Robert Eric Hayes Jr. is a retired American bishop of the United Methodist Church (U.M.C.), currently serving as Bishop in Residence at The Woodlands Methodist Church in The Woodlands, Texas. Prior to retirement, he served as Bishop of the Oklahoma and Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conferences. Before being elected to the episcopacy in 2004, Hayes served as treasurer of the Texas Annual Conference. He has served as a pastor, district superintendent, and college chaplain.