Bishop Robin Dease is the episcopal leader of the North Georgia Conference. She was elected bishop by the 2022 Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference of The United Methodist Church and consecrated on November 4, 2022. Her first assignment as bishop is to the North Georgia Episcopal Area of The United Methodist Church and she began service in North Georgia on January 1, 2023.Bishop Dease grew up in Brooklyn, New York, one of 13 siblings. She graduated from Claflin University in Orangeburg in 1992. She earned a master of divinity degree and a doctor of ministry degree in stewardship from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.
Before her election to the episcopacy, Bishop Dease served as pastor and district superintendent in the South Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church and has been involved in numerous denominational and conference boards and committees.
Events
News
A Message from Bishop Dease on the 2024 Appointment Making Season
2/28/2024
Bishop Robin Dease shares a message with North Georgia United Methodist clergy and laity about the appointment process in 2024. Watch below: Message from Bishop: 2024 Appointment Making Process from North Georgia Conference on Vimeo. Read the Transcript My friends in the North Georgia Conference, it’s Appointment Making Season. Appointment making is some of the most important work we do in service to the United Methodist church across the North Georgia conference. It’s work churches, ...
Staff Update: Conference Welcomes Farrar to New Role, McKoon to New Position
2/22/2024
The North Georgia Conference bid farewell to four staff members in recent months, and has now welcomed three staff to new roles or new positions in the Conference Office. This month Renee Farrar steps into the role of Administrative Assistant to Bishop Robin Dease. Renee has served as District Administrator in the Central South District since 2014 and will cover both positions until May 31. Renee is a Certified Professional Administrator of the United Methodist Connectional Structure and has ...
North Georgia United Methodists Participating in Advocacy Opportunities
2/16/2024
Originally published February 1, 2024 As the Georgia Legislature meets for its 2024 session, North Georgia United Methodists are participating in advocacy opportunities. Gun Violence Prevention Members of the 2023 North Georgia Annual Conference session adopted a Resolution Regarding Gun Violence Prevention (read it here). That Resolution called upon the Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Georgia, and the State and Federal legislators representing the parts of Georgia included in the North ...
Plans for Annual Conference 2024 Are Well Underway
1/30/2024
Athens, Here We Come! The believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to the community, to their shared meals, and to their prayers. A sense of awe came over everyone. God performed many wonders and signs through the apostles. All the believers were united and shared everything. —Acts 2:42-44 (CEB) The Annual Conference Planning Committee is pleased to announce that plans are underway for the 2024 North Georgia Conference session June 13-25 at The Classic Center in Athens. Bishop...
You're Invited: Laity Gatherings Planned for March 2024
1/29/2024
Laity, you're invited to one of four gatherings in March 2024. Hosted by the Conference Board of Laity, these regional sessions are a time for members of North Georgia Conference United Methodist churches to come together for fellowship, relationship building, and strengthening our United Methodist identity and our identity as disciples of Jesus Christ. While each gathering is directed to two districts, laity may attend any gathering in any region—and attend as many as you would like. Bishop ...
From Bishop Dease: Martin Luther King Jr. — A Beacon of Christian Leadership
1/15/2024
In the annals of history, few leaders have left an indelible mark on society as Martin Luther King Jr. His towering presence in the American civil rights movement was not only a testament to his commitment to justice but also a shining example of Christian leadership. Dr. King’s impact on the fight for racial justice was deeply rooted in his Christian faith, and his life serves as a beacon of inspiration for all of us seeking to understand the transformative power of Christian leadership. ...
North Georgia United Methodists Serving Their Communities MLK Weekend
1/10/2024
In honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, United Methodists across the North Georgia Conference are serving, hosting their neighbors, and offering special worship services this weekend. Below are some of the special events and service projects: Andrews Chapel UMC Jonesboro is hosting the 39th annual Clayton County MLK Ecumenical Service. (Learn more.) Ben Hill UMC Atlanta is hosting its annual MLK Community Program, honoring and celebrating the legacy of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Service...
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January 2024 Projected Appointment Changes
12/3/2023
Bishop Robin Dease has announced January full-time appointment changes. These appointments are effective January 1, 2024, except where noted. Full-Time January 2024 Appointment Announcements Central East District Barrow, Clarke, Gwinnett, Oconee, and Walton Counties Mountain Park UMC AnnaKate Rawles, Associate Pastor The Fountain at Sugarloaf UMC Scott Pickering, Pastor in Charge – Effective December 1 Winder First UMC / Corinth UMC Winder Geoffrey Murphy, Pastor in Charge Jennifer Carey, ...
Global Ministries U.S. Mission Partners Consultation Meets in Atlanta
11/30/2023
PHOTO GALLERY Nearly 250 United Methodist leaders in mission from across 53 U.S. annual conferences gathered this week at Peachtree Road UMC in Atlanta for Global Ministries’ U.S. Mission Partners Consultation. The North Georgia Conference was well represented (including Rev. Scott Parrish, Rev. Dr. AnnaKate Rawles, and Bishop Robin Dease who are pictured in the Photo Gallery). Bishop Robin Dease preached on the Wednesday morning of the three-day gathering. Over the three days, leaders ...
Annual Conference Gathers for November 2023 Special Session
11/18/2023
By Sybil Davidson In what was a solemn day, members of the 2023 North Georgia Annual Conference ratified the disaffiliation agreements of 262 churches* at a Special Called Session. Rev. Carolyn Stephens, vice chair of the Conference Board of Trustees, presented the motion to the Conference on behalf of the Board of Trustees, and the names of the churches requesting disaffiliation were read by their district superintendent. Each district lay leader offered a prayer. The requests of three ...
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Here for You: Opportunities for Continuing United Methodists
11/17/2023
The United Methodist Church is a source of light and hope here in North Georgia and around the world. Our connection serves those in need and shares God’s love every single day. A renewed sense of purpose is leading us forward. If you are displaced from your church home due to disaffiliation, or if you need pastoral support during this difficult time, remember that there is a place for you in The United Methodist Church. Thanks to our connectional system, others across our Conference stand ...
Bishop Dease Shares Message of Gratitude on Veterans Day
11/11/2023
Bishop Robin Dease offers a message of gratitude this Veterans Day. Watch it at https://vimeo.com/883546809 or below.
United Methodists Deliver on Diaper Drive Challenge
9/11/2023
(Photo: Members of Trinity UMC Cartersville delivering diapers) VIEW PHOTO ALBUM Recognizing that the cost of diapers is a hardship on struggling families in communities across our Conference, Bishop Robin Dease reached out to North Georgia United Methodists and encouraged them to host a diaper drive in the weeks and months ahead. North Georgia United Methodists from one side of our Annual Conference to the other, have delivered! (Photo: Decatur First UMC diaper donations line the altar)...
Join Bishop Dease and the North Georgia Conference on a Holy Land Journey
8/22/2023
All North Georgia United Methodists are invited to join Bishop Robin Dease and recent ordinands on a 10-day tour of the Holy Land January 29-February 9, 2024. You will see Bethlehem, Church of the Nativity, Shepherds’ Field (including a visit to the Hope School), Jordan River, Jericho (including cable car to the Mount of Temptation), Masada, Qumran, Wadi Qelt, Dead Sea, Emmaus, Caesarea Maritima, Meggido, Nazareth, Sepphoris, The Galilee (boat ride), Kibbutz Ginosar and the Jesus Boat, Mount of...
Diapers Challenge: United Methodist Center Staff Collect Diapers for Wellroot
8/14/2023
Bishop Robin Dease has invited the congregations of the North Georgia Conference to consider hosting a diaper drive this summer or fall (check out the challenge). But first, she challenged United Methodist Center staff to join her in collecting diapers for Wellroot during the month of July as a staff service project. And UM Center staff delivered! Today, Bishop Dease dropped off a carload of diapers at Wellroot's office to a gracious welcome. Wellroot distributes diapers in two ways: When...
Message and Prayer from Bishop Dease: Do Not Grow Weary in the Pursuit of Justice and Equity
8/3/2023
Another school year begins. I am sitting here in my office wondering what the year will be like for many. I can’t help but think the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling reversing affirmative action is an ever-present reminder of the need for our continued pursuit of social equity and racial justice. In the 2003 landmark decision, Grutter v. Bollinger, the Supreme Court found affirmative action constitutional in the case of student admissions at The University of Michigan. In her closing ...
Sunshine and Spiritual Formation: Georgia Pastors School 2023
7/24/2023
PHOTO ALBUM (Courtesy Rev. Orlando Evans) United Methodist clergy from across the North and South Georgia Conferences and their families gathered on St. Simons Island for the annual Georgia Pastors' School last week. "It was a wonderful Pastors' School this year; a time of reflection, refreshment, and revitalization," said Rev. Matt Murphy, chair of the Pastors School Board of Managers. The focus was on spiritual formation. Clergy were invited to spend time answering the question John Wesley ...
2023 Annual Conference Special Offering Exceeds $85k — And Counting
7/14/2023
Thanks to your generous giving, the 2023 North Georgia Annual Conference special offering total is $86,368.30 as of June 30! Half of these funds will go to UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) and half will be used for North Georgia Conference Disaster Response efforts. "This is wonderful news and a gracious response by our generous Church," said Rev. Scott Parrish, Conference Mission and Disaster Recovery Specialist. In 2023 tornadoes caused significant damage across North Georgia. ...
Diapers Challenge: Bishop Invites Your Congregation to Collect Diapers for Families in Need in Your Community
7/10/2023
Bishop Robin Dease invites the congregations of the North Georgia Conference to consider hosting a diaper drive! Read a message to you below: Hey friends, I want to issue a challenge to you all. I've issued this challenge to Conference staff and they have responded and they are on board, so I thought if I extended it to you all that you would get joy out of this needed ministry within our communities. The challenge is: purchasing diapers, pull-ups, and baby wipes for families in need. I've...
Bishop Dease Speaks at National Scout Gathering
7/7/2023
Bishop Dease with Chris Karabinos (Chair, North Georgia Conference Committee on Scouting) and Tracy Techau (Scout Executive & CEO, Atlanta Area Council) PHOTO ALBUM Scouting leaders from across the country gathered in Atlanta earlier this summer for the National Annual Meeting of the BSA. A highlight of the annual meeting is always the Duty to God Breakfast. Duty to God has been a core tenet of Scouting since the organization’s founding in 1910. This breakfast was an opportunity for Scouting ...
Bishop Dease and Cabinet Respond to Misinformation
7/5/2023
We regret that misinformation about The United Methodist Church continues to be spread in the North Georgia Conference. While it benefits no one to repeat misinformation, the following information corrects some of the latest inaccuracies encountered by the bishop and cabinet. The truth is: Not all are traditional Not all churches that disaffiliated from The United Methodist Church in 2022 were theologically traditional congregations. The truth is: Our bishops have guarded our United Methodist...
2023 North Georgia Conference Wrap Up
6/8/2023
North Georgia Annual Conference The Classic Center, Athens, Georgia June 1-3, 2023 Bishop Robin Dease, presiding The 2023 North Georgia Annual Conference session was held June 1-3 at The Classic Center in Athens, Georgia, with Bishop Robin Dease presiding. Approximately 2,000 United Methodists gathered for the session under the theme “I will pour out my spirit on all,” based on Joel 2:28. Together we worshiped, shared meals, deliberated, sang, prayed, and carried out the work of the church. (...
Fraud Alert: Latest Phishing Scam Asks For Cell Numbers
6/6/2023
We have heard from a number of North Georgia United Methodists who have been the target of a phishing scam via an email that appears to come from Bishop Dease. This fraudulent email in particular is asking for your cell phone number. Please do not respond to the email or subsequent text messages. If at any time you receive an email that strikes you as unusual, confirm that it's legitimate before you reply. Remember to take a look at both the "from" and the "reply to" emails. Refrain from ...
Bishop Announces Projected 2023-2024 Appointments
4/16/2023
'May we continue to be open to the Spirit’s leading as we seek to be faithful disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world!' —Bishop Dease Bishop Robin Dease has announced projected full-time appointment changes as of April 16, 2023. The appointments will be set at the North Georgia Annual Conference and will be effective July 1 unless otherwise noted. Part-time appointments, along with a few full-time appointments, are still in process and are scheduled to be announced in ...
Easter Message from Bishop Dease
4/9/2023
Bishop Robin Dease offers a message on "The Empty Tomb" to North Georgia United Methodists on Easter Sunday 2023. "Jesus is who he said he is. His word is true and what might be impossible for you is possible through Christ. Because the tomb is empty," she says. Scroll down to read a transcript of her message in English and en Español. The Empty Tomb Matthew 28:1-10 Here I stand in this place, a place where many are buried and have been for centuries. Who goes into a cemetery looking for...
Bishop Dease Names Disaster Response and UMCOR as the 2023 Annual Conference Special Offering
4/3/2023
Bishop Robin Dease has chosen UMCOR (the United Methodist Committee on Relief) and our Conference Disaster Response efforts as the 2023 North Georgia Annual Conference Special Offering. Churches are invited to collect the offering any time before Annual Conference. One person from each local church will have an opportunity to present a check from their church during the Service of Remembrance on Thursday, June 1, or checks may be submitted to the Conference Office. Part of the offering will ...
Survey: Bishop Dease Invites Laity Feedback on District-Level Resources
4/3/2023
Bishop Robin Dease invites all laity to complete a survey regarding to the ministry of our District Superintendents and our District Strategic Growth Teams. Find the survey at https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/DistrictSupport. Read a note from Bishop Dease below: Dear North Georgia Conference Laity, As we look toward the future of United Methodism in the North Georgia Conference of The United Methodist Church, I invite your input regarding the ministry of our District Superintendents and our ...
Message from Bishop Dease on March 31
3/31/2023
Dear North Georgia United Methodists, As we approach Palm Sunday and Holy Week, I spent the day today in the South West District with ERT, UMCOR representatives, and local churches responding to tornadoes in our Conference. United Methodists are doing the work of God and it is a blessing. My heart aches to share that, also today, a lawsuit has been filed against the North Georgia Conference, its board of trustees, our district superintendents, as well as your previous bishop, and me, your ...
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Lenten Message from Bishop Dease
2/27/2023
Dear North Georgia United Methodists, In these days between Ash Wednesday and Easter Sunday, the reality of our season of fasting and repentance comes quickly. Can we live into the commitments we've made in terms of how we spend our time and how we spend our money? Can we keep up our fast or will we break? The season of Lent is hard. Sometimes we just want Easter to hurry up and get here. The problem with skipping ahead to Easter is that we miss God's invitation to us today. God knows we have...
Celebrating Black History in the Making: Bishop Dease is First African American Bishop Assigned to the North Georgia Conference of The United Methodist Church
2/2/2023
By Sybil Davidson This Black History Month, North Georgia United Methodists have an addition to our history to celebrate. On January 1, 2023, Bishop Robin Dease became the first African American bishop to serve the North Georgia Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church and the first female African American bishop in our denomination assigned to Georgia. “While I am honored and grateful to be celebrated as a 'first,' I must recognize there has been a great trail of United Methodist ...
Message from Bishop Dease on January Storms in North Georgia
1/13/2023
On behalf of the North Georgia Conference, we send our earnest prayers to all those persons and communities affected by the recent tornadoes. We also pray for generosity and provision asking individuals, churches, and organizations to contribute to UMCOR. You can make a donation to U.S. Disaster Response through any North Georgia Conference United Methodist church. Our disaster response teams are assessing how to effectively offer time, resources, and support in order to bring a sense of ...
North Georgia Conference Celebrates Assignment of Bishop Dease With Service of Installation
1/8/2023
In the name of Jesus Christ, the Head of the church, I gladly assume, with you and among you, this ministry of Word, Sacrament, and Order, of pastoral supervision, government, and service. Strengthened by the love of God and the remembrance of my consecration to the episcopacy, I am resolved to serve faithfully and well the congregations and people of the North Georgia Conference as bishop, pastor, and friend. SERMON | FULL SERVICE | BULLETIN | PHOTOS On Sunday, January 8, the North ...
Bishop Dease's Journey to North Georgia: 'Where He Leads, I Will Follow'
12/12/2022
Bishop Robin Dease (Photo by Matt Brodie) By Sybil Davidson Bishop Robin Dease’s assignment to the North Georgia Annual Conference was a full-circle moment. It was right here in North Georgia that she first fell in love with The United Methodist Church. Brooklyn, NY to Atlanta Though Bishop Dease had 12 brothers and sisters, in many ways she has always been set apart. “I was the only one in my family to go to college,” she shared. “My parents were from South Carolina and moved to New York ...
Bishop Robin Dease Assigned to the North Georgia Annual Conference
11/4/2022
Bishop Robin Dease has been appointed as the next bishop of the North Georgia Annual Conference. She begins service in our conference on January 1, 2023. (Read a brief bio here.) After the assignment, the North Georgia Annual Conference delegation and friends surrounded Bishop Dease in prayer and welcome. "I'm a collaborator," she said. "Let's have fun. Let's make disciples. Let's love one another. Let's build bridges. I am looking forward to working together." Delegates elected Dease, 54, on...
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