Excitement and prayerful expectation filled the air as Annual Conference 2026 opened with a joyful Celebration of Ministry service. Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi baptized three new siblings in Christ, Valor Sion Ahn, Liebe Lee, and Leon Shin, celebrating God’s claim on their lives and their belonging in Christ’s church.
The Annual Conference celebrated the ministry of those who were retiring, who together offered 365 years of faithful service to the church and world.
These faithful servants passed the mantle on to the next generation of clergy leaders as eight people were commissioned as provisional elders: David Geller, Yeeun Kim, Daekyung Ko, Woo Lim Kwak, Gwiseok Lee, Janice McCrostie, Jun Gyu Park, and Junehee Yoon. The Annual Conference also recognized the orders of William D. Carter III, receiving him as a provisional elder.
Three individuals were ordained to the Order of Elders in full connection: Tim Conaway, Peggy Holder, and Tayler Necoechea. Mark Schol was received as an elder in full connection from the Northern Illinois Annual Conference. Our global connection was also celebrated during the service, as Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi ordained Josephine Tunda Maondo on behalf of Bishop Antoine Tambwe Kalema and the Board of Ordained Ministry of the East Congo Annual Conference.
In her powerful message on Isaiah 55:1-6, Bishop Moore-Koikoi called those gathered to seek, call and glorify God, who promises to always be near to us. She urged the church to find fulfillment in the truly satisfying food and drink that God offers instead of in the world’s empty promises.
God not only invites us to the table, but also to partner in God’s ongoing covenantal work to all creation. “I can guarantee you that once you agree to this partnership, it is the most fulfilling, the most gratifying, the most satisfying, the greatest work you can ever do,” assured Bishop Moore-Koikoi.
Conference sessions were soaked in praise and worship.
Monday morning began with a Communion service on the beach led by Sister Jeanette Block and Brother Jay Brown, both of the Order of Saint Luke. So many gathered, hungering for this food and cup, that they far outnumbered the chairs that had been set up.
“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near.”
Bishop Moore-Koikoi grounded the Annual Conference in a study of this year’s focus scripture, Isaiah 55. While God’s people were in the darkness and uncertainty of exile, the words of the prophet promised that if they sought God and listened, God would show them what they needed to do. The bishop invited us, too, to wait, repent, and listen for God.
From this listening, discernment flows. “Discernment is being in relationship with God,” said Bishop Moore-Koikoi. “It is listening for God and to God and then adjusting your behavior based on what you hear.” She called us to daily conversion, inviting the Holy Spirit to direct our action each morning and, at the end of the day, to show us what we could have done better.
After Bible study, those gathered learned about prayer practices from different traditions. On Monday, Rev. Kyewoon Choi taught about Korean prayer practices including dawn prayer meetings, all night prayer and tongsung kido – praying aloud, fasting, and desperate and persistent prayers. Rev. Jisun Nam pointed to Jesus who himself intercedes for us in our greatest struggles. She called us in turn to make Christ’s love visible through intercessory prayer for others.
On Tuesday morning, Rev. Dr. Dennis L. Blackwell and Rev. Latasha Milton taught about prayer in the Black tradition as “a sacred act of worship, survival, resistance, lament, celebration and trust in God’s power to deliver, sustain, overturn and liberate.” Rev. Dr. William D. Carter III offered a powerful example of sung prayer in the Black tradition, singing, “God, every day of my life I need your strength. I can’t make it without you, Lord.” Reflecting the participatory nature of prayer in the Black tradition, Milton invited those gathered to share an image, word, or thought from their own experience of prayer.
We’re pressing on the upward way.
In her State of the Church address, Bishop Moore-Koikoi celebrated progress toward goals outlined by the Annual Conference upon her assignment to Greater New Jersey. Though “we reach new heights each day,” Bishop Moore-Koikoi also named the reality that much work remains to be done.
She called the Annual Conference to continue our work of healing, to live from a perspective of abundance rather than scarcity, to keep educating and preaching about the gospel mandate to be an antiracist church and a more inclusive church, and to make our churches more hospitable to young people. In all of these things, she said, we are pressing on the upward way.
Bishop Moore-Koikoi commended Greater New Jersey’s collaboration with Eastern Pennsylvania, as well as its passion for social justice. And, she enjoined every local church to develop a comprehensive plan for forming disciples in the next year. “This is what Jesus said we must do. … I am serious about this,” she said, promising that the Annual Conference will resource and walk alongside churches in this work.
The bishop also shared that the Connectional Table has been working together to discern a vision for the Annual Conference. It has identified four top priorities: social justice, discipleship, new and renewed expressions of faith communities, and young people’s ministry. The Connectional Table will continue to seek feedback from the Annual Conference more broadly as it envisions our future. Please take a moment to fill out the a short survey about the goals you hope our Annual Conference will focus on in the priority areas.
Bishop Moore-Koikoi then spoke about our call as Methodists to “become more vile,” following John Wesley’s example of preaching not just in church buildings but in the fields. God is calling us “to preach in places we wouldn’t ordinarily preach, to preach to people that others think are unworthy of receiving the gospel of Jesus Christ,” she said. By way of encouragement and example, Bishop Moore-Koikoi highlighted the ministry of Rev. Isabel Quezada, whose community and congregation has been raided by ICE. Because her community cannot safely worship in the sanctuary, Quezada is bringing the sanctuary to them – engaging in house to house ministry at her own risk. Bishop Moore-Koikoi awarded her the John Wesley Vile Ministry Award.
My joy and crown
In the Service of Remembrance, the Annual Conference gave thanks for the lives of those faithful who have passed since we met last. Retiring elder, Rev. Tom Korkuch, proclaimed that just as the apostle Paul called the Philippian church his “joy and crown,” so too are we the joy and crown of those who have finished the race and entered the Church Triumphant. Now they look on with joy and pride as we seek to faithfully follow their example.
Legislation
In the legislative sessions, the Annual Conference affirmed a new Parental Leave Policy that will guarantee 13 weeks of paid leave to clergy upon the birth or adoption of a new child with financial support from the Annual Conference for pastoral coverage.
A newly passed Domestic Violence Policy encourages churches to resource leaders to respond to incidents of domestic violence within their church community.
The Annual Conference also voted to form a Commission on the Status and Role of Queer People, marking a significant step toward embodying justice for the LGBTQIA+ community following the removal of harmful language from the Book of Discipline at General Conference 2020/2024.
Both the Council on Finance and Administration and the Board of Pension and Health Benefits voiced concern over an increase of 23% (or $6100) to the blended rate health insurance premium in 2027. The Board of Pension and Health Benefits asked the Annual Conference for prayers and patience as they discern how best to manage this increase. On the other hand, they celebrated that eligible parttime retirees will now be able to receive retirement benefits. Both the budget and the Board of Pensions recommendations passed.
Looking to the future
On Tuesday morning, Bishop Moore-Koikoi reminded the Annual Conference of the upcoming Leadership Gathering spearheaded by the Council of Bishops to dream about the future of the United Methodist Church. Zachary Holder and Rev. YoungHak Lee of Greater New Jersey will be among the leaders who gather in Calgary, Canada in October, 2026.
Holder and Lee invited the Annual Conference to join them in “a season of deep structural and spiritual discernment.” They shared that while a denomination-wide survey revealed youth and young adult engagement to be the church’s highest priority, the number of young respondents was extremely low.
There is also a connectedness gap, where a minority of US respondents feel connected to the global church whereas most Filipino and mid-African respondents do feel connected. “Sometimes the privilege of our US context and our tendency to identify so heavily with our own Annual Conferences can actually silo us,” said Holder. “It can impede our ability to feel the heartbeat of the worldwide connection.”
The future will require sharing power both across the newly regionalized denomination and across generations. Lee and Holder urged the Annual Conference not only to hope for the future, but to begin the work of realizing this future now.
Closing Worship
Annual Conference 2026 drew to a close with a time of dance, song, scripture and, of course, prayer. After filling up on the good, rich food that God offered in our time together, Bishop Moore-Koikoi sent the United Methodists of Greater New Jersey home with a blessing: “Go forth seeking out God who will always be found. Go, therefore, in joy and be glad in peace.”
- We invite you to check out the 2026 GNJ Annual Conference Wrap–Up Video! Relive the highlights, the powerful moments, and the inspiring messages. Click above to watch the full video and download it to share.
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Additional legislation passed:
- Safe Sanctuary Legislation
- Sexual Ethics Policy Update
- Church Closures
- Resolution to Amend a Journey of Hope
- Trustees Enabling Resolutions
- GNJ Nominations & Leadership Report
- Conference Advanced Specials
- Minimum Equitable Salary Recommendation for 2027
- Standards for Parsonages for 2026
- Arrearage Policy for Clergy Salaries
The following legislation was withdrawn:
- Revise Rule 19
- Transparency for a Safer GNJ
- Maintaining the Informational Integrity of the GNJ Conference Journal