Not every United Methodist will be a delegate to General Conference, but that does not mean that you cannot participate in all that is happening there. General Conference is the global gathering of The United Methodist Church, and it impacts your local church. There are plenty of ways for you to be involved.
Prayer
Praying for delegates, bishops, speakers, and all those who lead and attend the General Conference sessions is a powerful way to participate. Pray for God to guide the General Conference’s decisions, for Christ to lead us into the future, and for the Holy Spirit to empower us to go on toward perfection in our love of God and one another.
Know your delegates. Personalize your prayers by lifting up the delegates and leaders from your annual conference by name, a list you can obtain by contacting your annual conference's offices. Consider also writing a note or email, letting them know you are praying for them.
The job of a delegate is time-consuming and sometimes stressful. Many lay delegates are giving up vacation time to be there, and the clergy are often spending an extended time away from their congregations. Lift them, their families, and their churches in prayer.
If you don’t know which annual conference you are in, ask your pastor.
Pray with a group. Encourage the members of the prayer team at your church to also pray for General Conference, or consider forming a prayer group at your church specifically for this purpose as a General Conference nears.
Follow along
Our computers, phones, and tablets are giving us more ways to stay connected with General Conference than ever before.
Bookmark the General Conference website. News, resources, videos, and photos about everything happening at General Conference are available in this central location. United Methodist Communications will update this page throughout General Conference with the latest information.
Watch the livestream. Whenever the conference is in session, the General Conference website will feature live video where you will be able to watch the voting, worship, speeches, and celebrations happening on the floor of General Conference. The feed will be available in several languages.
Follow on social media. Follow UMC General Conference on Facebook for stories, photos, videos, and more.
Stay connected
The United Methodist Church is a connectional church. This means that we are not only part of our local congregation, but also part of a global community of people of faith. When we gather for General Conference, we celebrate this global connection of The United Methodist Church. While we all cannot be physically present at the gathering, all of us can participate in the work of our church.
Joe Iovino works for UMC.org at United Methodist Communications. Contact him by email.
This story was published on April 19, 2016 and was updated on July 2, 2026.
