TO: All Candidates Seeking a General Conference Elected Office at the 2026 General Conference

Paragraph 1500.11, (d), (1) states the Committee on Elections “receives applications of all persons who seek to be voted upon for General Conference elected office.”

Further, paragraph 426 §3 requires candidates for the office of Bishop to submit to a credit report and a certified background check or submit equivalent documentation, and

Paragraph 1000.5, §1 in the 2022 Discipline requires persons seeking to be elected to a General Office to submit credit reporting and a certified background check.

The application process for the upcoming General Conference elections will be as follows.

• All candidates for a General Conference elected Office (Office of the Bishop and General Office) must complete the appropriate form and process below.
• Candidates for the Judicial Council must complete the form below.

Candidates for the Office of Bishop and a General Office

1. As soon as possible, please fill out the appropriate application form for the office of Bishop or a General Office at the 2026 General Conference.
2. Fill out the appropriate Application Form by clicking on the form button below.
3. After submission of the materials, and on January 1, 2026, all candidates for the office of Bishop and a General Office will receive via email a link to the Background Check – Global Link for S2Verify Swifthire.
4. Candidates must submit to a background and credit check between January 1, 2026, and March 10, 2026.
5. Note: A background check may take up to 45 days to complete, thus submitting your application by the deadline date allows for time to address possible discrepancies. Delaying the Credit/Background Check process could negatively impact your candidacy. 

Candidates for the Judicial Council

1. As soon as possible, candidates for the Judicial Council must fill out an application.
2. Fill out the Judicial Council Application Form by clicking on the form button below.

If you have questions about the application process, please email bishopjbwalker@thecmechurch.org.  Questions regarding the background and credit checks should be directed to Senior Bishop Lawrence Reddick at llreddick3@yahoo.com.

Bishop James B. Walker, Chair

Election Committee