MITCHELL — United Methodists in North Dakota and South Dakota have a new leader, Bishop Lanette Plambeck.
She was elected by the North Central Jurisdictional Conference, meeting in Fort Wayne, Indiana, Nov. 2-5, and was assigned to serve the Dakotas-Minnesota Area. Plambeck serves three states – Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota – that comprise the Dakotas and Minnesota Conferences.
Plambeck was ordained an elder in the Iowa Conference in 2005. She earned her B.A. from Morningside University in Religious Studies and Political Science. After serving as an intelligence analyst in the U.S. Army, she worked as an executive and therapist for person-centered agencies.
Plambeck began a two-year term on Jan 1. In the United States, bishops in The United Methodist Church are elected to serve for life.
In 2001, Plambeck completed a master of divinity degree with an emphasis in evangelism at Saint Paul School of Theology in Kansas City. In addition, she received a doctor of ministry in church leadership excellence degree in 2013 from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.
Before being elected to the episcopacy, Plambeck served as the assistant to the bishop and director of clergy and leadership excellence for the Iowa Conference. In that position, she designed and led programs in Christian leadership formation and worked with groups and individuals as a spiritual director, reflective supervisor, and ministry coach.
Before being on staff at the Iowa Annual Conference, Plambeck was the lead pastor for Broadway United Methodist Church in Council Bluffs, Iowa, First United Methodist in Atlantic, Iowa, Manning United Methodist Church in Manning, Iowa, and Emmanuel United Methodist Church, Granger, Iowa. She also served as the chaplain at Morningside University.
“I love our God, and I love the United Methodist Church,” said Plambeck. “I wasn’t born in it but was called to it, and I believe to the very depth of who I am that our very best years are ahead of us, right here, right now.”
In March gatherings are being held across North and South Dakota for people to come and meet Bishop Plambeck.
