Leading vital ministries and initiatives at every level, Kennetha Bigham-Tsai has a proven record of having the courage to tell hard truths with compassion. Her passion for peace and justice ministries and for the health and vitality of the local church was nurtured from an early age.
Kennetha grew up in the Baptist church in Austin, Texas. She credits her mother with helping her learn to preach by teaching her a love for words.
After earning a degree in sociology from Harvard University, she served in lay ministry with urban youth in the A.M.E. church and pursued a career in public relations and writing before responding to God’s call to professional ministry. She was ordained in The United Methodist Church in 2009.
A sought-after speaker and preacher, Kennetha has led numerous workshops on leadership, church vitality, and cross racial, cross cultural ministry and has served at every level of the church. She and her husband, Kee Tsai, have been married since 1994 and have two children, Keeton and Kamden, and a German Shepherd named Kylo. They are committed to a ministry of inclusion that begins at home.
Profile of Kennetha Bigham-Tsai
Kennetha is a courageous visionary, a bridge builder, a sensitive pastor, and a hope-filled leader.
Her experience with the worldwide church, her exceptional leadership capacity, her deep faith, spiritual maturity, wisdom, and strength of character uniquely position her to lead as a bishop through the exciting and promising times ahead.
COMPASSIONATE JUSTICE SEEKER
whose courageous preaching and prophetic witness have inspired individuals, congregations, and church bodies to live out more fully the call to “…let justice roll down like waters, and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream.” Amos 5:24
STRATEGIC VISION-CASTER
who initiates and articulates a mission, strengthens innovation, and inspires and empowers other leaders to implement change.
INNOVATIVE CHANGE AGENT
who has effectively led local churches, districts, and connectional bodies to greater vitality, building the capacity to adapt and thrive. Reaches across boundaries to build relationships, heal divisions, instill hope and bring understanding from conflict.
FORWARD THINKER
who leads the denomination to grow as a world-wide church. Clear understanding of the globalized nature of local communities and the need to engage a diverse mission field.
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SKILLED AND GIFTED RECONCILER, WELCOMING DIVERSE VOICES AND SEEKING VIEWPOINTSDIFFERENT FROM HER OWN
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BRIDGE-BUILDER AND HEALER, REACHING ACROSS BOUNDARIES AND DIVISIONS TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER
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COMPASSIONATE FACILITATOR WHEN NAVIGATING AND PROCESSING GROUPS
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EMPATHETIC LISTENER WHO HELPS PEOPLE FEEL HEARD, RESPECTED AND ACCEPTED
Kennetha is a transformational leader who will cast a strategic vision for the spiritual rebirth of The United Methodist Church.
Kennetha is deeply committed to inspiring the Christ-centered growth of the worldwide United Methodist Church as a vessel for grace, justice, and love.
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Invests her entire being, energy, spirit, and intellect into the experience at hand
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Has a deep and abiding faith reflected in the way in which she thinks and lives out discipleship, apostleship and leadership as modeled by Jesus Christ
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Is a prayerful pastor who helps those she serves deepen their ability to be more authentic disciples of Jesus Christ
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Demonstrates a deep love for the local church and faith in the ability of the laity to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the world
“I met Bishop Kennetha J. Bigham-Tsai in October 2015 at an event for the NCJ-Committee on Religion and Race (CORR). I was immediately impressed by her strong character, teaching ability and leadership skills. I appreciate her overall passion for life, outward commitment to justice, her ministry to the church and Jesus Christ.”
General Church Leadership
CONNECTIONAL TABLE
(2012 – 2022)
Chief Connectional Ministries Officer
(2018 – 2022)
Provides leadership for the Connectional Table (CT) as it seeks to discern and articulate the vision for the worldwide church and steward the mission, ministries and resources of the denomination in consultation with the Council of Bishops. Works with staff and board members to plan and execute meetings, oversee CT finances, facilitate internal and external communications, and help to shepherd the process of evaluation of the missional effectiveness of the World Service-funded agencies.
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Facilitated the CT’s work to shape legislation for General Conference; traveled the connection, listening to concerns about the future of the worldwide United Methodist Church.
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Built and nurtured collaborative relationships across the worldwide church including with the COB, GCFA, general agencies, Standing Committee on Central Conference matters and annual conference bodies.
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Instrumental in designing an innovative process to reallocate the denomination’s $358.6 million budget by mobilizing people to engage a challenge that had no clear or simple solution. Helped shepherd process, building coalitions and brokering relationships that facilitated change.
Board Member
(2012 – 2018)
Executive Committee, Chair Leadership Discernment and Community Life (LDCL), Vice-Chair Missional Administration Group on the General Conference, Human Sexuality Task Force, Legislative Writing Team.
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Led LDCL team to evaluate and support CT staff and shepherd processes for recruiting, deploying and supervising volunteers. Worked with CT members and staff to plan CT meetings and design worship and discernment experiences that were rooted in United Methodist theology and honored the global context of the CT’s work.
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Worked with the Standing Committee on Central Conference Matters, the Commission on the General Conference, United Methodist Communications and other general church bodies to facilitate CT goals.
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Designed and facilitated a process that sought to unite highly divergent viewpoints to create a compromise on human sexuality and maintain the unity of The United Methodist Church. The process provided a system of reconciliation and broke down divisions by using worship as a vehicle for grace.
Speaking from the floor of General Conference, 2012
GENERAL AND JURISDICTIONAL CONFERENCES
2020
Co-Chair of the Delegation,
General and Jurisdictional Conference Delegate
(1st Elected Clergy)
2019
Special Session of the General Conference Delegate
2016
Jurisdictional Delegate/General Conference Alternate
(2nd Elected)
Candidate for the Episcopacy
Endorsed by West Michigan Annual Conference
and the Detroit and West Michigan delegations.
2012
General and Jurisdictional Conference Delegate
(2nd Elected)
Chair
General Conference Subcommittee of Church & Society II Legislative Committee
Dealt with reproductive rights, brought people from highly conflicting viewpoints together to listen deeply to one another and develop legislation via consensus.
Annual Conference Leadership
Provided leadership for numerous district and annual conference bodies charged with the development and growth of vital ministries within the Michigan area, including:
Conference Leadership Team
Chair, Board of Church and Society
Board of Ordained Ministry
Conference Board of Trustees
Editorial Board, Worship Arts
Black Clergy of Michigan
Michigan Area BMCR
Grand Rapids District Leadership Council
Board, Justice for Our Neighbors
Local Church and District Leadership
LANSING DISTRICT/WEST MICHIGAN CONFERENCE CABINET – OKEMOS, MI
2013 – 2018
Superintendent
Provided leadership and supervision for 70+ churches and their pastors, serving as chief missional strategist and as conference superintendent in the appointment-making process, working collaboratively with the resident bishop, superintendents and other conference leaders to help realize annual conference goals.
Developed a process for assessing the viability of local churches, with more than 40 district churches participating, resulting in creation of a cooperative ministry, a new-church start, the discontinuance of several local churches, eight churches involved in the conference’s “Vital Church Initiative,” and development of an urban strategy.
MILWOOD UNITED METHODIST CHURCH – PORTAGE, MI
2011-2013
Pastor
Provided pastoral leadership for a congregation in a diverse urban neighborhood, guiding parishioners in faithfulness to the ministries of evangelism, outreach and witness.
Restructured the congregation for vitality, creating a vision leadership team that provided focus for ministry efforts and an operations team that streamlined administrative work.
Helped equip the congregation to carry out its vision of bringing people into a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and greater connection to each other.
UNIVERSITY UNITED METHODIST CHURCH - East LANSING, MI
2006 – 2011
Pastor
Provided leadership for a large university congregation. Functioned as sole pastor for the last six months of the appointment.
Led the congregation to re-envision its relationship with a Wesley Foundation associated with the church, bringing reconciliation in the relationship and positioning both ministries for greater collaboration.
Other Church and Community Leadership and Service
BMCR (national)
Austin Presbyterian Theological School Alumni Board
Black Clergywomen of the UMC
Strengthening the Black Church for the 21st Century
Presenter at School for Congregational Development, Schools for Christian Mission, UMW District and Annual Conference events, Schools for Pastoral Ministry, NCJ and Michigan AC Commission on Religion and Race events, and ecumenical and interfaith community dialogues.
Education
AUSTIN PRESBYTERIAN THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY – Austin, TX
Master of Divinity
HARVARD UNIVERSITY – Cambridge, MA
Bachelor of Arts, Sociology
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