During 2024, the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) and the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM), two general agencies of the United Methodist Church (UMC) which are very involved in Methodist education, began a process of alignment among themselves in order to promote synergies in their mission and ministries, explore areas of cooperation, and adapt to the new political, social, theological, and economic realities within United Methodism. As part of this process, there were two Joint Meetings of the Boards of Directors of the General Board of Higher Education and Ministry (GBHEM) and the General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) in 2024. The first, held in March in Atlanta, GA (USA), concluded the 2016-2024 quadrennium and prepared the agencies for the General Conference of the United Methodist Church, held in Charlotte, NC (USA) in April and May. The second meeting of the two Boards of Directors, which took place in October in Nashville, TN (USA), marked the transition to the 2024-2028 quadrennium. As part of this alignment process, Roland Fernandes was selected as the new General Secretary of both agencies. Since then, he has been leading a series of new developments, including the alignment between GBHEM and GBGM as well as the United Methodist Commission on Relief (UMCOR). By virtue of his leadership position in these agencies, Roland Fernandes is also a leading ex officio member of the IAMSCU Board of Directors and its Executive Committee. In these capacities, he has been in conversations with the IAMSCU President, Adriana Murriello, and other leading members.
