EPISODE · Apr 15, 2026 · 45 MIN
019 I Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson: Can the Church Heal Its Deepest Divisions?
from The Beautiful Kingdom Builders Podcast · host Rev. Ruth Perry
From s1e19 of The Beautiful Kingdom Builders podcast, with my guest Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson, Bishop of the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church. In this episode, we discussed Bishop Sue's background, spiritual practices, and experiences as a woman in ministry. And we focused on the topic of leading through conflict, as the UMC went through a season of disaffiliation and ultimately removed exclusionary language from the Book of Discipline at the 2024 General Conference, thereby fully including LGBTQ people in the denomination. The 2024 and 2025 Virginia Annual Conferences were a powerful lesson in leading through disagreement and conflict. To see the Journey in Understanding report, visit: vaumc.org/journey/For show notes, visit thebeautifulkingdombuilders.com/tbkb-pod/Chapters00:00 Introduction and Context of Disaffiliation02:02 Bishop Sue's Faith Journey and Early Experiences08:11 The Role of Law and Justice in Ministry10:43 Motherhood's Impact on Ministry12:54 Spiritual Practices and Sustaining Faith14:06 Distinctives of Wesleyan Theology17:42 Understanding Connection Over Hierarchy20:38 Creating Community and Connection in Ministry22:05 The Call to Ministry: Laity and Clergy as Partners25:07 Navigating Disaffiliation: A United Methodist Perspective31:30 Understanding LGBTQ Inclusion in the Church40:23 Hope for the Future: The Next Generation of the Church
What this episode covers
From s1e19 of The Beautiful Kingdom Builders podcast, with my guest Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson, Bishop of the Virginia Conference of the United Methodist Church. In this episode, we discussed Bishop Sue's background, spiritual practices, and experiences as a woman in ministry. And we focused on the topic of leading through conflict, as the UMC went through a season of disaffiliation and ultimately removed exclusionary language from the Book of Discipline at the 2024 General Conference, thereby fully including LGBTQ people in the denomination. The 2024 and 2025 Virginia Annual Conferences were a powerful lesson in leading through disagreement and conflict. To see the Journey in Understanding report, visit: vaumc.org/journey/For show notes, visit thebeautifulkingdombuilders.com/tbkb-pod/Chapters00:00 Introduction and Context of Disaffiliation02:02 Bishop Sue's Faith Journey and Early Experiences08:11 The Role of Law and Justice in Ministry10:43 Motherhood's Impact on Ministry12:54 Spiritual Practices and Sustaining Faith14:06 Distinctives of Wesleyan Theology17:42 Understanding Connection Over Hierarchy20:38 Creating Community and Connection in Ministry22:05 The Call to Ministry: Laity and Clergy as Partners25:07 Navigating Disaffiliation: A United Methodist Perspective31:30 Understanding LGBTQ Inclusion in the Church40:23 Hope for the Future: The Next Generation of the Church
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019 I Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson: Can the Church Heal Its Deepest Divisions?
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