The Annual Conference Workbook is Now Available! Click Here to Learn More

Events

2023 Annual Conference

2023 ANNUAL CONFERENCE

June 9, 10 and 11, 2023 | St. Charles Convention Center

Visit MOACInfo.com for more information as the dates draw near.

MOAC23 is just around the corner! Read on for more details and don’t forget to check out www.moacinfo.com for all your Annual Conference-related needs.

Where to Register

Registration is online. To register quickly and efficiently online, please visit our Annual Conference website at www.MOACinfo.com or use the button below. Payment will be required at the time of registration.

Register Now


Register before April 12 to get the $155 early bird price. As a retiree or student pastor not serving a church, your registration fee if registered before May 1 is $0. If you register after May 1, retirees and student pastors not serving a church will be charged a $50 late fee for registration. Regular registrations received between April 13 and May 1 will cost $175, and those received May 2 and after will cost $200.

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

Conference Workbook Now Available

The MOAC23 Conference Workbook is now available to view and download at www.moacinfo.com/downloads. We will not be printing copies of the Workbook but invite you to print a copy of your own if print is your preferred format. The Conference Workbook contains logistical details, reports from Methodist institutions and business, including:

View the Workbook


Note: The workbook does not include a list of closing and disaffiliating churches. That information will become public after the May 25 virtual Pre-Conference Briefing and will be posted in the downloads section of www.moacinfo.com.

What is a non-binding resolution?
A non-binding resolution is a written motion adopted by a deliberative body that cannot progress into a law. This type of resolution is often used to express the body's approval or disapproval of something that they cannot otherwise vote on, due to the matter being handled by another jurisdiction, or being protected by a constitution. An example would be a resolution of support for an episcopal candidate which carries no legislative, legal, or in United Methodist terms, disciplinary, weight, but is adopted for moral support.

Why are the two resolutions being offered at MOAC23 considered non-binding?
Two resolutions (the full text of which will appear in the Conference workbook) were submitted according to the Conference’s 2022 Standing Rules, and Bishop Bob Farr ruled they are in order and may be considered by the session: 1) U.S. Regional Conference, and 2) Removal of Harmful Language in the Book of Discipline. While both resolutions encourage revisions to The United Methodist Church’s Book of Discipline, the Missouri Annual Conference does not have the authority to make such changes. Rather, both resolutions are inviting the Missouri Annual Conference to communicate the body’s approval or disapproval of an idea. Simply put, the submitters of both resolutions are asking the Missouri Annual Conference, “do y’all think this is a good idea or not?”

The United Methodist Judicial Council in decision 1052 stated that “Annual conferences are free to express their ideals and opinions as long as they do not attempt to negate, ignore, or contradict the Discipline,” and in decision 1120 affirmed that “an annual conference may adopt a resolution on human sexuality that is aspirational in nature.” In subsequent decisions (e.g., 1340, 1406), the Judicial Council has continued to affirm that annual conferences may adopt resolutions that are aspirational in nature. 

Both resolutions to be considered by the session are purely aspirational in nature, and neither will by itself result in any change to the Book of Discipline.
 

Pre-Conference Briefing

Join us at 10 a.m. on Thursday, May 25, on our Facebook page or on www.moacinfo.com/watch for our virtual Pre-Conference Briefing. Bishop Farr will offer his episcopal address, and we’ll hear from several ministry areas and leaders across the state. See the agenda and watch the livestream at www.moacinfo.com/events/pre-conference-briefing.
 

Parking and Dining 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:

Dates to Remember

As Annual Conference draws near, here are some important dates to remember:

Ways to Prepare for Conference

Offerings

During our 2023 Conference Session, we’ll take up two offerings – one during Opening Worship 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 ?

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 as well as assisted listening devices for the duration of the Session. ASL interpretation services, large-print materials and wheelchairs are available upon request. Want to learn more? Reach out to us via our contact form.

Voting at Annual Conference

Voting for the 2023 Session will be conducted in-person using Vistacom’s VPOLL for E-Voting. You can visit the Vistacom website for more information.

To participate in the Annual Conference Session, you will need to have a device with Internet access. This is a similar requirement to how we conducted last year’s Annual Conference voting. The voting platform will allow for credentialed clergy and lay members to vote from any device, such as a computer, tablet or mobile (smart) device. There will be accommodations for those who don't have a smart device to cast their vote.

Registered clergy and lay members with voting privileges will be given their voting credentials at registration on-site in St. Charles. Clergy and lay members who are unable to attend in-person are invited to watch the event online but will not be granted voting privileges.

For more information about voting, check out our FAQs page.

Questions? Contact us via our contact form.

 

2024 SAVE-THE-DATE

June 7, 8 and 9, 2024 | St. Charles Convention Center

Visit MOACInfo.com for more information as the dates draw near.