From Rev. Carlisle Jones and Janice McCallen, co-chairs
The journey of creating a plan to reconfigure districts in the Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference over the past few years has been marked by ever-changing context and the guidance of our ever-present God. The Lord continues to bless this journey with new insight, discovery, input, and innovation that have shaped conversations we could not have imagined!
Preparations are underway for the annual conference body to vote on the number of districts during the 2026 Annual Conference.
Per the Book of Discipline, the Bishop and Cabinet are responsible for setting district lines and staffing the districts, but the annual conference sets the number of districts. Deep collaboration between the Cabinet, Connectional Table, and Districting Strategy Team is leading to the creation of a plan for the number, lines, and staffing that will be forecasted to the conference beginning in February.
This collaborative effort, led by the TWK Districting Strategy Team, has been guided by four desired outcomes:
To propose a districting strategy that
1. Focuses on mission-forward alignment;
2. Upholds excellence in function;
3. Provides clear organization and communication; and
4. Strengthens the sense of connection and relationships among clergy and laity in the TWK.
When the Districting Strategy Team, Connectional Table, and Cabinet determine the next best step for districts in the TWK, an Implementation Team will begin to communicate the plan, providing information, answering questions, and seeking feedback.
The Tennessee-Western Kentucky Conference has been practicing doing things in new ways.
We know that having many voices in the collaboration improves the discussion and adds to the innovative discernment. Given that, feedback loops are being established with the Districting Strategy Team, the Connectional Table, the Cabinet, and a group of 16 people who represent the diversity of the conference. This Feedback Focus Group will be engaged through December 2026.
The Timeline of Work thus far:
In 2023, Bishop McAlilly established a Redistricting Team. However, due to changing context created by disaffiliations and an anticipated episcopal transition in 2024, this plan was put on hold.
June 2024: The Connectional Table completed work with a church strategist, Mike Bonem, which included some analysis of the staffing structure of this conference and what needed to be considered as new districts were formed.
October 2024: The Connectional Table and Cabinet held discerning discussions on how the districting strategy conversation and proposal formation could be guided. These conversations led to a proposal for a districting strategy team, including a formation timeline. The original timeline had the redistricting vote scheduled for the 2025 Annual Conference. The Cabinet and Connectional Table affirmed this process.
December, 2024: The Districting Strategy Team Co-Chairs, Carlisle Jones and Janice McCallen, met with the Cabinet to gather information about the role of the District Superintendent and the District in our shared life together.
Winter 2025: The Connectional Table discerned that an extended timeline for redistricting was important so that the TWK did not make this decision based solely on financial reasons, but so that the plan could be discerned for connectional and missional priorities.
April 2025: Bishop Graves formed the redistricting strategy team. In addition to the chairs, the team included current and past district superintendents, a district administrator, a licensed local pastor, and the treasurer. A new timeline was set for the vote to happen at the 2026 Annual Conference. The team began working through Zoom meetings and Basecamp.
June 2025: The TWK Districting Strategy Team gave an update to Annual Conference.
July-October, 2025: The TWK Districting Strategy Team continued their discernment work with research, seeking input through many conversations, and participating in two discernment retreats. The team spent time in prayer and silence, brainstormed and discerned together, named core values and goals for a new model, and developed a specific redistricting proposal.
October 2025 – January 2026: The TWK Districting Strategy Team, Cabinet, and Connectional Table engaged in collaborative conversations that led to adjustments, further discovery, the need for more research, and innovation. A prayer team was engaged to hold this process in prayer during 2026.
Please watch for updates to come in February! We appreciate your support and prayers as we discern the next faithful steps for our conference districts.
If you have any questions, feel free to contact the team at redistricting.questions@twkumc.org.