Dear Lay/Clergy member to Annual Conference,
We are less than two months away from our Annual Conference gathering in Columbus June 5 - 8. The great people of Columbus and the Northwest District are busy preparing for your arrival. In the coming weeks you will receive additional Annual Conference-related information that includes the Book of Recommendations and Reports, parking directions and other helpful information you will want to review prior to your arrival in Columbus. There are, however, a few things listed below that I want to highlight for you at this point.
I look forward to greeting you in Columbus in June!
Meredyth Earnest
SGA Conference Secretary
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Conference Working Agenda
The 2022 Annual Conference Working Agenda has been posted online. Please note that this is subject to change.
Our session will begin with an Opening Worship Service on Sunday evening, June 5, at 7:00 pm. Conference will conclude with a Sending Forth Service on Wednesday, June 8. Click here for the detailed working agenda.
A few reminders about this year’s schedule:
- The Clergy Session will be held in two parts: Part 1 on Sunday, May 22 (via Zoom) and Part 2 on Monday, June 6 (at the Columbus Trade Center).
- A conference business session will be held Tuesday evening, following a dinner break.
- Our goal is to adjourn by lunchtime on Wednesday. However, if we have not completed our work we will take a short lunch break and return for an afternoon session.
Business Related Items
Resolutions
Seven resolutions have been submitted to the Conference Committee on Resolutions for the 2022 session of the South Georgia Annual Conference. The committee will present each resolution, along with a recommendation for each, during the business session June 5-8, 2022. Click here to view.
Retiree Healthcare Trust
The Conference Board of Pension and Health Benefits will present a proposal for a Retiree Healthcare Trust during the 2022 Annual Conference session. The board has made available many documents and a video provide an overview of the proposal. Click here to view the video and read an FAQ document.
Disaffiliation FAQs Related to Clergy & Disaffiliated Churches
The South Georgia Conference has a disaffiliation policy for churches, but the policy does not address the clergy who intend to continue serving the church they were leading once the church disaffiliates. This is where we must discern what the current Book of Discipline says and what the implications are for clergy benefits in general, and clergy pension benefits specifically. Click here to read the FAQ document.
FAQ Video with Bishop Graves broken down by questions
In a recent FAQ video, Bishop Graves answers questions about General Conference, denominational matters, and disaffiliations. The video has now been broken down into 11 segments by question, making it easier to digest and share. Click here to view.
Annual Conference Special Offering and Mission Emphasis
Special Offering
During the 2022 Annual Conference session, South Georgia United Methodists will have the opportunity to partner with North Katanga United Methodists to support two of their ministries, Kamina Orphanage and Wings of the Morning Aviation. Click here to learn more about this Special Offering for our North Katanga Partnership.
Mission Emphasis
As in years past, we will have a mission emphasis to support several South Georgia agencies that do amazing ministry on a daily basis. They are the hands and feet of Jesus Christ as they help to meet the most basic of needs. Each of the agencies listed will have a collection box in the lobby of the Convention Center. They have selected items that will help them in their day-to-day operation. Click here for more information on the items needed to fill the mission bins.
Additional Information
If there has been a change in the lay member(s) representing your charge, please log in to your church dashboard, www.sgaumc.org/dashboard, and make the change in the "My Church's Leaders" section. Please also share the change with your district office.
For questions regarding the business of Annual Conference, please contact Meredyth Earnest at meredyth@sgaumc.com. For questions regarding local arrangements or for general inquiries, please contact Kelly Roberson at kelly@sgaumc.com.
