Work (1984-92). She also served on the Board of Directors of the U.M. General Board of Global Ministries, as well as on its Mission Personnel Committee and the National Town and Country Network. Dr. Swenson was elected by the Pacific Northwest Conference as a delegate to U.M. General and Jurisdictional Conferences. 1980-92.

Episcopal Ministry

The Rev. Dr. Mary Ann Swenson was elected to the Episcopacy of the United Methodist Church by the 1992 Western Jurisdictional Conference. She was assigned the Denver Episcopal Area, where she served until 2000. She was then assigned the Los Angeles Area, including the California-Pacific Annual Conference, the U.S. territories of Guam and Saipan, and the Korean Mission.

Bishop Swenson chaired the Committee to Eliminate Institutional Racism and the Personnel Committee of the National Division of the U.M. General Board of Global Ministries (1992-2000). She also returned to the General Board of Discipleship, chairing a long range planning strategy committee and serving as President (1996-2000). In 2000 she became a member of the General Council on Finance and Administration, chairing the Legislative Committee, and assigned to the Personnel Committee and the Executive Committee, and the Board of Directors for the Center for JustPeace.

For recreation, Bishop Swenson enjoys reading, racquetball and walking.

Honors

Bishop Swenson was awarded the degree Doctor of Divinity by her alma mater, Millsaps College, in 1994. That same year she was named a Distinguished Alumna by the Claremont School of Theology. She is an Honorary Alumna of the Iliff School of Theology, Denver, Colorado. She has served on the Boards of Trustees for both Iliff, and the Saint Paul School of Theology, Kansas City, Missouri.

References

• Mary Ann Swenson (official biography) [1]
• Mary Ann Swenson (biography from the Council of Bishops)[2]
• InfoServ, the official information service of The United Methodist Church. [3]
• The Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church[4]

See also

• List of Bishops of the United Methodist Church

External links

• Photo of Bishop Swenson
• Bishop Swenson's Homepage at the California-Pacific Annual Conference Website
• Bishop Swenson's Official Biography
• Bishop Swenson's Council of Bishops Biography