At the 2025 Michigan Annual Conference, United Methodists were encouraged to face the challenges of ministry by growing into the fullness of Christ through God’s transforming love.
JAMES DEATON
Content Editor
Some 1,300 people gathered from May 30 to June 1, 2025, for the seventh session of the Michigan Annual Conference at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa near Traverse City.
“Unfinished: Growing Up and Into Christ,” based on Ephesians 4:15-16, was this year’s theme, as 1,086 clergy and lay members, along with staff and guests, came to worship, discuss and vote on business, celebrate shared ministry, and serve through missional giving and activities. On Thursday, June 5, members of the Michigan Annual Conference will receive links to summary videos via email. Click here to watch archived footage of all plenary sessions and worship services.
Bishop David Alan Bard, presiding bishop of the Michigan Conference, raised up the conference theme in his sermon (click to read full sermon) during the Opening Worship and Memorial Service on Friday afternoon. He acknowledged the various ways, individually and as a church, that we are called to engage in the unfinished work of growing in Christ and growing Christ into the world.
Despite everything in the world that makes this unfinished work daunting and discouraging, and despite how we are sometimes stuck in ways of being church that are no longer life-giving, we are to remain undaunted in loving the world with Christ’s love, said the bishop.
“We trust that the power of the risen Christ is with us,” said the bishop. “We trust that God can take our small acts . . . of kindness, of caring, our individual and shared efforts for a more just world, the quiet work we do to dismantle systems and ideas that get in the way of beloved community. God can take these small acts and multiply them.”
Celebrations and Equipping for Ministry
Conference attendees spent time in worship and celebration. There were also opportunities for continuing education and equipping for the work of ministry for both lay and clergy guests.
Opening Worship
The Opening Worship and Memorial Service on Friday afternoon honored the faithful ministry of the past, present, and future through the sacraments of Holy Communion and Baptism. The lives of those who died with Christ over the past year were remembered in a prayerful time of reflection as their names were read and photos were displayed. The bread and wine consumed during Holy Communion symbolized the spiritual and material sustenance that God gives to us each day. And new life in Christ and hope embodied in a young child were celebrated through the baptism of Sean (Siwon) Kim Paik, the son of Rev. YooJin Kim and Rev. Jung Du Paik.
Ordination and Retirement Celebrations
Clergy were inspired and affirmed during the Service of Recognition, Commissioning, and Ordination (RCO) on Sunday morning (click to view worship booklet and complete list of names with bios). Bishop Donald Kreiss of the Southeast Michigan Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) was this year’s ecumenical representative and brought greetings.
During the service, eight were ordained (six elders, two deacons), six were commissioned (five elders, one associate member), one elder was received into provisional membership, two elders in full connection were recognized or transferred, and five graduated from Course of Study.
Bishop Bard delivered the sermon at the RCO service and challenged those being honored to wrestle with God, within themselves, with Scripture and tradition, and with the way things are, both in the church and in the world. Seasoned with words of grace, the bishop said, “I am giving you permission not to take on everything as something you should wrestle with. . . . So much needs to change, and you need not wrestle with every needed change at once” (click to read full sermon).
At the clergy retirement session on Thursday evening, 24 retirees (click to see list with names and bios) were recognized for faithfully serving Christ’s church.
Special Awards
On Sunday, four special awards were given as part of the 2025 Michigan Annual Conference:
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- Harry Denman Award for Evangelism—Rev. Andy Lee, pastor at Commerce UMC. The Harry Denman Evangelism Award program honors United Methodists in each annual conference who have shown a passion and fruit for evangelism.
- One Matters Award—Auburn UMC and Pastor Carmen Cook. Discipleship Ministries presents this award to the pastor and lay leaders of a congregation that has done significant work to grow their ministry, turning zeros from previous years into positive numbers.
- Francis Asbury Award—Rev. Curt and Anne Jensen. The award recognizes United Methodists who have made a significant contribution to fostering United Methodist ministries in higher education at the local, district, or annual conference level. It is awarded annually to one honoree per annual conference.
- John Buxton Award—Rev. Brad Bartlemay. The John Buxton Award honors creative problem-solving in our annual conference.
Saturday Morning Teaching Session
On Saturday morning, guest speaker Rev. Dr. Jasmine Smothers challenged attendees to press on in ministry by blessing the past, wiping the slate clean, and writing new rules for ministry. Her teaching session was built around principles outlined in a book she co-wrote, Blank Slate. Smothers’ ministry design theory helps churches create future models of ministry centered on people, ultimately leading to congregational and community transformation. Click to watch the full teaching session.
Smothers illustrated the impact of human-centered design rooted in empathy and relationship building through her own congregation’s story. She serves as lead pastor of First United Methodist Church in Atlanta, Ga., which has grown and launched a new $140 million project that seeks to transform their downtown church into a vital hub bringing Jesus’ abundant life to their city. Their campus will soon provide affordable housing to address a pressing concern in their neighborhood, among other new ministries.
Smothers praised God’s blessing and encouraged attendees to consider the “blank slate” model for their own faith communities. “What if somebody put a pencil in your hand and said, ‘Forget everything you think you know about church. Design a church to reach your current and future contexts. What would that look like?’”
Local churches in Michigan, she said, must let go of outcomes and take risks on ministry ideas that might fail. And churches must understand their neighborhood better and prioritize people over problems. She urged, “If it’s not about people, don’t do it. If it’s not about transforming people’s lives, it’s a waste of your time and energy, and it’s not the work of the church.”
Lay Perspective
The Laity Perspective event on Friday provided storytelling and the sharing of practical tools and resources for laity as they seek to become bold and effective leaders in their local congregations.
Lay-led ministries at Flint: Court Street UMC were featured alongside three presentations. Colleen Croxall, Conference Lay Servant Ministries (LSM) Director, Pastor Ray Francis of Farwell UMC and the Central Bay District’s LSM Co-Director, and Sharon Appling, Lead for the Conference Certified Lay Minister Program, outlined a variety of resources for laity, including the Lay Servant Ministries program.
Rev. Jeremy Peters, Court Street’s pastor, and three lay members illustrated the resurgence their congregation has experienced in the last two years. Lay members Jan Sain-Steinborn, Michele Clark, and Laura Bollinger have helped to cultivate a culture of welcome, boosting attendance and engagement. Since May 2023, Court Street has had 73 new members and celebrated 20 baptisms. Their tangible, community-building ministries have brought the love of Jesus to this community that has experienced challenges.
Business and Budget
A significant amount of time on Saturday was spent voting to ratify amendments to the United Methodist Constitution, with paper ballots being used. Conference resolutions were also cared for, along with the 2026 budget.
Constitutional Amendments
On Saturday, Michigan United Methodists voted to ratify several amendments to the United Methodist Constitution. These amendments were approved by the 2020/2024 General Conference and passed on to all the annual conferences for ratification. The amendments were divided into four ballots (click to view), and each eligible voting member voted yes or no. The amendments could not be edited or amended.
The spirit of the four amendments aligned with major decisions made at the 2020/2024 General Conference, which called for greater inclusion, reinforced the church’s commitment to anti-racism and building God’s beloved community, and took steps toward restructuring the denomination to promote greater equity among annual conferences worldwide.
Rev. Joy Barrett, Annual Conference Secretary, reported that over 800 ballots were cast by voters. To protect the integrity of the worldwide voting process, as other annual conferences have yet to vote, the Michigan Annual Conference’s results cannot be disclosed. The votes have been counted and will be included in the final aggregate tally. The Council of Bishops will announce the outcome of the ratification vote in November 2025.
Annual Conference Resolutions
Andy Wayne, Legislative Coordinator for the Michigan Conference, led voting members through the resolutions submitted for consideration. There were eleven resolutions (view resolutions), in addition to amendments provided in the legislative committee report (view report). One resolution originally submitted, R#2025-3, “Addition to Moving Expense Policy,” was withdrawn by the presenter and did not come before members for a vote.
Two legislative items were on the consent calendar, which means they passed by a vote of nine-tenths of the legislative committee and were then voted on during business. The first resolution was R#2025-8, “Mandatory Protection Policy and Ethics Training for Clergy,” which will require, beginning in 2026, all appointed clergy, clergy serving in retirement, and laypersons assigned as a District Superintendent Assignment (DSA) to complete protection policy training and ethics training within their first year of ministry in Michigan and every three years thereafter.
The other consent calendar item, R#2025-5, “Haiti Gardens of Hope,” approved a year-long $215,000 campaign which will strengthen the ministries of three EngageMI partners — Grace Children’s Hospital, Haitian Assets for Peace International (HAPI), and Jeremie Rising. In addition, a new Haitian partner, Grassroots Community Voices Foundation, will build solidarity in Mizak and Jeremie through a community-based microfinance and savings program. Each congregation in the Michigan Conference is invited to contribute $350 (roughly $7.50 per church attendee) to this effort. The Gardens of Hope campaign is scheduled to begin in August 2025. Soon, an email will be sent to all local churches with details about how to make donations and additional information on how those dollars will make a difference in the lives of the people of Haiti.
The 2025 Michigan Annual Conference approved the remaining seven pieces of legislation and voted to refer R#2025-6, “Generative Artificial Intelligence,” to the episcopal office. Bishop David Bard will establish a Generative AI Working Group to examine and provide recommendations on the theological, ethical, and practical implications of Generative Artificial Intelligence. The working group will provide a report to the 2026 Michigan Annual Conference.
Three dealt with topics related to salaries and benefits. Two resolutions (R#2025-1 and R#2025-2) came from the Board of Pension and Health Benefits related to the Past Service Rate (PSR) for the Ministers’ Reserve Pension Fund and the Housing/Rental Allowance for retired or clergy on medical leave status receiving disability benefits. One resolution (R#2025-10) from the Commission on Equitable Compensation dealt with the 2026 Minimum Salary Schedule. An amendment to this resolution requires all Staff-Parish Relations Committees to calculate the suggested minimum compensation for their clergy before determining final compensation.
Three resolutions related to the ongoing war between Israel and Palestine, a boycott of Chevron, and a boycott of tours visiting the Holy Land were debated and approved, with amendments, on Saturday: R#2025-7, “Call for Two States: Israel and Palestine,” R#2025-9, “Chevron Boycott,” and R#2025-10, “Holy Land Excursion Boycott.” Each of these have action items for United Methodists to pursue, so congregations are urged to review final versions.
One resolution, 2025-4, “Re-Prioritize Federal Spending from the Military to Human Security,” calls for Michigan United Methodists to advocate for federal spending on national defense and the military to be reduced to better support health care, education, housing, and climate change mitigation. Recommendations for action are outlined in the resolution (click to read).
Corporate Session
The Conference Board of Trustees is tasked with managing all conference properties, the closing and sale of church properties, and risk management and legal matters. Matt DeLong, Chair of the Board of Trustees, noted in written comments that one of the major efforts for 2024 was the completion of the consolidation of the conference offices at 212 Clark Corners into the office building on Northcrest Road. Suite 212 is no longer leased by the conference. In his video report, he stated that all disaffiliation activities were completed as of December 31, 2024.
During the corporate business session on Saturday morning, DeLong reviewed church closings, turning it over to Rev. Scott Harmon, Dean of the Cabinet, to present the names and stories of eight churches that have closed since the last annual conference session. Members voted to accept these church closures: Ashton UMC (Central Bay District), Belding UMC (Central Bay District), Central Lakeport UMC (East Winds District), Owosso: Trinity UMC (East Winds District), Shelby UMC (Western Waters District), Sidnaw UMC (Northern Skies District), Turk Lake UMC (Central Bay District), and Williamston: Crossroads UMC (Heritage District).
Members also voted to approve the closure of an additional 14 churches that were no longer functioning as United Methodist congregations and left the conference under the provisions of Chapter 2549: Arden UMC (Greater Southwest UMC), Barnard UMC (Northern Skies District), Boyne City: Compass Community Church (Northern Skies District), Caledonia UMC (Western Waters District), East Jordan UMC (Northern Skies District), Edwardsburg: Hope UMC (Greater Southwest District), Hinchman UMC (Greater Southwest District), Horton Bay UMC (Northern Skies District), Kalkaska UMC (Northern Skies District), Ludington: St. Paul UMC (Western Waters), Mayville UMC (East Winds District), Merritt-Butterfield UMC (Northern Skies District), Moorestown-Stittsville UMC (Northern Skies District), and Townline UMC (Greater Southwest District). This brought a total number of closed churches to 22.
One new church start was highlighted in related reporting: Novi: Korean Faith Community in the Greater Detroit District.
Budget
Conference leaders at various points thanked Michigan United Methodists for their financial support through Ministry Shares, which helps sustain the Michigan Conference and our connectional ministries throughout The United Methodist Church. Bishop Bard, in his State of the Conference report on Sunday morning, said, “Thank you for your participation in Ministry Shares. For those of you who paid 100%, thank you. For those of you working so diligently to increase your participation, thank you, for every dollar you’ve given.” (Watch the bishop’s full message.)
Bishop Bard also lifted up the Michigan Conference’s generosity to the General Church and worldwide missions: “I know that you are, as Michigan United Methodists, generous people. We are the number one conference in the North Central Jurisdiction in giving to the Advance. And I celebrate that with you.”
As a testimony of the shared ministry we do together, thanks to the financial support of Ministry Shares from congregations, conference leaders reminded attendees of the recently published 2025 Annual Report, which gives information on Ministry Shares and how these dollars from churches are used for Christ’s mission here in Michigan and beyond. Click here to download this report and share it with church leaders.
Earlier on Sunday morning, Rev. Don Gotham, Chair of the Council on Finance and Administration, presented the proposed 2026 budget for the Michigan Conference. Reminding members that they are “Easter people,” Gotham noted that $10 million in reserves have been spent since 2019. Chief Financial Officer Angie Anger said in her video report posted prior to conference that this leaves approximately $5 million in cash reserves.
Gotham presented “an aspirational budget” for 2016, totaling $8,032,538, which is a reduction of $458,398 from 2025. Discussion on the conference floor brought questions from members about the impact on conference staff, including the anticipated reduction of the number of district superintendents from seven to five in 2026. Rev. John Kasper was recently appointed to serve both the East Winds District and the Central Bay District, effective July 1, 2025. Bishop Bard will work with the Cabinet and other conference leaders on a forthcoming plan for superintendents and districts, to be proposed to the 2026 Michigan Annual Conference.
As a fun challenge to Michigan United Methodist congregations, Gotham promised to give his presentation at next year’s annual conference in a pink bunny suit if the total remittance rate for Ministry Shares reaches at least 90% by the end of 2025. Only 72% of our conference goal was achieved in 2024. After discussion, members voted and approved the budget as presented.
Focus on Conference Priorities
Local church and conference ministries and how they live out the four priorities established by the Michigan Conference’s Conference Leadership Council (CLC) were highlighted in several segments. Rev. Dr. Jennie Browne, Clergy Assistant to the Bishop and Director of Connectional Ministry, introduced these sections of business on Saturday afternoon: Sharing God’s Love, Building Beloved Community, Developing Leaders, and Financial Sustainability. Click to learn more about these four priorities.
Each segment included various videos and live presentations, illustrating how we can meet the unfinished work Christ has called us to and continue toward the finish line with grace, love, and purpose by living out the priorities set by the conference.
Sharing God’s Love
Browne then introduced the unfinished business of Sharing God’s Love “by discipling, by birthing new ministries, by testifying to God’s transformative power through word and action.”
Rev. Dr. Scott Hughes from Discipleship Ministries and Rev. Kathy Pittenger, Associate Director of Connectional Ministries for the Michigan Conference, interviewed each other about the new Belong resources of Discipleship Ministries (click to learn more) and the Making Meaning Together grants from the Michigan Conference. These are two faith formation tools available to churches that honor and nurture the giftedness of God’s people of all ages.
Rev. Dr. Anthony Hood, Chair of the Board of Congregational Life, introduced a video highlighting three mission churches that have been vital expressions of diversity and sharing God’s love. These new church starts — Berkley: First, Novi: Korean UMC, and French UMC in Detroit — are supported, in part, thanks to local churches giving Ministry Shares.
Rev. Leslee Fritz, Special Assistant to the Bishop for Mission and Budget, announced the application process for a new conference grant award program. To financially support local congregations and United Methodist ministry partners in developing new ministries, the Michigan Conference will be giving out Ministry Innovation Grants (set at a $2,500 minimum) later this year.
“The goal of these awards,” said Fritz, “is to inspire you to think creatively. . . . Yes, [a new roof or new carpet] matter, but that’s not what this grant is for. This grant is about new ministries, new ways you can, as a local church or ministry partner, expand your outreach and do some of the creative things that you heard about this morning.”
These grants are being funded through the Ministry Innovation Fund, created to capture a percentage of the proceeds the conference received from the disaffiliation process. In 2024, approximately $2 million was allocated to this fund, with an additional $700,000 expected this year. The application window will open on September 2, 2025, and will continue through October 15. More details are forthcoming. Awards will be announced by the end of December.
Bishop David Bard concluded the segment with the United Methodist Church’s apology statement to victims and survivors of sexual misconduct, first shared at the 2020/2024 General Conference. In an earlier prefatory comment by Rev. Dr. Jennie Browne, she acknowledged, “Friends, taking accountability for past harm is part of what the church is called to do as we share God’s love.” Click to read the full text of the apology.
Building Beloved Community
Building Beloved Community was the second priority explored on Saturday afternoon. Rev. Gregory Kendrick and lay members of Wyoming: Wesley Park UMC reported on the intentional journey they’ve taken to become a welcoming, inclusive community. They are a place where all forms of diversity — age, race, ethnicity, socio-economic background — are celebrated.
In the video report, Kendrick said, “We are a divergent people coming from divergent backgrounds,” said Kendrick. “When beloved community happens, where all are loved and welcomed with a place here at the table, what a day of rejoicing that will be.” Click to watch the video.
The Anti-Bias/Anti-Racism Working Group was represented by the Revs. April Gutierrez, Kevin Smalls, Matt Weiler, and Seok Nam Lim.
The segment concluded with a 2025 Advocacy Day video highlighting the effort to fix auto no-fault insurance reform, in the Wesleyan tradition of social justice.
Developing Leaders
On Saturday evening, the third priority of the conference — Developing Leaders — was addressed by the conference’s Connectional Ministries Team (CMT). Laura Witkowski, Naomi García, Lisa Batten, and Rev. Kathy Pittenger shared stories from laity-focused cohorts. The CMT engaged with over 230 congregations over the past year. They have listened to leaders with a focus not on “the ways we’ve always done things” but rather on the “why” of what we do. Witkowski noted, “We sow seeds — even if it looks messy. We step out — even if the water is choppy. We believe — because the Spirit is moving.” Watch their full report here.
In their report, they outlined several upcoming cohorts and offerings, including a Language Diversity workshop, Grant Writing 101 and Fund Development 101 workshops, the Seed to Harvest program that uses human-centered design to tap into creativity and values to start something new, the Beyond the Mirror: Finding Clarity in Your Reflections course that focuses on addressing your inner critic, and Meaning Making Together. Click to learn more about each of them.
Financial Sustainability
The fourth priority of Financial Sustainability received robust discussion during the 2026 budget presentation by Rev. Don Gotham on Sunday morning. Refer to the section on the budget above for more information.
Mission Opportunities
Several offerings were received and mission engagement opportunities were offered throughout the 2025 Michigan Annual Conference as a reminder of the love and generosity of Michigan United Methodists, particularly as it relates to supporting worldwide mission.
Offerings
During the opening worship service, a $42,115 offering was collected (donations continue to be accepted through this secure link). Haitian Assets for Peace International (HAPI) will receive 45% of the total offering, and the Bishop Judith Craig Children’s Village in Liberia will also receive 45%. These General Advance Projects are Part D: EngageMI International Ministry Partners, vital initiatives supported by the Michigan Conference. Bishop Bard also designated a 10% tithe to go to UMCOR US Disaster Response and Recovery.
A separate offering of $3,949 was received for the Ministerial Education Fund (MEF), which will provide funds to assist seminary students with educational expenses (donations continue to be accepted through this secure link).
Mission Festival
The United Methodist Foundation of Michigan (UMF) sponsored this year’s festival, held on Friday evening. EngageMI Ministry Partners met with conference attendees to share about the good work they’re doing around the world. Through UMF’s generosity, attendees spent Mission Bucks received at registration to give back to those missions they care about most. As an expression of love, over $4,000 was donated to 25 ministry partners.
After the Mission Festival, a Fireside Chat was held with members of the Haiti Task Force and EngageMI Ministry Partners to discuss the new Gardens of Hope campaign, which begins in August, and the new partnership with Grassroots Community Voices Foundation.
Rice Meal Packing for World Hunger Relief
Long-time mission partner Midwest Mission hosted a Rice Meal Packing event for the third year. In assembly-line fashion, teams of volunteers packed simple, nutritious meals for those in need. Exceeding last year’s involvement, close to 200 United Methodist volunteers put together 7,222 rice meal packs. Each pack provides six meals, with 43,332 meals being sent worldwide. Generous donations from United Methodists totaling $14,444 purchased supplies for the event.
Midwest Mission also brought their collection truck, allowing attendees to drop off various assembled kits and gently used or new items. In-kind donations totaled 6,705 pounds.
Zero-K for Child Hunger Relief in Michigan
As part of an Annual Conference initiative to get people moving and motivated to better care for their health, the “Zero-K – Move to End Child Hunger” raised money to fight child hunger in Michigan. Over $3,400 was raised.
There was a traditional 5K held on Friday morning, but conference attendees were encouraged to participate in whatever ways they were able, whether it was walking, chair yoga, cardio drumming, or other activities offered.
Annual Conference Statistics for 2024
The official statistical report from Pamela Stewart, Conference Statistician, noted that all categories were down compared to the previous year. Statistics for worship attendance exclude numbers submitted for virtual/online worship.
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- Membership in 2024 was 73,963, down 16,708 or 18% from 2023
- Average Worship Attendance in 2024 was 29,037, down 6,536 or 18% from 2023
- Sunday School Attendance in 2024 was 5,039, down 1,286 or 20% from 2023
- Professions of Faith in 2024 were 1,102, down 82 or 7% from 2023
- Adults/Young Adults in Small Groups in 2024 numbered 18,090, down 3,306 or 15% from 2023
- Mission Engagement in 2024 was 25,805, down 317 or 1.2% from 2023
Last Updated on June 12, 2025