Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference

The Southeastern Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church gathered recently (Nov 2-4) for their 2022 conference at Lake Junaluska. The 14 annual conferences representing 9 states convened to elect new bishops and assign bishops to episcopal areas. You can find out more about the work of the SEJ using the links below. Watch the sessions, read articles from the Daily Christian Advocate, and find out about our new Bishop, Bishop Connie Mitchell Shelton.

Photos & Video

Hear from the NC Conference Delegation on their SEJ experience.

Watch the recorded sessions and view photos from SEJ 2022.

• Watch the SEJ 2022 Conference (YouTube)
• Photos from SEJ 2022 (NC Conference Flickr)
• Photos from SEJ 2022 (SEJ Flickr)

Daily Christian Advocate

The Daily Christian Advocate contains agenda items, minutes from the various sessions, and other important updates.

• Advance (November 1)
• November 2
• November 3
• November 4

SEJ Episcopal Elections (UM News)

Read the UM News posts for each of the bishops elected at SEJ 2022.

• Tom Berlin
• Connie Shelton
• Robin Dease

Other Highlights

• Bishop Connie Mitchell Shelton Assigned to NC Conference
• New Bishops Consecrated and Episcopal Assignments Announced
• Rev. Edie Gleaves Withdraws Episcopal Nomination
• SEJ Passes Three Resolutions in Thursday Evening Session
• Jurisdictions Tackle Racism in Bishop Elections
• Dr. Christine Dodson, Conference Treasurer, was elected to serve as Vice-Chair of the SEJ Committee on Episcopacy.
• Read more on our SEJ 2022 page

Southeastern Jurisdiction Episcopal Assignments

• Alabama-West Florida and South Georgia: Bishop David Graves
• Florida: Bishop Thomas M. “Tom” Berlin
• Holston and North Alabama: Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett
• Kentucky and Central Appalachian Missionary: Bishop Leonard Fairley
• Mississippi: Bishop Sharma Lewis
• North Carolina: Bishop Connie Mitchell Shelton
• North Georgia: Bishop Robin Dease
• South Carolina: Bishop L. Jonathan Holston
• Tennessee-Western Kentucky: Bishop William “Bill” McAlilly
• Virginia: Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson
• Western North Carolina: Bishop Kenneth Carter

(The Southeastern Jurisdiction includes the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.)

Social Media

• Twitter (SEJ)
• Twitter (live tweets from the South GA Conference)
• Instagram (SEJ)

By Jessica Brodie (South Carolina Conference)

LAKE JUNALUSKA, NC—Hundreds from around the region gathered Friday, Nov. 4, for the final session of the 2022 Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference of The United Methodist Church, which handled a few remaining items of business before announcing much-anticipated episcopal assignments and then consecrated the SEJ’s three newly elected bishops.

Cheers resounded through Stuart Auditorium after Steve Furr, chair of the SEJ Committee on Episcopacy, announced the assignments, which they had worked on until 2 a.m. the night before.

“They are tired, but they are joyous,” said presiding Bishop Kenneth Carter, applauding their hard work.

The SEJ’s newest bishops are Tom Berlin (Virginia Conference, elected on Ballot 4), Dr. Connie Shelton (Mississippi Conference, elected on Ballot 12) and South Carolina’s Dr. Robin Dease (elected late Thursday on Ballot 25).

The assignments are as follows and will begin Jan. 1, 2023:

• Alabama-West Florida: Bishop David Graves
• Florida Conference: Bishop Tom Berlin
• Holston Conference: Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett
• Kentucky and Central Appalachian Missionary Conferences: Bishop Leonard Fairley
• Mississippi Conference: Bishop Sharma Lewis
• North Alabama Conference: Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett
• North Carolina Conference: Bishop Connie Shelton
• North Georgia Conference: Bishop Robin Dease
• South Carolina Conference: Bishop L. Jonathan Holston
• South Georgia Conference: Bishop David Graves
• Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference: Bishop Bill McAlilly
• Virginia Conference: Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson
• Western North Carolina Conference: Bishop Ken Carter

Task force to study racial bias approved
The morning started at 9 a.m. with an abbreviated business session to handle a few items of business.  

Carter began by reading a prayer penned by his mentor, the late Tom Langford, former dean of Duke Divinity School.

“Oh, God, your intention to give exceeds our readiness to receive. Your boundless love is restricted by our small vessels. Your generosity far exceeds our reception. Your richness is restrained by our poverty of expectation. Your expansiveness is channeled through our small hearts. Enlarge our capacity, increase our receptivity, open us to our full life and make us more able to receive your generous grace,” Carter prayed.

Next, he called to the podium SEJ Committee on Finance and Administration’s Frank Dunnewind to address what Carter called the amended “Troxler motion,” which had been referred to CFA the day prior.

That motion, proposed by The Rev. Jeremy Troxler, clergy delegate from the Western NC Conference, would establish a task force to study the impact of racial bias in the episcopal nomination and election process. It would comprise greater than 50 percent representation from under-represented groups, plus interview recent and past episcopal candidates to hear their experiences and solicit their input. The Rev. Esther Rodriguez-Perez, clergy delegate for the Florida Conference, added a friendly amendment recommending an honorarium and travel expense reimbursement go to those on the task force. The amendment was approved and then sent to CFA.

Dunnewind said CFA met yesterday and determined there are funds available in the COE budget line to accommodate the motion with funding through the end of the 2021-2024 quadrennium.

“So in essence, CF&A supports the motion,” Dunnewind said.

Both Troxler and Rodriguez spoke in support of this response. The vote was called, and the body overwhelmingly approved the amended motion to create the task force. 

Comfort and self-awareness
Florida lay delegate Carlene Johnson gave the report of the Journal Committee, noting they have certified the minutes of yesterday’s session, and they will be in the journal.

Jennifer Davis, WNC lay delegate, took the stage for a second monitoring exercise, asking the body to vote on 10 questions. They plan to print the results of the responses in the conference journal with suggestions for how people can use this information.

“This was intended to be a self-reflective exercise to raise self-awareness and give suggestions on how to be comfortable with people or in situations where you are not always comfortable,” Davis said.

The questions were as follows:

1. Have you had an opportunity to engage in conversation with others you did not know?
2. Did you initiate the conversation or were you approached by someone else?
3. How comfortable were you during the conversation?
4. Do you feel your thoughts and opinions were respected and accepted by others?
5. Did you learn something about yourself or others that will enhance your faith journey as a disciple of Jesus Christ?
6. Have you gained helpful knowledge about the issues facing the church today?
7. Do you feel better equipped/prepared to share your knowledge, thoughts and feelings with others who may differ from you in appearance and/or beliefs?
8. Will you seek to engage in difficult conversations with others when you return to your home state
9. Have you been aware of our efforts to be inclusive and embrace the diversity of our conference in worship and administration?
10. Do you consider the self-monitoring process to be helpful enough that we should continue its use?

All voted.

“I think monitoring sometimes carries a negative tone with it, but it is very important,” Davis said, noting it calls us to notice people who may not be participating, whether because they are afraid, unsure, uncomfortable or some other reason. “My goal for myself and for all you is to be good with who you are wherever you are. I felt a great deal of pain yesterday, but I also experienced a great deal of joy.”

Davis said she is Black but also Native American and White, and if she were a dog she’d be called a mutt.

“But this I know: God loves me.”

Following this, Conference Secretary Anne Travis announced the totals for the offerings collected at SEJ. She said the offering for United Methodist Committee on Relief and Native American Ministries totaled $3,475 to date, and they are still receiving checks. She said the offering for pages was a little more than $4,000.

Carter then invited Furr and the COE to the stage for the episcopal assignments. These were announced to much applause, then officially affirmed by the body at 9:48 a.m.

Consecration service
At 10:30 a.m., the body gathered again for the Consecration of Bishops, with Bishop Paul L. Leeland preaching and Bishop Hope Morgan Ward consecrating.

Drawing from the day’s Scriptures, Isaiah 61:1-4, Colossians 1:15-20, Colossians 1:25-29 and Mark 10:35-45, Leeland brought a message on “To Admonish and To Teach.”

Leeland focused on the apostle Paul’s reminder that, because we follow Jesus Christ, we become servants. That is the crux and most important part of our service and of the consecration of these bishop.

“The church is about Jesus Christ, not about our organizational development, not about leadership initiatives, ordination or commissioning or even conferences; it’s about Christ,” Leeland said.

It’s why bishops were elected: to admonish, teach and present everyone perfect in Christ.

He said the world is gripped in anger, brokenness, darkness, chaos, confusion and evil. The world at this moment yearns in the darkness to see a great light, for original sin is the one thing that unites all of us.

“It’s not a matter of if you lead or not—it’s whether you do it well or not,” Leeland said.

He noted that when David was first consecrated, we’re told the Spirit of God rushed upon him. He hopes the same will happen for the bishops consecrated that day,

“This is the mystery: Christ in you,” Leeland said. “Go and lead.”

The examination of the newly elected bishops came next, followed by prayer and the laying-on of hands, before Bishop Ward presented the newly consecrated bishops to the body.

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By Jessica Brodie (South Carolina Conference)

LAKE JUNALUSKA, NC—It took the entire afternoon and into the evening, but on the 25th ballot of the 2022 session, the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference elected South Carolina’s Dr. Robin Dease as its third and final bishop.

Dease’s 206 votes put her over the edge in the election, which had been close most of the day as she and South Carolina nominee the Rev. Ken Nelson were closely tied, sometimes with Nelson in the lead and sometimes Dease.

Swallowing back tears, Bishop-Elect Dease thanked the body for the honor, noting her parents had all joined the Church Triumphant and most of her 13 siblings as well, with those remaining physically incapable of being there.

“But you are my family,” she said to resounding applause. Then, looking to Nelson in the audience, she added, “And Ken is my brother and my friend.”

Throughout her career, whenever she had the opportunity to lead or serve somewhere new, she’d run home to her parents and celebrate the news, whether that was running an account, graduating from seminary, getting appointed to a church, or becoming a district superintendent.

“They’d say, ‘Now don’t go down there and make us shamed,’” Dease said. Looking again to the room standing in her honor, she said, “My commitment to you is: I will never make you shamed.”

Long day of elections
Dease’s election was by some accounts a surprise, as she was a write-in nominee whose name first appeared on Ballot One Wednesday morning, Nov. 2, after which she declined the nomination.

In declining Wednesday, she’d elaborated on some of her views, noting, “I want to be transparent: I do not believe homosexuality is a sin. I do believe that same-gender-loving persons can love and marry. I also believe they can be called by God, ordained and serve our churches well,” Dease said. “But you also need to know this is not the only issue we face as a church.”

Dease cited several concerns that impact the church, including the Black church, other brothers and sisters of color, the elderly and the young.

“I believe in building bridges, not tearing them down.”

On Thursday, Nov. 3, in a session presided over by South Carolina Resident Bishop L. Jonathan Holston, South Carolina, the early afternoon saw the slate dwindle to four, the Rev. Ken Nelson and the Rev. Edith Gleaves, as well as two write-in candidates, Dr. Zachery Beasley from the Mississippi Conference and Dr. Robin Dease from South Carolina. The Rev. Sharon G. Austin, The Rev. Sharon Bowers and The Rev. Amy Coles all withdrew their names from the slate early Thursday afternoon, as did Dr. Byron Thomas, who had been voted back on the slate and then withdrew a second time.

By 5 p.m., with the withdrawal of Gleaves, the slate contained just three names—Nelson, Dease and Beasley.

Ballots 15-25 were held throughout the afternoon as the slate appeared to nearly even out among Dease, Gleaves and Nelson, each garnering roughly a third of the total votes. Between ballots, the body watched videos on various agencies, college and retired bishops.

Several stood to call out issues of both racism and rumor-mongering among the delegates that they believe were interfering with the voting process, urging the people to stop contaminating the process.

As Thomas stated to applause, practicing the lordship of Christ is different from believing in Christ.

“We can’t do whatever we want to and call it Jesus,” Thomas said. “I ask this body please not to put out any salacious information about people in order to get our candidate across the line.”

Midway through voting, after results of Ballot 19 had been announced, Holston asked to be recused from presiding because two of the nominees were members of his conference, South Carolina. He invited Bishop Debra Wallace-Padgett to lead in his stead.

Body votes down motion for four bishops instead of three
Under Wallace-Padgett’s presiding, Steve McAlilly, lay delegate from Mississippi, stood and acknowledged the voting impasse, which he said “concerns and grieves me deeply.”

In an effort to remedy this as well as racial concerns and workload troubles, he made a motion to reconsider the election of three bishops, instead changing the number to four.

“I’m an old White guy, and I grieve the damage we’ve done over the years in the name of God,” McAlilly said. “God is the God of what-ifs … what if we elected two more bishops and began to right some of the wrongs done over the years?”

Robert Grizzard, Florida lay reserve delegate, spoke against the reconsideration, noting this might not be an impasse but a flexing point. He also questioned whether it was in order to do this so late in the voting process—that is, that it should have been reconsidered before any voting was done.

Wallace-Padgett read Rule 27 aloud and ruled it was indeed in order.

The chair of the Committee on Episcopacy, Steve Furr, noted it would cost about $1 million over the quadrennium to fund an additional bishop.

Grizzard appealed the ruling of Wallace-Padgett, but the appeal failed.

Then Wallace-Padgett called the vote on reconsideration, which also failed. The number of bishops to be elected would remain at three.

Immediately after this, Ballot 20 was held, then Ballot 21. Neither resulted in an election.

After Ballot 21, Gleaves withdrew her name from the slate, citing a wish to help the conference move forward—hopefully to a better day and a better time.

“It has been an honor,” Gleaves said. “It also breaks my heart to see how far we haven’t come. We’ve come a mighty long way, and we’ve got a mighty long way to go. I believe someday we’ll get there because this church belongs to Jesus Christ and not to us.”

Ballots 22-25 continued throughout the late afternoon, and Dease’s election came at 6:07 p.m.

Hope in the storm
SEJ also took time to lift up prayer, compassion and awareness for those impacted by recent storms, including the devastating floods in Kentucky and Hurricane Ian in southwest Florida.

Florida Bishop Kenneth Carter stood to offer prayer about the disasters as well as in the SEJ balloting process, thanking God for being among us in midst of the storm.

Kentucky Bishop Leonard Fairley also offered prayer, noting he’s never been so grateful for the green shirts of disaster responders. Church is at its best when helping those who are hurting, Fairley added.

“There is hope even in the midst of the storm,” Fairley prayed.

SEJ will continue Thursday after a dinner break with the evening session.

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On Thursday afternoon, after a day of voting with no election of a third bishop, the Rev. Edith Gleaves, the episcopal nominee from the North Carolina Conference, withdrew her nomination after the results of ballot 21 were read. She gave the following speech about her withdrawal:

My name is Edie Gleaves and I want to take this opportunity to say thank you to everyone who has made it possible for me to offer myself to service in the name of Jesus Christ. It has been an honor. It also breaks my heart to see how far we haven’t come. I’ve been a part of this United Methodist Church since it became the United Methodist Church. I was a child at eight years old and I remember my parents and the adults standing around, talking about what would the future look like. Although we have desegregated in writing, in law, what will it mean practically? Will we as black people truly be included as a part of the whole church? Many felt no we would not and decided to leave and if they were here today, they would say, “See, told ya so.” But we have come from a mighty long way. We’ve got a mighty long way to go. I believe someday, we’ll get there because this church belongs to Jesus Christ and not to us and the racism, the sexism that’s still so much a part of who we are, this sin, this evil, this injustice, we can be better. We can do better. So I step away, not to give in to those forces but so that we can move forward and hopefully, move forward to a better day and a better time. Thanks again to all those who have loved me and shaped me and formed me and gave me this opportunity to stand before you now. That’s no small thing and I am grateful for it. My prayers are with us all. God bless us.

By Madeline White (Virginia Conference)

LAKE JUNALUSKA, NC—-Bishop Sharma D. Lewis, episcopal leader of the Richmond Area, presided over the afternoon session beginning at 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday, November 2, 2022.

Ballot #1 was shared, and there was no election. Three hundred and fifty-two (352) votes were cast and three hundred and fifty votes were valid (350). Two hundred and ten (210) votes were needed for the election. The Rev. Tom Berlin, episcopal nominee from the Virginia Conference, received 180 votes.

Bishop Bill McAulily joined via Zoom to share the report from the Committee on Coordination and Accountability. Before the report, during a moment of personal privilege, McAulily shared his thanks for all the expressions of concern following his injuries in a major car accident in August. McAulily began medical leave on November 1 and is now working toward the next stage of his recovery through outpatient therapy.

He then gave the Committee on Coordination and Accountability (CCA) report which can be found on pages 55-58 in the Advanced Daily Christian Advocate (ADCA).

The Committee brought a recommendation that the SEJ CCA and SEJ Council on Finance & Administration (CFA) streamline their structure into one committee.

A vote was taken by a show of hands, and the motion was approved by the body.

According to Book of Discipline Paragraph 405.1, any individual who receives 10 or more votes as ballot write-ins are given 10 minutes to come to the podium and are added to the episcopal nominee ballot.

Three individuals received 10 or more votes on Ballot #1.

The Rev. Dr. Zachery Beasley, Mississippi Conference, spoke first. He said he felt he is called to this time of the church not because he has all the answers but because he feels God has equipped him for this time.

The Rev. Robin Deese, South Carolina Conference, spoke next and began with a prayer. She shared she wanted to be transparent and shared that she does not believe homosexuality is a sin and that LGBTQ individuals can be called by God, ordained and serve UMC churches well. She also shared that this is not the only issue the church faces.

The Rev. Rob Martin, Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference, who sees the vision of the church is that God is not done with United Methodists and United Methodists should not be done with belief in grace and acts of justice and mercy.

After the speeches, Dease dropped her name for consideration for the episcopacy.

Bishop Charlene Kammerer, retired, prayed before Ballot #2.

A video was shown about the Hinton Rural Life Center, a retreat and conference center in the Appalachian Mountains of Western North Carolina, that is also a mission agency that works alongside neighbors at the Safe and Healthy Home Repair ministry. Hinton seeks to enhance the long-term quality of life in rural areas.

A video was also shown about Abundant Health Ministries reminding the body to breathe for 60 seconds. The video added a moment of levity and laughter for the entire SEJ body before the second ballot was taken.

Ballot #2 results were shared at 3:23 p.m. It was an invalid ballot. The body prepared for a third ballot.

An update was given from the SEJ Archives and History Vice Chair Mike Feely. Of note, records of the Southeastern Jurisdiction (SEJ) will move to Pitts Theology Library at Emory University in Atlanta. The Heritage Center in Lake Junaluska will close in December 2022 to prepare for the move.

Ballot #3 results were not ready to be shared. Bishop Lewis recessed the body until 4:05 p.m.

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