June 2026: Annual Conference Part I
What a joy it is to gather with others across our connection for Annual Conference. This year we were in Wichita Falls and met at the convention center for most activities. With 1600 people (or more) gathered, it was a nice big crowd.
As I prepared for Annual Conference, I realized that not everyone knows about how the United Methodist Church is structured. To be fair, we have a whole class in seminary about our polity (the form of government of a religious denomination) which helps us as pastors better understand the way in which our church functions. There is additional news, the structure is changing based on some of the voting that occurred at General Conference. But let’s look at some of the basics. (This is a part I!)
We start with you! You are a member of a local church. That church is governed by a charge conference, also called a council or board. A pastoral charge may be a single local church or more. As I am appointed to both FUMC Mineral Wells and Palo Pinto UMC, this is a multi-point charge. Each local church still has their own charge conference even if the same pastor serves multiple churches.
From the local church we are a part of the West District. Our District Superintendent is currently the Rev. Tom Long. There are ten districts across the Horizon Texas Conference. That is our Annual Conference, a gathering of members from across the body.
How much of this did you already know? More in Part II next month!
Photo is a deer who came to visit at FUMC Mineral Wells!