Annual Conference
The 2021 Annual Conference is scheduled to take place June 22-24, 2021 with June 22 and 24 being entirely virtual and June 23 being in small in-person groups at various sites across the state. The theme of our 167th Annual Conference is “Jesus. Waymaker.”
Here are the key things you need to know about this year’s Annual Conference, at which we will celebrate where we’ve been and what we’ve accomplished together, and look ahead to where we’re headed on our shared journey:
- Celebration of Life and Ministry: This worship service—which recognizes milestones in ministry, including ordination and commissioning—will be Tuesday evening, June 22. Honorees and their guests will participate in-person, and others are invited to watch via live streaming.
- Small group in-person teaching day: There will be one in-person day on Wednesday, June 23; it’s open to all, and will take place at host sites around the state. Each venue will have up to 50 people and maintain the COVID protocols in place at the time. The day will include a virtual presentation from teaching session speaker, Rev. Rachel Billups—an author who serves as pastor of Ginghamsburg Church in Ohio—followed by a live virtual Q&A. We will then have group conversations at the sites, and ZOOM breakout rooms will be available for those not comfortable meeting in-person. This will allow us to have some face-to-face conversation, and provide an opportunity to be in community.
- Business session: The business session, where we discuss legislation, will be Thursday, June 24 and conducted through a ZOOM webinar.
- Registration: Registration on the Minnesota Conference website will open May 1. It will be announced in conference emails.
- Legislation: The window to submit legislation has just opened (submit here), and proposed legislation is due April 8. We request that only essential legislation be submitted as a virtual business meeting is not the most conducive for dialogue and debate.
- Clergy Session: Clergy Session will be virtual and is set for Thursday, May 27.
Read news article and stay tuned for more info!
2021 Love Offering
Each year, churches in the Minnesota Annual Conference take a Love Offering for missions in conjunction with our Annual Conference Session. The Love Offering provides the opportunity to experience the joy of doing way-making work with Jesus. Bishop David Bard invites congregations to pray about and participate in the Love Offering as a generous expression of God’s wild and extravagant love. Funds from this year’s offering will to go to: The Methodist Border Friendship Commission (50 percent), host churches of Ruby’s Pantry (20 percent), the Matthew 25 food distribution (20 percent), and Volunteers in Mission scholarships (10 percent). Learn more and access promotional materials
