Jurisdictional Conferences

The five U.S. jurisdictions, which each consist of multiple annual conferences, first came into being in 1939. While regionalization leaves the current jurisdictions in place, a group of United Methodist leaders are looking at proposing changes to the denomination’s constitution to allow each regional conference, including the U.S., to decide whether to have jurisdictions. Map from The United Methodist Church Handbook 2025-2028 courtesy of ResourceUMC.

Church leaders explore future of jurisdictions

United Methodist leaders are considering a proposal to leave the existence of jurisdictions up to each of the newly created regional conferences, including the U.S.

Theology and Education

A lawsuit over United Methodist control of Southern Methodist University in Dallas has reached the Texas Supreme Court. The South Central Jurisdictional Conference of The United Methodist Church filed the lawsuit in 2019 after the university’s board of trustees voted to change the university’s articles of incorporation without the jurisdictional conference’s approval. Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons.

High court hears case over church control of SMU

The Texas Supreme Court heard arguments to determine if Southern Methodist University could change its articles of incorporation without a United Methodist jurisdiction’s approval.

Bishops

Bishop LaTrelle Easterling, who leads the Baltimore-Washington and Peninsula-Delaware conferences, anoints the forehead of Bishop Héctor A. Burgos-Núñez during the Northeastern Jurisdictional Conference held July 10-12 in Pittsburgh. To the left is Bishop John R. Schol and Bishop Marcus Matthews. Photo by James Lee, courtesy of the United Methodists of Eastern Pennsylvania Facebook page.

US sees big changes in bishop assignments

In a history-making development, two United Methodist bishops will lead conferences across jurisdictional lines. The change results from unprecedented levels of collaboration among jurisdictional leaders.

Bishops

The Rev. Kristin Stoneking speaks after being elected to the episcopacy by The United Methodist Church’s Western Jurisdiction on July 12 in Spokane, Washington. Stoneking was elected on the 11th ballot. Photo by Patrick Scriven, Western Jurisdiction.

Jurisdiction elects Kristin Stoneking as bishop

The United Methodist studies professor at the Pacific School of Religion has been elected a bishop by The United Methodist Church’s Western Jurisdiction. She is the denomination’s third openly gay and married bishop.

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