Bishop Easterling reflects the life of Bishop Violet L. Fisher
Dear Beloved of God,
Grace and peace to you in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ.
Today, my heart is both heavy and full as I share the news of the passing of our beloved Sister in Christ, Bishop Violet L. Fisher. We grieve because love has been shared; we mourn because her presence among us was a gift of God’s own grace. And yet, even in our sorrow, we lift our voices in thanksgiving for a life that magnified Christ with prophetic preaching, holy boldness, and an abiding love for God’s people.
Bishop Fisher was born in Easton, Maryland, and in her retirement returned to the familiar soil of the Eastern Shore, making her home in Denton within the Peninsula-Delaware Conference. Those who know the Shore understand that it leaves an indelible mark upon its sons and daughters. They are steady, compassionate, resilient, and grounded. Bishop Fisher embodied all these qualities.
Her call to ministry emerged early. At sixteen she stepped into the pulpit, and it soon became apparent that God had placed a distinct anointing upon her life. Long before our denomination fully embraced the leadership of women, particularly Black women, Bishop Fisher walked with courageous conviction. After shaping young lives as a public-school teacher, she heeded God’s call to full-time ministry and was ordained an elder in the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference. In 2000, she made history as the first Black woman elected bishop from the Northeastern Jurisdiction, and only the third Black woman to serve the church in the episcopacy. Her election was joyfully affirmed by justice-seeking communities such as Black Methodists for Church Renewal and the African American Clergy Women of the UMC, who recognized prophetic clarity and pastoral strength in her ministry.
But her legacy cannot be measured merely by appointments or accomplishments. Bishop Violet Fisher was deeply, widely, joyfully beloved because she loved God’s people with a whole and sanctified heart.
She preached with conviction, not shying away from hard truths. At the 2008 General Conference, she named racism as sin and called the church to the work of restorative justice. Her ministry extended far beyond sanctuary walls and into mission fields in Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Jamaica, and Haiti, where she poured herself into communities, intentionally centering women and children whose voices were too often overlooked. Through these labors, she bore witness to a Gospel that liberates, heals, and uplifts.
Whether she was preaching to thousands at the ROCK Youth Conference in Ocean City, sharing with the young people her experience with bungee jumping, or sitting quietly with someone in need of prayer; whether she was leading cabinet colleagues or encouraging a young woman daring to imagine herself in ministry, Bishop Fisher moved among us with the warmth of a mentor, the wisdom of a seasoned teacher, and the fire of a Spirit-filled preacher. People trusted her because she saw them, honored them, and called forth the gifts God had woven into their lives.
I had the privilege of knowing her as a mentor and confidant. When the delegation of the New England Conference asked me to consider episcopal candidacy, I sought her wisdom and blessing. She gave both and encouraged me to remain fearless in my advocacy for the marginalized. Our trip to The Holy Land together with Bishop Sudarshana Devadhar will forever remain imprinted in my mind and on my heart.
Even in retirement, her legacy continued to bless our Jurisdiction. In 2019, Palmer Theological Seminary inaugurated the Bishop Violet Fisher Scholarship, ensuring that future leaders from both the Eastern Pennsylvania and Peninsula-Delaware Conferences will walk forward strengthened by her name and her witness.
Today we grieve. And we should. Yet even as tears fall, we do not mourn as those without hope. We celebrate a life that glorified God, a servant shaped and used by the Holy Spirit, and a bishop who opened paths for others to walk. Her ministry, her love, and her witness endure in every life she touched, every congregation she strengthened, every young person she inspired, and every barrier she helped dismantle.
May we honor her not only with our words, but with our lives, by seeing all God’s people, calling forth the gifts God has placed within them, and laboring for a church and world that look more like the Kin-dom. Our prayers remain with the family during this difficult time.
With gratitude for her faithful witness and enduring legacy,
Bishop LaTrelle Miller Easterling