Chicago native Julius Trimble to lead Indiana Methodists

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - One of the largest Protestant denominations in Indiana has a new bishop.

The Committee on Episcopacy of the North Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church has announced the assignment of Bishop Julius Trimble to the Indiana Episcopal Area. Trimble will begin his service in Indiana on Sept. 1. The assignment was made Saturday.

He will succeed Bishop Michael Coyner, who has served the more-than-200,000-member Indiana Conference for the past 12 years.

Trimble has served as the resident bishop of the Iowa Area for the past eight years. The Chicago native served two churches in northern Illinois before transferring to eastern Ohio, where he served churches in the Cleveland area.

The denomination says he's a strong advocate for social justice and chairs the United Methodist Interagency Immigration Task Force.