On April 6 the announcement was made that all U.S. Jurisdictional Conferences for 2020 are postponed. The Council of Bishops will reschedule in the near future. 

Bishop David Bard, President of the North Central Jurisdictional College of Bishops, shares the breaking news that all US Jurisdictional Conferences for 2020 are postponed. The 2020 North Central Jurisdictional Conference was set to meet in Ft. Wayne, IN, July 15-18.

When the dates for General Conference are finalized, the United Methodist Council of Bishops will set the date for the Jurisdictional Conferences. The Commission on General Conference and the Council of Bishops plan to release a combined announcement of both dates in the very near future. 

The next Jurisdictional Conference will, most likely, be in 2021.  While this rescheduling raises many questions the answers are, at this time, unknown. The United Methodist Church has never been in this situation before. The NCJ College of Bishops, Episcopacy Committee, and Mission Council are at work to provide answers to these many questions.  

NCJ Secretary, Paul White, said, “I know that even beyond Jurisdictional and General Conference concerns and questions, we are living in the midst of hurting, scared and worried communities. God will take care of the General and Jurisdictional Conference in God’s time.”

White encourages United Methodists across this nine-state region to be in prayer. “Much more important than spending time wondering about future meetings, let us join together continuing to pray for the hurting people in our families, in our churches and communities and in God’s world.”

~ Click here for a pdf of Paul White’s letter.

Last Updated on September 20, 2022