As the United Methodist Church waits for the next gathering of the global denomination in 2024, many are looking for answers about what may happen and the impact on their local church. The Michigan Conference is committed to providing resources to help all congregations navigate this time of discernment and to provide care and support for pastors, congregations, and individuals as they go through this process. The Michigan Conference of The United Methodist Church also has a vision for the church going into the future. Please return often to find new resources.
#Be United Methodist
A commitment to spaciousness
"The Michigan Conference has consistently identified a direction for its future, a direction that defines inclusivity in ways beyond our current polity, a direction that seeks to combine personal faith development, congregational vibrancy, and passion for creating a more just and peaceful world. There is spaciousness, room for difference in matters of conscience, and encouragement to ongoing dialogue amid contradictory convictions within that broad direction. " - MICHIGAN BISHOP DAVID BARD
"Blessing One Another" FAQ video and printable PDF
The Michigan Conference has assembled a FAQ and video with answers to your most pressing questions.
Read and download the PDF or watch a summary version. V120122
Read a FAQ from The United Methodist Church on how the disafilation process began.
We are the people of the Michigan Conference
View and download this 1:30 video on who we are and who we will be as United Methodists in Michigan.
#BeUMC
Gracious Orthodoxy
"I joined The United Methodist Church when I was 18 years old precisely because of the church’s foundational convictions about God. I was searching for a spiritual home after the loss of two good friends. I had checked out a copy of The Book of Discipline of The United Methodist Church from my university library. It was while reading the section called “Doctrinal Standards and Our Theological Task” that I knew I’d found a spiritual home." -REV. ADAM HAMILTON
Watch Adam Hamilton's video series on this subject.
If your church chooses to leave you have many options to continue your faith journey in a United Methodist Church in Michigan. Let us help guide you to your next church home.
What it means to be United Methodist
Belonging & Inclusion
All belong and will be loved in The UMC. All will be heard, respected and engaged. All will be free to develop their personal relationship with God and to serve fully in the ministry of Jesus Christ.
A church that is working to dismantle racism, include all persons and where you're not expected to think like everyone else.
Disciple Making
We are dedicated to the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world in the tradition of John Wesley.
For 22nd years young adults have been working as servant leaders through the Mission Intern Program and deepening their faith.
Experiencing God through The UMC
We embrace a Church where we experience our triune God in personal and community relationships, transforming our own lives, the lives around us, and the entire world.
Because God is at work in our lives, at times we may ask the question: Did you choose faith or did your faith choose you?
Influence, Connection and Impact
With millions of members across the globe, we are a powerful connection, living and sharing the grace of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit. We are committed to work for global health, education, creation care, child welfare, disaster recovery and countless other efforts.
Judy Turner from First United Methodist Church in Birmingham, MI found a place and a way to make a positive difference for Jesus in Henderson KY.
Get #BeUMC resources
Click here to discover information materials from The UMC to use in your local church.
#Be United Methodist: Committed to grace
The Conference Leadership Council, the basic governance council of the Michigan Conference responsible for implementing the Conference’s vision, affirms the following values of mutual recognition in all matters of disaffiliation and separation, values recently articulated by the Council of Bishops:
● Agree not to actively disparage one another with our words and actions that seek to undermine the ministry of the other.
● Declare mutual recognition of Christ in the other as individuals as well as constituted churches and look for the fruit of God’s Spirit in the ministry and mission.
● Will faithfully and carefully exercise the disciplinary requirements of the sacraments, ministry, and mission.
We encourage Michigan United Methodists, whether they plan to stay or depart, to embrace and embody these values.
STATE OF THE United Methodist CHURCH
Last Updated on February 7, 2023