Meet Our Guest Speakers: Bishop Connie Shelton and Rev. Dr. Joey Shelton
Join us at Front Street on Sunday, November 8, as we welcome Bishop Connie Shelton and Rev. Dr. Joey Shelton!
Bishop Connie Shelton
Bishop Connie Mitchell-Shelton, resident bishop of the North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church, will preach at both the 9 AM and 11 AM worship services.
Bishop Shelton encourages the conference’s 421 congregations to remain focused on the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. She envisions disciples joining God’s transforming work in their communities as they love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously.
Since graduating from Duke University Divinity School in 1997, Bishop Shelton has served in a variety of ministry settings, including rural, urban, small, medium, and large congregations in Mississippi. Her leadership experience includes serving as executive director of The United Methodist Hour radio and television ministry, director of Field Education at Duke Divinity School, director of Connectional Ministries for the Mississippi Conference, and district superintendent. She was elected bishop in 2022.
Bishop Shelton holds a bachelor’s degree in Radio, Television and Film and a master’s degree in Public Relations from the University of Southern Mississippi, as well as a Doctor of Ministry degree from Columbia Theological Seminary. Her ministry emphasizes connection, inspiration, collaboration, and discernment.
Rev. Dr. Joey Shelton
Rev. Dr. Joey Shelton will lead an Adult Sunday School presentation on November 8 titled “Understanding Christian Nationalism.”
Mass media increasingly shapes public life, influencing how people understand faith, politics, and economics. Social media, television, radio, cable commentators, conspiracy theories, and online algorithms can sometimes become more influential than the Gospels themselves. How do we separate fact from myth? What roles should Scripture, reason, experience, and church tradition play in shaping our understanding of the world?
Through a Wesleyan lens, Rev. Dr. Shelton will explore the ideas behind Christian nationalism and invite participants into a thoughtful conversation about faith and public life.
Rev. Dr. Shelton is a retired elder of the Mississippi United Methodist Conference and currently serves as Associate Pastor of Education and Missions at Horne Memorial United Methodist Church in Clayton, North Carolina. His professional experience includes 10 years practicing law, nine years in higher education, and 17 years serving rural and urban United Methodist congregations.
His areas of interest include dementia care, Christian nationalism, and racial healing. He leads workshops on these topics in ecumenical, academic, and secular settings.
Bishop Connie Shelton and Rev. Dr. Joey Shelton have dedicated their lives to serving the Church and the people of the United Methodist tradition. They are also proud parents of two adult daughters, Bailey (and her husband, Caleb) and Jessica.
We look forward to welcoming both speakers to Front Street on November 8. We hope you will join us for worship and this opportunity to learn together.
