Date: November 08, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Two Wesley Theological Seminary Alumni and Former Chair Elected to United Methodist Church Episcopacy
Washington, D.C., November 08, 2022—The Wesley Theological Seminary community congratulates alumni The Rev. Dr. Robin Dease, The Rev. Dr. Lanette Plambeck, and its former Board of Governors Chair, The Rev. Thomas M. Berlin, on being elected bishops of the United Methodist Church (UMC).
The Rev. Dr. Robin Dease earned her Master of Divinity in 1998 and Doctor of Ministry in 2010. She was elected from the South Carolina Annual Conference and was assigned to serve the North Georgia Conference. The Rev. Thomas M. Berlin, from Virginia, is appointed to the Florida Annual Conference. Rev. Berlin has served on Wesley’s Board of Governors since 2010 and as chair from 2012-2022. Both were elected at the November 2022 South East Jurisdictional Conference, Lake Junaluska, NC.
The Rev. Dr. Lanette Plambeck earned her Doctor of Ministry in Church Leadership Excellence at Wesley in 2013. She was elected from the Iowa Annual Conference and will serve in the Dakotas- Minnesota Conference.
The Rev. Héctor A. Burgos-Núñez, also elected last week, was a Lewis Community Fellow at the Lewis Center in 2017-2018. He was the only Bishop elected in the NEJ and is the first Hispanic/Latino bishop elected in the North East Jurisdiction. He will serve in the Upper New York Annual Conference.
“Wesley, as one of the 13 United Methodist seminaries, is proud of those from our seminary family elected to the episcopacy in our denomination at this most critical moment in our history. I know they will lead The United Methodist Church to shape the future of our denomination,” said Wesley President, The Rev. Dr. David McAllister-Wilson.
Dease, Plambeck, Berlin, and Burgos-Núñez will begin two-year terms on January 1, 2023.
To watch The Rev. Dr. Robin Dease’s announcement, click here.
About Wesley Theological Seminary
Seated in the nation’s capital and centered on Christian faith, Wesley Theological Seminary annually prepares more than 1,000 students, representing more than 30 denominations, to become exemplary teachers, preachers, and leaders in the world today. Wesley graduates are in ministry in all 50 states and 20 countries as leaders of churches and service organizations. The mission of Wesley Theological Seminary is to prepare Christians for leadership in the church and the world, to advance theological scholarship, and to model a prophetic voice in the public square.
