Dr. Mary John Dye is presently serving the Western North Carolina Annual Conference as Superintendent of the Statesville District. Her term as superintendent follows 26 years as a pastor in churches of all sizes and settings. Dr. Dye began her ministry as the first cross-racial appointment in the Mississippi Conference (serving Rasberry United Methodist Church in the black community of Indianola, Mississippi. Indianola was in the spotlight of the nation as civil rights leader Fannie Lou Hamer went to the courthouse there to register to vote.) After moving to Western North Carolina in 1984, she served the Bethel-Piney Grove Charge outside of Waynesville; Spruce Pine UMC in Spruce Pine, NC; Jackson Park UMC, Kannapolis; Archdale UMC, Archdale, NC and Hawthorne Lane UMC, Charlotte. Dr. Dye received her B.A. in History from Asbury College, her Master of Divinity Degree from Memphis Theological Seminary and her Doctor of Ministry from Drew University. Dr. Dye is the founder of the Good Word Resource Center at Lake Junaluska Assembly. Through the years, she has been active in teaching United Methodist Women Schools of Christian Mission and preaching for United Methodist Women retreats and prayer breakfasts. She is a trained leader for Stephen Ministry as well as having served in chaplaincy roles in hospitals for communities where she has served as a pastor. She has been active in community work including Habitat for Humanity; starting a women’s shelter and promoting education. A former columnist for the NC Christian Advocate, she now writes weekly columns for the Western North Carolina Conference E-news in addition to her Statesville District website.