Global Methodist Church Grows as It Holds General Conference in Africa

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — The Global Methodist Church (GMC) has highlighted significant growth and major organizational developments as more than 1,100 bishops, delegates, staff members and volunteers gathered for its 2026 General Conference in Johannesburg. The theologically conservative Methodist denomination held its second General Conference from August 30 through September 6, bringing together representatives from across its growing global network. According to Dianne Burnett, the GMC’s executive director of communications, 1,168 people registered for the gathering. She said the conference reflected the denomination’s increasingly international character, with participants representing different cultures, languages and ministry contexts. Burnett described the event as an important moment in establishing the future direction of the denomination. Among the major outcomes were the creation of a full-time Assembly of Bishops, new connectional leadership structures, significant legislative decisions, foundational doctrinal work and an ecumenical covenant with the Korean Methodist Church. The conference considered more than 451 petitions and major legislative matters, including issues concerning the denomination’s Articles of Faith and the appointment of full-time bishops. From New Movement to Growing Global Denomination The Johannesburg conference comes just two years after the GMC held its inaugural General Conference in San Jose, Costa Rica, in 2024. That first gathering focused largely on establishing the structures and foundations of the newly formed denomination. Since then, the GMC says its membership base has expanded considerably. The denomination reported approximately 4,700 churches in 2024, compared with 7,250 churches today. Its regional structure has also grown from 36 annual conferences to 50 regional bodies. GMC Connectional Operations Officer Rev. Mike Schafer described the transformation since the first conference as a defining period in the denomination’s history, noting that delegates who gathered in Costa Rica as former United Methodists now identify themselves as part of an established global Methodist body. Origins in the United Methodist Church Dispute The GMC emerged from years of disagreement within the United Methodist Church over theological and social issues, particularly questions surrounding same-sex marriage and the ordination of clergy in same-sex relationships. Although conservative leaders had sought changes within the UMC for years, disagreements over the denomination’s rules eventually contributed to a major division. In 2020, Methodist leaders from different theological backgrounds supported a proposed separation agreement that would have provided a structured pathway for congregations wishing to leave the UMC. The plan was delayed after the COVID-19 pandemic repeatedly postponed the denomination’s General Conference. Rather than waiting for the delayed meeting, GMC organizers announced in 2022 that they would proceed with launching the new denomination. Thousands of United Methodist congregations subsequently disaffiliated. Many joined the Global Methodist Church, while others became independent congregations. The UMC later adopted major policy changes at its 2024 General Conference, including measures concerning same-sex unions and openly LGBT clergy, further distinguishing the theological direction of the two denominations. Focus on Mission and Spiritual Renewal The GMC has continued to present its expansion as more than numerical growth. Earlier this year, when the denomination announced that it had surpassed 7,000 churches worldwide, its leaders emphasized spiritual renewal and transformed lives as the deeper measure of its progress. The Johannesburg conference similarly placed emphasis on holiness, discipleship and the denomination’s Wesleyan identity. For the GMC, the 2026 General Conference represents a significant transition—from a recently established movement formed amid division within the United Methodist Church to an increasingly organized international denomination with thousands of congregations and a growing regional structure. The gathering in Johannesburg therefore served not only as a legislative meeting but also as a statement of the GMC’s expanding global identity and its vision for the years ahead.