Peter D. Weaver
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Peter D. Weaver (born 15 January 1945) is a Bishop of the United Methodist Church in the Boston Area where he presides over the New England Annual Conference of the UMC. He has three children.
Education
Weaver was educated at West Virginia Wesleyan College where he earned a B.A. in 1966. He then earned a M.Div. at Drew University in 1969 and became a Doctor of Theology in 1975 after concluding studies at Boston University. Weaver also holds honorary doctorates from Lebanon Valley College (1999), Albright College (2000), and West Virginia Wesleyan College (2007).
Ordained ministry
Before election to the episcopacy, Weaver served the Western Pennsylvania Conference as a pastor. He entered the ministry in 1967 as a deacon and was ordained an elder in 1969. He held appointments as:
- Pastor, Whitaker United Methodist Church, 1971-77
- Senior Pastor, Smithfield United Church (UCC and UMC), Pittsburgh, PA, 1977-88
- Senior Pastor, First United Methodist Church, Pittsburgh, PA, 1988-96
- Adjunct Faculty, Drew Theological School, 1980
- Faculty, Pittsburgh Theological Seminary, 1990
Episcopal ministry
He was elected a bishop of the United Methodist Church by the North East Jurisdictional Conference in 1996. He was then appointed to the Philadelphia Episcopal Area where he presided over the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference and the Peninsula-Delaware Conference until 2004. Weaver was then assigned the Boston Episcopal Area where he continues to serve the New England Conference.
Weaver served his colleagues as President of the UMC Council of Bishops (2003-04). He was the first president bishop since the council increased the office's term to two years. The council comprises 50 active bishops in the United States; 18 bishops in Europe, Asia and Africa; plus 96 retired bishops worldwide. They are the top clergy leaders in the nearly 11 million-member church. [1]
Weaver is also a trustee of Boston University.
In 2005, he paid a tribute to Pope John Paul II on the occasion of the later pontiff's death.[1]