Pope Francis met with a group that included a religious leader who oversees East Tennessee, according to the Vatican’s news service, as part of an effort to promote dialogue between Catholics and Methodists.
The Rev. Debra Wallace-Padgett is the resident bishop of both the United Methodist Church’s West Virginia Conference and Holston Conference — which oversees hundreds of churches stretching from the Chattanooga area to the Tri-Cities and beyond.
She also recently became president of the World Methodist Council, which says it represents a range of Methodists groups, with cumulative ties to some 80 million people globally. It was in that capacity that she met Dec. 16 with the pope.
According to the Vatican’s news service, Francis “thanked God that Catholics and Methodists have overcome our estrangement and sought to dialogue ‘in reciprocal knowledge, understanding and love’ for the past 60 years.”
In a subsequent video, Wallace-Padgett said the meeting was a great experience.
“I find him to be a kind person,” she said of the pope. “He has an inspiring vision. He’s an ecumenical spirit and a man of deep faith.”
Wallace-Padgett was elected president of the World Methodist Council at an August meeting in Sweden. Asked how she balances her new duties with her other leadership responsibilities, a Holston Conference spokesperson said the bishop emphasizes collaboration.
“By fostering strong leadership within the Holston and West Virginia conferences, as well as the World Methodist Council, she effectively navigates the demands of these significant roles,” wrote the spokesperson, the Rev. Tim Jones. “Her ability to build and rely on capable teams enables her to manage responsibilities across these three areas of ministry with dedication and balance.”
Wallace-Padgett and the World Methodist Council general secretary also recently filmed another video outside Methodism founder John Wesley’s old chapel in London. The general secretary asked Wallace-Padgett to share two Christmastime messages: One for fellow Methodists, and for the whole world.
To Methodists, she said, “This is a message that is resonating in my heart today: ‘God. Is. With us.’ That’s relevant to us in whatever situation in which we find ourselves.”
She noted conflict going on, and to the whole world her message was: “Peace on Earth, and goodwill to all.”
The general secretary responded, “That’s a wonderful message for a world that faces so many wars and divisions.”
Contact Andrew Schwartz at aschwartz@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6431.