Meet Bishop Charlene Kammerer

Bishop Charlene Payne Kammerer was elected to the episcopacy at the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference (SEJ) at Lake Junaluska, North Carolina, in July 1996.  She was assigned to the Charlotte Area where she served the conference faithfully for eight years.  At the SEJ meeting in July 2004, Bishop Kammerer was assigned to serve the Virginia Conference.

In her third quadrennium on the Council of Bishops, Bishop Kammerer is assigned to the General Board of Discipleship and the Committee on Hispanic Ministries which she has chaired. 

Charlene Payne Kammerer was born on January 5, 1948, in Orlando, Florida. She spent her early years in Winter Garden, where her home church was First United Methodist. She graduated from Wesleyan College in Macon, Georgia, with an A.B. degree in religion and philosophy in 1970. Wesleyan is the first college in the world chartered for the granting of degrees to women. She obtained Master of Christian Education and Master of Divinity degrees from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois. She was ordained deacon in 1975 and elder in 1977 in the Florida Conference. She received a Doctor of Ministry degree in 1991 from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio.

Bishop Kammerer's service in the church has included equal years in parish ministries and connectional ministries, including service as a campus minister at Duke University and as a district superintendent of the Tallahassee District, Florida Conference. Her longtime interests in ministry include higher education, mission involvement, and the spirituality of administration. She has served as a director of the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women and as a director of the General Board of Global Ministries, including chairperson of the United Methodist Committee on Relief from 1992-1996. She has received the Outstanding Alumnae Award from both Wesleyan College and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, and has been honored with Doctor of Divinity degrees from Bethune-Cookman College (FL), Pfeiffer University (NC) and Wesleyan College (GA).

She was married to Leigh Kammerer on August 29, 1970. Leigh was born in Wisconsin and grew up in Florida. Leigh is currently a substance abuse and addictions counselor and directs the Intake Program for HPIP, Health Professional Intervention Program, related to VCU Health Systems in Richmond.

Leigh and Charlene have one son, Chris, who serves in the U.S. Navy.  They have two grandchildren, Christopher and Noelle.

Bishop Kammerer enjoys walking, reading for fun, pottery and fine art, theater and movies, and the nurturing of friendships.