Bishop Tracy Malone

Sermon: “Who Do You Say That I Am?” – Matthew 16:13-20

Bishop Tracy S. Malone serves as resident bishop of the Indiana Conference of The United Methodist Church and as President of the Council of Bishops of The United Methodist Church (through April 2026)—the first Black woman elected to this position. In this role, she provides leadership to more than 110 active and retired bishops across the global denomination spanning the United States, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

Malone serves on the Board of Trustees at the United Methodist-affiliated institutions of higher education and organizations in the Episcopal Area. She is currently the President of the Council of Bishops, which includes all bishops in The United Methodist Church, and a member of the College of Bishops, which is comprised of the United Methodist bishops in the North Central Jurisdiction. She is a member of the Board of Trustees of Africa University and the immediate Past President of the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women.

Malone was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan and was raised in Chicago, Illinois. She is the daughter of the late Rev. Willie and the late April Smith. She grew up in The United Methodist Church and accepted her call to ministry at the early age of 13.

During her ministry she pastored several churches, served as a District Superintendent, and provided leadership to various community organizations. She has authored chapters in several books, published articles, blogs and book reviews, and has taught courses as an adjunct professor at several higher education institutions.

Malone has a Bachelor of Arts in Religious Studies and Sociology, with a minor in Computer Science, from North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. She holds a Master of Divinity from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, and has earned a Doctorate of Ministry from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.

She and her husband Derrick are the parents of two adult daughters.

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