2023 Annual Conference
posted on March 14
June 9, 10 and 11, 2023 | St. Charles Convention Center
Visit MOACInfo.com for more information as the dates draw near.
The 2023 Annual Conference Session is quickly approaching. Please note, the Missouri Annual Conference 2023 Session is scheduled for Friday, June 9–Sunday, June 11, in St. Charles, Missouri. This year, the session is being planned as a three-day event beginning at 1 p.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. You can view the draft agenda at MOACinfo.com.
Registration
Registration can be completed online at www.MOACinfo.com. Payment will be required at the time of registration. Event registration will open at 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 14.
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 13 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.
If you are a conference at-large member assigned by the Annual Conference, your registration fee will be paid by the Annual Conference if you register by May 1. The fee after that date is $50. Please register early and online if possible. This allows for better planning, reduced hotel change fees and a smoother conference session. Late fees will apply to any registrations postmarked or made online after that date.
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.
Offerings
Friday, June 9 – Opening Worship
Disaster Response (Text Option: 299474)
Disaster Response is a vital ministry where we serve people in their most vulnerable times. The Conference continues to expand our capacity to respond to disasters in Missouri, our region and across the United States. Your donation today will help purchase additional supplies for relief kits deployed in disaster. This will help us not only meet needs in Missouri but to areas beyond when disaster hits. We serve others when crises come —with your donation today, you extend this reach.
Sunday, June 11 – Celebration of Ministry: Commissioning & Ordination
Mozambique Initiative (Text Option: 326536)
Sixty-five percent of United Methodist pastors in Mozambique do not have electricity in their home. Poor or no access to power makes many daily tasks much more difficult. Our partners in Mozambique have set an ambitious goal of fitting 50 parsonages across the country with solar panels. To date, seven have been installed. The cost of installing solar panels is $2,500 USD per parsonage. Your gift at this Annual Conference will make a real difference in the lives of pastors and their families in Mozambique.
Click Here to learn more about the different ways to give.
For more information on this year's Annual Conference visit the MOACInfo website.
Meals
There will be concessions available at the St. Charles Convention Center for your convenience. Most participants drive to offsite lunch locations.
Childcare
Childcare will be provided during conference activities and is available for children from birth through completion of 8th grade (found on the registration form at www.MOACinfo.com). 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. Please go to www.MOACinfo.com for detailed hotel information. 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, 10 a.m. on Tuesday, March 14. If you need to request accessible lodging please contact Heather Dease at hdease@moumethodist.org.
Other Important Information
2023 Virtual Pre-Conference Briefing will be held on at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 25. 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.
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 9, we will be sending occasional emails that answer a variety of frequently asked questions. FAQs can also be found at MOACinfo.com and will be updated as the session approaches. 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 9, 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 insure that your room is held for late arrival. Conference registration will be open in the Convention Center at 8 a.m. on Friday, June 9.
We look forward to seeing you in St. Charles this June!