News and Views

By Alison Burdett
Director of Communications

As leaders of the Baltimore-Washington Conference gathered September 26 at the Mission Center in Fulton, Bishop Easterling offered a question that framed both the morning and the Conference year ahead: “Am I doing all that I can to serve with joy, humility and an open heart?”

The fall meeting of the Connectional Table drew a large gathering of clergy and lay leaders from across the Conference, filling the Mission Center’s Fiesta Rooms. The gathering included worship, conversation, an orientation to the coming year, a deeper look at how discipleship connects to vitality, and reports on the financial and organizational work of the Conference.

Conference Lay Leader Amelia Duroska opened the morning by inviting those gathered to consider what keeps them joyful, optimistic and grounded.

Following readings of Psalm 100 and John 13:12-15 — Guiding scriptures for the 2027 Annual Conference Session, “Rooted in Christ: Serve Joyfully” — participants shared what brings them joy and how they sustain it. Answers ranged from children and grandchildren to exercise, music, prayer and serving others. One participant described hope as “a cousin of the discipline of joy,” while another found grounding in the reminder that “God’s promises will not go unfulfilled.”

Bishop Easterling built upon that theme in her orientation to the 2026-27 Conference year.

Moving from the 2026 emphasis on “Love Boldly” toward “Serve Joyfully,” she stressed, does not mean leaving previous learning behind.

“We are always building upon what we learn, what we’ve experienced and what we’ve studied,” Easterling said.

The themes grow from The United Methodist Church’s vision 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.”

“As with our previous focus, we do all of this to deepen our discipleship,” Easterling said.

Pointing to Jesus washing his disciples’ feet in John 13, Easterling repeatedly invited all in attendance to ask themselves:

“Am I doing all that I can to serve with joy, humility and an open heart?”

She lingered over the image of Christ willingly kneeling to wash the dirty feet of his disciples and challenged the church to embody that same posture of humble service.

During her look at the year ahead, Easterling also touched on the Conference’s continuing work through ministry hubs, current legal matters, the growing influence of artificial intelligence, opportunities for connection through events including IGNITE and the pilgrimage to Greece, and engaging people across theological and ideological differences.

“We ought to sit down at a table and have conversations with people who think nothing like us,” she said. “That is the only way to stay humble.”

Discipleship is at the heart of both The United Methodist Church’s mission “to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world” and its new vision 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.”

That shared foundation in discipleship offered a fluid transition from mission and vision to practice as the Rev. Bill Brown, director of Congregational Vitality, and Christie Latona, director of Connectional Ministry, introduced the next item on the agenda.

They acknowledged that congregations are receiving invitations to engage with a variety of Conference initiatives and resources. While each is designed to help churches become more vital and faithful, it has not always been clear how the pieces connect.

The answer, Brown and Latona said, is greater clarity about the journey itself.

Underlying it all is one conviction: “Everything flows from discipleship.”

Connectional Table members served as a focus group, examining two potential graphics illustrating a congregation’s journey toward vitality and offering feedback that will help shape how the Conference communicates the emerging framework.

The framework places intentional discipleship formation and mission alignment as foundational and ongoing practices. Vitality Conversations help congregations answer the question, “What is our next faithful step?” Additional Conference resources then support churches according to what they discern they need next rather than functioning as a checklist every congregation must complete.

Brown introduced Forming Vital Disciples, an approach being developed for congregations without a robust intentional discipleship formation process.

BWC data from 2023 showed that 39 percent of congregations reported having no intentional discipleship process and another 33 percent were only talking about developing one. The need became even more tangible in the packed room: when Brown asked how many people in the room came from congregations with an intentional process, only four hands went up.

“The real issue isn’t money, attendance, or participation,” Brown said. “It’s overall lack of discipleship.”

At the heart of Forming Vital Disciples is John Wesley’s General Rule of Discipleship, which calls Christians to witness to Jesus Christ through compassion, justice, worship and devotion under the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The developing experience is envisioned as a six-week journey in which participants explore these interconnected areas, put them into practice and develop a personal spiritual Rule of Life to guide their continued growth as disciples.

As members discussed what it would take for that formation to continue beyond the initial experience, Connectional Table member Sherwyn Benjamin emphasized the importance of sustained engagement: “Discipleship requires commitment.”

The Rev. Andre Briscoe underscored that the goal goes beyond completing a course. “We’re talking about people changing their behavior,” he said.

Following the wide-ranging discussion, Easterling responded emotionally to seeing the larger vision for discipleship formation take shape.

“There are times when we talk about stuff, and it never shows up,” she said through tears. “This has shown up, and I’m so grateful.”

“You and your team have given us a launching point,” she told Brown.

This fall, congregations without a robust intentional discipleship formation process will be invited into Forming Vital Disciples, while those with a process already in place will be invited into Mission Alignment Reflection, an annual rhythm of prayerful reflection, discernment and realignment around the mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. The invitations are “launch points, not labels,” with room for conversation about which best reflects each congregation’s current reality.

An October 20 Training Tuesday will give church leaders an opportunity to learn more about the two invitations and next steps.

Connectional Table members were also introduced to Rev. George Winkfield, the new Area Director of Beloved Community and Community Engagement, heard updates from the Council on Finance and Administration, Rules Committee, Nominations Committee and Conference Secretary. Among them, leaders learned that mission share collection rate is currently 82 percent versus an 85 percent budget; preparations are beginning for the election of five General and Jurisdictional Conference delegates in 2027, with more election information going out to Conference members in January; and resolutions for the 2027 Annual Conference Session are due February 15.

The meeting ended as it began — with joy, service and discipleship. Members sang “I’m Going to Live So God Can Use Me,” and Two Rivers District Lay Leader, Rosalind Pinkney, offered a benediction sending attendees out with hearts “revived and open to serving joyfully” and to “understanding and living into discipleship.”