Special Session | September 2025

Preparing for Johannesburg: 2026 General Conference Delegates Elected in Special Called Session

On Saturday, September 6, 2025, Bishop Scott Jones convened a special session of the Trinity Annual Conference for the important task of electing our clergy and lay delegation to the 2026 General Conference of the Global Methodist Church in Johannesburg, South Africa, August 30 – September 5, 2026.

Through this streamlined process, clergy and lay delegates were elected to represent the Trinity Conference at the upcoming worldwide gathering, where they will join others in shaping the future mission and ministry of the Global Methodist Church.

The lay and clergy delegates to 2026 General Conference are shown in order of election.

Clergy Delegates

  1. Jason Burnham
  2. Ben McGehee
  3. Jessica LaGrone
  4. Arturo Cadar
  5. Burt Palmer
  6. Clark Atkins
  7. Wendy Heinemann
  8. Chappell Temple
  9. Heather Sims
  10. John Wayne McMann
  11. Jim Bass
  12. Tim Turner
  13. Enid Henderson

Clergy Alternates / Reserves

  1. Susan Kent
  2. Vivian Kinnear
  3. Jonathan Bynum
  4. Jerry House, Jr.
  5. John Robert Black
  6. Brad McKenzie
  7. Jeffery Warrick

Lay Delegates

  1. Oscar Garza
  2. Sarah Kreutziger
  3. John Dawson
  4. John Campbell
  5. John Agee
  6. Elizabeth Fink
  7. Jan Floro
  8. Anna Vargas
  9. Buck Thornton
  10. David Eikner
  11. Frankie Watson
  12. Catherine Sue Sullivan
  13. Mary Barron

Lay Alternates / Reserves

  1. Emily Hobson
  2. Trevor Guidry
  3. Kristie Wright
  4. Patricia “Trish” Garcia-Monet
  5. Filoteo Gomez Martinez
  6. David Amend
  7. Melaine Goodwin

Candidate Guides

Eligible clergy and laity throughout the Trinity Conference have discerned the call to serve and have self-nominated themselves to be considered in the election of General Conference delegates. We have compiled each candidate profile in a set of candidate guide books that are available for download below.
 
Prayerfully read each response and consider your choices for election on September 6, 2025. Remember; clergy will vote only for clergy delegates, and laity will vote for only laity delegates. At the time of publishing the Trinity Conference will elect 13 clergy delegates and seven alternates / reserves. Likewise the Conference will elect 13 lay delegates and seven alternates / reserves. (These numbers are subject to change and will be finalized next February 2026 by the Connectional Council of the Global Methodist Church.)

Instructional Video

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Eligibility Reminder

This election is open to only clergy and lay delegates of the Trinity Annual Conference. If you are a clergy or lay delegate of the Trinity Annual Conference, you must register to participate in the special session vote here. Your unique webinar passcode and detailed instructions will be emailed to you after registration.
Register to Vote
We invite all members of the Trinity Conference to be in prayer for the candidates, the upcoming election, and the work of the Global Methodist Church as we continue to advance the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ and spreading scriptural holiness across the globe.

Called Special Session Rules

  1. The Special Session will be conducted through a Zoom Webinar format.
  2. Voting will be exercised through the utilization of the online voting software VPOLL.
  3. The Recording Secretary for the Special Session will be elected at the opening of the meeting.
  4. Candidates to be listed on the ballots will have submitted candidate profiles through the conference publicized online form.
  5. All delegates must have been credentialed through the conference publicized pre-registration process.
  6. To be acknowledged from the floor a delegate may type in the Q&A the question or parliamentary motion they are seeking to make. The question or motion will then be acknowledged by the presiding bishop.
  7. Vote totals will be listed for all candidates receiving 1 or more votes for the first lay and clergy ballots and 5 or more votes on subsequent ballots.
  8. Each ballot will be open for no less than 60 seconds and will be closed at the direction of our presiding bishop.
  9. If technical issues arise during a ballot, the presiding bishop may rule the ballot invalid. If invalid, results won’t be shared and a new ballot will open.

Frequently Asked Questions

General Conference is a week-long worldwide gathering of Global Methodists who worship, elect lay and clergy to denominational commissions, perfect our Book of Doctrines and Discipline, and elect Bishops. Each Annual Conference elects an equal number of lay and clergy to serve as delegates. Others may participate as volunteers and guests. Anyone who is a member of the Global Methodist Church can submit a petition for consideration, and all are encouraged to participate via livestream.
We are excited to announce that General Conference 2026 will be held from August 30 – September 5, 2026, in Johannesburg, South Africa. Please plan for a total of 10 days to accommodate travel and participation in all scheduled events.
Being a delegate to General Conference is both exciting and exhausting! It is exciting to take part in making history with the Global Methodist Church. Worship is inspiring, fellowship with other delegates is amazing, and many of the decisions we make are monumental. However, doing all of this in a short period time in a foreign country can also be very tiring (though generally in a good way).

Being a General Conference delegate isn’t just about the Conference, however. There are many meetings to attend beforehand and lots of information that must be read, discussed, and digested. Here are some of the duties and responsibilities General Conference delegates face after election:

While preparing for General Conference, delegates can expect:
• Monthly 2-hour meetings with the entire Trinity Conference delegation (most via Zoom, but one or two meetings may be in person).
• Monthly 1-hour Zoom meetings (and possibly more frequently as the General Conference nears) in a working group with the other delegates and alternates from the Trinity Conference who are assigned to the same legislative committee.
• 2-3 hours per week reading petitions and other Conference information, gradually increasing in time in the lead-up to General Conference.
• At least two Zoom meetings with the full Legislative Committee the delegate is assigned to. These meetings will be held to elect officers, get to know the people on the committee, and understand the scope of the work before each committee.

During General Conference, delegates can expect:
• The Conference lasts seven days. Travel will take at least a full day there and back. We further recommend that all delegates plan to arrive at least 24 hours before the Conference begins. This will help us get acclimated to the new environment and give time for any travel delays. This means each delegate must commit to at least 10 days.
• During General Conference, the schedule is very long and often tiring. Sessions begin at 8 a.m. and regularly run until 8 p.m. or later. When not in session, delegates will often be expected to read amendments and discuss these with other delegates.
All alternates and reserves work as a part of the Trinity Conference Delegation in advance of General Conference. They participate in delegation meetings, working groups, and the nomination process for General Church leadership. Order of election is critical for alternates and reserves.

According to the order of election, alternates will become delegates if the delegate allocation is higher than 26 (the number of delegates that will be elected) or if a delegate is no longer able to serve. In this instance, all alternates would move up in order, and a reserve would become an alternate also according to the order of election.
For delegates and alternates who are unable to cover their own travel expenses, funds will be raised through donations to the Trinity Conference, including love offerings and other fundraising efforts. Please note that some personal expenses—such as meals and in-country travel—will not be covered and will remain your responsibility. Reserves are welcome to travel as a guest to the General Conference at their own expense.
We will not have our final allocation of delegates until February 2026, but the GM Church has produced an analysis of the number of conferences that are developing and the number of churches and pastors that are projected to join in 2025 (these are the critical factors that are used to calculate the delegate allocation). Through that analysis, we are confident that the Trinity Conference will have at least 26 delegates and will certainly have six alternates.

To be elected as a Lay Delegate for the Trinity Conference, each candidate must:

  1. Be a member in good standing of a Global Methodist Church in the Trinity Conference.
  2. Have been a member in good standing of a Global Methodist Church (or its predecessor) for at least two years prior to the election, and
  3. Fill out the application form so their name can appear on the ballot.

To be elected as a Clergy Delegate for the Trinity Conference, each candidate must:

  1. Be a clergy member in full connection in good standing with the Global Methodist Church. Elders, Deacons, and Transitional Local Pastors (including those in Senior Status) may be elected.
  2. Have served for at least two years in the Global Methodist Church (or its predecessor) prior to the election, and
  3. Fill out the application form so their name can appear on the ballot.

Bishop Jones will convene our Special Session of the Annual Conference for election via zoom webinar on September 6, 2025 at 9 a.m. We will vote on personal smart devices utilizing the VPOLL application. Laity vote for laity and clergy vote for clergy. Those standing for election will be featured in a candidate guidebook published one month in advance of the election. Submissions for candidacy will be open from May 6 through July 6.

We will begin by electing 13 lay delegates with each election requiring a majority vote of the ballots cast. This process can take multiple ballots. After all 13 lay delegates are elected, we will elect the 13 clergy delegates by the same process. After the 26 delegates (13 lay and 13 clergy) have been elected, we will elect seven total lay alternates and reserves with the first three confirmed as alternates and the remaining four serving as reserves in order of election. Alternates and reserves also require a majority vote of the ballots cast. Finally, we will repeat this step for seven total clergy alternates and reserves. These elected delegates, alternates, and reserves will serve as our Trinity Conference 2026 General Conference Delegation.

Laity may only vote for lay delegates. Clergy may only vote for clergy delegates.

Laity who can vote for General Conference delegates are those who are members of the Trinity Annual Conference. This includes all laity who have been elected by their Charge Conference, the Conference co-Lay Leaders, and all lay members of the Connectional Council. Each church receives one member to Annual Conference. Additionally, churches receive extra lay members equal to the number of clergy appointed to their church.

Clergy who can vote for General Conference delegates include:

  • • Active Elders, Deacons, and Transitional Local Pastors in the Trinity Conference
  • • Elders, Deacons, and Transitional Local Pastors in the Trinity Conference on voluntary leave of absence
  • • Senior Elders and Deacons (active or inactive)
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