Why It Matters
The Oregon-Idaho Conference of the United Methodist Church voted last month to move its 2027 annual gathering out of Idaho, marking a significant institutional response to state legislation affecting marginalized communities. The decision reflects deepening tensions between faith organizations and state policy in a region where church leadership says vulnerable members face legal and social risks.
What Happened
The Oregon-Idaho Conference, which merged in 1969 and represents Methodist congregations across both states, voted to relocate next year’s annual conference from its traditional home at the Cathedral of the Rockies in Boise. The meeting will either move to Oregon or be held virtually.
Rev. Heather Riggs of Montavilla United Methodist Church in Portland brought the motion to relocate. Dozens of clergy and lay members spoke during public comment before the vote. The decision came after a previous determination that the conference would gather in Idaho in both 2026 and 2027.
Church leaders cited safety concerns for LGBTQ+ and immigrant members as the primary reason for the move. Bishop Cedrick D. Bridgeforth, who leads the Greater Northwest Episcopal Area covering Oregon-Idaho, Pacific Northwest, and Alaska conferences, noted that queer and immigrant Methodists living in Idaho had not been part of the original conversation about the conference location.
The catalyst for the motion involved a nonbinary clergy member from Oregon who experienced a microaggression during a visit to a local Boise hospital. Rev. Duane Anders, pastor at Cathedral of the Rockies, acknowledged the concern but argued for the conference’s presence in Idaho. “Our response to that was, if anything, we need it here more,” Anders said, pointing to the ministry being conducted in the state. Anders also noted that his transgender daughter lives in Washington state because she does not feel safe in Idaho.
Rev. Hannah Andres, who serves at Whitney United Methodist Church in Boise and the Wesley Foundation at Boise State University, expressed frustration about being overlooked in decision-making. “It’s hard to not feel disregarded or left behind. There is really important ministry that we are doing as the Methodist church in Idaho and in eastern Oregon that feels constantly disregarded and like it doesn’t matter,” Andres said. Andres is one of only two openly queer clergy currently serving in Idaho from the Oregon-Idaho Conference.
By the Numbers
11 — anti-LGBTQ+ bills introduced by Idaho lawmakers in 2026
Approximately 6 — bills specifically targeting transgender people
1969 — year the Oregon-Idaho Conference merged
Every four years — prior frequency for holding the conference in Idaho to maintain geographic equity
2 — openly queer clergy currently serving in Idaho from the Oregon-Idaho Conference
Zoom Out
Idaho has become a focal point for national debates over LGBTQ+ rights and immigration policy. The state has passed and continues to pass legislation targeting marginalized communities, reflecting broader cultural divisions playing out across the country.
House Bill 752, one of the anti-transgender measures, makes it a crime for transgender people to use restrooms aligned with their gender in government-owned buildings and private businesses open to the public statewide. A federal judge granted a preliminary injunction blocking full enforcement of the law, leaving its status uncertain. Religious institutions across the country have faced similar pressures to respond to state policies affecting their members, with some taking public stances on immigration and social issues.
What’s Next
The Oregon-Idaho Conference will finalize details about whether the 2027 gathering will take place in Oregon or operate as a virtual conference. The decision sets a precedent for how faith communities in the region respond to state policy, and may influence other organizations making similar assessments about holding events in Idaho.