Commission on the General Conference
For Immediate Release
October 27, 2026
Two locations to host General Conference 2028
Nashville, Tenn. – In a historic first for the General Conference of The United Methodist Church, two locations will host the 2028 quadrennial event. The Commission on the General Conference has selected Harare, Zimbabwe, Africa as the site beyond Minneapolis, Minnesota to accommodate delegates unable to travel to the United States for the May 2028 event. The Commission voted on October 27, 2026, during the second day of its fall virtual meeting.
The Commission acknowledged that having two locations is not preferable for holy conferencing and that this decision was neither painless nor simple but was made with prioritization of making access for all. This decision is a reflection of the worldwide nature of the church and a witness to our connection with one another in Jesus Christ. After exploring multiple options, the Commission determined the site through prayer, discernment, grappling with questions of equity and access, understanding each site option’s limitations, and recognizing visa complexities and other travel realities facing the Church and the world that are outside its control.
“I appreciate the hard work done by the staff and Commission to research and review possibilities on multiple continents, then choose the final location,” shared Interim General Conference Secretary Emily Allen. “The Alternative Task Team has worked since November 2025 to explore site options, and partnered with insights from the connectional relations committee, we were able to present vetted options on which the Commission could vote. Commission members set a high bar to meet the needs of our diverse, global church. While there is confidence in the site selected, getting to the decision required careful listening and weighing each potential site’s benefits and limitations.”
Both locations will operate concurrently, allowing delegates to work together in real time. While the exact venue in Harare is still being determined, planning can now move forward to ensure a successful General Conference.
Harare was selected because it:
- falls within a city with a strong United Methodist Church presence.
- represents the continent with the largest United Methodist membership.
- offers greater visa access from other African countries.
- was originally the 2028 location prior to postponement changes.
“The site beyond will host delegations that cannot get visa access to the United States. While our intention is to get as many people as possible to Minneapolis, we also want to keep delegations together and provide representative diversity at each site,” stated Rev. Andy Call, Commission chair. “As the global travel landscape continues to change, and technological restraints remain a reality in many areas, we must be nimble and creative in our work to allow for maximum participation in the legislative process.”
The decision reflects the Commission’s attention to concerns about travel, safety, and inclusion that have been central since its first meeting. It is especially poignant because the 2028 event will host the denomination’s largest representation of delegates living outside the United States in the UMC’s history.
Production and technology will be paramount to the dual-location General Conference. Initial conversations have already begun with United Methodist Communications to ensure the event has all necessary considerations and safeguards in place.
Looking ahead, the Commission also reaffirmed its commitment to host the next General Conference at a site outside of the United States.
Delegate expenses were also discussed. It was determined that, at least at the Minneapolis site, lunch will be provided along with a $30 per diem to help supplement additional meals. Meal arrangements for those at the Harare site are yet to be determined as the concurrent schedule is worked out and venue contracts are negotiated.
Other work at the fall meeting included reporting out from the program, rules, connectional relations, and futuring committees as they continue their work on behalf of the Commission in preparation for the 2028 meeting. Highlights include:
- providing educational resources, food accommodating all needs, physical and psychological safety at venues, and continued transparent communications.
- working on shifting future dates to allow for more participation from young people, moving General Conference away from the U.S. political calendar, and vetting future locations.
- bringing clarity and simplicity to conference rules, removing duplications, allowing for an appeal process, and adding a consensus-based decision process to be reviewed at the spring Commission meeting.
- considering programmatically how to manage both sites for 2028 with equity and balance, and how best to plan the opening agenda to accommodate the important work of the U.S. Regional Committee and the Standing Committee on Regional Conference Matters Outside the United States.
The Commission also voted to approve the 2027 spending plan. A financial overview and sponsorship update from GCFA, an introduction of the Minneapolis host committee leads, and a look at the new CALMS legislative management software were presented.
Going forth, committees will continue to meet, with the full Commission on the General Conference meeting virtually in April 2027. An additional full Commission one-day virtual meeting to discuss the two-site experience will be scheduled between now and the spring session.
The official General Conference website at umcgc.org will highlight updates as they are available.
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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.
Media Contacts:
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