Bishop Watson To Serve as Next Episcopal Leader of North Georgia
Bishop B. Michael Watson has been appointed to serve as the next episcopal leader of North Georgia Conference. He will begin on September 1.
Bishop Watson, 59, has served the South Georgia Conference for the past eight years. He and his wife Margaret currently reside in Macon.
"Margaret and I are honored to remain in Georgia and to be assigned to serve the North Georgia Conference where Bishop and Mrs. Lindsey Davis have had such a productive ministry," said Watson.
"It is a great conference for which we have the highest respect. We already have many wonderful relationships with the laity, clergy, churches, and ministries in North Georgia, and we look forward to working with everyone in the conference to continue making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world," he continued.
Bishop Watson was elected to the episcopacy from the Alabama-West Florida Conference in 2000.
The Watsons have two children, Ben Watson and Elizabeth Watson Riddle, and two grandchildren, Alex and Andrew.
After 12 years of service in North Georgia, Bishop Lindsey Davis and Jennifer Davis will return to their home. They were appointed to the Kentucky Conference where Davis served as pastor and District Superintendent before being elected to the episcopacy in 1996.
The other 11 bishops of the Southeastern Jurisdiction also now know where they will serve for the next four years. North Georgia lay delegate and chair of the Committee on Episcopacy Joe Whittemore announced the assignments during the Friday, July 18, evening session of the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference at Lake Junaluska.
In addition to Davis and Watson, bishops moving include Bishop Larry M. Goodpaster who will serve the Western North Carolina Conference and Bishop James R. King Jr. who will serve the South Georgia Conference. Newly elected Bishop Paul Leeland was given his first assignment and will serve the Alabama-West Florida Conference.
Delegates voted to extend the assignment of Bishop Timothy Whitaker to the Florida Conference for a third term. Seven bishops—Alfred Gwinn, Charlene Kammerer, James Swanson, Mary Virginia Taylor, Hope Morgan Ward, William H. Willimon and Richard J. Wills Jr. —will continue in their current assignments for a second term.
The assignments for all the bishops become effective September 1, 2008.
The assignments are:
- Bishop G. Lindsey Davis—Louisville Area, which includes the Kentucky and Red Bird Missionary Conferences.
- Bishop Larry M. Goodpaster—Charlotte Area, which includes the Western North Carolina Conference.
- Bishop Alfred Gwinn—Raleigh Area, which includes the North Carolina Conference.
- Bishop Charlene Kammerer—Richmond Area, which includes the Virginia Conference.
- Bishop James R. King, Jr.—South Georgia Area, which includes the South Georgia Conference.
- Bishop Paul Leeland— Alabama-West Florida Area, which includes the Alabama-West Florida Conference.
- Bishop James Swanson—Holston Area, which includes the Holston Conference.
- Bishop Mary Virginia Taylor—Columbia Area, which includes the South Carolina Conference.
- Bishop Hope Morgan Ward—Mississippi Area, which includes the Mississippi Conference.
- Bishop B. Michael Watson—North Georgia Area, which includes the North Georgia Conference.
- Bishop William H. Willimon—Birmingham Area, which includes the North Alabama Conference.
- Bishop Richard J. Wills Jr.—Nashville Area, which includes the Memphis and Tennessee conferences.
- Bishop Timothy Whitaker—Florida Area, which includes the Florida Conference.
A United Methodist bishop serves as a general superintendent of the entire church. Bishops also have the responsibility to see that the rules and regulations developed by the General Conference, the top law making body of the denomination, are carried out.
The denomination’s Southeastern Jurisdiction includes the states of Alabama, Florida, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.