John Louis Nuelsen - Episcopal Ministry

Episcopal Ministry

Bishop Nuelsen was elected to the Episcopacy by the General Conference of 1908. His election came primarily as a result of a rather strong insistence upon the part of the German constituency of the M.E. Church that they should be represented in the Board of Bishops. This election was thus an early manifestation of the conviction, registered often in more recent years, that minority groups in the Church should furnish a part of the Episcopacy.

Once elected, however, Bishop Nuelsen was assigned, not to preside over German Conferences, but to a regular Area of the Church in the U.S. He was assigned to the Omaha Episcopal Area (Nebraska) until 1912. Then he was assigned all the work in Europe, with his residence in Zürich. He was associated with the work of the Church in Europe for the rest of his active episcopacy (until 1940). At first his Episcopal Area covered all annual conferences in Switzerland, Germany, Scandinavia, Russia, France, Spain, Italy and Austro-Hungary. In 1920 the European work was divided into three Episcopal Areas: the Stockholm Area, the Paris Area, and the Zürich Area (to which Bishop Nuelsen was assigned).

Bishop Nuelsen also served as a Trustee of Drew Theological Seminary.