BWC Ordination 2019
Bishop LaTrelle Easterling, left, greets the Rev. Joey Heath-Mason immediately after ordaining him as a full elder. United Methodist elders are appointed to churches annually following deliberations on missional needs by bishops and district superintendents. (Photo by Alison Burdett, Baltimore-Washington Conference.)
Special to United Methodist Insight | March 11, 2026
Once a year The United Methodist Church does the ecclesiastical equivalent of “fruit basket turnover” on July 1 when new pastoral appointments take place. To help congregations adjust better to the prospect of pastoral change, the Rev. Dr. Lui Tran of UMChurch Law will offer a series of three webinars in April and May on “Preparing for Appointment Season in The United Methodist Church.
The Rev. Dr. Luan-Vu “Lui” Tran Courtesy of Author
A former member of the UMC’s “high court,” the Judicial Council, Dr. Tran is senior pastor of Garden Grove UMC in Garden Grover, Calif., and assistant chancellor of the California Pacific Annual Conference. He started the website UMChurch Law in late 2025 as a resource to explain often-complex church doctrines and policies in ways that pastors and laypeople can understand more easily.
The schedule for “Preparing for Appointment Season” includes all regions of the global denomination in Europe, Africa and the Philippines.
Part 1: Role of Bishop, Cabinet, and Pastors (60 minutes) April 20, 2026
United States: 9 am (Pacific), 11am (Central), 12 pm (East) Europe: 5 pm (GMT/UTC); 6 pm (CET); 7 pm (EET) Africa: 6 pm (WAT), 7 pm (CAT), 8 pm (EAT) Philippines: 1:00 AM (Next Day)
Part 2: Role of Staff-Pastor-Parish Relations Committee (SPPRC) (60 minutes) April 27, 2026
United States: 9 am (Pacific), 11am (Central), 12 pm (East) Europe: 5 pm (GMT/UTC), 6 pm (CET), 7 pm (EET) Africa: 6 pm (WAT), 7 pm (CAT), 8 pm (EAT), Philippines:1:00 AM (Next Day)
Part 3: Best Practices for Pastors and Congregations (60 minutes) May 4, 2026
United States: 9 am (Pacific), 11am (Central), 12 pm (East) Europe, 5 pm (GMT/UTC), 6 pm (CET), 7 pm (EET) Africa 6 pm (WAT), 7 pm (CAT), 8 pm (EAT) Philippines 1:00 AM (Next Day)
To register go to UMChurchLaw.com and fill out the contact form by April 6, 2026.