Know Before You Go No. 3, Clergy
Want to receive Annual Conference updates and reminders during the session via text? Text MOAC to 844-461-1474 to get on the list.
MOAC24 is one week away! This is the third of three know-before-you-go emails that will be sent ahead of Annual Conference. Miss our other emails? View them here! Read on for more details and don’t forget to check out www.moacinfo.com for all your Annual Conference-related needs.
South Central Jurisdiction Nominations Pool
One of the requirements of the Annual Conference in a new quadrennium is to create a pool of nominees from our Conference who might be willing to serve on one of the General boards, agencies or commissions of The United Methodist Church. The Missouri Conference can submit up to 45 names in addition to those who are members of the General Conference delegation. If you are interested in putting your name forward to be included in that pool, please fill out the form linked below. Bishop Farr will also take nominations from the floor during this business item, currently slated for Friday afternoon.
You are not committing to anything other than allowing your name to be considered with all the other names nominated from the South Central Jurisdiction. Submitted names go into a pool, which the jurisdictional conference votes on, and then are submitted to the agencies along with names from every jurisdiction and central conference.
Ways to Prepare for MOAC24
To get the most out of your Annual Conference experience, we recommend reviewing the following materials before you arrive in St. Charles:
Read the Conference Workbook: The Workbook contains logistical details as well as the business we will vote on at Annual Conference.
Watch the Pre-Conference Briefing: Last Thursday Bishop Farr and Conference leaders offered reports on non-voting matters as well as a business preview. We recommend watching the recording.
BAC is Now Available
Attached you will find a copy of The Business of the Annual Conference. We will vote on the BAC during the in-person Clergy Session on Saturday afternoon. If you discover what you believe to be a mistake in the BAC, please submit that concern to your District Superintendent who will escalate the concern to the Board Ordained Ministry and Clergy Relations Administrator Trudy McManus. As a reminder, questions 69-74 will be represented in the appointment list available in-person and for download at MOACinfo.com at the close of Annual Conference.
Voting for Jurisdictional Delegation Vacancies
The Missouri Conference will vote via personal smart phone devices to fill vacancies in the jurisdictional delegation to attend the 2024 Jurisdictional Conference on July 10-12 at Central UMC in Rogers, Arkansas. Elections will be determined by plurality. Those candidates receiving the most votes on a single ballot will be seated in the order of election. We are electing for two clergy delegation vacancies and one laity delegation vacancy. We will not be electing reserves for the Jurisdictional Conference delegation.
Clergy Delegate Requirements
Clergy shall be elected from the clergy members in full connection. The voting body for clergy elections includes deacons and elders in full connection, associate members, and provisional members who have completed all their educational requirements. Local pastors who have completed Course of Study or an M.Div. degree and served a minimum of two consecutive years under appointment immediately preceding the election are also eligible to vote (Para. 35). Clergy members with voting rights:
Yellow: Full Clergy Members
White: Licensed Local Pastors with voting rights (completed COS and two years of appointed service immediately preceding the election)
Black: Provisional Clergy who have completed their educational requirements or Associate Members.
Items to Note
UWF Mission Walk – Sunday, June 9
Join United Women in Faith at the Lewis and Clark Boathouse for the 16th annual Mission Walk. Meet in the parking lot at 6:45 a.m. to participate. Click here to view a map of the route.
Offerings
During our 2024 Conference Session, we’ll take up two offerings – one during the Service of Recognition on Saturday and one during Celebration of Ministry on Sunday. Read up on where the monies will be directed and how you can give at www.moacinfo.com/offerings.
Accessibility at Annual Conference
We’re excited to continue to offer accessibility services this year in St. Charles. We plan to offer a captioning device option and assisted listening devices for the Session. ASL interpretation services, large-print materials and wheelchairs are available upon request. Additionally, we have added a sensory room this year. A sensory room is a space created specifically to help someone who is feeling physically and/or emotionally overstimulated. If you or a friend is in need of a quiet space, you might check out our sensory room in Room 103. Want to learn more? Reach out to us via our contact form.
Exhibitors
The exhibitor showcase will be located upstairs in Grand Ballroom D. Closer to the start of the Annual Conference Session, you will be able to find a full list of exhibitors and their websites, if available, at www.MOACinfo.com/exhibitors. The hours of the exhibitor showcase are as follows:
Thursday - 5-7 p.m.
Friday - 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Saturday - 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sunday - 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Parking and Dining in St. Charles
Where do we park, meet and eat? Use the resources below to plan your stay in St. Charles.
Related to dining, the St. Charles Convention Center is proximate to the Streets of St. Charles as well as historic downtown St. Charles. Both areas have several restaurants. If you are concerned about wait times for a table, make sure to call the restaurant ahead to see if they take reservations for large groups or utilize a waitlist app. There will be light lunch options available through the Compass Café in the St. Charles Convention Center.
Regarding parking, for those staying at the Embassy Suites, there is parking on the hotel side. For attendees staying offsite at other hotels or lodging, there is ample free, uncovered parking onsite at the Convention Center.
Use these resources as you plan your weekend in St. Charles:
Opening Plenary Reminder
During our opening plenary on 10 a.m. on Friday, June 7, Bishop Farr intends to spend that session discussing General Conference and its impact on United Methodist churches in Missouri. That session will be livestreamed on our Facebook page and at MOACInfo.com. The recording will be available for you to view and download after the plenary at MOACInfo.com. You are welcome to invite your local church leadership to tune in online.
Questions? Contact us via our contact form.