Hollering for Change: Reflections on Bishop Williamston’s historic election


Hollering for Change is the name of a series of commentaries by The Rev. Dr. Tori Butler for United Methodist News. Graphic by Laurens Glass, UM News. 

In the wake of the election of Bishop Delores “Dee” Williamston, the first Black woman elected to the episcopacy in the South Central Jurisdiction, the latest installment of “Hollering for Change” looks at the history-making event. The Rev. Dr. Tori Butler speaks with the Rev. Wanda Bass about what it was like to be in the room when Williamston was elected and what her hopes are for the new bishop’s leadership.


Watch interview with the Rev. Dr. Jalene Chase, former Metro Transit police officer in Washington and current pastor of Goshen United Methodist Church in Gaithersburg, Maryland, about how clergy can ensure their own safety in challenging situations.

 

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Evangelism
Bishop Antoine Tambwe Kalema (center) poses for a photo with the 11 district superintendents from the Eastern Congo Conference who received new motorcycles as a gift from the bishop during the 2026 annual conference. Many of the church leaders had spent years traveling on foot or by bicycle to minister to their communities. Behind them is the Mgr. Gabriel Unda Yemba Multipurpose Hall at the Mama Lynn Center in Kindu, Congo. Photo by Chadrack Tambwe Londe, UM News.

Bishop purchases motorcycles for pastors in Congo

Bishop Antoine Tambwe Kalema presented 11 motorcycles to United Methodist district superintendents in Maniema to reduce travel time and make caring for their communities easier.
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