Sept./Oct. response: Responsively Yours

Celebrating Assembly and Fulfilling the Call

by Sally Vonner

Dream it! Believe it! Do it! This theme for Assembly 2026 truly set the tone for our time together in Indianapolis. Thank you for attending or praying for us in your absence. Assembly 2026 is one that will always be special for me and many others. 

As I have talked with members, family, and friends who were there in person, I have discovered that many experiences have been celebrated. The most common shared were the intergenerational conversation with our guest speakers, the Rev. Carolyn Abrams and daughter Stacey Abrams; the Rev. Stephanie Arnold’s messages as the theologian in residence; the panel discussions with women leaders from various backgrounds and denominations; hearing Elizabeth Eckford, civil rights leader and member of the Little Rock Nine; and Stacey Abrams at the Legacy Banquet and the town halls. For those who came a day early, the Soul Care Retreat was a soul-filling experience.

It was an unspeakable joy just to be in the presence of over 3,000 attendees, especially first-timers and members and leaders of diverse backgrounds. The vendors and sponsors were excited to be part of something so engaging and powerful from beginning to end.

The culmination gathering with The United Methodist Church general agency secretaries joining me on stage during the closing plenary and worship, as well our women bishops leading us in communion, was a UMC connectional moment of solidarity I will hold dear in my heart forever.

I am happy that you can read more about the Assembly offerings in this issue. If you were unable to be with us in person, there will be some resources released soon for you to experience the energy and vibrancy of the two-and-a-half days of nonstop dreaming, believing, and doing it. (See Olivia DiAgostino’s Impact column on page 32 for more information on free resources.)

You can browse through photos on our United Women in Faith Flickr account at flickr.com/photos/umwomen. If you were present and haven’t added your photos, please do so.

This Assembly—although Assembly is always a powerful experience for me—was especially powerful because it was my first as the general secretary/CEO. I spent a lot of time backstage getting ready for onstage experiences, doing interviews, and making special appearances. I still found ways to connect with you and take pictures as I walked from place to place. Greeting longtime friends and meeting new ones will always be among my fondest memories.

As we enter these last months of 2026, I am grateful for your love and commitment. Together we can fulfill the calls to action from Assembly: growing our membership by being Unstoppable; expanding the concepts of the mission God has called us to as influencers for action through our social justice priorities; increasing our revenue through our pledges to mission and grant seeking; and, lastly, meeting and exceeding the $60 million Legacy Endowment Fund goal.

We have dreamed it, believed it and now, together, let’s do it.

SALLY VONNER
General Secretary and CEO
United Women in Faith

---