Annual Conference 2025

This past week was Annual Conference for the UMC. It was held in Greenville, SC. from Sunday 06-08 to Wednesday 06-11.

The following is a summary provided by the Advocate.

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Sowing seeds: Annual Conference 2025

AC2025 brings passage of $10.3M budget, called special session, voting on constitutional amendments.

By Jessica Brodie

GREENVILLE—With a call for the people of God to take holy risk and plant seeds of Christ’s hope even when they can’t see the outcome, Bishop Leonard Fairley brought an opening word for South Carolina’s 54th session of Annual Conference centered on promise and perseverance.

“We’ve had some dark clouds over the horizon, difficult moments, valley moments, mountains that we’ve had to climb, rivers we’ve had to forge,” Fairley preached to a chorus of applause and amens in his first sermon to delegates of the South Carolina Annual Conference. “But people of God, I tell you today: Gird up your loins, find your courage and plant new seeds of hope.”

First reading John 12:24 and then reciting the lyrics of “Hymn of Promise” by Natalie Sleeth, which lifts up how a flower comes from a bulb and an apple tree from a tree, Fairley shared how sometimes we cannot even imagine what is to come. But God sees and knows, and we must trust that if we plant and sow the seeds, God will bring fruit somehow and some way. Fairley shared the story of an old farmer sitting on the steps of his hut, chewing on straw. A passing stranger approached and asked how the cotton crop was doing. But the farmer explained he didn’t plant cotton or corn or anything else, fearful of the boll weevil and all the other things that could go wrong. “I just played it safe,” said the farmer.

“Friends, this is my prayer: that we are not afraid to sow the seeds of possibility, not afraid to plant the seeds of hope and love,” Fairley said. “I pray at this annual conference we will find the courage to take holy risk, and I hope we don’t become like the farmer afraid to plant a crop.”

And with that, Annual Conference began. Held June 8-11 at the Greenville Convention Center, the four-day gathering saw passage of a $10.3 million budget, commissioning and ordination of 15, voting on four constitutional amendments, passage of five new resolutions and one conference motion, celebration of 52 departed saints and the announcement of a called special session to review recommendations from the four Jeremiah Teams, which are session to review recommendations from the four Jeremiah Teams, which are tasked to assess and transform the conference.

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Sunday celebrates 15 clergy, honors 32 retirees

Annual Conference kicked off Sunday, June 8, with a Commissioning, Ordination and Retirement Recognition Service. Presided and preached by Fairley, the evening ordained three full elders, ordained one full deacon, commissioned eight as provisional elders, commissioned two as provisional deacons and recognized the orders of one who was previously ordained in another denomination and is now a full member of the South Carolina Annual Conference. It also recognized 32 retiring clergy. (See article, here.)

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Monday: Resolutions, motions

Worship was also the start to Monday’s full day of business. Fairley preached an opening worship service, then called the 54th session of Annual Conference to order.

This year’s Annual Conference embraced the theme “See the Possibilities, the Promise of a Seed,” drawing from Jeremiah 29:5-7. In addition to greetings, organizational motions and the consent calendar, Monday saw a number of actions.

Annual Conference approved two changes to Standing Rules Monday, one to SR46 (adding the conference secretary to the list of members of the conference’s Ministry Advisory Team) and one to SR50 (the change reduces the size of the Board of Pension and Health Benefits from 18 to 12, comprising one-third laymen, one-third laywomen and one-third clergy). Annual Conference passed a motion proposed by the Rev. John Culp to go on record expressing concern about the federal government making deep cuts to needed federal jobs, health care, education nonprofit agencies, universities and discrimination without justice against the vulnerable, immigrants and LGBTQ+. (See article, here.)

Council on Finance and Administration President D. Smith Patterson, with theRev. Sara White, offered the first reading Monday of CF&A’s proposed $10.3 million 2026 budget. The budget is $1.4 million less than 2025’s budget. CF&A shared that an $800,000 rebate from 2023 separating churches will be applied, so churches will only be apportioned $9.5 million. The body approved five resolutions Monday, four with little fanfare and one twice-amended that took an hour and forty minutes to debate. The five resolutions passed are as follows: LGBTQIA+ Inclusion in Ministry; Our Responsibility for Personal Health; Upholding the Dignity of All Mothers; Supporting South Carolinians Living with Dementia; and Recommit to Collegiate Ministry as a Priority of the Church. (See article, here.)

On Monday afternoon, Annual Conference examined and then licensed 18 new local pastors to serve the Annual Conference.

Monday ended with an Evening Service of Prayer and Praise preached by Dr. Luke Rhyee on “What Would Be Your Epitaph?”, drawing from Philippians 1:21. (See article, here.)

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Tuesday: Called special session, voting on constitutional amendment

Tuesday at South Carolina’s Annual Conference saw much business and holy conferencing, with voting on four amendments to The United Methodist Church constitution and the announcement of a virtual special session of Annual Conference this fall called by the bishop.

Fairley announced the called special session of Annual Conference to review recommendations from the four Jeremiah Teams, which are tasked to assess and then transform how the conference is structured, how it operates and how it aligns with its stated priorities. Set for Oct. 18 at 9 a.m., the Annual Conference Committee has determined the session will be virtual, which Fairley said would be best financially and otherwise. Their work is ongoing, so the teams’ exact recommendations are not yet known, but the body will be voting on any recommendations the teams bring forward. (See article, here.)

Also Tuesday, South Carolina United Methodists joined their counterparts around the world Tuesday to vote on regionalization and three other amendments to the denomination’s constitution: expanding gender and disability inclusion in church membership; standing against racism and colonialism; and clarifying requirements for clergy-delegate elections. The amendments were all passed by the required two-thirds vote at the 2024 General Conference. But because they will change the UMC constitution, they require ratification by at least two-thirds of the total voting members of all the annual conferences combined. (See article, here.)

The Committee on Equitable Compensation requested and received a 2.5 percent cost of living increase for 2026 to ensure pastors can continue to pay their bills given the large amount of inflation experienced in the past few years.

The Conference Board of Pension & Health Benefits reviewed their changes for the coming year, which impact clergy, deacons, lay employees of the conference and others under conference insurance. Those covered will see an increase in health care costs for this year, going up roughly $100/month in 2026. They also reminded the body they voted to forgive $3.4 million in unpaid direct billing costs for 90 churches. Currently, there 29 in arrears this year for a total of approximately $160,000; 20 of these had their direct bills forgiven in 2024, and of that 20, five have paid nothing toward their bill.

Pamela Goodwine Glover and the Rev. Millie Nelson Smith gave the report of Connectional Ministries, lifting up the various ways they work to connect churches and people across the conferences. The youth delegates also tossed stress balls to the body. The balls, which had the slogan “By Our Love,” were designed to remind delegates the world will know we are Christians by our love for one another. (See article on the youth delegation, here.)

The Committee on Nominations led elections for the various conference-related boards, councils, committees and agencies.

Kay Crowe gave the Report of the Chancellor, updating the body on her work and sharing that a 96-page ruling from the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in the Boy Scout bankruptcy case was recently received. (See article, here.)

At the end of the day, the Rev. William F. Malambri preached a memorial service on “In the Presence of God,” celebrating the lives of 52 clergy and spouses who died over the past conference year. (See article, here.)

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Wednesday: Budget, 2024 separating church fees

Wednesday at Annual Conference saw passage of the $10.3 million budget put forth from the Council on Finance and Administration. As part of their report, CF&A lifted up the Columbia District, giving special recognition for being the district with the highest percentage of paid apportionments.

Wednesday also brought a report from the conference trustees that included an update on distribution of fees from 2024 separating churches. The trustees, whose report was taken off the consent calendar, presented an addendum to their report detailing this. Separation fees were those fees paid by the 112 churches that separated in 2024 from the South Carolina Conference. The 2024 separating churches paid $12.1 million in separation fees. Amendments to the trustees’ plan were heavily debated and ultimately failed. (See article, here.)

Also on Wednesday, Annual Conference approved six church closings and the merger of two churches into one new church. Most of the closures were because of declining membership. (See article, here.)

Annual Conference concluded with A Service of Lament to Hope and Fixing of the Appointments, led by South Carolina Bishop Leonard Fairley. (See article, here.)

The service and entirety of Annual Conference closed with the body singing the South African hymn “Siyahamba,” triumphantly declaring they are marching, singing, praying and dancing, for the Lord is our light.

Next year’s Annual Conference will be June 7-10, 2026, at the Greenville Convention Center.