The South Georgia Conference does not ask for pre-registration for the annual session. Clergy members of the annual conference (defined in Paragraph 369 of the Book of Discipline) will have credentials prepared to receive at the registration desk. Lay members of the annual conference must be entered into the local church dashboard in order to have credentials prepared to receive at the registration desk.
Upon arrival in Tifton on June 4, members will visit the registration area to receive voting credentials and name badge, mark attendance, verify contact information, and receive any additional instructions or information. Any member wishing to participate in the business of the conference session must be registered and have on a visible name badge. Please contact your district office if you have questions about the registration process.
Registration Fee
The registration fee for all pastors and lay members to Annual Conference is $20. Retired clergy not serving a church and clergy currently on medical leave are exempt from this fee. You will pay when you register at Annual Conference.
Expenses / Per diem - **New Process for 2023
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 disability shall 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. Retired local pastors who are not serving a church do not retain their clergy status according to the Book of Discipline, and so do not qualify for a per diem.
Per Diem Checks will be mailed to recipients shortly after the 2023 conference; no per diem checks will be written on site.
**From the Council on Finance and Administration (CFA), May 2023: "The CFA has again approved the per diem of $65/day for eligible clergy and lay delegates. Starting in 2023, when eligible delegates register at conference they will be asked whether or not they are requesting the per diem. The reasons for this change are two-fold: #1.Delegates who are traveling with a spouse who is a sponsored charge delegate should not request a per diem since the cost of the lodging is already provided by the sponsoring charge. #2. This change allows those delegates who do not financially need the per diem to decline it and essentially gift this back to the conference. All eligible delegates who complete the registration requesting a per diem will be paid the week following Annual Conference. No per diem checks will be written during the session in Tifton. The objective of these changes is not to deny anyone who needs the per diem the ability to receive it, but to practice good stewardship and potentially reduce the overall cost of providing these per diems."
Has There Been a Change your in Lay Member?
There is one lay member per appointed clergy per 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 or let your district office know. The alternate lay member must be the elected alternate chosen by your charge conference. Lay members should be entered into the church dashboard no later than May 1, 2023. Only credentialed delegates will be able to vote at the session.
Voting Rights, Who’s a voting member?
Below is a description of who can be lay or clergy members of the annual conference and vote. Your official name tag, which you will receive at registration, will let the tellers know of your eligibility to vote.
Lay Members of the Annual Conference: Lay membership for the Annual Conference session shall be composed of: the Lay Members elected by their charges, at-large delegates of the district selected by their district superintendent, the Conference Lay Leader, Conference President of United Methodist Men, Conference President of United Methodist Women, Conference President of the Council on Youth Ministries, Lay Delegates to General and Jurisdictional Conference, Diaconal Ministers, Lay Staff of the Conference, Representatives of Campus Ministries and Wesley Foundations, Lay Chairpersons of Conference Committees, Commissions, Councils, Teams or Boards, District Lay Leaders, District Presidents of United Methodist Men, District Presidents of United Methodist Women, District Presidents of United Methodist Youth, and one youth and one young adult by each District.
Clergy members of the Annual Conference: Clergy membership for the Annual Conference session shall be composed of: Full Elders, Full Deacons, Associate Members, Provisional Elders, Provisional Deacons, Full-time Local Pastors, Part-time Local Pastors, Retired Elders, Retired Deacons, Retired Associate Members, and Retired Provisional Members who retired before 2013. The Discipline also allows for Retired Local Pastors who have been serving under appointment leading up to Annual Conference to serve as clergy delegates and vote.
Voting membership for the Clergy session shall be composed of: All clergy members of the Annual Conference and the lay members of the Board of Ordained Ministry (BOM) may attend the Clergy Session. However, only ordained clergy in full connection and lay members of the BOM may vote at the Clergy Session.