The Young Adults Pilgrimage of Peace (YAPP) 2026 brings together young leaders from the worldwide Methodist, Wesleyan, United and Uniting faith communities within the World Methodist Council (WMC) to reflect, learn, and act for peace. Organised in collaboration with the Korean Methodist Church Mission Board and the United Methodist Church – General Board of Global Ministries through the Methodist Church in Colombia in recognition of their long-standing missionary partnership, the pilgrimage forms part of the WMC YYA Peace Programme (2024–2029) and invites participants to encounter Colombia’s ongoing journey toward reconciliation while exploring how faith can inspire justice, healing, and non-violent transformation.
Venue: Colombia (various locations)
Date: from Friday, 27th June (arrival) to Thursday, 2nd July (departure) 2026
Please carefully read the requirements and complete all necessary steps to ensure your application is considered!
WHO CAN APPLY?
Young adults aged 18 to 35 member of a Methodist, Wesleyan, United or Uniting faith communities within the World Methodist Council are invited to apply, whether delegates or not, provided they meet one or more of the following criteria:
- Students in theological seminaries preparing for church ministry, whether lay, in training for ordination, or already ordained, and those on vocational discernment.
- Young leaders already actively involved and committed to peacebuilding within their local communities.
- Emerging young adults committed to justice, reconciliation, and ecumenical engagement.
Final selection will consider gender, age, geography, and lay or ordained status.
Application deadline: Tuesday, 31st March 2026 at 23:59 (AOE - local time)
COMMITMENT AND ENGAGEMENT
Selected participants will be required to attend in a broader online programme, including two (2) preparatory session before the pilgrimage and two or three follow-up sessions that will take place from September-December 2026 with all the participants from the World Methodist Council, Korean Methodist Church and United Methodist Church-General Board of Global Ministries. These sessions are aimed to strengthen the commitment to peacebuilding and foster deeper engagement within the WMC delegation and the wider ecumenical community.
BURSARIES
Participants selected for this programme will receive a bursary* via bank transfer from the World Methodist Council after the participation in Colombia. This bursary must be used to cover the 100 USD registration fee and contribute towards international travel and visa costs (if applicable). Any expenses exceeding the awarded bursary must be covered by the participant or their church, regional council, seminary, or religious institution. The bursary amount will be determined based on the distance of international travel to Colombia and the need for a visa/ETA.
Accomodation, Food and Local Transportation will provided by the organisers.
*WMC YYA Committee Bursary Criteria Document
Whilst the bursary allocation criteria and tiers offer a guiding framework, the Committee will review each application on a case-by-case basis, ensuring a flexible and considered approach to addressing the distinct financial circumstances of each selected participant.
REQUIRED DOCUMENTS
- Completed online form
- Letter(s) of endorsement from your national church or regional council or seminary/institution dean/principal.
- Copy of your passport (make sure passport is valid until 6 months after this programme)
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Short statement from applicant, considering experience, interests and contribution to this peacebuilding programme (max 400 words)
Please submit ALL required documents to ensure your application can be processed.
File naming format
To ensure your submitted files are correctly identified, please use the following naming format for each document:
'SURNAME_COUNTRY_LETTER/PASSPORT/CV/STATEMENT.pdf'
For example: 'SMITH_COLOMBIA_LETTER.pdf', 'SMITH_COLOMBIA_PASSPORT.pdf', etc.
If you require any further information, please contact us: yya@worldmethodistcouncil.org