For eight years, the Rev. Ronnie Culpepper has enjoyed a bird’s-eye view of 59 United Methodist churches in this part of the state. Most every Sunday for those eight years, he’s worshipped in one of them — or sometimes two or three on one day — with his wife, Julia.
But now, moving boxes in his Hilton Heights home hint of change. The 69-year-old is retiring from full-time ministry, most recently as the Columbus District Superintendent in the denomination’s South Georgia Conference.
A reception to honor the Culpeppers is 2-4 p.m. Sunday at the St. Luke United Methodist Church Ministry Center, 1043 Third Ave.
“I wish every Methodist in the district could go to all the churches, to get a better feel of the connectional system,” said Culpepper, who’s also about to host the South Georgia Annual Conference for the second consecutive year. It’s June 7-10 at the Columbus Civic Center.
Annual Conference, the yearly gathering of United Methodists that includes worship, business meetings, community service and the setting of clery appointments, will be his last in a group called the Cabinet — nine clergy representing the nine districts in South Georgia who work closely with Bishop James King. One other person is retiring, the Rev. Hugh Davis of the Thomasville District. Three others are rotating off the Cabinet.
Culpepper has been at this work since college. With the recent trend toward second-career clergy, Culpepper is an anomaly.
Born and raised in Columbus and a 1958 graduate of Jordan High School, Culpepper entered LaGrange College that year and graduated in 1962. Three years later, he graduated from Emory University’s Candler School of Theology in Atlanta — and served as a student minister in four churches during seminary.
His mother, Ruth, remains an active member of East Highland United Methodist, his childhood church. His father, Joe, died in 1974, when Ronnie Culpepper was pastor of St. Mary’s Road United Methodist in Columbus.
Before he was tapped as District Superintendent by then Bishop Michael Watson, Culpepper served the following churches, in this order:
ŸSt. Paul, Columbus, associate pastor of youth and education
ŸSt. Mary’s Road, Columbus, senior pastor
ŸEpworth, Columbus, senior pastor
ŸMcRae United Methodist
ŸWarner Robins First United Methodist
ŸWhite Bluff, Savannah
ŸRiverside, Macon
Before the move to McRae, one colleague joked that Culpepper just kept changing sides of the highway in Columbus.
“I really thought after Riverside, I’d finish up, but I was delighted to come back home. It’s been good to be here, knowing so many people,” said Culpepper, whose daughter Laura lives in town, along with three of his five grandchildren. The Culpeppers are moving into a home only a few blocks from the parsonage; it will be the first time in about 44 years they’ve not lived in clergy housing.
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