2024 Annual Conference Information

Dear Annual Conference Members and Retirees,

The 2024 Annual Conference Session is quickly approaching. Please note, the Missouri Annual Conference is scheduled for Friday, June 7, to Sunday, June 9, in St. Charles, Missouri. This year, the session is being planned as a three-day event beginning at 10 a.m. on Friday.

Our hope is that every person leaves Annual Conference energized and excited about our shared mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. During our time together, you will receive new ideas to take back home, and hear differing perspectives and be motivated for ministry in your context.

Registration

Registration can be completed online at www.MOACinfo.com. Payment will be required at the time of registration. Event registration will open at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 12. As more information about annual conference becomes available, it will be posted at that website as well.

If you are unable to pay for any reason, please contact the registrar (Heather Dease, hdease@moumethodist.org, 3601 Amron Court, Columbia, MO 65202).

Early registration of $155 is due no later than April 12. Please register early and online if possible. This allows for better planning and a smoother conference session. Late fees will apply to any registrations postmarked or made online after that date. Regular registrations received between April 15 and May 1 will cost $175, and those received May 2 and after will cost $200.
 
As a retiree or student pastor not serving a church, your registration fee if registered by May 1 is $0. If you register after May 1, you will be charged a $50 late fee for registration.

Please note that the Conference Journal is not included with registration. If you do wish to receive a journal, please indicate this on the appropriate line of the registration form, adding $40.00 to your registration fee for a paper version. The Journal is available free on the Conference website in pdf form once published. If you are not attending the session but want a journal, you MUST pre-order it and pay the appropriate fees. To be good stewards, we will not print “extra” journals.

Meals and Childcare

There will be concessions available at the St. Charles Convention Center and attached Embassy Suites Hotel for your convenience. Most participants drive to offsite lunch locations.
 
Childcare will be provided during conference activities and is available for children from birth through completion of 8th grade. Registration for childcare will be made available on www.MOACinfo.com at the same time regular registration goes live.

The deadline for childcare registration is May 1. Safe Gatherings guidelines require certified staff in specified child to adult ratios. Please register early! We cannot accept registrations for childcare after the deadline due to the difficulty of securing certified help for the hours required. There is a limit to capacity for the childcare option. Please register early. Childcare safety protocols will follow health department protocols related to COVID-19.

Lodging

We have contracted with various hotels in St. Charles. Hotel information will be published on www.MOACinfo.com when registration goes live on March 12. There is not a group housing system in St. Charles, so reservations will be made by the individual directly with the hotel property or with the posted link for that property.

Registration for the session is separate from your hotel reservation. Conference hotel information will be posted at the same time as registration goes live, 9 a.m. on Tuesday, March 12.

Other Important Information

2024 Virtual Pre-Conference Briefing will be held at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 23. It will include reports with non-voting matters and a preview of the upcoming session. There will be options to watch live as well as a recorded option. More details to come.
 
Clergy Session: Currently, the Bishop intends to call an in-person clergy session within the confines of the three-day session on Saturday, June 8. Bishop Farr does not plan to have a virtual clergy session to vote on the Business of the Annual Conference as the clergy have done since 2020.

If you have received this mailing as a Lay Member from your congregation and someone else will be attending, please pass this information along (quickly!) to that person and ask your pastor to notify your district office so they may make the change in the listing of local church officers.

Between now and June 7, we will be sending occasional emails that answer a variety of frequently asked questions. FAQs can also be found at MOACinfo.com. If you did not receive the first email from us and you have an email address, please send your address to hdease@moumethodist.org. We will be sure you are added to the list so you can benefit from the additional information. Be sure to tell us your name and the church you represent.

Upon arriving in St. Charles for the Annual Conference on Friday, June 7, please come to the St. Charles Convention Center for your conference registration. Most hotel check-in times are 3:00 p.m., and your room may not be ready. You will be required to guarantee your reservation with a credit card, but this should ensure that your room is held for late arrival. Conference registration will be open in the Convention Center at 5 p.m. on Thursday, June 6, and 8:30 a.m. on Friday, June 7.
 
We look forward to seeing you in St. Charles this June!
 
Annual Conference Sessions Committee