The North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, has warned the public against phishing messages claiming to be from Bishop Sue.
In a Facebook post on Friday, Jan. 7, the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church said they received a number of reports from clergy whose congregations have been the target of an e-mail scam.
According to the post, several members of the church received fraudulent emails, which claim to be from the pastor, and appealed for financial help.
The North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church said the fraudulent emails contain a need for a gift card and urgent help for a loved one.
The church sent another message asking for support from a “new neighbor” who would like to meet with the pastor.
It also revealed that the most current fraudulent emails received claims to be from Bishop Sue.
Church’s Advice
The North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church advised the public to confirm that the received email is legitimate before they replied.
The church noted that Bishop Sue’s legitimate email address ends in "ngumc.org" not "gmail.org."
It added that the Global Ministries or Conference staff can help the public to confirm missionary status.
The church also urged the public to refrain from forwarding the email to others.
However, they can make a quick phone call or write a new email to confirm with the church.
The North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church also encouraged that if the email received is fraudulent to mark it as phishing to the email provider and delete the email.
The church reminded the public to be vigilant, cautious, and confirm the legitimacy of communication before responding.
Those who wish to see more information written on this article may visit the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church.
Church Honored Late Members
The North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church honored members who died in 2021.
The North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church said in a Facebook post on Tuesday, Jan. 4, that the United Methodist News Service featured some of the well-known United Methodists who died in the previous year.
Senator Max Cleland, an active layperson, and Rev. George E. Morris, founding director of the World Methodist Evangelism Institute, both North Georgia United Methodists, are highlighted in the main article, according to the post.
Senator Johnny Isakson, who died after the list was published, will be remembered next year, according to the church.
Visit the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church's Facebook page to see the 39 names of remembrance, listed in order of death date.
North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church’s History
The North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church, according to its website, includes roughly 800 congregations, over 1,300 clergy members, and approximately 340,000 lay members.
Its goals include developing moral Christian leaders, engaging in poor-relations ministry, improving global health, advocating for justice, responding to disasters, and achieving the denomination's mission of "creating disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world."
It is currently the largest United Methodist Conference in the United States, according to the church's website.
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