Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson

Resident Bishop, Richmond Area

Virginia Annual Conference

Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson was elected bishop by the 2016 Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference (SEJ) of The United Methodist Church and consecrated July 15, 2016. Her first assignment as bishop was to the North Georgia Episcopal Area beginning September 1, 2016. She was assigned to the Virginia Conference at the 2022 SEJ Conference. 

A Florida native, Bishop Haupert-Johnson (or “Bishop Sue”) is a graduate of the University of Florida (B.S. in Business Administration), University of Florida College of Law (J.D.), and Candler School of Theology at Emory University (M.Div.). She was a federal law clerk and a litigator with the Tampa law firm of Carlton, Fields before she answered her call to ministry.

After graduating summa cum laude from Candler, she was ordained a deacon in the Florida Annual Conference in 1996 and an elder in 1998. She subsequently served pastoral appointments as an associate pastor at First UMC, Lakeland; and as a lead pastor at Hillsborough UMC, Tampa; First UMC, Cape Coral, and First UMC, Ocala. Bishop Haupert-Johnson served as the North Central District Superintendent of the Florida Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church from 2013-2016.

As district superintendent, she guided a diverse area of very large and very small churches, urban, suburban, and rural churches; African-American, Haitian, and Hispanic churches; a Native American ministry; a large camp and retreat center, and a vibrant campus ministry. She was the “missional strategist” for this region, equipping and resourcing churches for ministry and helping them work together to reach their mission fields for Jesus Christ.

She was the Florida Conference’s clergy delegation leader for General Conference 2016. She has represented the Florida Conference at the quadrennial United Methodist Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference four times and the United Methodist General Conference in 2008, 2012 and 2016. She also was chairperson of the Judicial Administration Legislative Committee at the 2012 General Conference.

Bishop Haupert-Johnson is known for mission-driven and fruitful appointment making and her work on alignment of focus at the annual conference level. She serves on the Board of Directors for Global Ministries, on the boards of five United Methodist-related colleges and universities in Virginia, and on numerous ministry and agency boards. She chairs the Dean’s Advisory Council of The Candler School of Theology and serves on the Board of Governors at Wesley Theological Seminary.

Bishop Haupert-Johnson is married to Rev. Allen Johnson. They have a daughter, Samantha. She enjoys NCAA football and basketball, all things Broadway, reading and movies.