The Vision of The United Methodist Church

Stepping in faith into a new season of ministry

The United Methodist Church forms disciples of Jesus Christ who, empowered by the Holy Spirit, love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously in local communities and worldwide connections.

Love Boldly: We passionately love God and, like Jesus, embrace and include people of every age, nation, race, gender, and walk of life. (Matthew 22:37-39 | John 13:34-35)

Serve Joyfully: With the heart of Christ, we journey alongside the most vulnerable among us, offering care and compassion with joy. (Psalm 100:1 | Nehemiah 8:10 | John 13:14-15 | 1 Peter 4:10)

Lead Courageously: Following Jesus’ example, we resist and dismantle all systems of evil, injustice, and oppression, striving for peace, justice, and reconciliation. (Joshua 1:9 | Ephesians 6:10)

Our new vision reflects both who we already are and God’s dream for us.

Since 2021, the Council of Bishops and the Connectional Table have journeyed together in prayerful collaboration, seeking God’s wisdom and discerning a hope-filled vision for this unfolding era in The United Methodist Church. “Sankofa” – a West African concept of remembering where we’ve come from in order to move forward – guided the work.

Help spread the word

Leaders across our United Methodist connection are asked to encourage congregations to celebrate the ways they are already living the vision, and to find new opportunities to love, serve and lead in their contexts. Build awareness and excitement with the help of a toolkit of resources, below. This collection will become more robust in the coming weeks.