2026 Annual Conference
The 242nd Session of the Baltimore-Washington Conference will meet Wednesday, May 27, through Friday, May 29, 2026, at the Hilton Hotel at 401 W. Pratt St. in Baltimore.
Resolutions to be considered at this session are due Feb. 21 and should be submitted to Kevin Silberzahn, the BWC Secretary. Learn more.
"Rooted in Christ: Love Boldly" is the theme of the 2026 Baltimore-Washington Conference session.
Rooted in Christ: Love Boldly launches an Area-wide theme that will guide us through the next three years:
2026 – Rooted in Christ: Love Boldly
2027 – Rooted in Christ: Serve Joyfully
2028 – Rooted in Christ: Lead Courageously
This unfolding theme is rooted in and shaped by the new United Methodist Church Vision Statement, which calls us to form disciples of Jesus Christ who, empowered by the Holy Spirit, love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously in local communities and worldwide connections.
Why This Matters
Being rooted in Christ reminds us that our identity and mission begin not with strategies or structures, but with a deep, abiding relationship with Jesus.
Each year of this three-year emphasis will intentionally build on the last:
Love Boldly: We passionately love God and, like Jesus, embrace and include people of every age, nation, race, gender, and walk of life. (Matthew 22:37-39 | John 13:34-35)
Serve Joyfully: With the heart of Christ, we journey alongside the most vulnerable among us, offering care and compassion with joy. (Psalm 100:1 | Nehemiah 8:10 | John 13:14-15 | 1 Peter 4:10)
Lead Courageously: Following Jesus’ example, we resist and dismantle all systems of evil, injustice, and oppression, striving for peace, justice, and reconciliation. (Joshua 1:9 | Ephesians 6:10)
Our guiding Scripture is Ephesians 3:16-19.
Ephesians 3:16-19
"I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."
In Spanish:
Efesios 3:16-19 – Nueva Versión Internacional (NVI)
"Le pido que, por medio del Espíritu y con el poder que procede de sus gloriosas riquezas, los fortalezca a ustedes en lo íntimo de su ser, para que por fe Cristo habite en sus corazones. Y pido que, arraigados y cimentados en amor, puedan comprender, junto con todos los creyentes, cuán ancho y largo, alto y profundo es el amor de Cristo. En fin, que conozcan ese amor que sobrepasa nuestro conocimiento, para que sean llenos de la plenitud de Dios."
In Korean:
에베소서 3:16-19 – Korean Living Bible
은혜가 풍성하신 영광의 아버지께서 성령님을 통해 여러분의 속 사람을 능력으로 강하게 하시고
믿음으로 그리스도께서 여러분의 마음에 계시게 하시기를 기도합니다. 그리고 여러분이 사랑에 뿌리를 박고 기반을 다져
모든 성도들과 함께 헤아릴 수 없는 그리스도의 사랑의 폭과 길이와 높이와 깊이를 깨달아 알고 하나님의 모든 풍성하신 은혜가 여러분에게 넘치기를 기도합니다.