Posted on Friday, April 24, 2026
From the pulpit to the graduation platform, Resident Bishop Robin Dease, who leads the Georgia Episcopal Area of the United Methodist Church, including the North Georgia and South Georgia conferences, will share an inspirational address for the Class of 2026 at the 195th commencement ceremony on Saturday, May 9, at 8:30 a.m., at the Residential Quad.
A native of New York, she received her bachelor’s degree at Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina, and a Master of Divinity and a Doctor of Ministry in Stewardship at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C. In addition, Bishop Dease taught courses as an adjunct professor and then chair of the religion and philosophy department at Claflin University.
She made history in 2023 as the first African American bishop to serve the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church. Previously, Bishop Dease served as pastor and district superintendent in the South Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church.
In 2024, she became bishop of the new Georgia Episcopal Area of the United Methodist Church. A year later, she received the Silver Torch Award, a national recognition presented to recipients who have given faithful service to The United Methodist Church at the regional, national or international level.
At LC, Bishop Dease serves on the Board of Trustees.
This year’s ceremony will also honor Distinguished Service Alumni Award Recipient Spencer King ’00.
An LC Computer Science graduate, he has spent more than two decades since giving back to the college that shaped him.
On the Hill, King brings a steady and committed presence, serving as a current member of the Alumni Executive Council, past president of the Alumni Association, and an ex-officio member of the Board of Trustees. As a student, he was a member of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, the Student Government Association and Hilltoppers.
For 25 years, King has worked at the Chick-fil-A Corporate Support Center in Atlanta, where he has built a career in Information Technology, rising to Senior Principal Team Leader in the Infrastructure and Network group. He exudes the same spirit of servant leadership at his work, championing a people-first culture, mentoring his team and delivering results with integrity.
King extends his service into the community of Smyrna, Georgia, where he and his wife, Meg, are raising their three children, Hattie, Philip and Sam. He volunteers as a little league baseball coach and serves as an Elder and children’s church teacher at Smyrna Presbyterian Church.
Category: College, Events, Community
Keywords: Commencement, Religion
