Southeast United Methodist bishops get assignments 
Bishop James King to serve as episcopal leader of South Georgia, Watson to serve in North Georgia

The one United Methodist bishop elected during the Southeastern Jurisdiction's 2008 conference and the twelve continuing bishops now know where they will serve for the next four years. Friday evening, July 18, the Committee on Episcopacy announced the assignments of Bishops to the areas of the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference.

Bishop James R. King, Jr. preaches at the 2008 South Georgia Annual Conference.

Friday evening, July 18, the Committee on Episcopacy announced the assignments of Bishops to the areas of the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference.

Bishop James R. King, Jr. presides over a session during the 2008 Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference.

Bishop James R. King, Jr. has been assigned to the South Georgia Area. Bishop King has served for eight years in the Louisville Area, which includes the Kentucky and Red Bird Missionary Conferences. Bishop King will be the first African-American to serve as the episcopal leader of South Georgia. Prior to his election as a bishop in 2000, Bishop King was the senior pastor at Brentwood United Methodist Church in Brentwood, TN. During his tenure in the Tennessee Annual Conference, he also served as a District Superintendent and as the Conference Council Director. He is a graduate of Clark College in Atlanta and received a Master of Divinity at the Interdenominational Theological Center in Atlanta. Bishop King was ordained as ordained a deacon in the Central Alabama Conference in 1970 and ordainted an elder in the Central Alabama Conference in 1972. Bishop King and his wife, Rose, have three children.

After serving faithfully in South Georgia for 8 years, Bishop Mike Watson will be assigned to the North Georgia area. This will be Bishop Watson's second assignment as an episcopal leader. He was elected at the 2000 Jurisdictional Conference, along with Bishop King.

The assignment of Bishop Timothy Whitaker to the Florida Conference will be extended 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. Four bishops—G. Lindsey Davis, Larry M. Goodpaster, James R. King, Jr., and B. Michael Watson—will be assigned to new areas within the jurisdiction. Bishop elect Paul Leeland from the North Carolina Conference will be given his first assignment.

In addition to electing a new bishop, the conference also recognized the retirement of Bishop J. Lawrence McCleskey, Charlotte area.

The assignments for the bishops become effective Sept. 1, 2008.

The assignments for the Southeastern Jurisdiction 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 consecration service will be held Saturday morning, July 19 at 10:00 a.m. to consecrate bishop elect Paul Leeland and to officially assign all bishops to their episcopal areas.

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.