Robert E. Hayes Jr
Encyclopedia
Robert Eric Hayes, Jr. is an American
Bishop
of the United Methodist Church
(U.M.C.), currently serving in the the Oklahoma Annual Conference. Prior to being elected to the episcopacy in 2004, Hayes served as treasurer
of the Texas Annual Conference
. He has also served as a pastor
, District Superintendent
, and college
chaplain
.
degree in English from Huston-Tillotson University
, Austin, Texas
(1969). Hayes was initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
while a student at Huston-Tillotson. He earned an M.Th. degree from Perkins School of Theology
, Southern Methodist University
, Dallas, Texas
(1972) and a D.Min. degree from Drew University
, Madison, New Jersey
(1997).
In addition, Hayes was a Methodist Fellow to Europe
, Asia
and Russia
in 1967. He was a Crusade Scholar of the U.M.C. in 1970-72. He was in Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities in 1968, and Outstanding Young Men in America in 1969.
of the U.M. Church. Prior to his election to the Episcopacy, he served the following appointments: McCabe U.M.C., Longview, Texas
, as well as Chaplain
and Instructor
of Religion
and Philosophy
at Wiley College
(1972–75); Blueridge U.M.C., Houston, Texas
(1975–86); Riverside U.M.C., Houston (1986–94); Superintendent of the Houston Southwest District (1994–2001); Treasurer, Texas Annual Conference (2002–04).
Hayes was active in community ministries as well. He was a member of the Houston Board of Missions of the U.M.C. (1994–2001); Secretary of the Wesley House Community Center (1990–98); on the Board of Directors of the Houston Ebony Opera Guild (1986–94) and of the Methodist Home, Waco, Texas
(1994–2000). He also served on the Board of Directors of Bering-Omega Community Services (an HIV/AIDS ministry in Houston); on the Advisory Board of Covenant House of Texas (1999–2004); and as an officer and member of: the Texas
Conference Board of Trustees, the Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry, the Division of Colleges, and the Committee on Ethnic Local Church Concerns.
at Lovers Lane U.M.C., Dallas, Texas
(2003); as a Lecturer
and Lenten Evangelist at the Chicago Temple U.M.C., Chicago, Illinois (1998); and Lecturer and Lenten Evangelist at St. Luke's U.M.C., Houston (1999). He was named Outstanding Alumni by the Houston Chapter, Houston-Tillotson College (1989–90). He chaired the Legislative Committee on Faith and Order at the General Conference of the U.M.C., Cleveland, Ohio
, (2000).
Episcopal Area (the Oklahoma and Oklahoma Indian Missionary Annual Conferences). His offices are in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
.
Under his influence and leadership, St. Paul's School of Theology (in Kansas City) and Oklahoma City University (OCU) have worked together to create a new St. Paul's Seminary on the campus at OCU, opening in the fall of 2008.
(Wilmore, KY) and St. Paul's School of Theology (Kansas City, MO).
Bishop Hayes was elected in 2008 to serve as the Secretary of the Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church. He has been assigned to serve as one of the Episcopal Directors of the General Commission of Finance and Administration.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the United Methodist Church
United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a Methodist Christian denomination which is both mainline Protestant and evangelical. Founded in 1968 by the union of The Methodist Church and the Evangelical United Brethren Church, the UMC traces its roots back to the revival movement of John and Charles Wesley...
(U.M.C.), currently serving in the the Oklahoma Annual Conference. Prior to being elected to the episcopacy in 2004, Hayes served as treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
of the Texas Annual Conference
Texas Annual Conference
The Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church is the regional body of congregations and ministries in East Texas, from Texarkana west to approximately Cedar Creek Lake in the north, Thorndale, Tx in the west, and Bay City in the southwest and down to the Gulf Coast and back east to the...
. He has also served as a pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
, District Superintendent
District Superintendent (United Methodist Church)
A District Superintendent, often abbreviated D.S., in the United Methodist Church is a clergyperson who serves in a supervisory position over a geographic District of churches providing spiritual and administrative leadership to those churches and their pastors...
, and college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
.
Education
Hayes earned a B.A.Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree in English from Huston-Tillotson University
Huston-Tillotson University
Huston–Tillotson University is a historically black university in Austin, Texas, United States. The school is affiliated with the United Methodist Church, the United Church of Christ, and the United Negro College Fund....
, Austin, Texas
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
(1969). Hayes was initiated into Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
Alpha Phi Alpha
Alpha Phi Alpha is the first Inter-Collegiate Black Greek Letter fraternity. It was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Its founders are known as the "Seven Jewels". Alpha Phi Alpha developed a model that was used by the many Black Greek Letter Organizations ...
while a student at Huston-Tillotson. He earned an M.Th. degree from Perkins School of Theology
Perkins School of Theology
Perkins School of Theology is one of Southern Methodist University's three original schools. The theology school was renamed in 1945 to honor benefactors Joe J...
, Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
, Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
(1972) and a D.Min. degree from Drew University
Drew University
Drew University is a private university located in Madison, New Jersey.Originally established as the Drew Theological Seminary in 1867, the university later expanded to include an undergraduate liberal arts college in 1928 and commenced a program of graduate studies in 1955...
, Madison, New Jersey
Madison, New Jersey
Madison is a borough in Morris County, New Jersey, in the United States. As of the 2000 United States Census, the population was 16,530. It also is known as "The Rose City".-Geography:Madison is located at ....
(1997).
In addition, Hayes was a Methodist Fellow to Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
, Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
and Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
in 1967. He was a Crusade Scholar of the U.M.C. in 1970-72. He was in Who’s Who in American Colleges and Universities in 1968, and Outstanding Young Men in America in 1969.
Ordained Ministry
Hayes was ordained in the Texas Annual ConferenceAnnual Conference
An Annual Conference in the United Methodist Church is a regional body that governs much of the life of the "Connectional Church." Annual conferences are composed primarily of the clergy members and a lay member or members from each charge . Each conference is a geographical division...
of the U.M. Church. Prior to his election to the Episcopacy, he served the following appointments: McCabe U.M.C., Longview, Texas
Longview, Texas
Longview is a city in Gregg and Harrison Counties in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 80,455. Most of the city is located in Gregg County, of which it is the county seat; only a small part extends into the western part of neighboring Harrison County. It is...
, as well as Chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
and Instructor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of Religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
and Philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
at Wiley College
Wiley College
Wiley College is a four-year, private, historically black, liberal arts college located on the west side of Marshall, Texas. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society, it is notable as one of the oldest predominantly...
(1972–75); Blueridge U.M.C., Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
(1975–86); Riverside U.M.C., Houston (1986–94); Superintendent of the Houston Southwest District (1994–2001); Treasurer, Texas Annual Conference (2002–04).
Hayes was active in community ministries as well. He was a member of the Houston Board of Missions of the U.M.C. (1994–2001); Secretary of the Wesley House Community Center (1990–98); on the Board of Directors of the Houston Ebony Opera Guild (1986–94) and of the Methodist Home, Waco, Texas
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
(1994–2000). He also served on the Board of Directors of Bering-Omega Community Services (an HIV/AIDS ministry in Houston); on the Advisory Board of Covenant House of Texas (1999–2004); and as an officer and member of: the Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
Conference Board of Trustees, the Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry, the Division of Colleges, and the Committee on Ethnic Local Church Concerns.
Honors
Hayes served as the Lenten EvangelistEvangelism
Evangelism refers to the practice of relaying information about a particular set of beliefs to others who do not hold those beliefs. The term is often used in reference to Christianity....
at Lovers Lane U.M.C., Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
(2003); as a Lecturer
Lecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
and Lenten Evangelist at the Chicago Temple U.M.C., Chicago, Illinois (1998); and Lecturer and Lenten Evangelist at St. Luke's U.M.C., Houston (1999). He was named Outstanding Alumni by the Houston Chapter, Houston-Tillotson College (1989–90). He chaired the Legislative Committee on Faith and Order at the General Conference of the U.M.C., Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, (2000).
Episcopal Ministry
Bishop Hayes was endorsed for the Episcopacy by the General and Jurisdictional Delegations of the Texas Annual Conference and by Black Methodists for Church Renewal, South Central Jurisdiction. He was the first to be elected of four new bishops by the South Central Jurisdictional Conference meeting in Corpus Christi in 2004. He was assigned to the OklahomaOklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
Episcopal Area (the Oklahoma and Oklahoma Indian Missionary Annual Conferences). His offices are in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
.
Under his influence and leadership, St. Paul's School of Theology (in Kansas City) and Oklahoma City University (OCU) have worked together to create a new St. Paul's Seminary on the campus at OCU, opening in the fall of 2008.
Other information
Bishop Hayes serves on the Board of Trustees of both Asbury Theological SeminaryAsbury Theological Seminary
Asbury Theological Seminary is a multi-denominational, graduate institution that offers a variety of master degree and postgraduate degree programs through the schools of Biblical Interpretation and Proclamation, Theology and Formation, Practical Theology, World Missions and Evangelism, and...
(Wilmore, KY) and St. Paul's School of Theology (Kansas City, MO).
Bishop Hayes was elected in 2008 to serve as the Secretary of the Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church. He has been assigned to serve as one of the Episcopal Directors of the General Commission of Finance and Administration.
External links
- InfoServ, the official information service of The United Methodist Church
- The Council of Bishops of the United Methodist Church
- Asbury Theological Seminary, Board of Trustees