Marion, Ind. (May 14, 2026) – Indiana Wesleyan University (IWU) will host the 15th General Conference of The Wesleyan Church from May 17-20, 2026, highlighting the longstanding partnership between the university and the global Christian denomination. The event is expected to welcome over 1,000 pastors, delegates, ministry leaders, and guests to Marion for four days of worship, discernment, leadership elections, and fellowship across the global Wesleyan family. Throughout the conference, IWU will extend high-impact hospitality to guests visiting campus, reflecting the university’s Christ-centered commitment to service and community.
Held every four years, General Conference serves as the denomination’s governing gathering, bringing together clergy and lay delegates from across North America for worship, prayer, discernment, leadership elections, and denominational business. This year’s conference theme, “Empowered,” reflects The Wesleyan Church’s commitment to being empowered by the Holy Spirit to embrace the call of Acts 1:8 boldly.
“IWU is honored to welcome pastors, delegates, ministry leaders, and guests from across The Wesleyan Church to our campus,” said IWU President Jon Kulaga, Ph.D. “As a university unapologetically committed to the Word of God and the work of Christ, we are grateful for the opportunity to serve the denomination that helped shape our mission and identity. We pray this gathering will encourage spiritual renewal, meaningful fellowship, and faithful discernment for the future of the church.”
Conference events will include worship gatherings, business sessions, leadership elections, workshops, and fellowship opportunities for pastors, delegates, and guests from across the Wesleyan family. Sessions also will be livestreamed for those unable to attend in person.
“At General Conference, The Wesleyan Church gathers to honor God through worship, business, and community,” said Janelle Vernon, general secretary of The Wesleyan Church. “Envisioning the Wesleyan family filling Baldwin Dining Room to eat, mingle, and connect, rather than dispersing to restaurants across the area, is one of the many benefits of meeting at IWU.”
IWU is an institution of The Wesleyan Church, an evangelical Protestant denomination with more than 500,000 constituents in more than 4,300 churches and missions worldwide. The denomination’s world headquarters are in Fishers, Indiana. Founded in 1968 through the merger of several holiness movements dating back to 1843, The Wesleyan Church traces its roots to the teachings of John Wesley and the Methodist tradition.
“The impact of spending four days together celebrating God’s faithfulness, discerning God’s will, and departing empowered to continue God’s work throughout the next quadrennium strengthens our mission as a denomination,” Vernon said. “We have been praying for this conference in this place, confident that the Holy Spirit will be present and active. It will be good to be together.”
As the largest private university in Indiana and a Christ-centered academic community committed to developing students in character, scholarship, and leadership, IWU continues to partner with churches, ministries, and organizations around the world to prepare students to change the world through Christ.
For more information about the 15th General Conference of The Wesleyan Church, visit https://www.wesleyan.org/15thGC.
