Voting members of the 32nd Session of the Dakotas Annual Conference affirmed all of the legislation before them including the 2026 Budget Proposal, a resolution to create a Conference Care Team and Caretakers of God's Creation Coordinator, Reaffiliation Policy, and updates to the Conference Structure and Rules of Order. Additionally, members voted on four constitutional amendments to constitution of The United Methodist Church. View the legislation for 2025 Annual Conference.

2026 Budget: The body approved an apportioned budget of $2.44 million. This is a decrease of $575,000 from the 2025 budget. There is a budget shortfall estimate for 2026 of approximately $241,000. The local church apportionment percentage to be remitted to the Annual Conference will remain at 13% of church operating income in 2026.

The 2026 budget includes:

• A decrease in the Extending Missional Impact budget of $76,000. The reduction is partially attributed to a decrease in General Church apportionments. Spirit Lake Ministries and Solar Oven Partners have strong reserve balances. Both are nearly self-sustaining thanks to individual and church donations. The conference continues to provide administrative support which includes processing donations, bill paying, payroll, human resources, and communications.
• The budget for district superintendents will be reduced by $175,00. The conference will move from four full-time equivalents to three full-time equivalents by July 1, 2026. This reduction reflects a decreased number of churches due to disaffiliations.
• The support services area of the budget will decrease by $271,000. The conference center operations budget will be reduced by $175,00. A portion of the Executive Director of Finance and Administration will be reallocated to the Board of Pensions. Conversely a portion of the Conference Benefits and Human Resource Officer’s salary will be attributed to the conference. The result is receipts of $25,000 from the Board of Pensions. Most of the remaining reduction is related to a gift from The Board of Pensions to cover the medical direct biill costs for all conference staff.

Legislative item 1.2: A resolution for the formation of a Conference Green Team and Caretakers of God’s Creation Coordinator was affirmed. This resolution was adopted in light of the legislation passed at the 2024 General Conference to name, hire, appoint, or nominate a conference Caretakers of God’s Creation Coordinator and a conference Creation Care/Justice Team to serve alongside, support, and help carry out the work of the conference Caretakers of God’s Creation Coordinator and support.
Legislative item 1.3: The Reaffiliation Process Policy was approved. The seven-part process is a policy of reaffiliation for local churches seeking readmission to The United Methodist Church. The new policy is required per the action of the 2020/2024 General Conference: “With a spirit of grace, we welcome those churches which have disaffiliated or withdrawn to rejoin the United Methodist Church. Where applicable, every annual conference shall have a policy of reaffiliation for the churches seeking to return to the connection. Each such policy shall require that reaffiliating churches affirm their commitment to the Trust Clause in ¶2503.”
Legislative item 1.4: Updates to the Conference Structure and Rules of Order were approved. Specific changes approved were add Sections 1.1.1 – 1.1.6 and 1.3.1; replace “1.4 Viability of the Local Church” with “1.4 The Local Church”; replace “Executive Director of Ministries” with “Assistant to the Bishop for Connection and Communications” and replace “district superintendents” with “conference superintendents; remove 4.4.; Add role descriptions and clarifications.
Legislative item 1.5: Members to the 32^nd Session voted on four written ballots—worldwide regionalization, inclusion in membership, racial justice, educational requirements for voting rights—to the constitutional amendments to the constitution of The United Methodist Church. The results of our conference’s vote, and the votes of other annual conferences, will not be shared publicly until all conferences have voted to protect the integrity of the worldwide voting process. The results will be announced Nov. 7, 2025, by the Council of Bishops.
All matters, except the constitutional amendments, that came before the 32^nd session were approved by a voice vote.
“We have done holy work together,” Bishop Lanette Plambeck told the body as the business of the 2024 Annual Conference concluded.