Commission on the General Conference
For Immediate Release
April 20, 2026
Commission proposes changes to GC 2028 schedule and programming
Nashville, Tenn. – The Commission on the General Conference met virtually April 17–18, 2026, addressing a wide range of planning matters for the 2028 General Conference taking place in May 2028.
Considerable time was devoted to visa and immigration challenges facing delegates. As reported from the first day’s session, the Commission leaders stressed that the safety and inclusion of every possible participant have remained top priorities throughout the planning process. Precautions are being put in place for Minneapolis, and the Commission is continuing to explore visa-friendly locations for the possibility of a concurrent gathering beyond Minneapolis.
The Commission also announced that it is working within a $10 million reduced budget for an event that typically costs between $12 million and $14 million.
A significant action of the meeting was the Commission's approval of a framework to shorten the 2028 General Conference to run May 8–16, 2028. In total it will span nine days, encompassing two partial days and a day of Sabbath. The previous two-week format, Commission members agreed, is no longer financially sustainable given budget reductions and unique complexities.
The revised framework centers on two primary pillars: worship and legislative action. To reduce production costs, the commission is exploring a partnership with a nearby Lutheran congregation for shared facility use for worship. The proposal also calls for including the work of the U.S. Regional Committee, per Book of Discipline paragraph 507, prior to the official start of General Conference.
“We acknowledge the concerns about the impact of shortened sessions on deliberative processes — particularly complex matters such as potential agency unification," noted General Conference Secretary Rev. Dr. Fulbright. “To address this, the commission discussed plans to prepare delegates in advance through educational materials, webinars, and multilingual orientation sessions, ensuring informed participation within the new time constraints.”
The Rev. Abigail Parker-Herrera, who manages the receipt of petitions, presented a proposal to reduce the number of General Conference legislative committees from 15 to 10 that was examined and affirmed. The restructuring would combine committees covering related topics, helping minimize the number of rooms and translators needed to support them. This consolidation is intended to reduce costs and align with the smaller delegate count, anticipated fewer number of petitions, and shortened schedule. Final decisions on committee assignments are expected this fall. Steps to ensure the validity of petitions submitted were also discussed.
The commission approved six recommendations from the Connectional Relations Committee covering delegate election timelines, visa processing support, regular safety and security reporting, deploying multilingual volunteers, continued monitoring of visa bond requirements and immigration regulation implications, establishing contingency plans, and providing delegate training resources. The Futuring Committee discussed the need for collaboration with other committees and requested clarity on the timing and location of future General Conferences, with 2032 committed to being held outside the United States. The Program Committee also reported on their recent meetings and presented a request for a plenary time document, which required commission approval. The Rules Committee proposed simplifying the rules for the General Conference and, with paragraph 507 implementation consideration, exploring options to combine U.S. Regional Committee meetings with delegate orientation to address time and budget constraints.
Significant technology and system updates are underway, with a full revamp of the conference legislation management system (CALMS) scheduled for completion in September 2026. The legislative portal is expected to officially launch in January 2027. A new system was also announced to streamline access to visa invitation letters. As a result, Annual Conference secretaries will be able to access, once completed, and download letters through 2028 without contacting the commission office directly.
A plan presented by GCFA for event sponsorship opportunities and adjustments to on-site presence was affirmed, and details will be available in May 2026. Commission leadership also announced that they have asked United Methodist Communications to create an inter-agency/denominational booth, like the #BeUMC booth they created for the 2020/2024 General Conference, to visually represent entities across the connection.
Upon recommendation of the worship committee, the Commission elected YoungKwang "YK" Jun to serve as the Worship and Music Director for the 2028 event.
Before concluding, time was taken to recognize the work of the Rev. Dr. Aleze Fulbright, who is stepping away from her role as General Conference secretary on June 30th to serve the Indiana Conference. “As we make our way through the next few months, we will welcome a new Secretary of the General Conference. My heart is heavy because I have enjoyed Dr. Fulbright’s leadership and commitment to turning the page to a more open and transparent Commission,” shared Rev. Call. “She has kept us on track and set us up for success. While we would love for her to stay with us for the rest of the quadrennium, we know that she has good work to which God is calling her.”
Rev. Dr. Fulbright addressed the Commission, “I want to express my appreciation for the trust and confidence of journeying alongside each and every one of you as we stepped into the deep waters of not knowing how and what would need to happen given all the complexities of this particular General Conference, and yet we continue to move forward together. And while I know my call away from this work was not expected, I'm committed to being on the fringe to help in any way, shape, form, or fashion than I am able. I have high confidence in the one who will come to carry this movement forward alongside you, and you all will continue to be in my prayers.”
“The 2028 General Conference requires us to think and operate differently for the betterment of the Church,” noted Rev. Andy Call, Commission chair. “In ongoing commitment to transparency, we want to make sure that as concerns are raised around the connection, people know our priorities and what we are working on. The Commission continues to appreciate and solicit feedback from people across the connection. We recognize that others have important insights we may not know. We want to make sure we take in that information, know what’s happening in real time and what people are facing, and respond to it as best we can. While we can’t accommodate all requests, we strive to make informed decisions given all the known factors and parameters.”
Updated logo files, reflective of the new dates, will be available later this month via umcgc.org.
Though subcommittees will continue meeting throughout the year, the next full Commission meeting will be in person in Minneapolis, October 26-28, 2026.
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About General Conference
General Conference is the top policy-making body of The United Methodist Church, which meets once every four years. The conference can revise church law, as well as adopt resolutions on current moral, social, public policy, and economic issues. It also approves plans and budgets for church-wide programs. Get resources and updates at umcgc.org. Members can follow the Commission on Facebook for updates or email [email protected] with questions.
About The United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Church is a worldwide connection of close to 10 million members in over 100 countries, with a presence in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the United States. United Methodists are people of God who share a common mission and values. The church and its members are called to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. We reach out to a hurting world through a dedicated focus on mission and ministry. Our tagline “Open hearts. Open minds. Open doors.” reflects who we are and how we seek to put our faith into action. Learn more at umc.org.
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