Dear Lay/Clergy member to Annual Conference,
Thank you for the flexibility and patience you have shown this conference year as the Annual Conference Planning Committee continues to find new ways of being “Alive Together at the Table” despite our not being able to join together in person. We eagerly anticipate gathering with you at our 2021 session, which begins in just a few short weeks. Below you will find helpful information as you prepare for this year’s online Annual Conference session.
Conference Timeline and Agenda
Our 2021 online Annual Conference session will be held Monday, June 7 from 8:30 am – 5 pm. While we anticipate concluding our business by mid-afternoon, we do ask that you please plan your entire day for our meeting. In addition to this online gathering, we will host the clergy session on the morning of Tuesday, June 1. Both the June 1 clergy session and the June 7 business session will utilize Zoom webinar. A non-voting live stream option for the June 7 meeting will be available on the conference website for any guests wanting to watch. The three conference worship services will also be streamed on the conference website.
- June 1 - Virtual Clergy Session, 10 am
- June 1 - Virtual Retiree Recognition, 7 pm
- June 3 - Virtual Memorial Service, 7 pm
- June 6 - Virtual Service of Ordination with Commissioning - 5 pm
- June 7 - Virtual Annual Conference Session, 8:30 am - 5 pm
Click here for a working agenda of the business session
Book of Recommendations and Reports
Business items for the 2021 Annual Conference session are contained within the Book of Recommendations and Reports(BOR). Inside the BOR delegates will find helpful annual conference information, detailed reports from conference ministries, pension and benefits recommendations, conference budgets, and much more. One of the purposes of the BOR is to allow delegates to read the recommendations and reports before the annual conference session. As it's always been, the BOR will be an invaluable resource prior to and throughout the Annual Conference session. The BOR is now available for download as a PDF file at no cost in its entirety, or in sections. You can also purchase it for $6 (plus tax and shipping) as a professionally bound book here, through lulu.com*.
IMPORTANT: Recommendations that did not make the BOR printing deadline, such as the conference nominations report, will be placed on the conference website and an email sent when available.
Special Offering: Golden Cross Fund
Each year, the South Georgia Annual Conference designates a special offering. While we are not yet meeting together in person, we still want to join together our hands and gifts to collectively support a ministry that brings us Alive Together at the Table. The South Georgia Conference has therefore designated the Golden Cross Fund as the 2021 Annual Conference Special Offering. Click here to learn more about this fund and ways to give.
Training Opportunities
We strongly encourage all delegates to attend an online training session to learn how to participate and vote during all Annual Conference sessions. There will be two opportunities for voting training, how to be recognized, and how to use your personal voter identification number to cast your votes. These identical trainings, conducted by GNTV, will be held on May 27 at 7:00 pm and May 28 at 9:00 am. A link for the trainings will be sent to delegates closer to time.
Delegate Voting Credentials & Email Verification
Each delegate will receive a personal voter identification number via email prior to conference. Pastors: please take the time now to check the church dashboard and ensure that the correct person is listed as your delegate and that your delegate has an email address listed. For the information on training opportunities and your delegate’s voter identification number to reach the right person, the information in the dashboard must be correct. If you need help verifying or making a correction to lay member information, please contact your district office or meredyth@sgaumc.com.
Make sure to review the FAQs about the Annual Conference session. Please continue to visit www.sgaumc.org/annualconference often as we approach our time together.
Please reach out to me if I may be of assistance as you prepare for the 2021 Annual Conference Session.
Grace and Peace,
Meredyth Earnest
Conference Secretary
