Bishop Connie Mitchell Shelton
Bishop Connie Mitchell Shelton was elected a bishop in The United Methodist Church on November 2 at the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference held at Lake Junaluska, NC. She succeeds Bishop Leonard E. Fairley, who led the NC Conference as an interim until December 2022.
Biography
After graduating from Duke Divinity School, Bishop Shelton returned to Mississippi to serve three small-membership churches. Following that appointment, she served as the Executive Director of the United Methodist Hour television and radio broadcast for seven years, where she was the weekly preacher. She returned to Duke Divinity School in 2005 to serve as the Director of Field Education for three years.
Upon returning to Mississippi in 2008, she served Galloway United Methodist Church for five years before being appointed as the Director of Connectional Ministries and Communications for the Mississippi Annual Conference. In 2015 she was appointed as a District Superintendent for the East Jackson District. In 2022, she was appointed, along with three other superintendents, to oversee the Hattiesburg District as part of a new initiative from the Mississippi Annual Conference.
Hear more of Bishop Shelton’s story:
Education
- Bachelor’s in Radio, Television, and Film, University of Southern Mississippi
- Master’s in Public Relations, University of Southern Mississippi
- Master of Divinity, Duke Divinity School
- Doctor of Ministry, Columbia Theological Seminary, Decatur, GA
Family
Bishop Shelton is married to the Rev. Dr. Joey Shelton, who serves as the Dean of the Chapel and Director of Church Relations at Millsaps College. They have two daughters, Bailey and Jessica.
Recent Articles with Bishop Shelton
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Bishop Shelton Announces New Cabinet Appointments Beginning July 2024
We have extraordinary churches and leaders in the NC Conference. How do we leverage churches and leaders to impact more people in our connection? With fewer churches, the NC Conference […] Continue Reading→
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Prayers for Appointments
Bishop Shelton encourages us to pray for the Cabinet, clergy and their families, and congregations during the appointment-making season. We will be sharing prayers over the next few weeks and […] Continue Reading→
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Reflecting on Christmas: A Message of Stillness and Growth
In this video, Bishop Connie Shelton shares insights on the importance of intentional reflection during the Christmas season. Continue Reading→
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Thanksgiving Realities: Bishop Shelton’s Call to Remember
In this message, Bishop Connie Mitchell Shelton addresses the inaccuracies and myths surrounding the Pilgrims and Native people narrative, urging us to confront the uncomfortable truths that history often overlooks. Continue Reading→
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Keeping the Faith: A New Resource from Duke Clergy Health Initiative
Bishop Shelton shares a new resource from the Duke Clergy Health Initiative called “Keeping the Faith: Conversations to Strengthen the Bond Between Pastors and Church Leaders” to help Staff/Pastor Parish […] Continue Reading→
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Clergy Fun Day
Bishop Shelton invites clergy to a day of fun at Rockfish Camp & Retreat Center on October 12 at 10 am. Registration for Clergy Fun Day is extended to October […] Continue Reading→