Bishop Escobedo-Frank intends to appoint Reverend Sandra K. Olewine as Assistant to the Bishop

It is with a grateful heart that I announce the appointment of Reverend Sandra K. Olewine as Assistant to the Bishop, effective July 1, 2024. Reverend Olewine comes to this role with deep experience, knowledge, and relationships in our conference. Her leadership among us has been powerful and grace-filled.

Reverend Olewine has been serving as the South District Superintendent since July 1, 2021. During her time on the Appointive Cabinet, she has worked diligently with her pastors on the visions and projects set forth from the district’s churches. She has led the district with a deep recognition of the challenges having been experienced during a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic.

She has listened and cared for the clergy and laypersons in her district with wisdom, understanding, and compassion.

Prior to her role as District Superintendent, Reverend Olewine served in the following local churches: Fontana First UMC (1986-1990), Holman UMC (1990-1995), New Start Downtown Long Beach (2006-2011), Santee UMC (2011-2014), and more recently as Senior Pastor at First UMC of Pasadena (2014-2021). She also served as a Missionary in Jerusalem with the UMC’s General Board of Global Ministries (1996-2006), where her ministry of compassion and justice was widely felt. She is a Western Jurisdiction and General Conference Delegate, and is on the Board of the UMC’s General Council of Finance and Administration.

We welcome, and surround Reverend Olewine in prayer, as she lives into a new role in the California-Pacific Conference.

Grace y paz,

Bishop Dottie
Resident Bishop of the Los Angeles Area
California-Pacific Conference of The United Methodist Church