Bishop Paul Leeland of the Western North Carolina Conference of the United Methodist Church will be at Hood Seminary from 9:30 to 11- a.m. Tuesday in the Aymer Center.

The program is open to the public. Registration is requested with the Rev. Kay Hines by Tuesday at 704-636-6962 or khines@hoodseminary.edu.

Leeland was assigned as the resident bishop of the Western North Carolina Conference in July and began his duties on Sept. 1. He was elected to the episcopacy in 2008 and has been bishop of the Alabama-West Florida Conference for the past eight years.

Leeland is originally from North Carolina and a graduate of North Carolina Wesleyan University, Duke Divinity School and North Carolina State University. Before his election in 2008, he served in the North Carolina Conference for 33 years after a stint as director of family counseling in Atlanta.

Just before his election to the episcopacy, Leeland was superintendent for the Goldsboro District in the North Carolina Conference.

Leeland was ordained by Bishop Robert Blackburn in 1976. As a member of the North Carolina Conference, he served small, medium and large churches. He was appointed assistant to the bishop and director of ministerial relations, serving under two bishops for eight years. He has served on general conference boards and agencies.

In 2007, he received the Red Shoe Award, presented by clergywomen of the North Carolina Annual Conference for “encouragement and support of women in ministry through advocacy, appointment, mentoring and friendship.”

Hood Theological Seminary is a graduate and professional school sponsored by the AME Zion Church and approved by the University Senate of the United Methodist Church. Its student body is multidenominational.