Welcome! The Global Ministries EarthKeepers program is open to United Methodists currently living in the United States. Applications for the Spring Online Training 2026 will close March 25, 2026 or when spaces are filled. You can preview the essay questions here.

This training is also offered in limited Spanish. If you would like to participate in the Spanish-language training, please complete the Spanish Application.

Things to Know

Projects

This program is designed for people who have a project idea they want to implement in a community with which they have a relationship. The training provides support in developing it. You must know what you plan to work on when you apply. It can be a new project or a new phase of an existing project. It is okay for your project to change as you develop it during the training. 

• Example of a specific idea that is ready to be developed in this training: I want to develop a church building energy efficiency program for low-wealth churches in my district.

• Example of an idea that needs further refinement: I want to make my church do everything it says in the Community of All Creation section in the UMC Social Principles. 

UMC Annual Conference Connection

Global Ministries EarthKeepers often already are, or become, leaders in their annual conferences. For your application to be complete, a conference-level leader (bishop, director of connectional ministries, district superintendent, or conference creation care ministry chairperson) must submit a Connection Form on your behalf. You are responsible for asking them to submit the form. Your application will not be reviewed until the Connection Form is submitted.

If you don't know any of the people in these roles, ask your pastor to make an introduction or reach out to one of them via your annual conference website. Introduce yourself, explaining the training and why you want to participate. Ask if they will complete the form and suggest a call following the training to share what you learned.

Click here for the Connection Form

You will receive email confirmation when the Connection Form has been submitted.

Time Commitment

This training includes up to 24 hours of homework between April 8-30 and 8.5 hours of Zoom sessions between May 1-16.

The pre-training homework will be available April 8 and can be completed at your convenience.

Required participation includes the following Zoom sessions:

• Friday, May 1, 2026: Plenary session 1, 8:00-9:30pm ET

  Friday, May 8: Plenary session 2, 8:00-9:30pm ET

• Saturday, May 16: Plenary session 3, 10:00am-1:00pm ET

• One 45-minute coaching session with a trainer between May 4-15. You will book the session after the training begins at a time that works for you and the trainer.

• Two small group meetings. You can request your preferred group.

  Participants are required to complete all homework, fully participate in all online Zoom sessions of the live plenaries, and participate in small groups in order to be commissioned.

  • Group A: Tuesday, May 5 &12, 10:00-11:15am ET
  • Group B: Tuesday, May 5 &12, 2:00-3:15pm ET
  • Group C: Wednesday, May 6 & 13, 1:00-2:15pm ET
  • Group D: Wednesday, May 6 &13, 8:00-9:15pm ET

Email questions to environment@umcmission.org.