Welcome to our upgraded Cal-Pac website! As you explore, you may want to use either the search icon at the top and bottom of each page, or visit the "MINISTRIES" page for a directory of ministry webpages, as many links have been updated.

Annual Conference

Participants Announced for Council of Bishops Leadership Gathering 

By Dr. Alyssa Fisher, Director of Communications

Preparations continue for this October’s leadership gathering in Calgary, Canada. From October 20-24, this event will serve the purpose of gathering hope, vision, and imagination for the future of the UMC from across the connectional landscape. Denominational leaders, including the Council of Bishops (COB), have expressed that they hope this gathering will help guide the future of The United Methodist Church, and recently opened a denominational-wide survey and started a webinar series to broaden the voices included in conversations. Throughout the gathering and other avenues that are open to all, the purpose is to: sustain momentum in the Church’s missional trajectory, establish shared theological grounding and strategic clarity, and create space for young leaders and worldwide perspectives to shape the Church’s imagination.

The invitation-only gathering will be limited to about 300 people. This includes all active bishops and COB officers, three leaders from each Episcopal Area selected by the bishop in consultation with the lay and clergy leadership of the Episcopal Area, the general secretaries, and approximately 50 additional leaders from across the denomination invited by the COB. This group will include emerging young leaders, theologians, innovative leaders, missional champions and retired bishops with particular experience or expertise. 

Today, Bishop Escobedo-Frank announced that the participants from the California-Pacific Annual Conference will include:

  • Clergy: Rev. Martin Finau, Pastor Yoshiya Kuramoto, and Rev. Allison Mark
  • Laity: Rachel Gipson and Erin Hawkins

Bishop Escobedo-Frank shared that these individuals will “represent our conference at this pivotal moment in our denomination as we build toward our future.” The full list of invited participants is available at this link.

The following resources are open to all United Methodists as the Council of Bishops continues to plan the gathering:

The website serves as the central access point for: survey participation, webinar registration, monthly updates, resources, event information, and livestream details.

The survey is being conducted by United Methodist Communications on behalf of the 2026 UMC Leadership Gathering Design Team to inform their churchwide learning and discernment. It is available in English, French, Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, Tagalog, and Dutch. 

  • Webinars:
  • [Previously held] “Love Boldly” on theology Jan. 24: Exploring the foundations of Wesleyan theology and how they shape United Methodist identity today. Participants will reflect on core theological commitments, shared beliefs and how theology informs who we are as Wesleyans and as The United Methodist Church. Watch the recording at this link.
  • “Serve Joyfully” on missiology Feb. 21: Examining Wesleyan approaches to mission, with attention to mutuality, formation, and decolonial perspectives. Participants will engage in how mission is practiced in relationship, shaped by context and grounded in a call to serve with humility and joy. Register now at this link.
  • “Lead Courageously” on ecclesiology March 21: Focusing on Wesleyan understandings of church life and leadership. Participants will explore the connection, shared leadership and ways the church is reimagining structures and practices to support faithful and courageous leadership in a global context. Register now at this link.