Bishops are the general overseers of the Church. The Board of Bishops provides primary pastoral leadership of the denomination with ecclesiastical authority to lead and direct the Church, and develop and articulate the purpose, vision, values and expected outcomes of the Church. Each of our three FMCUSA Bishops oversees roughly one-third of the United States. Additionally, the three bishops oversee all our world areas of missions work under the oversight of the FMCUSA General Conference.
Free Methodist Church USA
Board of Bishops
2023-2027
Bishop Keith Cowart
Bishop Keith Cowart, D.Min., presides over the Free Methodist Church USA along the Eastern Seaboard and in the South and Midwest. He was first elected as bishop at General Conference 2019, and he was re-elected and approved as lead bishop in 2023. He previously served as the superintendent of the Southeast Region Conference after 21 years as the founding lead pastor of Christ Community Church in Columbus, Georgia.
His educational experiences include doctoral and graduate degrees from Asbury Theological Seminary and a bachelor’s degree from Georgia Southern University. He is married to Pam Cowart, and they have two sons, Andrew and Aaron (Hannah Mae), and several grandchildren.
Bishop Kaye Kolde
Bishop Kaye Kolde presides over the Free Methodist Church USA in the Northeast Great Lakes region and the Central Midwest. She was elected to the Board of Bishops at General Conference 2023 after serving since 2019 as the lead pastor of The Arbor Church in Spring Arbor, Michigan. She has enjoyed coaching for discipleship systems inside and outside the Free Methodist Church, and previously served Sage Hills Church in Wenatchee, Washington, as the executive pastor of ministry, and several other pastoral roles.
Her educational experiences include doctoral studies at Northern Seminary in Theology and Leadership, and undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. She is married to Dr. David Kolde, and they are the parents of a son, Gray, and a daughter, Emi.
Bishop Kenny Martin
Bishop Kenny Martin presides over the Free Methodist Church USA along the West Coast (including Alaska and Hawaii) and in the South Central U.S. and Upper Midwest. He was elected to the Board of Bishops at General Conference 2023 after starting the Kingdom Cathedral church plant in San Bernardino, California, and serving since 1991 as a Free Methodist pastor in California, Indiana, Maryland, and Missouri.
His educational experiences include studies at Greenville, Spring Arbor, and Mid-America Christian universities. He is married to Rev. Estelle Martin, and they have two daughters and several grandchildren.
U.S. Annual Conference Regions
