Dear Lay and Clergy Members of the 2024 Annual Conference,
Greetings to you as we continue in ministry in this new year!
Our 2024 South Georgia Annual Conference Session, set for June 2-5, is quickly approaching. We know that you are actively making your plans to attend, which is why we want to share important information with you now.
The Conference Program Committee, the Local Arrangements Team, and the South Central District are excited to welcome everyone to our venue, the UGA Tifton Campus Conference Center, in Tifton, Ga. The theme for this year’s Annual Conference is “One Matters” based on Luke 15. We look forward to being led by our Episcopal leader, Bishop David Graves. The basic agenda for our time together can be viewed here.
One new thing we are implementing this year is pre-registration for our session. In the past, clergy and laity have only registered onsite. With the success of pre-payment for previous online sessions, your planning committee feels this would be a welcome addition to our process. Detailed information on how and when to pre-register will be shared in the coming weeks.
We hope that after reading this email you will reach out to us with any questions or concerns. We look forward to a great conference, and your active participation on behalf of your local church.
Grace and Peace,
Meredyth Earnest
Conference Secretary
AC 2024: Details to Note
Upcoming Deadlines
- Resolutions - March 1, 2024 (details below)
- Book of Recommendations and Reports Submissions - March 1, 2024 (details below)
- Displays: May 1, 2024 (details below)
Schedule
A detailed schedule of events will be provided in the early Spring. The 2024 Annual Conference Session will begin with an Opening Worship Service on Sunday evening, June 2, at 7:00 pm. Conference will conclude with the Sending Forth Service on Wednesday, June 5. Our goal is to conclude the conference by noon. The basic agenda for our time together can be viewed here.
Local Arrangements
Hotels Hotel room blocks are open. We have secured an adequate number of rooms at a discounted rate to accommodate our event. Click here to view the list of hotels.
Childcare Childcare will be available for infants through elementary age students. More information will be available from the local arrangements committee in the coming months.
Banquets If you have a group that would like to plan a banquet or special event during the conference, contact Sissy Martin at 229-848-5016.
Displays Display spaces are available to groups and agencies related to the South Georgia Conference. Display spaces for United Methodist Church agencies cost $75 without power and $80 with power. This is the cost passed on to us by the Convention Center. Other non-UM agencies and vendors also have the opportunity to apply to set up displays. Please see the display policy for those prices and conditions. The display policy, as well as the registration form to reserve booth space, can be found at www.sgaumc.org/displays. Reservations for the space must be made by the May 1 deadline.
Conference Business
Registration The registration fee for the June 2024 session for all clergy and lay members to Annual Conference is $20. Retired clergy not serving a church are exempt from this fee. As noted above, pre-registration details will be sent in the coming weeks.
Resolutions March 1 is the deadline for all resolutions to the South Georgia Conference. The Resolutions Committee will consider only those resolutions received by March 1. For information on how to submit a resolution visit www.sgaumc.org/resolutions.
Book of Recommendations and Reports Most of the business items for the conference session are contained in the Book of Recommendations and Reports (BOR). March 1 is the deadline for submission of reports to be included in the Book of Recommendations and Reports. Communication is being sent directly to those submitting reports. The BOR will be made available this Spring in two ways: as a downloadable PDF file at no cost on our conference website, and/or as a professionally-bound, printed copy.
Charge Lay Member There is one lay member per appointed clergy at each charge. If there has been a change in the lay member(s) representing your charge, please make sure to share the change with Meredyth Earnest at meredyth@sgaumc.com. All charge lay members should be entered into the church dashboard no later than May 1, 2024.
Expenses / Per diem Clergy and lay delegates who represent a local church shall have their expenses (including registration) paid by the local church (this includes retired clergy who are serving a church). Lay delegates who represent an organization and Extension Ministers shall have their expenses paid by the organization they represent. Retired clergy not under appointment and clergy on medical leave shall also receive a per diem of $65 per day for each day attended. Lay members who do not represent a local church or conference organization shall receive a per diem on the same basis.
Questions For questions regarding the business of Annual Conference, please contact Meredyth Earnest at meredyth@sgaumc.com. For general inquiries, contact Kelly Roberson at 912-270-6172 or kelly@sgaumc.com.
