FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 18, 2026

WASHINGTON, DC (UMCFO) – The Committee on Faith and Order of The United Methodist Church held its annual meeting from 9-11 February 2026 in Copenhagen, Denmark. The Committee is tasked with leading The United Methodist Church in informed theological reflection and exploration (cf. ¶444). The Committee – chaired by Bishop David Bard of the Michigan Episcopal Area and the Illinois Great Rivers Episcopal Area – brings together senior church leaders, scholars, and practitioners who meet annually in-person. Additional online meetings are held throughout the year.  

The Committee continues to prioritize revisions to its document Sent In Love: A United Methodist Understanding of the Church, a statement on United Methodist ecclesiology which was originally presented to the 2020/2024 General Conference. The General Conference returned the document to the Committee for further consideration. A working group was appointed by the Committee to revise the document. A new draft of Sent In Love was presented to the Committee during its annual meeting which shortened the statement, focused the document within the historic marks of the church (one, holy, catholic, and apostolic), and strengthened the coherence and logic of the statement. Additional edits are expected in the new draft following the Committee’s meetings and further consultations.

The General Conference mandated that the Committee on Faith and Order “study the effects of the global Covid pandemic on the sacramental theology and practice(s) of The United Methodist Church” (Petition 21083), with special focus on Holy Communion in hybrid and digital communities. The sacramental theology working group conducted a church-wide survey on the topic in May-July 2025 and received over 2,500 survey responses. Survey responses also included anecdotal stories. Two online consultations were organized with theologians from Europe, Africa, Asia, and North America to reflect on the survey results and hear informed reflections. Additional consultations with theologians, practitioners, and ecumenical partners are planned for March-June 2026. The Committee emphasizes that it continues to seek and listen to a broad range of experiences, thoughts, and practices during 2026.

Several other projects are under development by the Committee on Faith and Order:

• A statement on Christian unity and inter-church relations, as requested by the General Conference, is being drafted. The structure of the statement is currently being reviewed with the intention of a draft statement by the end of August 2026. Once a draft is completed, the Committee intends for its draft statement on Christian unity and inter-church relations to be reviewed by the Council of Bishops, the Advisory Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Relationships, Methodist churches in formal relationship with The United Methodist Church, full communion partners, and other ecumenical partners for consultation and feedback.
• CFO members have been working closely with the Standing Committee on Regional Conference Matters Outside the USA, particularly on revisions to Chapter 5 of the Discipline which regulates general church agencies.

Bishop David Bard briefed the Committee on projects related to faith and order from the Council of Bishops. In light of the 1700^th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, the Council of Bishops is recommending new language on the role of the Nicene Creed in United Methodism which is being proposed as an addition to the doctrinal heritage section (¶102) of the Discipline; the General Conference must approve the recommendation. The COB Leadership Team on Faith and Order also reflected on how Faith Working Through Love, a teaching document published by the Committee on Faith and Order in 2022, can be further developed into age-appropriate resources.

The CFO executive team met with the Study of Ministry Committee chair Bishop Kennetha Bigham-Tsai and GBHEM staff members Rev. Dr. Meg Lassiat and Rev Dr. Trip Lowery on 7 February to be briefed on the Study of Ministry Committee’s work and to deepen collaboration between the Study of Ministry and the Committee on Faith and Order.

Prior to their meeting, the Committee on Faith and Order met jointly with the Standing Committee on Regional Conference Matters Outside the USA from 6-9 February to advise the Standing Committee and provide theological expertise on the formation of the General Book of Discipline.

The Committee on Faith and Order will meet in Rome, Italy, from 30 January – 3 February 2027.

The CFO member for the 2024-2028 quadrennium are Bishop Dr. David Bard, Rev. Dr. Ted Campbell, Bishop Sally Dyck, Rev. Dr. Mark Gorman, Rev. Matthew Laferty, Rev. Dr. Maureen Knudsen Langdoc, Bishop Daniel Onashuyaka Lunge, Dr. Filipe Maia, Dr. Maaraidzo E. Mutambara, Rev. Dr. Hilde Marie Øgreid, Rev. Dr. Hendrik Pieterse, Rev. E. Amanda Sayers, Rev. Dr. Douglas Strong, Rev. Dr. Stephen Sours, Rev. Dr. Lizette Tapia-Raquel, Bishop Rosemarie Wenner. Dr. David N. Field is the ecumenical staff officer for Faith & Order and Theological Dialogue at the Council of Bishops.