john w. gowdy was elected a bishop by the 1930 meeting of the china central conference of the methodist episcopal church. he served as a bishop in this central conference until 1941. as a bishop, he was, of course, a participant in m.e. general conferences in 1932 and 1936, the uniting conference of methodism in 1939, and methodist general conferences in 1940 and 1944.