- Heinrich Bolleter
Heinrich Bolleter (born
May 13 ,1941 ,Zürich ,Switzerland ) was from 1989 to 2006 thebishop of theUnited Methodist Church of Central and Southern Europe which comprises the countriesAlbania ,Algeria ,Austria ,Bulgaria ,Croatia ,Czech Republic ,France ,Hungary , Macedonia,Poland ,Serbia and Montenegro ,Slovakia ,Switzerland , andTunisia .Life
Heinrich Bolleter grew up in Zürich. Having been engaged in the youth work of the Methodist Church in Zürich-Oerlikon, he decided to embrace church service. He studied from 1962 to 1965 at the theological seminary of the then Episcopal Methodist Church in
Frankfurt (Germany), with special studies inindividual psychology andjournalism .1966 he married Martha Zellweger with whom he has three children, Harald Bolleter, Muriel Guntelach and Yvonne Rüegger.
1969 he was ordained elder of the United Methodist Church. He served as pastor in Baden, Zürich, Thalwil and Zofingen. During his time in Thalwil, he was also editor of the Methodist journal "Kirche + Welt" where he professed an open church in the tradition of Methodism.
1989 Heinrich Bolleter was elected Bishop of the United Methodist Church of Central and Southern Europe, where he has to take care of 14 countries in Europe and Northern Africa. He was the successor of
Franz Werner Schaefer and the third European bishop in the Methodist Church of Central and Southern Europe.Heinrich Bolleter saw himself always as a mediator between Evangelical tendencies of the small churches and the ecumenism of the big churches and showed this again and again by his engagement in inter-church relationships. He served as president of the Evangelical Association of Swiss Evangelical Free Churches and of the ecumenical Working Group of Christian Churches in Switzerland.
On May 1, 2006 Heinrich Bolleter retired from his bishop's office. His successor is
Patrick Streiff .External links
* [http://www2.umc.org/umns/photos_headshots.asp?ptid=2&mid=2060&photo=hsb015 Another Photo of Bishop Bolleter]
* [http://www.umc.org/site/c.gjJTJbMUIuE/b.1490129/k.19A4/Austria_honors_United_Methodist_bishop.htm Austria Honors Bishop Bolleter]ee also
*
List of Bishops of the United Methodist Church
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
