Prairie Wisdom: Reflections on Life in the Dakotas

Bishop Michael J Coyner is the Bishop of the Indiana Conference of the The United Methodist Church.

“Bishop Mike” as most people call him, is originally from Anderson, Indiana. He served churches of various sizes, served as a District Superintendent of the former Lafayette District, and was also the Executive Assistant to Bishop Woodie W. White for the Indiana Area. He was elected a bishop of the United Methodist Church in 1996 and was assigned to the Dakotas Area where he served two terms as resident bishop. In 2004 he was assigned to serve the Indiana Area, and in 2008 he was assigned to a second term.

Bishop Mike and his wife, Marsha, live in the Indianapolis area. He oversees the life and ministry of over 1,200 United Methodist congregations in Indiana, including over 200,000 members organized into 10 districts. Under Bishop Coyner’s leadership, the former North and South Indiana Conference voted in 2008 to create a new Indiana Conference which was launched in 2010.

Bishop Mike and Marsha have two adult children and four grandchildren. Laura and her husband, Adrian Peace, are both engineers with GE in Louisville, and the parents of Brianna and Austin. Steve, a pharmaceutical salesman, and his wife, Jessica, live in Fishers, and are the parents of Ashlee and Leah.

Bishop Mike received his B.A. degree from Purdue, his M. Div. Degree from Duke Divinity School, and his Doctor of Ministry degree from Drew Theological School. Bishop Mike also has received honorary doctorates from Dakota Wesleyan University, the University of Evansville and the University of Indianapolis. He is the author of several articles and four books: Making a Good Move (Abingdon Press, 1999), Prairie Wisdom (Abingdon Press, 2000), The Race to Reach Out (Abingdon Press, 2004) and A Year With John Wesley and Our Methodist Values (Discipleship Resources, 2008). In addition to serving as a Trustee or Board member of various United Methodist agencies and institutions here in Indiana, Bishop Coyner also serves on the General Council on Finance and Administration for the denomination.