The 2023 Annual Conference Session will be Wednesday, June 7 to Saturday, June 10 at the LaVista Conference Center in LaVista, Nebraska. Lodging information is now available. Registration will open soon, so watch your inbox for an email from the Great Plains Conference with more details.
The 2022 Journal is now available! Order your copy through this link.
The United Methodist Book of Discipline provides a process that ensures equal voice and vote for both clergy and lay people across the denomination. In addition to the lay representatives from each church in the Great Plains and other designated laity, each of the 17 districts are also invited to nominate lay people in three categories – Person of Color, Young Adults, and Youth – to serve as voting members of Annual Conference. Responsibilities include reviewing pre-conference materials, attending all sessions (virtual and in-person), voting on all conference-wide legislation, and reporting back to their district.
Interested people may nominate themselves, or someone they feel would be a good fit for this important role, by filling out the appropriate form. Nominators should determine interest and availability of the nominee prior to submitting names.
Important dates:
Nominate a youth, young adult or district person of color through the following forms:
For the purposes of the Great Plains Annual Conference, a resolution asks the Annual Conference to take a stand on a particular issue or to direct a body within the Conference to consider a specific action. A petition is passed on for consideration at General Conference, which takes place in May 2024.
Resolutions and petitions for consideration by the conference must originate from an individual or entity within the Great Plains Annual Conference. These may include, but are not limited to: congregations, groups within a congregation; individuals (both lay and clergy), district organizations, or conference boards and committees.
Any action item to be considered by the conference must be presented as legislation. Action items referenced in committee reports will not be acted upon unless properly submitted as legislation before the conference.
To be included in the conference workbook, resolutions and petitions must be submitted by March 31, 2023. Any items for action received after the deadline may be published on the conference website in a Workbook Addendum, subject to approval of the action team by the Sessions Planning Team. The Workbook Addendum shall be published at least one week prior to the opening of the Annual Conference Session, and these items must be received by the conference secretary no later than 21 days prior to the opening of the Annual Conference session. Any item submitted after 21 days prior to the Annual Conference session shall be prepared and distributed by the sponsoring person or agency at their own expense, following the procedure outlined in the Standing Rules of the conference.
Items should be submitted to the conference secretary at gpsecretary@greatplainsumc.org.
A guide to formatting resolutions may be found here.
– Lori Richey, Conference secretary
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