Meeting Minutes List

Describe the item or answer the question so that site visitors who are interested get more information. You can emphasiConferences Commission
Public Meeting Minutes
January 15, 2026
Members Present: Clark Atkins, Lori Smith, Mickey Wheeler, Teresa Marcus, Wilton Odongo, Elizabeth Sullivan, Bishop Leah Gregory, Kathryn Chittenden, Kevin Ryoo, Alban Gonda
Loving
I. Joys & Concerns
a. Many shared their Christmas experiences with family and in their church services II. Opening Prayer
a. Meeting in prayer at 7:03 am
Learning
I. Discussion Around DRC Plans and Next Steps
a. A recommendation was made to reduce the number of annual conferences in the Democratic Republic of Congo from six to three, citing geographical challenges and operational feasibility. The proposed new structure would include one conference in the south (Grand Katanga), one in the central-north (combining Grand Equator, Grand Kasai, and Kinshasa areas), and one in the east (combining Grand Kivu and Grand Orientale areas). This change would not affect the DRC's representation at the General Conference in 2026, as they would still be treated as one conference for delegate allocation purposes.
Leading
I. Approve Minutes from 04 December 2025 Meeting
a. Motion to approve the minutes. Seconded. Approved.
II. Reports
a. Global Inquiry Team
i. Togo was referred to Kingdom Advancement for follow-up.
III. Old Business
a. Recommendation RE: Afrika Mashariki AC Referred Back to Conferences i. This recommendation was based on cultural differences between British Methodist and United Methodist traditions.
ii. This recommendation was approved by the commission for referral back to the Connectional Council.
b. Recommendation RE: Latin America Emerging Area Referred Back to Conferences i. Advocated for designating Latin America and the Caribbean as an emerging area to enable better leadership and coordination, noting that while the area contains diverse cultures, leaders had requested this grouping and Panama could serve as a central location.
ii. The emerging area leader will be working to form a TCAT.
iii. Motion made and approved.
c. Recommendations for Approval of Clergy Applications
1. Afrika Mashariki
2. Angola
3. Ethiopia
4. Ethiopia Nazrawiyan
5. Nile Valley
6. Asia Other/Pakistan
7. Europe Other/Western Europe
8. Latin America Other/Brazil
a. Motion was made and approved.
d. Recommendations for Approval of Church Applications
1. Afrika Mashariki (91 churches)
2. Angola (22 churches)
3. Brazil (1 church)
4. Ethiopian Nazrawiyan (10 churches)
5. Peru (9 churches)
6. Western Europe (1 church)
a. A motion was made and approved.
IV. New Business
a. Recommendation Regarding the Number of Annual Conferences to Be Formed in the DRC
i. Motion made, seconded and approved.
b. Request to Designate Australia and New Zealand as Mission Areas of the Western States Annual Conference
i. Discussed the potential for 100 or more Fijian churches to join the western states, which would triple the current number. These churches, along with some from Australia and New Zealand, are seeking to be designated as a missional area rather than an emerging area. The existing Western States Conference is willing to expand its coverage to include these churches, which have strong cultural and familial connections to the area.
ii. Motion made to approve these areas as mission areas of the Western States Annual Conference. Seconded. Approved.
c. Recognition of the Leadership Team of the Western Europe Emerging Area i. Motion to approve the Leadership Team of the Western Europe Emerging Area. Seconded. Approved.
d. Vietnam TCAT Application
i. Motion to approve the Vietnam TCAT application. Seconded. Approved. V. Closing Prayer/Adjournment
a. Meeting with prayer at 8:43 am.ze this text with bullets, italics or bold, and add links.