Elias Gabriel Galvan facts for kids

Elias Gabriel Galvan, born on April 9, 1938, is a Mexican-American who became a Bishop in the United Methodist Church. He was chosen for this important role in 1984.

Early Life and Family

Galvan was born in San Juan Acozac, Puebla, Mexico. His father was a Methodist minister, so Elias grew up in a church home called a parsonage.

On July 12, 1986, Elias married Zoraida Freytes. She was from Puerto Rico and also grew up in a United Methodist parsonage. They have one daughter, Hope, who was born on September 20, 1988.

His Education Journey

Galvan went to high school at the Instituto Mexicano Madero in Puebla. This was a Methodist boarding school.

He received a scholarship from the Spanish-American Institute. This helped him attend Compton Junior College in California. Later, he earned a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) degree from California State University at Long Beach. He then continued his studies and earned a Rel.D. degree from the School of Theology at Claremont.

Becoming a Minister

In 1964, Galvan became a deacon in the Methodist Church. This was his first step toward becoming a full minister. He joined the Southern California-Arizona Conference as a probationary member.

By 1970, he became a full member and was ordained as an elder. This meant he could lead church services and perform sacraments.

His First Roles

As a pastor, Galvan served in several churches in the Southern California-Arizona Conference. He was an associate pastor at Asbury Church. He also led the City Terrace Church and the Church of All Nations in Los Angeles.

From 1971 to 1974, he worked as a director for ethnic planning and strategy. This role focused on supporting different cultural groups within the church.

Later, from 1974 to 1979, he became the superintendent of the Santa Barbara District. He also served as the dean of the cabinet for two years. In 1980, he became the conference council director. He held this position until he was elected as a bishop in 1984.

Leading in the Church

Galvan was chosen as a delegate for important church meetings. These included the U.M. General and Jurisdictional Conferences from 1972 to 1984. In 1972, he even chaired one of the committees that made new rules.

He served on the General Commission on Religion and Race from 1972 to 1976. This group worked on issues of fairness and equality. From 1976 to 1984, he was on the General Council on Finance and Administration. He even led the council's Division on Administrative Services from 1980 to 1984.

In 1983 and 1984, Galvan was the president of the Southern California Ecumenical Council. This council brought together different Christian churches. He was also very active in groups for Hispanic members of the church. He was the first chairperson of the coordinating committee for M.A.R.C.H.A., a national U.M. Hispanic caucus.

As a Bishop

In 1984, the Western Jurisdictional Conference of the U.M. Church elected Galvan as a bishop. He was assigned to lead the Phoenix Episcopal Area. This area included the Desert Southwest Annual Conference. Bishop William W. Dew Jr. took over from him in 1992.

As a bishop, he served on several important church boards. These included the General Council on Ministries (1984–88) and the General Board of Discipleship (1989–92). He also served on the General Board of Global Ministries from 1992 to 2000. In 1989, he became the President of the College of Bishops for the Western Jurisdiction.

He also served as a trustee for the School of Theology at Claremont starting in 1985. The Council of Bishops also asked him to lead a committee. This committee worked to create a national plan for Hispanic Ministries from 1989 to 1992.

Bishop Galvan retired from his active role as a bishop on September 1, 2004.

See also

• List of bishops of the United Methodist Church