By a significant majority, annual conference members worldwide ratified four constitutional amendments as the church shifts toward greater equality and inclusion.
JAMES DEATON
Content Editor
On November 5, 2025, the Council of Bishops announced the ratification of four amendments to The United Methodist Church’s constitution — all of which passed by more than 91% of the vote. The most far-reaching changes approved were tied to regionalization, which will restructure the church and put its geographical regions on equal footing.
The results of the aggregate vote taken by more than 120 annual conferences in Africa, Europe, the Philippines, and the United States were certified by the Council of Bishops during their fall meeting. Each annual conference had voted on these four amendments, following their approval by delegates attending the 2020/2024 General Conference, and submitted their tallies. In the Michigan Conference, eligible lay and clergy members cast their vote earlier this year.
To be ratified, an amendment must receive the approval of at least two-thirds of the total vote by lay and clergy members at annual conferences worldwide. And that’s what happened. The large majority vote ratifying all four of these amendments is just the sign of unity that The United Methodist Church has needed, following a painful season of disaffiliation.
The spirit of the four amendments aligns with major decisions made by the 2020/2024 General Conference, which called for greater inclusion and took steps toward restructuring the denomination to promote greater equity among annual conferences worldwide.
Specifically, the four amendments: (I) address the implementation of the regionalization plan’s first steps, (II) expand inclusivity by adding “gender” and “ability” to the list of categories protected from exclusion in the church, (III) take a more direct stand against racism by calling out colonialism, white privilege, and white supremacy, and (IV) clarifying educational requirements for clergy who vote for delegates to general, jurisdictional, and regional conferences. Refer to the vote totals in the chart above.
Review this FAQ page to learn about the impact of the four constitutional amendments.
Reaction from Church Leaders
Leaders throughout The United Methodist Church have celebrated the news, with statements issued by the Council of Bishops (read statement), the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women (read statement), the General Commission on Religion and Race (read statement), and Reconciling Ministries Network (read statement), among others.
Following the historic 2020/2024 General Conference, and now with the stamp of approval in the ratification of these four amendments, there is a growing desire within the denomination to move forward into what God is preparing for the church. This is supported by the recent unveiling of the UMC’s new vision statement, to “love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously in local communities and worldwide connections.” Learn more about the Vision.
Here in the Michigan Conference, leaders are speaking out in celebration of the news and the overwhelmingly affirmative vote in favor of the changes to the UMC’s core governing document.
Bishop David Bard expressed his feelings, saying, “I was very pleased with the ratification vote. The United Methodist Church, as it moves into the future, needs to allow for more regional governance within an overall unity for our mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world to thrive. An important part of our overall unity is a commitment to building beloved community, including overcoming legacies of exclusion. While I was not surprised the amendments passed, I was quite surprised by the overwhelming margins.”
The elected delegation from the Michigan Conference who attended the 2020/2024 General Conference voted in favor of the four amendments in Charlotte and then endorsed them for approval by the Michigan Annual Conference earlier this year.
Laura Witkowski, lay delegate from Grand Rapids: Aldersgate UMC and co-chair of the Michigan Conference delegation, said, upon hearing the news, “I was surprised by the high percentages of yes votes. To me, it’s really exciting that people throughout The United Methodist Church are sharing similar thoughts about what kind of church we want to be moving forward.”
Rev. Paul Perez, clergy delegate from Detroit: Central UMC, noted, “I was deeply encouraged by the overwhelming support for the constitutional amendments by United Methodists around the world. The vote feels like a powerful affirmation of our shared identity and unity as a worldwide church.” Perez served as the other co-chair of the delegation to last year’s General Conference.
Impact on the Local Church
The four amendments to The United Methodist Church’s constitution that have been ratified and certified take effect immediately. Many of the structural changes related to regionalization will not directly impact the local church for some time, given the process involved; however, the others do. Michigan Conference leaders encourage local churches to educate their members about the immediate impact of the four constitutional amendments on their ministry.
Download and distribute this one-page summary of the amendments and when you’ll see changes.
“I hope the two amendments on inclusion encourage and inspire our congregations to continue to do their work in building beloved community,” said Bishop Bard. “Those two amendments have the most immediate local impact, though I hope every one of our congregations has been doing work on beloved community already. Regarding the changes begun in the regionalization amendments, I hope local churches will offer prayers of gratitude for this moment, and prayers for wisdom and fresh winds of the Spirit as we seek to implement these changes.”
Regionalization is going to take time to implement, notes Witkowski, and the changes the church approved are the first of many steps. Where she sees local churches digging in right away is by implementing the language in the amendment regarding the call to stand against all forms of racism. Read the new language that was approved.
“The strengthening of our commitment to dismantle racism is where local churches can use that language to support their justice initiatives,” explained Witkowski. “I’m excited about what the future holds, as the UMC can use the passing of these amendments as opportunities to love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously!”
Perez encourages local congregations and ministry settings to celebrate and live into these historic votes by considering these ways to respond:
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- Celebrate our worldwide church and global connections by supporting the Michigan Conference’s long-standing covenant partnerships with the Liberia Annual Conference and the Methodist Church of Haiti. Have you given to the Gardens of Hope campaign yet this year?
- Affirm the UMC’s commitment to racial and gender justice by organizing studies and conversations on both issues. I encourage your congregation or ministry setting to study the newly released Council of Bishops’ Building Beloved Community: The Courage to Love in the Face of Tyranny resource and watch for details about next year’s Jurisdictional Gatherings for Justice and Peace sponsored by the General Board of Church and Society.
- Support theological education and the call to ministry by observing United Methodist Student Day and receiving an offering sometime in May, and supporting our Michigan Conference Campus Ministries. Consider dedicating a Sunday to discernment or hosting a conversation about vocation. If someone you know is exploring a call to ministry, encourage them to attend the North Central Jurisdiction’s Ignite: Exploring Your Call to Ministry event in March 2026.
Regionalization’s Day Has Come
Some church leaders are suggesting that the ratification of the regionalization amendment signals the most significant structural change in the denomination since the creation of The United Methodist Church in 1968.
The changes this amendment makes restructure things and de-centers the church so that it’s not so focused on U.S. matters. It also allows for the creation of regional conferences to adapt specific parts of the Book of Discipline to their ministry context and to comply with local laws. Core parts of the Discipline, including the section on Doctrinal Standards and Our Theological Task, will not be adaptable by regional conferences. All the central conferences will become regional conferences, along with the United States. Read this UM News article for more details on what regionalization does.
Explore these resources to learn more about regionalization and its implications for U.S. churches.
Bishop Bard sees the changes as necessary. “The church has for quite some time,” said the bishop, “realized that our governance structure needed changing. It made no sense for General Conference to debate and vote upon a purely U.S. pension plan when one-third or more of the voting delegates were from outside the United States. Regionalization frees us to be more responsive in ministry in local contexts and allows for a General Conference that is less legislative and more educational, inspirational, and celebratory.”
Perez agrees that de-centering the church is an opportunity for United Methodists in the United States to mature in love and understanding. “We’re used to having our issues centered and our decisions dominate the agenda of the worldwide church,” said Perez. “We’ll need to unlearn these habits and move toward a more mutual, collaborative way of discerning, deciding, and acting with United Methodists in other regions.”
The regionalization plan, at its core, is not a new idea — it is an idea that has been proposed in some form for decades at various general conferences. However, one reason it was successful this time around was the widespread support of United Methodists worldwide and the deepening of relationships with people across the connection over many years.
“This moment is the fruit of years of meetings, one-to-one conversations, relationship building, and organizing by thousands of United Methodists around the world,” explained Perez. “I am grateful to have played a small part in that work here in Michigan and to have had the opportunity to cast a vote in this historic decision.”
Perez notes that he has been blessed to worship and work alongside United Methodists around the world, and those experiences have deepened his faith and shown him diverse and inspiring ways to live the gospel. It has also broadened his appreciation for the unique gifts that United Methodism offers to Christianity and the world.
“Belonging to a worldwide church,” continued Perez, “that connects ordinary people across borders feels more vital than ever, especially in this era of rising religious nationalism and isolationism. Few institutions can do this. I’m convinced these relationships are essential to the future of humanity and our planet.”
Regionalization’s Next Steps
The eight central conferences in Africa, Europe, and the Philippines have been renamed regional conferences. They will meet, as the legislation requires, after the 2028 General Conference. The United States will become a regional conference as well. The Council of Bishops will name 20 to 25 U.S. General Conference delegates to form the Interim Committee on Organization that will organize the U.S. Regional Conference.
The legislation also calls for the newly renamed Standing Committee on Regional Conference Matters Outside the USA (learn more about their work) to work closely with the Connectional Table and other general agencies to discern ways to perfect regionalization and present a report, including any recommendations, to the next General Conference. This includes a possible mediation process for regional adaptations of the Book of Discipline and the future of jurisdictions within the U.S. Regional Conference.
Download and distribute this one-page summary about regionalization and what happens next.
The changes outlined in the amendments are helpful in moving the church forward, but some refinements are needed, as well as some ambiguities that require clarification. The committees working on this process are now beginning their work, and they will present changes for improvement and possible future amendments to the constitution.
However, opportunities remain for The United Methodist Church, and it will take more time and effort, with God’s help, to reach perfection in the best Wesleyan fashion.
“This work is worth it,” concluded Perez. “Forming our own region will give United Methodists in the United States the space to focus on challenges unique to our context — experimenting with new forms of evangelism and community life, finding creative uses for church property, living into full inclusion of LGBTQIA+ people, and developing contextual responses to shared global challenges such as authoritarianism, poverty, migration, artificial intelligence, and climate change.”
Editor’s note: This article includes content from United Methodist News articles and resources that have been adapted for use in the Michigan Conference.
Last Updated on November 24, 2025