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. We have brothers and sisters in the church in Portland, Poland, and the Philippines; South Carolina, South Congo, and Southern Nigeria; West Virginia, West Zimbabwe, and Western Angola; Norway, North-West Katanga, and North Georgia; Minnesota, Mozambique, and Republic of Macedonia.

When we gather for General Conference, we celebrate this global connection of The United Methodist Church. While we all cannot be in Portland, Oregon, May 10-20, 2016, all of us can participate in the work of our church.   

Click here for more details on General Conference.

Follow GC 2016 live

As General Conference kicks off, you can follow the Worship, the plenary, and the events via livestream on your digital devices. UMTV will be streaming the events HERE beginning on May 10th with opening worship at 3pmMDT / 4pmCDT. There will also be archives available and extra interviews, beginning on May 10th in the GC Digital Lounge.

Photo: Delegates at the 2012 General Conference. A UM News Service photo by Paul Jeffrey.

Who will be at GC 2016 from the Dakotas Conference?

Our delegates, alternates, and communications staff will be at General conference to represent and report on the proceedings with a Dakotas Conference perspective. Subscribers to Mondays @ Dakotas will receive frequent updates, plus you can visit the General Conference website, the Dakotas Conference Website, or download the General Conference App to stay connected.  You can also follow us on social media at Facebook and Twitter #dakumc.

Our Dakotas representatives are:

Lay Delegate:  Jodi Cataldo
Alternate Lay Delegate: Matthew Bader

Clergy Delegate: Rev. Rebecca Trefz
Alternate Clergy Delegate: Rev. Roger Spahr

Communications Director: Dr. Doreen Gosmire
Communications Associate: David Stucke

Please hold the Dakotas Conference delegates and communications team in prayer.  Please feel free to use the Prayers for General Conference written by members of the Dakotas Conference.

Bishops at General Conference

Bishops help with worship, preside over plenary sessions and work with committees and agencies as assigned.  Bishop Bruce R. Ough, resident bishop for the Dakotas-Minnesota Area, will be installed as the president of the Council of Bishops on Thursday, May 12, 2016.

Bishop Mike Coyner, resident bishop of the Indiana Area, former bishop for the Dakotas Area, recently penned some thoughts about bishops at General Conferemence in a blog titled “If General Conference were to ask my advice.”

“It is truly strange how we bishops are "set aside" during General Conference. Imagine any other organization in the world, which would set aside its global leaders and not ask for their input and wisdom!  So, I am going to take the risk of sharing what I would say if the General Conference were to ask for my advice. Here is my unsolicited advice: ..."  Read more here