Bishop Hope Morgan Ward of the Mississippi Conference of the United Methodist Church was at Wesley Chapel in Meridian Sunday morning.

Bishop Ward is the first female Bishop in the Mississippi Conference. This year is the fifty year anniversary for women to be fully ordained in the United Methodist Church. Bishop Ward says that not seeing women in leadership when she was growing up is something that has impacted her life.

"Children now see many women serving as leaders in church. It opens for them horizons or aspirations. Whatever those aspirations may be. And I give thanks for any part that I have in expanding horizons for girls and boys, men and women," said Ward.

Bishop ward says the current focus of the United Methodist Church is towards unity and recovery.