The Charis Fellowship held its annual Charis Conversation business meeting on Thursday, July 23, 2026, on the final day of Charis Fellowship Conference in Pickerington, Ohio. A 20-page delegate report was sent to all registered delegates on July 20. Details were reviewed during the Charis Conversation.
Tim Hodge (Fellowship Coordinator) shared highlights from the Statistical Report, including the fact that our average attendance in 2025 was the highest in our history, and that the number of baptisms in 2025 was the highest in 25 years. We also celebrated a new Associate Member church: Church at the Well in Towson, Md. Andrew Saunders (Networking Coordinator) reviewed the 2027 budget which is slightly reduced from the previous year and reflects the Fellowship’s healthy financial status.
Tim Sprankle (Executive Director) explained and read through a Clarification Paper on Eldership that the Fellowship Council has been working on since last year and has recently approved. He also shared the intent of the document in describing viewpoints that are broadly shared by churches within the Charis Fellowship, while also respecting the autonomy of each church. The Clarification Paper is available through a link on the Position Statements document posted on the Charis Fellowship website.
Voting was then conducted throughout the week following Conference through a secure online ballot. 176 registered delegates from Charis Fellowship churches across the US and Canada participated in the 2026 vote, and all items voted on were approved.
In addition to Kip Cone being affirmed as the executive director-elect to begin a three-year term in August 2027, three men were elected to begin serving a full five-year term each on the Fellowship Council: Bart Blair, Timothy Clothier, and Greg Foote.
The 2027 Charis Fellowship budget was approved. The ratification of the Fellowship Council’s annual appointment of Tim Hodge as Secretary and Doug Courter as Treasurer were both approved, and the list of potential nominating committee members was confirmed by delegates in order of preference.
Thank you to all delegates who participated this year, and to all churches who submitted their statistical report and Fellowship contribution. Also, to the three men who completed their terms serving on the Fellowship Council, thank you for serving the Fellowship well: Nick Cleveland (2021–2026), and Devin Livingston (2021–2026) who both served a five-year term, and Mike Silliman (2024–2026) who stepped in to complete an incomplete term. If you have any questions or need additional information, contact the Fellowship Office here.