GCORR Board Gathers in Geneva for Learning, Discernment, and a Vision Toward the Future

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 25, 2026

Geneva, Switzerland — The Board of Directors of the General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR) of The United Methodist Church gathered September 16-19, 2026, in Geneva, Switzerland, for a time of governance, learning, relationship-building, ministry reflection and discernment about GCORR’s future.

Throughout the gathering, board members engaged in both reports and the business of the Board, as well as deeper conversation and dialogue about the agency’s ministry, its relationships across the Church and ecumenical community, and its continuing call to help The United Methodist Church become more equitable, interculturally competent, and inclusive.  

The Board also paused to honor and celebrate the life and witness of Deaconess Clara Ester, a member of the GCORR Board, remembering her faithful commitment to justice, racial equity and the work of the Church.

Learning from the Global Ecumenical Community

The Geneva gathering provided an opportunity for board members to connect GCORR’s ministry with the wider ecumenical movement through a visit with the World Council of Churches (WCC).

During the visit, board members learned about current realities and challenges related to migration in Europe through conversations with Rev. Dr. Kenneth Mtata, WCC Program Director for Life, Justice and Peace; Dr. Masiwa Ragies Gunda, WCC Program Executive for Programmatic Responses on Overcoming Racism; and Missionary Joy Eva Bohol, United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) Regional Migration Specialist for Europe and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Together, the presentations and conversations invited board members to reflect on the role churches can play in responding to migration and displacement and to consider how these realities intersect with race, culture, identity, equity and belonging.

Our visit to the World Council of Churches reminds us that the work of racial justice and migration extends far beyond any one denomination or nation. We are learning about the realities and challenges facing migrants and considering how the Church is called to respond, especially as we think about equity and inclusion. As United Methodists, we are part of a global ecumenical community. When we listen to one another and learn from different contexts, we deepen our understanding of what it means to work toward a Church and a world where every person can experience dignity and belonging.

— Rev. Dr. Giovanni Arroyo, General Secretary, GCORR

Updates on GCORR’s Ministry and Leadership

Board President Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi and General Secretary Rev. Dr. Giovanni Arroyo offered leadership reflections on GCORR’s current ministry and the agency’s work ahead.

The Board also received ministry updates from Rev. Enger Muteteke, GCORR’s senior director of programs, and Jeehye Kim, senior director of communications and marketing. The updates highlighted GCORR’s work across the connection through educational resources, Vital Conversations, intercultural competency and antiracism initiatives, communications, and engagement with United Methodist leaders and communities.

The Board also heard updates from the Disability Ministries Committee (DMC) and El Plan for Hispanic/Latine Ministry, two ministries connected to GCORR. Rev. Mimi Leubbers, chair of DMC, and Bishop Robin Dease, chair of the El Plan Steering Committee, shared about their respective ministries and ongoing work across the Church. Their presentations highlighted the breadth of GCORR’s ministry and the importance of addressing the ways race, ethnicity, culture, disability and other aspects of identity intersect within the life of the Church.

As part of its governance responsibilities, the Board received reports from its Governance, Finance, CORR Action Fund and Executive Committees.

The Geneva gathering also provided an opportunity to strengthen relationships across United Methodist general agencies. GCORR’s Executive Committee met with the Executive Committee of the General Board of Church and Society (GBCS) for conversation and relationship-building.

Continuing to Learn Together

The Board’s work also included a learning session on microaggressions led by Rev. Enger Muteteke.

The session provided an opportunity for board members to deepen their understanding of how everyday interactions can communicate exclusion, bias or assumptions about identity and belonging. The learning reflected GCORR’s commitment not only to providing educational resources for the wider Church, but also to practicing continued learning within its own leadership and governance.

The conversation connects with GCORR’s ongoing work to equip congregations and leaders with practical tools for recognizing and responding to microaggressions and cultivating more inclusive communities.

Renewed for the Word Ahead

The Geneva gathering concluded with communion and a time of reflection on the conversations, relationships and commitments that emerged during the week. When invited to share a word or phrase describing how they felt at the conclusion of the meeting, board members offered reflections including “connected,” “inspired,” “renewed,” “awakened,” “grateful,” “hopeful” and “rooted.”

Those reflections captured a gathering that created space not only for the work of governance, but also for learning, relationship-building and renewed commitment to GCORR’s ministry. As GCORR looks toward 2027 and its 60th anniversary in 2028, the conversations begun in Geneva will continue to shape the agency’s discernment, partnerships and work across the Church.

This gathering reminded me that the work before us is both challenging and deeply life-giving. We came together to listen, to learn from one another, and to discern how GCORR can continue to serve a changing Church with faithfulness and courage. I am especially grateful for the spirit of this Board and the relationships that sustain our shared ministry. The joy with which we do our work gives me hope for our Church and for the world.

— Bishop Cynthia Moore-Koikoi, President, GCORR Board of Directors

The gathering underscored that GCORR’s work remains both rooted in its historic mandate and responsive to a changing Church and world. Through education, relationship-building, resources, partnerships and institutional advocacy, GCORR will continue working alongside United Methodists and ecumenical partners to cultivate a Church where people across race, culture and identity can experience belonging, equity and full participation.

The GCORR Board of Directors will next meet in February 2027.

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About GCORR

The General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR) is one of the general agencies of The United Methodist Church. GCORR equips the Church and its leaders to engage the work of racial justice, intercultural competency and institutional equity so that the Church may more fully reflect the diversity of the body of Christ.

Media Contact

Jeehye Kim
Senior Director of Communications and Marketing
General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR)
jpak@gcorr.org
www.gcorr.org