Bishop Teresa E. Snorton is the 59th Bishop and the first female Bishop in the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church since its founding in 1870. Bishop Snorton is the Ecumenical Bishop and Development Officer for the Christian Methodist Episcopal Church. From 2011-2022, she was presiding bishop of the Fifth Episcopal District, which includes the states of Alabama and Florida. Her first episcopal appointment in 2010 was to the newly established Eleventh Episcopal District in East Africa. She is also the Endorsing Agent for the CME Church and Chair of the Chaplains Board.

Ecumenically, Bishop Snorton is immediate past Chair of the Governing Board of the National Churches of Christ in the USA, Chair of the board for NCC’s Friendship Press, Chair of the Family Life Committee of the World Methodist Council, a member of the Board of the National Religious Partnership for the Environment, a member of the Advisory Board for Candler School of Theology at Emory University, and the Board of Trustees of the Phillips School of Theology at the ITC. In the CME Church, she is Vice Chair of the Board of Directors for the Connectional Headquarters, Chair of the Commission on the Concerns of Women in Ministry and Secretary of the CME College of Bishops. During 2013-2014 and again in 2023-24, she served Chair of the College of Bishops of the CME Church.

In the past, Bishop Snorton has served as Chair of the Board of Trustees of Miles College (Fairfield, AL), Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Interdenominational Theological Center (Atlanta, GA), President of Churches Uniting in Christ, Chair of the Pan-Methodist Commission, and a member of the Board of Directors of the World Methodist Evangelism, Inc.

Bishop Snorton is adjunct faculty and mentor in the Doctor of Ministry program at Payne Theological Seminary (Wilberforce, OH). She is an advocate for healthy communities, families and churches demonstrated through the founding of initiatives such as the empowerment conference “The Phenomenal Women’s Summit”, the Academy for Public Theology, and Connectional Clinical Pastoral Education.

She has a B.A. degree from Vanderbilt University, a Master of Divinity degree from Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, a Master of Theology degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, a Post-Graduate Certificate in Patient Counseling from Virginia Commonwealth University, and the Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. She is a retired certified Clinical Pastoral Educator (ACPE) and a board- certified Chaplain with the Association of Professional Chaplains. She is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and a life member of NAACP.

She previously pastored in Kentucky and served on ministerial staffs in Virginia and Georgia. She previously served as the Executive Director of the national Association for Clinical Pastoral Education (2000-2012) and as Executive Director and Pastoral Education Director in the Emory University Center for Pastoral Services (1990-2000). Her publications are on topics related to pastoral care, pastoral education and women’s issues. She has taught Pastoral Care and Counseling at the Candler School of Theology at Emory University (1991-2010), Virginia Commonwealth University (1987-1990), and the School of Theology at Virginia Union University (1988-90).

Bishop Snorton, a native of Kentucky, is the mother of two adult sons and two grandchildren.