Reverend David Graves of the United Methodist Church and Reverend David Graves of the Church of the Nazarene

Photo by Annette Spence, Holston Conference
The Rev. David Graves is embraced by Bishop Mary Virginia Taylor, resident bishop of the Holston Conference, following his election as a United Methodist bishop at the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference on July 13 at Lake Junaluska, N.C.
Southeastern elects David Graves as bishop by Annette Spence, LAKE JUNALUSKA, N.C. (UMNS)The Rev. David Graves, senior pastor of Church Street United Methodist Church in the Holston Conference, has been elected as a United Methodist bishop by delegates at the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference.
Graves, 58, was elected July 13 at the jurisdiction’s quadrennial meeting at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina, on the fourth ballot. He received 221 votes out of 345 valid ballots cast. He needed 207 to be elected.
Graves was the second bishop elected at the July 13-15 meeting, following Rev. Sharma Lewis of the North Georgia Conference, elected on the first ballot earlier in the day.
“I want to thank you, the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference, for putting your faith in me,” Graves said after his election. “So we go forth to win people to Christ, see the unseen, transform lives, and help The United Methodist Church change the world.”
Graves was elected by the SEJ’s 376 total delegates, an equal number of United Methodist clergy and laity, from the nine states forming the Southeastern Jurisdiction. The assignments of bishops in the Southeastern Jurisdiction for the next four years will be announced later in the week. His four-year term of service begins Sept. 1.
Graves was nominated by the Holston Conference. Prior to coming to Church Street, he served six years as superintendent for the conference’s Kingsport District. In 2011 and 2012, he served as dean of the cabinet.
Graves has been an ordained pastor in the United Methodist Church for more than 27 years and previously served as senior pastor of Ooltewah United Methodist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for 11 years. Earlier in 2016, he led the Holston delegation to General Conference as the first elected clergy delegate. In 2013, the Holston Annual Conference presented him with the Denman Evangelism Award.
Graves is a native of Knoxville, Tennessee. He graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and from Candler School of Theology with a master of divinity degree.
He has been married to Nancy Graves for 34 years. They have two children and a grandson.
In his post-election remarks, Graves thanked Bishop Clay Lee for ordaining him, Bishop Ray Chamberlain for believing in him, and Bishop James Swanson for appointing him as a district superintendent. He thanked his current bishop, Bishop Mary Virginia Taylor “who I have known for 40 years and who was my associate pastor when I was growing up at Fountain City United Methodist Church.”
Spence is the communicator for the Holston Conference.

The Rev. David Graves
Southeastern Jurisdiction
INFORMATION

Address
Church Street United Methodist Church
PO Box 1303
Knoxville, TN 37901-1303
Phone Number
(865) 524-3048 – Church Street United Methodist Church
Fax Number
(N/A)
Email Address
dgraves@churchstreetumc.org
Website(s)
http://www.davidwgraves.com/
Location
Holston Conference
Born
Knoxville, TN
Spouse
Nancy Graves
Children
Casey and Gregg
Education and Honors
Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN
Master of Divinity, Candler School of Theology, Emory University, Atlanta, GA
Ministry
Senior pastor, Church Street United Methodist Church in Knoxville, TN, current
Senior pastor, Ooltewah United Methodist Church, Chattanooga, TN, for 11 years
Pastor, St. Matthew and Mountain View United Methodist, Kingsport, TN
Was given first appointment at Hixson United Methodist Church in Chattanooga, TN where he served for 11 years
Membership
Dean of the Cabinet, 2011 and 2012
First Clergy Delegate, 2016 General and Jurisdictional Conferences
The Holston Delegation selected him to lead the delegation and unanimously selected David to be the Holston nominee for Bishop
Other
At its 2013 session, the Holston Annual Conference recognized David’s passion for sharing Jesus by presenting him with the Clergy Denman Award.
Office
Served six years as District Superintendent for the Kingsport District of the Holston Conference of the United Methodist Church prior to serving as pastor of Church Street United Methodist.
Endorsed By
Stephen DeFur, Senior Pastor Cokesbury United Methodist Church, Knoxville, TN
Wil Cantrell, Associate Pastor Concord United Methodist Church, Clergy Delegate to General Conference, Knoxville, TN
​Pat Bellingrath, Lay Leader Church Street United Methodist Church (Also very active in United Methodist Women), Knoxville, TN
The Holston Delegation, General Conference 2016
Statements on Faith and Leadership Issues

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Dr. David W. Graves

Board of General Superintendents ›
Biographies & Photos
Dr. David W. Graves is a general superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene.
Dr. Graves was chosen for the highest elected office in the denomination at the 27th General Assembly held in Orlando, Florida, USA, in 2009. At the time of his election, Dr. Graves was the senior pastor of College Church of the Nazarene in Olathe, Kansas, where he had served since 2006.
Prior to College Church he served as director of Sunday School Ministries for the Church of the Nazarene International Headquarters from 2001 to 2006. He has had pastoral assignments in Kansas, Ohio, Tennessee, Oklahoma, and North Carolina. Graves is a graduate of Olivet Nazarene University and received his Master of Divinity degree from Nazarene Theological Seminary. He received an honorary Doctor of Divinity from Olivet. He is the author of three books and has written for numerous publications.
Dr. Graves and his wife, Sharon, have four married children, Michael, John, Stephen, and Rachel, and 10 grandchildren. He is a fourth-generation Nazarene on both sides of his family. His parents are Harold and Bettie Graves.

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