Annual Conference Session 2020
2020 Annual Conference Session | Columbus, GA | June 7-9
**Please note:
Annual Conference/Moving Day
Bishop Bryan and the Annual Conference planning team and are looking at alternatives, and they anticipate making an announcement before the end of April. If the Annual Conference session is moved to a later date, moving day will still be June 17 unless the coronavirus situation necessitates further change.
2020 Dates, Potential Called Session
The 2020 Annual Conference Session is set for June 7-9 at The Columbus Georgia Convention & Trade Center.
Annual Conference will begin at 6:30 pm on Sunday, June 7 and conclude at 4:00 pm on Tuesday, June 9. In addition to our time together in June, Bishop Lawson Bryan, in consultation with the leadership of the South Georgia Conference, has announced a potential one-day called Annual Conference Session in August.
Because General Conference 2020 concludes May 15, 2020, additional time could be needed to properly prepare for any outcome of General Conference 2020 that requires action by the annual conference. If needed, the called Annual Conference Session would be held on Saturday, August 15, 2020, at a central location within the bounds of the conference.
“Our goal is to do all we can to equip our laity and clergy with accurate information and adequate time for discernment before making important decisions about our future,” Bishop Bryan said. “This plan will enable us to focus on worship and celebration in June and then have time to prepare delegates and local churches should a vote be needed in August.”
The August date can also be adjusted if it is determined that more time is needed to properly prepare the conference for any possible vote. If the additional session is not needed, the dates of June 7-9, 2020, will still stand for the 2020 Annual Conference session.
A decision about whether the August called session is needed will be announced following the 2020 General Conference Session, which concludes May 15.
Hotels block now open for 2020
Hotel room blocks are now open. Valley Hospitality in Columbus has secured more than 600 rooms for our event. Rooms must be booked by May 1 to receive the discounted price.
Valley Hospitality has created a website just for South Georgia Conference United Methodists to make booking your hotel easy and streamlined. For those who prefer to make reservations over the phone, they have provided the phone number for each hotel on the website. Click here to view the list of hotels.
Please note: There will be valet parking offered at the Convention Center (not hotel shuttles). We are thankful to Valley Hospitality for providing this service for our conference.
If you have any questions or issues booking rooms, please contact Valley Hospitality's Concierge Service Team at (706) 489-4037 or concierge@valleyhospitality.com.
Additional Information
Banquets If you have a group that would like to plan a banquet or special event, contact Lisa Marie Ming at lming@stlukeum.com or 706-256-1017.
2019 Conference Journals The 2019 Journals will be available this fall. When they’re complete, a separate email will be sent with ordering and download information. Information will also be available at www.sgaumc.org/conferencejournal.
Alive Together in Witness As we spend this year focusing on being Alive Together in Witness leading up to Annual Conference 2020, watch the Advocate and the conference website for stories about churches who are reaching out to the world in many different ways. If you and your congregation need help creating ways to be Alive Together in Witness, please call Connectional Ministries at 888-266-7642. One of the Connectional Ministries staff members will be happy to work with you to design an outreach program that helps you be more Alive Together in Witness. Please also watch for the many programs and activities sponsored by Connectional Ministries that will are available throughout the year. Through these programs and activities, we can truly be Alive Together in Witness in our Annual Conference!
Questions For questions regarding the business of Annual Conference, please contact Dr. Nita Crump at nitac@sgaumc.com. For questions regarding local arrangements, please contact Maggie Roberson at maggie@stlukeum.com or 706-327-4343. For general inquiries, contact Kelly Roberson at 912-270-6172 or kelly@sgaumc.com.
Social Media for the 2020 Annual Conference
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sgaumc
Twitter: www.twitter.com/sgaumc / #sgaumc
Instagram: www.instagram.com/sgaumc
What is Annual Conference?
Each year—traditionally in June for the South Georgia Conference—all clergy members and an equal number of lay members selected from the local churches attend their conference’s Annual Conference session and meet together to worship, fellowship, and conduct the business of the conference, which may last 3-5 days. During these sessions, members of the conference hear reports of past and ongoing work; adopt future goals, programs and budgets; ordain clergy members as deacons and elders; and elect delegates to Jurisdictional and General Conferences (every 4 years). The bishop presides over these meetings.