The North Carolina Conference is an Annual Conference (a regional episcopal area, similar to a diocese) of the United Methodist Church. This conference serves the eastern half of the state of North Carolina, with its administrative offices and the office of the bishop located in Garner, North Carolina. It is part of the Southeastern Jurisdictional Conference. The current bishop of the North Carolina Conference is the Reverend Hope Morgan Ward. The North Carolina Conference provides funding to three institutions of higher learning: