It was a crisp, sunny morning on the Tuesday after Labor Day weekend when Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi stepped into the Mission and Resource Center in Neptune, NJ. The air was filled with a sense of anticipation as the new episcopal leader began her first day, setting up her email and getting acquainted with the technology that would connect her to thousands of United Methodists across Eastern Pennsylvania and Greater New Jersey (EPA&GNJ).
After a tour of the building and a brief photoshoot, Bishop Moore-Koikoi settled into the lobby’s cozy seating area, right next to the baptismal font that welcomes every visitor—a symbolic reminder of the grace that unites all persons of the Christian faith. Dressed in her signature purple clergy shirt symbolizing her episcopal office, Bishop Moore-Koikoi exuded warmth, confidence, and a pastoral charisma that immediately put me at ease.
It was an interview, yes, but it felt more like a friendly chat—an exchange of hopes, dreams, and the promises of a new chapter for EPA&GNJ.
What’s your favorite part about being a bishop?
“My favorite part about being a bishop is helping people discern their call—whether they’re laity or clergy—and then mobilizing resources so they can grow and develop into that call.
Calls change and evolve over time. Many of us have that initial call into ministry, but then there are also smaller calls that happen along the way. We might be called to a particular ministry or relationship. It really excites me to create an atmosphere where people expect that God is going to call them to something new – and then to be able to figure out what resourcing needs to happen, whether that is financial resourcing or people resourcing – Getting folks connected with a coach or mentor or someone can help them to grow and develop in that call. That’s my favorite thing to do.”
How has your past experience, both as a bishop and as a school psychologist, equipped you to lead well in this liminal time?
“One of the things I’ve always held sacred is that while God’s character never changes, God is always in the business of creating and re-creating, and God invites us into that task of co-creation. I expect things to change all the time, and I get excited about that because it’s one of the ways God shows up. For me, it’s a means of grace to see God moving in the world as things grow, develop, and change.
As a school psychologist, I had to help people find their grounding—whether it was a student dealing with emotional challenges, a parent coming to terms with their child’s lifelong challenges, or a teacher needing to change their approach to support a student’s growth.
As a bishop, the grounding I try to help people connect with is our Wesleyan theology. Who we are as United Methodists—our understanding of how God wants us to be in the world—is our grounding. Those basic things never change, but the modality of how God wants us to be in the world—that’s what changes. It’s exciting to be looking for that new way of being that God wants us to grow into. And so, it’s a matter of helping folks find that grounding, but then nurturing and supporting them in this new discovery—not trying to control or manage it, but to support and nurture it as it comes along.”
What excites you most about serving in EPA&GNJ?
“I’ve heard lots of wonderful things about EPA and GNJ, and I’ve been at both annual conferences and have known some folks from both conferences for quite some time. What excites me most is how the face of God looks different in these two conferences. There’s so much diversity, and the image of God shows up in many different ways.
I’m excited to learn more about the people, and therefore more about God through the people.”
What’s one hope that you have for our time together?
“My hope is that we would all be excited about being United Methodists! That we would respect and accept the different ways we manifest what it is to be United Methodist while holding on to our grounding.
Yes, that would be my hope, because with excitement comes vitality. If you’re excited about something, you’re gonna invite other people to be a part of that something; if you’re excited about something, you’re gonna make sure you do it with excellence whenever you do it; if you’re excited about something, you’re gonna be looking to see what new things God wants you to be involved in. So for me, the key is getting excited.”
We are eager to get to know you more. What do you do for fun? Anything else you want us to know about you?
“My husband and I love to ride our bikes, travel, and I enjoy cooking and sewing. I’m trying to be more disciplined about taking time for those activities. Every summer, I plan a weeklong bike trip with my girlfriends, usually a Rails to Trails ride. The most we’ve done in a day is about 65-70 miles over a four to five-day period.
I’m excited about my husband, Raphael, being with me on this journey. He’s thrilled about the appointment that Bishop Schol and the cabinet discerned for him at Morrisville United Methodist Church, so I’m looking forward to supporting him in his ministry. Together, we have a lovely little Maltese named Ranyshia, which is a Bantu Christian name that means ‘blessed little angel.’ And he is spoiled rotten. He came to us during COVID, and so for the first year of his life, it was just us—he had our undivided attention.”
How can we pray for you?
“Prayers for wisdom and discernment. I always want to ensure that I’m hearing from God and acting in ways that bring wisdom to every situation.”
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As our conversation came to a close, Bishop Moore-Koikoi rose from her seat and warmly shook my hand, ready to step into the day’s agenda. The next chapter for the United Methodists of Eastern Pennsylvania and Greater New Jersey was beginning, and Bishop Moore-Koikoi was fully prepared to guide it forward, one handshake and one heartfelt conversation at a time. The week ahead is filled with meetings, planning sessions, and the responsibilities that come with her office, but the bishop is sure to approach them with the same warmth and pastoral presence she brought to our interview.
Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi’s passion for fostering diversity, nurturing individual callings, and leading with a collaborative spirit offers a hopeful and invigorating future for the United Methodists of Eastern Pennsylvania and Greater New Jersey.
To get in touch with Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi, you can email her at bishopmoore-koikoi@gnjumc.org / bishopmoore-koikoi@epaumc.church. Additionally, all are invited to join the services of welcome for Bishop Moore-Koikoi on Saturday, September 14, 2024, at Calvary Korean United Methodist Church in East Brunswick, NJ, and on Saturday, September 21, 2024, at West Lawn United Methodist Church in West Lawn, PA. Both services will begin at 10:30 AM and will be livestreamed.
