Creating Vital Change

Vital Change involves refocusing on robust incarnational ministry, reconnecting to our values, and restructuring to better support robust incarnational ministry and our values.

At the 2024 Annual Conference Session, more than 80 percent of Baltimore-Washington Conference members voted to support some restructuring to better support achievement of robust incarnational ministry and a refocus on our values. The organizational restructuring will begin in July 1, 2025. Learn more about the details of restructuring.

But why change? We have an opportunity to position ourselves for tremendous fruitfulness. The current reality of church trends encouraged taking stock and thinking about how we can better pursue our shared mission and ministry. Last year, we prayerfully polled and listened to thousands of members of the BWC and those who engaged in the process expressed a need to use structure – and a re-emphasis on values and culture – to strengthen the identity and vitality of United Methodist leaders and churches. Out of their insights, the current plan for Vital Change was created.

Our Vision and Values Are Essential

The goal of the Vital Change plan is vitality – that 100% of our faith communities become 100% focused on deepening discipleship, seeing and valuing all the people, living and loving like Jesus, and multiplying missional impact under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Vitality is strongly related to living our shared values voiced by Methodists across the Area.

• Love in Action: Practicing God’s love and grace, we build real, transformative relationships in our communities. Ours is not ministry “from a distance,” but ministry “up close and personal”— we are the hands and feet of Christ in the world, serving those in need.
• Strength through Connection: Rooted in the United Methodist tradition of connection, we are united, uplifting one another and holding each other accountable with love. We build strong bonds with one another and across our global church to do as much good as we can, because we truly are better together.
• Unity with Diversity: As God’s beloved community, we each bring our unique stories and strengths to all that we do, united in purpose and committed to equity, inclusion, anti-racism/anti-oppression, and justice for all.
• Partnering with Purpose: Intentional and strategic partnerships with other churches, people, and organizations enable us to share and cross-pollinate ideas, resources, and energy so that we can thrive, bear more fruit, and live according to God’s call.
• Freedom to Experiment: We prioritize empowering leaders and members to dream big, try new things, and learn from failure. We give permission for creativity and boldness and are committed to staying open to new ways of sharing God’s love with all people.

Restructuring that Supports Robust Incarnational Ministry and Our Values

The planned changes to the organizational structure beginning July 1, 2025 include:

1. Collaborative Hubs. Groups of 5-12 congregations will create a shared vision and work together to achieve that vision. Using their shared values and striving for vitality these congregations will work together to build relationships with people inside and outside their culture and faith traditions and work together on missions among the most vulnerable, using their God-given gifts, talents and passions. This change is designed to encourage and support all our values.
   
   Each Hub will be led by a Connecting Church, which the Conference will name. The specifics of each Hub’s work will develop over time and will focus on vitality as they deepen ministry and multiply their impact.
2. Moving from eight districts to six for missional effectiveness. Each Hub will be assigned to a district where the congregations share common challenges/environments. This change is designed to support unity with diversity, partnering with purpose, and building strength through connection.
3. Administrative regions. Each district will be placed in an administrative region. This change is designed to remove some of the non-mission-related administrative burdens from pastors, congregations, and district leaders by creating administrative specialists who can be accessed when needed by a congregation or district. This also reduces redundancy of expertise across districts and ensures all congregations have access to the best (most efficient and effective) support.

Adjustments to the Original Timeline

Based on the feedback that conference leaders heard from the Connecting Hub questionnaire and conversations with the Connectional Table and others, the published implementation timeline has been modified so that there is time for all United Methodists in the Baltimore-Washington Conference to understand why vital change is needed, how it will impact them, and what role they can play. Starting in November, key leaders will receive monthly information and tools to help all area United Methodists start thinking and working on vital change. Every person in ministries throughout the BWC will be called upon to undertake the work of creating vital churches, living out our values, and restructuring.

Over the next nine months, members of local churches will be asked to reflect on values, ministry, and vitality, individually, as a congregation, and as a community. They will have an opportunity to discuss, assess, and take action in a collaborative environment based on these reflections. Once the reflect-assess-take action process is underway, more detailed information about Collaborative Hubs, affinity-based districts, and administrative regions will be shared.

After Easter, collaborative hubs and connecting churches will be announced based on your input, so that churches know who is in their support network as of July 1, 2025.

What can you do to help?

The Vital Change process starts now, as we all move together through a series of reflect-assess-take action cycles (every three months starting in November). Church leaders will be provided monthly tools to facilitate collaborative work and discussions. Each cycle will involve two-way feedback as we learn, grow, and change together.

There are several keys to our success as we work on Vital Change. We need you to: 

1.) Pray for this vital change to draw United Methodists of the Baltimore-Washington and Penisula-Deleware Area closer to God’s vision for the church, our neighbors, and one another. 

2.) Bring an open mind and a willing heart as you engage in this vital change process. 

3.) Share information with as many people as possible – vital change is not just for pastors, leaders, and devoted members … it is for anyone who could possibly be moved by the vital change message. This may require innovation and experimentation as we shift our thinking from inviting selected individuals to offering everyone in the congregation and the community the opportunity to engage. 

• If you are a leader: reflect on how you can best contribute to the success of vital change and share your plan of action with your accountability partners, share this message with everyone you interact with, this is one of the top three priorities for the next three years, and ask for help or guidance if you have questions
• If you are a church or community member: reflect on how you can best contribute to the success of vital change and volunteer to help your church or community, and ask for help or guidance if you have questions

Each of us plays a vital role in this sacred journey. Because this is a unique model for connectional discipleship, conscientious care is being taken to craft each step in this vital change process. Time and intentional strategic considerations are essential parts of the work that is before us all.

The conference is committed to transparency, values the input of all people, and will share information with local church leaders as it becomes available. If you have any questions, concerns, or hopes, we encourage you to contact .