Part of the United Methodist Family

Grace United Methodist Church is a local church in the United Methodist Church.

The UMC is a connectional Church. Each member of Grace UMC is also a member of the United Methodist Church.

Our church is a part of the United Methodist Church through the Iowa Annual Conference, a regional body comprising all of the UMC local churches in Iowa, and the North West District of the Iowa Conference.

Through our apportionments, tithes, offerings and gifts we contribute to the work of Grace UMC and to the work of the entire United Methodist Church.

The United Methodist Church
Iowa Annual Conference of the UMC

Our District Superintendent

Michel Lundula
District Superintendent

Rev. Dr. Michel Lundula superintends the NW District of the Iowa Conference giving leadership and oversite to over 100 local churches and around eighty pastoral leaders. He is the chief mission strategist for our district and works closely with district leaders and our Bishop to give visionary and pastoral leadership to Northwest Iowa.

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Our Bishop - Bishop Kennetha J.
​Bigham-Tsai

Iowa’s new episcopal leader is Bishop Kennetha J. Bigham-Tsai.  Bishop Kennetha J. Bigham-Tsai was elected to the episcopacy by the North Central Jurisdiction in November 2022. She is the first Black female bishop to be assigned to Iowa.
Before her election to Iowa, Bishop Bigham-Tsai was the Chief Connectional Ministries Officer for the Connectional Table, which is the visioning body of the United Methodist Church and the steward of resources to carry out that vision worldwide.
Bigham-Tsai served local congregations in East Lansing and Kalamazoo, MI, bringing a pastor’s heart and strategic visioning to her appointments. While there, she served on many boards and has been active in justice issues, was a member of Black Methodists for Church Renewal and on the board for Justice for Our Neighbors.
Bigham-Tsai grew up in the Baptist church in Austin, Texas. She is the second oldest of five children in her family, and 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, Bigham-Tsai served in lay ministry with urban youth in the A.M.E. church in Boston 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.
Bishop Bigham-Tsai and her husband, Kee, have been married since 1994, have two children and a dog. They are committed to a ministry of inclusion that begins at home.
Kennetha is a courages 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.

If you want to learn more about Bishop Kennetha J. Bigham-Tsai, head over to her website here!

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