We were pleased to welcome several young people to our 2025 Annual Conference, including some selected by their district superintendents to serve as lay members. Their presence brought fresh energy and deep meaning to our gathering. Several of these young leaders offered prayers before each plenary session, grounding our work in faith and reminding us that God continues to speak through new generations. Their commitment, courage, and spirit inspired participants across the conference. 

Milan Christian, young adult member of Hope Indian in Naperville, giving a prayer to open plenary at AC 2025.

Building on this meaningful experience, we are excited to expand opportunities for young people to participate in the 2026 Annual Conference. Each district superintendent will designate two young people: one aged 12–17 and another aged 17–30. This intentional inclusion reflects our deep conviction that young voices matter—not someday, but now, in the life, leadership, and discernment of the church.

Young people are not only the future of the church; they are also the present. They are already leading, serving, worshiping, questioning, and shaping our ministries in meaningful ways. When young people are present at decision-making tables, the church is strengthened. They bring insight shaped by today’s realities, thoughtful questions that stretch our imagination, and hope rooted in their vision for what the church can become. Their participation is not symbolic;  it is essential.

This commitment is personal for me. As a young person in the Methodist Church of Chile, I served as national president of the Youth and Young Adult Federation and had both voice and vote at our General Assembly. I presented reports, chaired commissions, and was later elected secretary of the General Board, which met between assemblies. Those early opportunities to lead, speak, and serve shaped my faith, calling, and confidence in the church as a place where young people truly belong. 

We invite churches across our conference to intentionally identify, mentor, and support young people as leaders in their congregations and as lay members to the Annual Conference. Now is the time to make space for their voices, nurture their gifts, and trust their leadership. When we invest in young people, we invest in the present and future of the church. 

As you prepare for the 2026 Annual Conference, come ready to interact, share, and learn from the young people among us. Their voices, questions, prayers, and leadership are gifts to our conference. Young voices matter at our Annual Conference session because when young people are heard, the whole church grows stronger.