Dear North Georgia United Methodists,
Due to the unusual public attention drawn to complaints filed against Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson, your Conference Committee on Episcopacy feels it is important to offer an update.
A series of complaints filed by the Mt. Bethel UMC Executive Committee against Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson have been dismissed by the SEJ Committee on Episcopacy and SEJ College of Bishops upon the conclusion that the Bishop acted in compliance with The Book of Discipline.
The complaints were addressed using the process provided in ¶413 of The Book of Discipline. This process involved the SEJ Committee on Episcopacy, the supervisory response team, the complainants, and the respondent. It included prayer, Bible study, personal interviews, study of the relevant paragraphs in the Book of Discipline, and reflection on Judicial Council Decisions 101, 501, 1174, and 1307.
After following this process the supervisory response team, consisting of representatives from both the SEJ episcopacy committee and the college of bishops, found that Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson acted in compliance with The Book of Discipline. Therefore, the supervisory response team recommended that the complaints be dismissed. The SEJ Committee on Episcopacy received this recommendation on August 26, 2021, and approved it. The SEJ College of Bishops reviewed and affirmed the recommendations and the action of the SEJ Committee on Episcopacy on Aug. 27, 2021, agreeing that Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson acted in accordance with The Book of Discipline.
We are grateful for the time and diligence that was put into this process and we appreciate Bishop Sue for her leadership in the North Georgia Conference.
Yours in Christ,
Deloris Carhee
Chair, North Georgia Conference Committee on Episcopacy
This post is republished from the North Georgia Conference website.