Oklahoma United Methodist Conference

What Oklahoma United Methodist Conference does

The Oklahoma Conference of The United Methodist Church (OKUMC) is a regional non-profit governing body of The United Methodist Church, operating under the UMC's South Central Jurisdiction. The organization provides administrative, programmatic, and missional support to 500+ local United Methodist churches organized into 8 districts spanning the state of Oklahoma, and is led by Bishop Laura Merrill from the United Methodist Ministry Center in Oklahoma City. Its primary service constituents are member churches, clergy (ordained elders, deacons, commissioned ministers, and local pastors), and laity across the conference.

The conference's product surface consists of programs and services rather than commercial technology products. Offerings include the Contact Newspaper (monthly digital publication) and Say So Magazine, Camp and Retreat Ministries (okcamps.org), Campus Ministry / Wesley Foundations at 13 Oklahoma universities, the New Faith Communities (church planting) initiative, the Lighthouse Congregations retention program, the Project Transformation youth summer program, and the Methodism 101 educational video series. The underlying technology stack is modest: standard church management software (Brick River / Armi) for administration, alongside conventional web, email, podcast, and social-media channels for communications. There is no proprietary technology platform or AI/ML capability in evidence.

The revenue model is non-commercial and funded primarily through mandatory apportionment contributions from local member churches (approximately 10% of each church's income, representing about 15% of total conference funding), supplemented by voluntary Second Mile giving, donations, camp and retreat program fees, and partnership-related income (e.g., the Oklahoma Federal Credit Union member-benefit arrangement). Distribution is delivered through 8 district offices, 500+ local churches, 13 campus ministries, and conference-run camp facilities. Pricing concepts, GTM sales motion, and customer concentration in the commercial sense do not apply.

Name

Oklahoma United Methodist Conference

Legal name

Oklahoma Conference of The United Methodist Church

Website

https://okumc.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The Oklahoma Conference of The United Methodist Church is a regional non-profit governing body that provides administrative, programmatic, and missional support to 500+ local UMC churches, clergy, and laity across 8 districts in Oklahoma, under the leadership of Bishop Laura Merrill.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Administration and Connectional Ministries

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)

Keywords

• Religious conference administration
• Clergy placement services
• Camp retreat ministries
• Campus ministry programs
• Church planting initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Oklahoma City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Apportionments from Local Churches: Each local church in the Oklahoma Conference is asked to pay approximately 10% of their income (equivalent to a tithe) to the annual conference each year. These contributions fund ministries in Oklahoma, the South Central Jurisdiction, and throughout the world via the United Methodist Church structure. Apportionments represent approximately 15% of the conference's overall funding.
2. Connectional Giving and Second Mile Giving: Voluntary additional giving beyond apportionments for specific mission initiatives, disaster relief, scholarships, new church plants, and missionaries support.
3. Credit Union Partnership: Congregations can join Oklahoma Federal Credit Union, offering members financial services. Ministers and church employees qualify for credit union membership directly.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Oklahoma United Methodist Conference is the regional governing body of The United Methodist Church for the state of Oklahoma, coordinating ministry and administration across 500+ local churches organized into 8 districts. Its fundamental offering is the connectional infrastructure that supports clergy placement via the itinerant system, administers apportionment funds for shared ministries, operates camp and retreat facilities, supports 13+ Wesley Foundation campus ministries, and delivers programs including new church development, mission coordination, and publications such as the Contact Newspaper.

Product overview

Oklahoma United Methodist Conference operates as a regional administrative body of The United Methodist Church, serving local congregations across Oklahoma. The organization provides a portfolio of church management services including publications (Contact Newspaper, Say So Magazine), camp and retreat ministries, campus ministry/Wesley Foundations at 13 universities, administrative services, and various ministry programs. Their digital presence consists primarily of informational web content rather than a unified software product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Contact Newspaper
• Say So Magazine
• Camp and Retreat Ministries
• Campus Ministry / Wesley Foundations
• Church Locator
• Clergy Directory
• Lighthouse Congregations
• New Faith Communities
• Project Transformation
• Methodism 101

Quantifiable outcome

• 8,000+ pounds of vegetables produced by Bartlesville First UMC community garden in 2025

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• NWOSU Wesley House (Alva)coreOthersCampus ministry at Northwestern Oklahoma State University. Director: JoDe Bradt. Address: 1027 8th St, Alva, OK 73717. Phone: 580-430-1978.
• SEOSU Wesley Foundation (Durant)coreOthersCampus ministry at Southeastern Oklahoma State University. Director: Fasiri Ellison. Address: 311 W University, Durant, OK 74701. Phone: 580-924-2971.
• UCO Wesley Foundation (Edmond)coreOthersCampus ministry at University of Central Oklahoma. Director: Alex Jackson. Address: 310 E Hurd St, Edmond, OK 73034. Phone: 405-443-9255.
• Langston University Wesley FoundationcoreOthersCampus ministry at historically Black Langston University. Director: Ja'Lyn Betts. Address: 777 Sammy Davis Jr. Dr, Langston, OK 73050. Phone: 405-632-2644 ext 110.
• Cameron Wesley Foundation (Lawton)coreOthersCampus ministry at Cameron University. Director: Hannah Bacani. Physical Address: 500 SW 27th St, Lawton, OK 73505. Phone: 580-357-7220.
• OU Wesley Foundation (Norman)coreOthersCampus ministry at University of Oklahoma. Director: Elizabeth Horton-Ware. Address: 428 W Lindsay St, Norman, OK 73069. Phone: 405-321-6266.
• OCU Wesley Center (Oklahoma City)coreOthersCampus ministry at Oklahoma City University. Director: Aly Shahan. Address: 2501 N Blackwelder, Oklahoma City, OK 73106. Phone: 405-208-5484.
• OSU Wesley Foundation (Stillwater)coreOthersCampus ministry at Oklahoma State University. Director: James Hunt. Address: 521 W University, Stillwater, OK 74074. Phone: 405-372-5830.
• NSU Wesley Foundation (Tahlequah)coreOthersCampus ministry at Northeastern State University. Director: Bryan Rigsby. Address: 403 Goingsnake, Tahlequah, OK 74464. Phone: 918-456-2939.
• TU Wesley Foundation (Tulsa)coreOthersCampus ministry at University of Tulsa. Director: Rev. Emily Robnett. Address: 3019 E 5th, Tulsa, OK 74104. Phone: 580-592-5778.
• NOC Wesley Foundation (Tonkawa)coreOthersCampus ministry at Northern Oklahoma College. Director: Nathan Oney. Address: 201 South Frantz St, Tonkawa, OK 74653. Phone: 580-768-1353.
• SWOSU Wesley Foundation (Weatherford)coreOthersCampus ministry at Southwestern Oklahoma State University. Directors: Tristen Kretchmar and Jordan Duff. Address: 817 N 7th St, Weatherford, OK 73096. Phone: 580-772-5511.
• EOSC United Campus Ministries (Wilburton)coreOthersCampus ministry at Eastern Oklahoma State College. Director: Dana Hugle. Address: P.O. Box 6, Wilburton, OK 74578. Phone: (918) 465-3322.
• Oklahoma Federal Credit UnionminorOthersCredit union partnership allowing conference employees, churches, and affiliated agency employees/families to join. Congregations can now join with leadership approval. No cost to churches. Call 405/524-6467 or visit okfcu.com.
• Oklahoma City UniversitycoreOthersAffiliated university providing scholarship information for United Methodist students. Connection to OCU Wesley Center campus ministry.
• Saint Paul School of Theology at OCUcoreOthersTheological seminary partner located at Oklahoma City University campus for clergy education and seminary partnerships.
• Circle of CarecoreOthersConference-related ministry focused on children and family services. Visit circleofcare.org for more information.
• Lydia Patterson InstitutecoreOthersEducational ministry partner providing opportunities related to Hispanic/Latino ministry within the conference.
• Restore Hope MinistrycoreOthersConference-affiliated ministry focused on community outreach and support services. Visit restorehope.org.
• Skyline Urban MinistrycoreOthersUrban ministry partner providing services to underserved communities. Visit skylineurbanministry.org.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Indiana Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church: A North Central Jurisdiction UMC annual conference operating an essentially identical governance, funding, and program structure as OKUMC, providing a useful cross-jurisdictional comparison.
• Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church: Another South Central Jurisdiction UMC annual conference; operates the same connectional governance, district system, and apportionment mechanics as the Oklahoma Conference. The closest structural and operational peer in scale and program offerings.
• North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church: A neighboring UMC annual conference within the same South Central Jurisdiction, sharing identical connectional governance structure, itinerant clergy system, and apportionment funding model. Directly comparable in mission, scale, and structure to OKUMC.
• Louisiana Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church: Another South Central Jurisdiction UMC annual conference sharing the exact same denominational structure, bishop-led governance, and apportionment revenue model as the Oklahoma Conference.
• Kansas East & Kansas West Conferences of the United Methodist Church: South Central Jurisdiction UMC annual conferences operating the same connectional polity and ministry programs as OKUMC, including camp ministries, campus ministries, and apportionment-based funding.
• Missouri Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church: South Central Jurisdiction UMC annual conference operating the same connectional governance model, itinerant clergy system, and apportionment-based funding. Comparable scale and constituency to OKUMC.
• Arkansas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church: A fellow South Central Jurisdiction UMC annual conference with similar governance, district structure, and ministry programs. Comparable geographic size and denominational identity to OKUMC.

Broad incumbents

• Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma: A regional Anglican governing body (diocese) operating in the same Oklahoma geography with comparable connectional governance, congregational support, and ministry program offerings. Useful peer for benchmarking denominational governance at the regional level.
• Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma: A statewide denominational coordinating body for Oklahoma Baptists, operating camp ministries, campus ministries, and shared missions across the same Oklahoma geography as OKUMC. Comparable as a regional denominational governance peer.
• Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) Synod of the Sun: A regional governing body for PCUSA churches across Oklahoma and surrounding states; comparable to OKUMC as a connectional, multi-state/multi-congregation religious governing organization with shared missions and ministries.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/okumcCommunications
• Facebookfacebook.com/okumcommunications
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oklahoma-united-methodist-conference

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Oklahoma United Methodist Conference