Representing You at Annual Conference: A Sacred Trust

Dear Church Family,

This week marks an important moment in our Methodist heritage as Ann Small, Nancy Brashear, and I prepare to attend the 41st Annual Conference of our California-Pacific Conference of United Methodists.

Albert Outler was one of the best-known historians of John Wesley and the Methodist movement he founded during the 18th century. Professor Outler once said, the annual conference was “one of those strokes of practical genius that marked off Wesleyan Methodism from other vectors of the Evangelical Revival.” (John Wesley, 1964)

What began in the 18th century as a gathering of only clergy, has evolved into our modern Annual Conference where there is equal representation between clergy and laity. All share an equal voice in shaping our church’s future.

Why Annual Conference Matters

Our time together serves three vital purposes: we gather for worship that renews our spirits, we fellowship with brothers and sisters across our connection, and we conduct the essential business of our conference. This year, we'll witness the sacred moments of ordaining and commissioning new clergy, make critical decisions about budgets and our conference's direction, and strengthen the bonds that unite us as United Methodists.

2025 Theme: Cherish

Bishop Dottie Escobedo-Frank has chosen "Cherish" as our conference theme, and her words capture the spirit we hope to embody:

"I hope you can leave this Annual Conference feeling loved, and determined to cherish God, God's people, yourself, and God's creation. It is because of God's love that we were formed, and bathed in love we develop and grow, and it is by love that others find an invitation to find the way of Christ."

She reminds us of Jesus' fundamental commandment from John 13:34-35: 

"I give you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, so you also must love each other. This is how everyone will know that you are my disciples, when you love each other."

Please hold Ann, Nancy, and me in your prayers throughout this week. We don't take lightly the trust you've placed in us as your representatives. We carry your hearts, your hopes, and your concerns with us as we participate in the decisions that shape our shared future as United Methodists. 

With God’s Peace,
Pastor Karl

Minutes from one of the early “Annual Conferences held in May of 1977.