The California-Pacific Annual Conference gathered in Indian Wells, California at the Renaissance Esmeralda Resort and Spa on June 11-14, 2025 for their 41st gathering with the theme of Cherish.
Presiding Bishop Escobedo-Frank preached during the opening worship on the theme of Cherish and loving each other extravagantly, from the theme verse for the conference of John 13:34-35. She closed the sermon by sharing physical reminders of those who loved our conference this year as we endured devastating wildfires in January, sharing 2,000 paper hearts with the locations and amounts of monetary donations given to our special fund for those affected.
Bishop Escobedo-Frank’s episcopal address on Thursday addressed the state of the church, focusing on the concepts of monsters and miracles, and encouraging the church to be a miracle in the world. She shared stories of over 20 churches in the conference and the ways they are miracles to their communities, including stories of growing congregations, meal services for the hungry, ministries to children, and more.
During the week, five Cherish Chats featured individuals and ministries from within our conference. Speakers included Rachel Gipson, speaking on Community Health, Interim Immigration Coordinator and Immigration lawyer Monalisa Tu’itahi speaking on loving our neighbors, Rev. Victor Cyrus-Franklin of Holman UMC and Inglewood UMC sharing about a community housing project, and Jan Hanson, former Director of Human Resources for the conference who spoke about the often unseen faces that keep our conference running.
The Cherish Chats also included a panel discussion on current disaster relief efforts in the conference, featuring Interim Disaster Response Coordinator Krista Bilderbach, Antonio Watson of Altadena UMC, Bryce Swanson of Community UMC of Pacific Palisades, Rev. John Crewe of Lahina UMC, and Esther Benedict, volunteer disaster case manager for Ventura Mountain Fire relief efforts.
During Thursday evening’s worship service where we recognized the seasons of life through the baptism of Ellory Blair Stowe and remembered those who passed in the last year, Bishop Sally Dyck’s sermon reminded us of how we cherish our communities through different seasons.
On Friday evening, Bishop Escobedo-Frank presented nine clergy and lay members with the Bishop’s Award, recognizing a lifetime of extraordinary service devoted to the church and to this conference. Those honored included: Collette K. Andersen, Deborah E. Bass, Hilde Garrison, Rev. Alma Johnson-Hawkins, Rev. Richard Matsushita, Deborah M. Raysin, Kent Raysin, Doris Shigihara, and Patty Tokahuta-Kelsey.
Saturday morning began with a pop-up choir made up of lay and clergy members from the conference, who closed by singing a personalized version of the song “Love Train,” which was also used during opening worship. Members were challenge to “People all over Cal-Pac, start a love train,” and a spontaneous love train started on the floor.
During Saturday’s closing plenary, Erin Hawkins, Executive Director of Connectional Ministries shared about the conference’s vision to End Spiritual and Physical Hunger, referencing the conference’s themes from the past few years of nourish, flourish, and now cherish, and sharing about our upcoming themes of astonish, outlandish, and lavish. The themes highlight the work of our conference, represented by a murmuration of birds. Hawkins encouraged the body that if “you are not a part of the murmuration, then we are not complete,” and to “find another bird and fly together.”
Rev. Andre Wilson of Altadena UMC shared the sermon during the commissioning and ordination service on Saturday on Romans 8:28, focusing on the “Called Containers of God’s Love.” Rev. Wilson, whose church building was burned down during the Eaton Fire in January 2025, spoke about the promise and challenge of all things working together for good, and the role of those in ministry to love all of those in our midst.
During Saturday’s commissioning and ordination service, 10 people were ordained, with an average age 50, and 6 people were commissioned with an average age of 47. Bishop Escobedo-Frank and Lay Leader Mele Maka closed the service by washing the hands or feet of each candidate.
Prior to the in-person gathering, the conference gathered in legislative sections immediately following the pre-conference briefing on Monday, June 2. As a result of concurrence in these section, the body passed 13 recommendations, resolutions, and rules changes on the consent calendar during plenary in Indian Wells. These items included the recommendations from pensions, equitable compensation, quotas, salary ranges for conference staff, and revisions to language and committee membership for rules related to the Council on Finance and Administration, Laity Council, and the Inter-Ethnic Strategy Group.
Additional recommendations and resolutions passed included the nominations report, advocacy for Palestinian rights (Holy Land Task Force), solidarity with immigrants, and a decision not to renew military leases on owned property on the island of O’ahu (Acts of Repentance Task Force). The conference also established a task force and set a process for divesting investments from fossil fuels. The New Ministries Essential Ministry Team was renamed the Congregational Vitality Essential Ministry Team, and the conference adopted the option of Ministry Safe in addition to Safe Gatherings as a platform for conducting background checks.
Members voted on the four proposed constitutional amendments on Thursday, June 12, and results from those ballots will be combined with votes from the rest of the denomination and reported by the Council of Bishops this fall.
One church was closed, Westmont United Methodist Church, in Pomona Valley, effective June 30, 2025. One church was started, Rosewood UM Mission, founded January 1, 2025.
The conference passed the proposed budget for 2026 of 9.4 million dollars, down from 9.7 million in 2025. As the conference and local church continue to innovate on revenue, the conference is also committed to continuing to evaluate apportionment calculations over the next year, and potentially bring a revised rules change to the 2026 conference session.
At Wednesday’s Celebration of Ministry dinner, the conference recognized 11 members in full connection who will enter the retired relationship as of July 1, 2025.
The next gathering of the California-Pacific Annual conference will be June 17-20, 2026 with the theme of astonish.
Membership stands at 47,067, down 3,440 from 2023.
Worship attendance stands at 22,226, down 3,440 from 2023.
Church school attendance stands at 4,824, down 946 from 2023.
Professions or reaffirmations of faith for 2024 were 911, down 26 from 2023.
Adults and young adults in small groups for 2024 were 14,944, down 879 from 2023.
Worshippers engaged in mission for 2024 were 11,490, down 302 from 2023.
