Annual Conference 2026 Workshops
On Wednesday, May 27, at 10:30 a.m., at the Hilton Hotel, clergy and lay Annual Conference members can choose from a number of workshops designed to deepen discipleship and vitality. Sign up for the workshops during registration. The offerings include:
Adaptive Leadership: Guiding Your Congregation Through Uncertain Times
What do you do when the problem isn’t clear—and the solution even less so? Adaptive leadership offers tools for navigating complex challenges in a rapidly changing world. In this practical workshop, you’ll learn what adaptive leadership is, how it differs from technical problem-solving, and why it matters for congregational vitality today. Together, we’ll explore core principles and actionable steps you can begin applying immediately in your ministry setting—helping your congregation move forward with clarity, courage, and faith. Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of adaptive leadership and practical insights for leading change rooted in Christ and responsive to the moment.
Leader: Jack Shitama is the Area Director of the Center for Vital Leadership. He is the author of "Anxious Church, Anxious People: How to Lead Change in an Age of Anxiety" and the creator of "The Non-Anxious Leader Podcast."
Benefits and Risks of Artificial Intelligence
Are you confused about what is meant by Artificial Intelligence? Have you heard that AI might take away jobs--or save the world? Have you worried about the environmental impact of data centers? Have you wondered whether there might be any connection between the Bible, or Christian belief, and advances in technology? Over the last year, the BWC Task Force on Artificial Intelligence has worked on questions just like these. In this workshop, the Task Force will offer a presentation based on that work. The workshop will not offer a "how-to" for using AI tools. Instead, we will focus on topics that might help the church live faithfully in the era of AI.
Leader: Mark Gorman and David Jacobson
Living Well: A Holistic Approach to a Balanced Life
Living Well is a holistic approach to living based on Christ’s command to “love the Lord your God with all of your heart, and with all of your soul, and with all of your mind, and with all of your strength.” (Mark 12:30-31) The Living Well approach also embraces Christ’s command to “Love each other as I have loved you.” ( John 15:12.) In this workshop, we will explore these areas of Living Well and how they can be used to shape the discipleship of our own lives and our faith communities.
Leader: Rev. Twanda King and Amanda McMurtrey. Rev. Twanda E. King is an ordained elder in the Baltimore-Washington Conference and the pastor of Union UMC in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Passionate about clergy well-being, she equips ministry leaders through coaching, teaching, and retreats that foster resilience, spiritual wholeness, and sustainable leadership.
Ripples of Love: How Intergenerational Worship Nurtures Faith Across the Generations
The living water of Christ flows wherever believers gather—but when all generations worship together, its ripples reach farther and deeper, nurturing faith through shared wonder, story, and belonging. In this interactive workshop, we’ll consider the meaning and importance of intergenerational worship and explore creative ideas for bringing it to life in your congregation. Together, we’ll learn, imagine, and be refreshed as we discover how Christ’s living water flows through every generation, renewing the whole body of Christ.
Leader: Pastor Cathy Vitek. Cathy has served as the Children's & Family Ministry Pastor at Bethany UMC for over ten years. She holds a Certificate in Orange Family Ministry and is currently a doctoral candidate at the Institute of Worship Studies.
Moving from Paying Bills to Funding Ministries
So many churches are trying to just survive. Come and learn how to move from just surviving and “paying the bills” to thriving and funding your God-given vision for ministry! This forward-thinking workshop reimagines how churches fund ministry in the changing landscape of the 21st century. Explore how your church can fund your ministries more effectively. Participants will learn how to cultivate donors, diversify revenue streams and activate their community around a compelling vision. Leave inspired, equipped and ready to implement innovative fundraising solutions.
Leader: Rev. Cary James, Jr.
A Journey Toward Christian Love: John Wesley’s General Rule of Discipleship in Action
How do we move from a 'checklist' Christian identity to a transformative journey of sanctifying grace? Utilizing the General Rule of Discipleship (acts of devotion, worship, compassion, and justice) to stay rooted in Christ and love neighbors boldly, participants walk away with a personal action plan that can be translated to their local church context.
Leader: Congregational Vitality Team
Beacon of Hope: Rooted in Christ, Reaching with Love
Our congregations and communities are longing for hope. How might we become beacons of hope — sharing God’s love in ways that are authentic, relational, and transformative?
In this informative, interactive, and inspirational workshop, Ken Willard draws from his book Beacon of Hope: Your Guide to Reaching, Witnessing, and Welcoming New People to equip pastors and laity with practical tools that can be implemented immediately. Rooted in the Wesleyan tradition and inspired by the evangelistic spirit of John and Susanna Wesley, this session reclaims evangelism not as an outdated obligation, but as a living spiritual discipline grounded in love, relationship, and invitation.
Participants will:
- Reimagine evangelism for today’s culture
- Gain confidence in sharing their personal faith story
- Learn practical strategies for building bridges into their surrounding community
Come rediscover how being rooted in Christ empowers us to love boldly — extending Christ’s transforming grace to new people in meaningful and life-giving ways.
Leader: Ken Willard
Disrupting Cycles: Practical tools for dealing with Stress
This interactive workshop introduces the science of the stress cycle and explains why stress doesn’t automatically disappear when church is over, the meetings are done or the workday is finished. Participants will learn how stress lives in the body, how uncompleted stress accumulates, and why burnout is often a physiological response—not a personal failure. Through accessible neuroscience, reflection, and simple, evidence-based practices, participants will gain practical tools to discharge stress, regulate emotions, and restore a sense of control and balance in both their professional and personal lives.
Leader: Dr. Ronald Bell
AC Orientation for first timers
This session is designed to orient new delegates to the purpose, language/terms, flow and process of Annual Conference plenary sessions. New members are also encouraged to review the Primer in the sidebar of the Annual Conference webpage...it is an excellent resource if this is your first time attending Annual Conference Session.
Leader: Bryant Oskvig & Dr. Mary Robinson
Love Boldly and Risk Greatly: Faithful responses to the current immigration realities in the U.S.
Our immigrant community in the US is under attack. The Federal administration has gone directly after them by separating families, kidnapping children, destroying the asylum system, and violating fundamental constitutional rights. Come and learn how you and your congregation can faithfully reflect today the love and justice of God by confronting harmful immigration enforcement practices and protecting the rights of immigrant communities, grounded in the movement of the Holy Spirit since the early Church.
Leader: Rev. Cassy Núñez and Rev. Carlos Reyes Rodríguez.
Strength for Today, Bright Hope for Tomorrow: Equipping Leaders to Love Boldly Through the Social Principles
How do we love boldly in a divided and hurting world? This workshop invites clergy and lay leaders to explore how the United Methodist Social Principles can serve as practical, faith-rooted tools for justice-making and beloved community-building. Grounded in Wesleyan theology and shaped by hope, we’ll examine how these principles guide congregations in addressing systemic injustice with clarity, courage, and compassion. Participants will leave with concrete frameworks and actionable next steps for leading ministries that embody Christ’s love boldly in their local context.
Leader: Rev. Kendal McBroom
Methodist Community Roots Walking Pilgrimage
*Begins at 10am (instead of 10:30 like the rest) and has a 25-person cap
Join Archives & History Staff for a walking pilgrimage of the neighborhood around the hotel! Learn a bit about pilgrimage and why this matters while seeing the original location of Sharp Street Memorial, the Mother Church of Black Methodism, and exploring Historic Old Otterbein, the Mother Church of the United Brethren in Christ strand of our denomination. Learn some cool Baltimore facts while you're at it. This is a walking tour. Please come with water, good walking shoes, and plan to walk about a mile total. Limited bathrooms are available at Old Otterbein. Approximately 90 minutes.
Leader: Rev. Dr. Bonnie McCubbin