The Rev. Ken Nelson, coordinator of Clergy Services and conference secretary, will succeed the Rev. Dr. Frederick Yebuah as superintendent of the Orangeburg District.

Rev. Yebuah has served the Orangeburg District as superintendent since 2012. He is completing his term at the 2020 Annual Conference

. Rev. Nelson was born in Beaufort, South Carolina, and graduated from Newberry College in 1990 with a bachelor of arts degree in sociology, religion and philosophy.

Rev. Nelson was ordained in 1995 following his 1993 graduation from Duke Divinity School with a master of divinity degree. Before his appointment as coordinator of Clergy Services, he served as a congregational specialist and as the conference African-American Ministries coordinator, and at Silver Hill Memorial UMC-Spartanburg, Centenary UMC-Kingsville, St. John’s UMC-Aiken, Mt. Zion UMC-Sumter and St. Mark UMC-Sumter. He also has served as assistant dean and director of religious life at Duke University Chapel.

In addition to Rev. Nelson’s work in local churches and on conference staff, he has served in many ways, including on the Conference Board of Ordained Ministry and district committees on Ministry, as a member of the General Board of Church and Society, and as a delegate to five General Conferences and four Jurisdictional Conferences.