The body is one, even though it has many parts; all the parts comprise a single body. And so it is with Christ… [so that] all the members may be concerned for one another. If one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; if one member is honored, all the members share its joy. ~ 1 Corinthians 12:12, 25b-26 (read the full text)
We are the body of Christ …
connected in love and committed to collective liberation!
Union’s 2026 theme is a play on the semiquincentennial (250th anniversary) of the Declaration of Independence (1776).
​
As the nation celebrates its founding and freedom from British colonial rule, we will deepen our engagement with Liberation Theology with an emphasis on post-colonial theory.
​
While “rugged individualism” is central to the American narrative, this year we give special attention to connectionalism as a central aspect of our Wesleyan-Methodist theology.
​
We anticipate extraordinary patriotic fervor during this semiquincentennial year, inflected through the violence of Trumpism.
-
The myth of American exceptionalism will locate 1776 as its commencement. Our counter-narrative leans on 1619 Project: A New Origin Story (2019), curated by Nikole Hannah-Jones, who we intentionally selected as the keynote of the 2026 MLK Memorial Breakfast.
​
This year — building on our 2025 emphasis on Belonging — we will intentionally draw closer to God, neighbor, and self as the Body of Christ, resolving:
-
No one suffers alone
-
Everyone has a place and a purpose
-
Together, we will thrive interdependently as a healthy body in 2026!