Certified Advocate Development Program

The Certified Advocate Development Program equips United Methodists to conduct faith-based legislative and policy advocacy in the public square.

The General Board of Church and Society (GBCS) is offering the Certified Advocate Development Program, a cohort-based initiative designed to equip United Methodists to engage in faith-based legislative and policy advocacy in the public square.

Through the program, Certified Advocates will work closely with advocacy staff to communicate Social Principle concerns with policymakers and leaders around the world.

In an effort to be contextually relevant, each cohort will be based by region. Each year, we will facilitate a new cohort for a different region of our United Methodist connection. Registration for the U.S. region is now open to all who are interested and will close at the end of on August 21.

Program Overview

The Certified Advocate Development Program is a three-course training experience over three months. The program consists of self-paced, on-demand course content released ahead of each monthly live session, paired with live trainings focused on reflection, discussion, and application. Following the training period, participants will continue in ongoing advocate development with Church and Society.

Introductory Courses

Orientation – Thursday, September 3, 2026

Session #1 – Thursday, October 1, 2026

Session #2 – Thursday, November 5, 2026

Session #3 – Thursday December 3, 2026

Note: Sessions are to be held on the first Thursday of the month.