Sisters and Brothers by Other Mothers
14th Joe A. and Nancy Vaughn Stalcup Lecture
June 11, 2017
Bishop Teresa Elaine Jefferson-Snorton
Bishop Teresa Elaine Jefferson-Snorton became the 59th bishop elected in the Christian Methodist Episcopal (C.M.E.) Church and the first female bishop. In February 2016 she was elected President of Churches Uniting in Christ, an ecumenical organization representing six Christian denominations working toward unity and reconciliation. She also serves the wider community as Ecumenical Officer and Endorsing Agent for the CME Church, Chair of the Family Life Committee of the World Methodist Council, Chair of the Board of Directors of the National Institute for Human Development, and through membership on the Board of Directors of the World Methodist Evangelism, Inc. and the Pan-Methodist Commission.
In support of higher education, she chairs the Board of Trustees of Miles College, the Board of Directors of the Miles Foundation Service Corporation and is a member of the Advisory Board for Candler School of Theology. In the CME Church, she is a member of the Board of Directors for the Connectional Headquarters, Chair of the Committee on Emergency Relief and vice-Chair of the Advisory Committee for Communications, Information, and Technology. Prior to her election as a bishop, she served as the Executive Director of the national Association for Clinical Pastoral Education, Inc. Bishop Jefferson-Snorton has a BA from Vanderbilt University, a MDiv from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, a MTh from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, a Post-Graduate Certificate in Patient Counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University, and the DMin from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.
Bishop Jefferson-Snorton is the author of several articles, chapters and book reviews on topics related to pastoral care and ministry. Recent works include Women Out of Order: Risking Change and Creating Care in a Multi-Cultural World (2009) co-edited with Jeanne Stevenson-Moessner.
Churches Uniting in Christ is comprised of representatives from eleven Christian denominations working toward unity and reconciliation. Member churches are the African Methodist Episcopal Church, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church, the Episcopal Church, the International Council of Community Churches, the Moravian Church (Northern Province), the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), the United Church of Christ, and the United Methodist Church. The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a partner in mission and dialogue.