Tom Berlin
Bishop Tom Berlin
Active
United States
Southeastern Jurisdiction
Florida Episcopal Area
Bishop Tom Berlin was elected as a Bishop of The United Methodist Church on November 2, 2022, by the Southeastern Jurisdiction and was assigned to serve the Florida Episcopal Area beginning January 1, 2023.
Early Life
Tom Berlin is a native of Winchester, Virginia. His faith in Christ was formed at Braddock Street UMC in Winchester, in a family that remains active in The United Methodist Church today in the communities in which they live. He received a call to ordained ministry while serving as a summer counselor at the Tennessee Outreach Project (Mountain TOP) mission camp in Ozone, Tennessee.
Education and Ordination
Bishop Berlin attended Virginia Tech and received a BS in business with a major in public administration. He received his Master of Divinity from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Bishop Berlin was ordained in 1987.
Ordained Ministry
At the beginning of his ministry, Berlin served the Brucetown-Welltown UMC Charge and Toms Brook UMC. Since that time, he has served churches of all sizes in the Virginia Conference, including 25 years as the Lead Pastor of Floris UMC, a multi-site, multi-staff congregation near the nation’s capital. He believes in the value of our connectional church and cares deeply about its vitality and unity. He longs for a church where all people feel that they belong. Tom has experienced the power of our global connection through Floris’s partnership with the Sierra Leone Conference of The United Methodist Church, helping to create and support the Child Reintegration Centre and Mercy Hospital. He is a speaker and author of books that focus on the Christian life and stewardship and has co-authored books on church leadership.
Connection
The bishop has chaired the Board of Governors at Wesley Theological Seminary, led delegations to General Conference, and served on the Commission on a Way Forward and the team that created the Protocol of Grace and Reconciliation through Separation. In a time of difficulty in The United Methodist Church, he finds hope in the love and resurrection of Christ and the ways he sees the Holy Spirit active among those committed to the congregations where they live and serve.
Family
Tom is married to Karen, and they have four daughters. These five women have enabled him to grow in sanctification and see people and life in ways he would have missed without them. He enjoys spending time with family, woodworking, hiking, and taking long walks with their dog, Mudge.
Mailing Address
FLORIDA EPISCOPAL AREA - UMC450 Martin L. King, Jr. Avenue,
Lakeland,
Florida
33815,
United States of America
Email Address
Click to emailPhone Number (s)
(863) 688-5563 - OfficeLinks
Website: www.flumc.org