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
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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