On Thursday, Jan. 22, students, faculty, and staff came together to remember the lessons of peace and equality taught by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The winter convocation is an annual Brenau tradition that focuses on King’s legacy.
“Our community gathers each spring to honor the profound legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., whose birthday we commemorate,” Brenau president David L. Barnett, Ph.D., said. “His work as a champion, crusader, preacher, and prophet still resonates across our local, regional, and national communities, challenging us to pursue the interconnected ideals of equality and justice.”
Bishop Robin Dease, resident bishop at the Georgia Episcopal Area of The United Methodist Church, presented the keynote speech. The event also featured performances by the Department of Dance and Portia Burns.
“Brenau University is truly honored to have Bishop Robin Dease join us at the gathering today,” Barnett said. “She is a bridge builder and a collaborator. She points others to consider new ways to create relationships and sustain everlasting communities.”
Bishop Dease shared a message of unity with students, faculty, and staff.
“Unity is a beautiful word; it sounds like harmony, agreement, and peace,” Dease said. “But Dr. King understood that unity is not the absence of tension; unity is the presence of justice. Unity is the hard, disciplined work of building a community where every single person belongs.”
During her remarks, Dease emphasized that peace should not be rooted in fear and violence, but in justice and courage.
“Peace built on fear is not peace. Unity built on intimidation is not unity. Order built on violence is not order, it is merely quiet,” Dease said. “Real peace requires imagination, courage, and the willingness to build something better than we inherited.”
Dease grew up in Brooklyn, New York, one of 13 children. She graduated from Claflin University in Orangeburg, South Carolina, and earned a Master of Divinity degree and a Doctor of Ministry degree in stewardship from Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, D.C.
Dease was elected bishop by the 2022 Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference of The United Methodist Church and consecrated in November 2022. She began her first assignment as bishop to the North Georgia Episcopal Area of The United Methodist Church in January 2023. In September 2024, she started her next assignment as bishop of the new Georgia Episcopal Area.
Before her election to the episcopacy, Dease served as pastor and district superintendent in the South Carolina Conference of The United Methodist Church and has been involved in denominational and conference boards and committees.
