J. Michael Lowry is the resident bishop of the Central Texas Conference of The United Methodist Church, where he is the spiritual leader for about 164,000 United Methodists in 320 congregations and developing faith communities.

At the time of his election and consecration as bishop in July 2008, he was serving as executive director of New Church Development and Transformation in the Southwest Texas Conference in San Antonio, Texas. Prior to that, he was senior pastor at University United Methodist Church, a 5,800-member congregation in San Antonio that grew from 4,800 to 5,700 members during his tenure.

His previous appointments were to United Methodist churches in Austin, Corpus Christi, Harlingen, Kerrville and, while a student, serving the Plymouth Park congregation in Irving, Texas. Churches under his leadership have received a number of awards and recognitions including Habitat for Humanity, the President’s Award from Huston-Tillotson College, the Churchmanship Award from San Antonio Community of Churches, and the Arthur Moore Evangelism Award three times while he was pastor at Asbury United Methodist Church in Corpus Christi. Bishop Lowry is a regular contributor in The Abingdon Preaching Annual, and his “Generous Living” sermon was published in Best Stewardship Sermons of 2005. He was awarded the B’nai B’rith Award in Social Ethics by Perkins School of Theology.

A 1972 graduate of Earlham College in Richmond, Indiana, Bishop Lowry earned his Master of Theology from Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University and his Doctor of Ministry from Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Jolynn, have a son and daughter. Family time over the years has also included trekking in the national parks, an adventure Bishop Lowry enjoys whenever time and schedule permit. If you want to keep up with Bishop Lowry - what he's doing, where he's travelling, what's bouncing around in his episcopal brain, etc. - make sure that you are follow his blog.