General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church (GBCS)

As of 2026, the GBCS was an official member of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (LCCHR), a civil-rights-focused left-of-center coalition based in Washington, D.C. ^{4 5}

Background

The General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church is a general agency of the United Methodist Church. It is one of four international general program boards of the UMC according to the UMC Book of Discipline. The GBCS is composed of five divisions: Public Witness and Advocacy, Administration, Ministry of Resourcing Congregational Life, United Nations Ministry, and Communications. ^{1 2}

The GBCS operates on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., and claims to be the only non-governmental organization to work in the neighborhood. It also has a main office at the Church Center for the United Nations in New York, New York. ^{6 1}

Activities

The General Board of Church and Society fundraises with an advertisement of its left-of-center social justice advocacy. It states that it works to “promote justice” and to “educate leaders and change-makers to become grassroots activists and global advocates who challenge systems of inequality,” and that it fosters collaboration between “networks of United Methodist and ecumenical communities” to “advance peace and justice.” ⁷

One of the main programs of the GBCS is its “Pages for Progress,” a periodical containing essays or “book studies” from prominent political and religious figures that is explicitly said to be “designed for use in local churches, districts, annual conferences, or community groups.” In 2024, Eric Holder, the former Attorney General of the United States under the Obama administration, authored a left-of-center essay on the issue of election districting and voting integrity for Pages for Progress titled “Our Unfinished March: The Violent Past and Imperiled Future of the Vote—A History, A Crisis, A Plan.” Other authors have included Mariana Chilton, who wrote on hunger in America; Heather McGhee, who wrote “What Racism Costs Everyone and how we can prosper together”; and Mitri Raheb, who wrote “Faith in the Face of Empire: The Bible Through Palestinian Eyes.” ^{8 9}

Another major program that the GBCS operates on behalf of the United Methodist Church is Social Principles. As of August 2026, the latest edition was “2025-2028 Social Principles.” These tenets reflect the Church’s teachings on global and national politics and social issues. ¹⁰

As of 2026, the GBCS was offering its supporters two booklets to inform their social justice activism: the “Building Power Together Toolkit” and the “Creating Change Together” document. The latter pamphlet was said to contain “biblical and United Methodist grounding for civic engagement as well as strategies and tactics that you can do as an individual or group to pursue the common good” and the “essential tools to address public concerns,” covering topics such as, “claiming our story, connecting with decision makers (with tips for advocating through visiting, public witness, calling, writing and social media), and engaging in the electoral process.” ^{11 12}

The GBCS publishes “Faith and Facts Cards,” which are short issue briefs on political and social policies. The organization claims that its fact cards include citations of relevant Bible verses, relevant teachings of the United Methodist Church, facts about the issue, and recommendations for “action steps” to address them. ^{13 14}

Issue Advocacy

Immigration

In 2025, the General Board of Church and Society released a Faith and Facts Card on immigration to the U.S. which wrote that, “Regardless of legal status or nationality, we are all connected through Christ to one another,” that “We express our utmost concern for the passage of anti-immigrant laws, which adversely affect the well being of citizens and residents of this country as they engage in providing humanitarian aid to undocumented persons in several States,” and called on supporters to contact their legislators to voice support for liberal immigration laws and to support left-of-center immigration advocacy groups. ^{14 15}

In 2026, the GBCS urged supporters to contact their representatives in support of H.R. 1061, the Protecting Sensitive Locations Act, which it described as “vital legislation that would prohibit immigration enforcement actions in spaces that provide essential services and refuge, such as houses of worship, schools, hospitals, courthouses, and other community centers.” ¹⁶

As of 2026, the GBCS had a dedicated “Immigration Justice Resources” directory to help its supporters and members find ways to get involved politically regarding immigration policies in the United States. ¹⁷

Election Administration

As of 2026, the GBCS encouraged members to become “election observers” in voting precincts throughout the United States. It referred to the alleged “sacred nature of the vote” amid “concerns about election interference and declining public trust in elections.” ¹⁸

Nuclear Weapons

In August 2026, the GBCS hosted a vigil at the United Methodist Building in Washington, D.C. to call for the abolition of nuclear weapons. It was joined by 21 national organizations and faith groups. ¹⁹

Israel and Palestinian Territories

In August 2026, the GBCS encouraged its members and supporters to “press the State Department to protect Palestinians of all faiths in the West Bank” and to demand the U.S. government apply “pressure on Israel to stop approving settlements and demand accountability for settler violence against Palestinians.” ²⁰

Affiliations

As of 2026, the General Board of Church and Society was an official member of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights (LCCHR), a civil-rights-focused left-of-center coalition based in Washington, D.C. that serves as an umbrella organization for over 240 mostly left-of-center organizations that lobby and advocate before the U.S. Congress and other federal agencies on legislation and presidential appointments to the executive departments and judiciary. ^{4 5}

Financials

Since the General Board of Church and Society is a religious organization, it is not required to file a nonprofit tax return with the IRS, even though it is registered as a 501(c)(3) organization. ^{21 22}

Leadership

As of 2026, the General Board of Church and Society was led by general secretary Julius C. Trimble. Its leadership was composed of several directors, each overseeing a particular political or faith issue. ²³