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When delegates gather in Johannesburg, they will consider 448 petitions touching nearly every part of the Global Methodist Church’s doctrine, structure, and common life.
Some proposals would make small corrections or clarify existing language. Others would significantly shape how the denomination understands its doctrine, chooses bishops, supports local churches, prepares clergy, handles complaints, and speaks to the world.
Here is a brief guide to the major conversations.
Doctrine and Our Wesleyan Identity
Several petitions address the theological foundations of the Global Methodist Church. Delegates will consider proposed revisions to the Articles of Faith, stronger language about biblical authority, the place of Wesley’s sermons and notes, and a proposed denominational catechism.
Other petitions raise questions about original sin, prevenient grace, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, baptismal and membership vows, Holy Communion, and sacramental authority.
At the heart of these proposals is a major question: How can the GMC clearly preserve its orthodox, Wesleyan identity as it grows across many cultures?
Global Unity and Local Flexibility
One of the most consistent themes in the report is the relationship between global standards and local freedom.
A large group of petitions proposes shortening and simplifying the Book of Doctrines and Discipline. The goal is to reserve global rules for matters essential to doctrine, accountability, and mission while allowing annual conferences and local churches greater freedom in how they organize their ministries.
Delegates will need to decide which practices require uniformity across the whole denomination and which decisions are best made closer to the local church.
Bishops and Church Leadership
A significant group of petitions concerns how bishops are nominated, elected, assigned, evaluated, and held accountable.
Among the issues are:
The process for electing bishops;
The percentage of votes required for election;
The number of annual conferences assigned to each bishop;
The length of episcopal terms;
The responsibilities of the Global Episcopacy Committee;
The creation and work of area committees on episcopacy; and
The status and possible service of bishops emeriti.
These decisions will help define the GMC’s understanding of episcopal leadership: strong enough to provide unity and accountability, but clearly ordered toward serving the mission of the church.
Appointing Pastors
Several petitions address how pastors are appointed to local churches.
Delegates will consider proposals concerning consultation with local congregations, the authority of conference superintendents, open itineracy, cross-cultural appointments, interim pastors, extension ministries, and the responsibilities of presiding elders.
The central question is how to honor the church’s connectional appointment system while ensuring that pastors and congregations are well matched for fruitful ministry.
Clergy Standards and Preparation
The Ministry Committee will consider proposals affecting nearly every stage of ordained ministry.
Major subjects include:
The nature of ordination and the clergy relationship to the church;
Traditional and alternative educational pathways;
Doctrinal and moral expectations for clergy;
Historic questions asked of candidates for ordination;
Continuing education;
Transfers from other denominations;
The roles of deacons, elders, supply pastors, and missionaries;
Parental leave;
Clergy voting rights; and
The Ministerial Training Fund.
Some petitions would clarify that ordained ministry is a sacred, connectional calling rather than simply an employment relationship.
The Ministry of the Laity
Delegates will also consider the training, certification, and responsibilities of certified lay ministers.
Proposals address educational requirements, background checks, local control of the certification process, and the areas in which certified lay ministers may serve. Other petitions concern sacramental authority for trained laypeople and deacons.
Together, these proposals ask how the GMC can equip the whole people of God for ministry while maintaining clear standards of training and accountability.
Marriage, Sexuality, and Christian Holiness
A number of petitions seek to clarify or strengthen the church’s teaching on Christian marriage, sexual holiness, and gender.
Some would place a definition of marriage within the denomination’s doctrinal standards or constitutional protections. Others address clergy qualifications, the celebration of weddings, sexual behavior, gender identity, and the relationship between biblical anthropology and sanctification.
Although the petitions approach the subject from different directions, they share a concern for stating the church’s teaching clearly and applying it consistently.
Human Life and Social Witness
The Social Witness Committee will consider several proposals concerning the dignity and protection of human life.
These include petitions addressing:
Abortion and support for mothers and families;
Assisted suicide;
The dignity of people with disabilities;
Eugenics;
Marriage and family;
Sexuality and gender;
Racism;
Poverty and economic inequality;
Workers and fair compensation;
Care for creation; and
The use of force and the pursuit of peace.
Delegates will be deciding not only what the church believes but how it should speak and act faithfully in the public square.
Local Church Membership and Governance
More petitions were assigned to the Local Church Committee than to almost any other committee.
These proposals address:
Baptized, professing, affiliate, and associate membership;
Expectations and accountability for church members;
Whether annual membership renewal should be required;
Membership transfers and recordkeeping;
Charge conferences and church-wide votes;
Electronic meetings;
Committee membership and quorums;
Terms and term limits for lay leaders;
The responsibilities of church councils, SPRCs, trustees, and finance committees;
Financial policies and audits;
Cooperative parishes and ecumenical congregations; and
The organization, closure, and continued faithfulness of local churches.
Many of these proposals are part of the larger effort to simplify denominational rules and give local churches greater flexibility.
Connectional Funding and Denominational Structure
Delegates will consider how the wider church is funded and how its connectional bodies are organized.
Proposals address:
The calculation and collection of connectional funding;
Support for missional churches;
The general church budget;
Pension and benefit responsibilities;
The authority of the Connectional Council;
The structure and membership of denominational commissions;
Conflicts of interest;
Personnel authority; and
The responsibilities of the Connectional Operations Office.
Several petitions would create or reorganize denominational ministries, including initiatives for prayer, young people, disaster relief, humanitarian aid, evangelism, discipleship, doctrine, and ethics.
The underlying concern is whether the connection exists primarily to support local churches—or whether it risks becoming an institution focused on sustaining itself.
Global Representation and Conference Life
As the GMC expands around the world, delegates must determine how new and existing annual conferences are represented and supported.
Petitions address:
Delegate allocation;
Representation from newly formed churches;
Annual and regional conference boundaries;
The creation of new annual conferences;
Conference finances and audits;
Conference boards and committees;
The election of lay leaders;
Young people’s ministries; and
The welfare of clergy.
These questions are especially important for a rapidly growing global denomination seeking equal partnership among regions with very different resources and circumstances.
Transparency and Accountability
Several proposals seek greater transparency in denominational leadership.
These include requirements for open meetings, advance publication of agendas, livestreaming when possible, accessible minutes, annual conference websites, public financial reports, and clearer conflict-of-interest policies.
Delegates will consider how to balance transparency with the confidentiality required for personnel, legal, and disciplinary matters.
Complaints, Discipline, and Fair Process
The Judicial Administration Committee will consider proposals concerning complaints, investigations, trials, appeals, and disciplinary accountability.
Major issues include:
Attempts at pastoral resolution before formal proceedings;
Protection against retaliation;
Communication with complainants and respondents;
Complaints involving multiple people;
Sexual-misconduct complaints involving clergy or laity;
Suspension from leadership while serious charges are pending;
Chargeable offenses for lay members;
Conflicts of interest and recusals on the Connectional Council on Appeals; and
Consolidation and clarification of the denomination’s judicial procedures.
The challenge is to create processes that protect the vulnerable, take misconduct seriously, provide due process, and pursue truth and restoration.
The Big Picture
Taken together, the petitions reveal a young denomination asking foundational questions:
What must unite us across cultures?
What should be decided locally?
How do we preserve biblical and Wesleyan doctrine?
How should authority be distributed and held accountable?
How do we keep denominational structures focused on serving local churches?
How can a rapidly growing global movement remain relational, transparent, and missional?
Not every petition will be adopted. Legislative committees will study the proposals, recommend action, and send approved items to the full General Conference for final consideration.
The work may look procedural, but the stakes are deeply spiritual. Through worship, prayer, conversation, and voting, delegates will help shape how the Global Methodist Church lives out its mission in the years ahead.
