What Does It Mean to Serve a Global Methodist Church?

Liz, my wife, and I bring you greetings from Johannesburg, South Africa. It has been an honor for Liz to serve as the head of delegation for the MidSouth Annual Conference of the Global Methodist Church at General Conference 2026.

For the past four years, I have known that God was doing something new among the people called Methodist—not only in the United States, but around the world. I fully anticipated meeting some of our mission partners, but I don’t think I fully understood just how much God had already been doing.

When we arrived for the opening session of General Conference, it was overwhelmingly exciting to see just how global we truly are. People from every continent gathered together to celebrate God’s good works in and through the Global Methodist Church.

God is on the move.

I am not one to make predictions about the future. However, I would not be surprised if, when the Global Methodist Church gathers again in 2032, the United States no longer represents the majority of our delegates. If that happens, we will truly have birthed a global ministry.

What Does All of This Mean?

It means that, as we move forward, the Global Methodist Church will increasingly reflect the ministries, cultures, and missions of the world. We will no longer be a United States-centered ministry. I welcome the day when the global nature of our church is fully embraced. Heaven will be filled with earthly people—people from every nation, every tribe, and every part of the world. If we strive for the kingdom of God on earth to reflect the kingdom of God in heaven, then I fully and wholeheartedly welcome this Spirit-filled movement as God leads us more deeply into global ministry.

A Global Vision for Every Local Church

It is my hope that, beginning in 2027, we will develop a matrix of information and resources to help each of our local churches develop a plan for connecting with at least one of our international mission partners and with our brothers and sisters in Christ around the world. Currently, we have four formal international partnerships: Central Europe, Mozambique, Western Pacific, and Nile River Annual Conferences. We also have ministry connections inThailand, Central and South America, Northeast Nigeria, and many other places around the globe.

I ask each local church to prayerfully consider how you can become connected to God’s work beyond your own community. Please ask your church leadership to help develop a plan for your congregation to establish a meaningful relationship with a mission partner or ministry somewhere in the world.

We are all called to be an Acts 1:8 church. Let’s do it!

This does not have to be complicated. It may begin with prayer. It may include financial support, sending a mission team, hosting international leaders, supporting a specific ministry, or simply developing a relationship with brothers and sisters in Christ from another part of the world. There are many possibilities: short-term opportunities, larger one-time projects, or long-lasting partnerships.

The important thing is that we connect.

The Local Church Is the Mission

In the Global Methodist Church, the local church is the primary source of mission and ministry. The Annual Conference and General Conference exist to support and strengthen the local church. The role of the Annual Conference is to encourage, equip, and resource each local church by providing the knowledge, relationships, and avenues through which international mission and ministry can take place. The world is becoming our mission field in a new and exciting way.

2027 is just around the corner. Let us pray together, plan together, and step boldly into the future God is placing before us. May we continue to make disciples of Jesus Christ and spread scriptural holiness and social holiness throughout the world.