Bishop Jung Names a New District Superintendent April 20, 2022
Siblings in Christ,
Grace and peace to you in this season of resurrection newness.
The scriptures we read in Eastertide speak about a God who shows no partiality, how the Easter proclamation foretells reconciliation to the ends of the earth. In the great fifty days of Eastertide, we see disciples become apostles. I write today to share a word of newness and transition for the Wisconsin Conference cabinet.
With a grateful heart, I am announcing that Rev. Dr. Amanda Stein will be appointed as the
South West District Superintendent, effective July 1, 2022.
Rev. Stein has served over twenty years in the South West District. She has offered leadership on the Wisconsin Conference delegation, the Committee on the Episcopacy, and the North Central Jurisdictional Committee on the Episcopacy. She is bi-lingual, has experience as a chaplain, and has served on the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry. She served on the Board of Church and Society, the Hispanic Committee, and has been a member of the Methodist Federation for Social Action. In 2016 she received her doctorate in Church Leadership Excellence from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC, focusing on recruiting and maintaining female clergy leadership within the Wisconsin Conference of The UMC.
About her appointment, Rev. Dr. Stein writes, "I was baptized in a rural white clapboard United Methodist Church; I was ordained in a large, urban UMC. I received my call to the ministry in a Black congregation and I love belting out hymns in Spanish. I believe in the acceptance and inclusion of each, and reconciliation and justice for all. I see Christ-come-alive in our diverse and ever-evolving communities of faith. For these reasons and more, I love the United Methodist Church and I am humbled to be invited into this new ministry. I am excited to serve under Bishop Jung and alongside all of you-- the wonderful lay people and clergy of our great state."
After a national search, it was announced on March 29th that Bishop Jung will appoint the current South West District Superintendent, Rev. Scott Carlson, as the New Director of Congregational Development.
A District Superintendent extends the office of Bishop (para. 401, 2016 Book of Discipline). In making this announcement, I am so grateful for the cabinet’s commitment to advance racial justice and radical inclusion. I am delighted to have Amanda’s gifts at work in advancing my vision for the Wisconsin Conference.
Please be in prayer for these persons and their families. Do all in your power to confirm their value in our connection and affirm God’s presence available to them in transition. Thank you for your presence in our connection as we continue to follow the risen One toward days of love and justice.
In the hope that is ours in Christ.
Hee-Soo Jung, PhD
Bishop, Wisconsin Conference