News

6/8/2022

North Georgia Annual Conference The Classic Center, Athens, Georgia June 2-4, 2022 Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson, presiding   The 2022 North Georgia Annual Conference session was held June 2-4 at The Classic Center in Athens, Georgia, with Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson presiding. After two years of virtual sessions, 1,800 United Methodists gathered for a conference that felt like a homecoming under the theme of “A Place for You at The Table.”   Among the highlights of the session were: the ...

6/2/2022

Rev. Blair Zant and Rev. Brian Tillman introduce the North Georgia Conference's 5 areas of focus.   What Happens If We Do Nothing? What Is Possible If We Do Something? By Rev. Blair Zant and Rev. Brian Tillman In 2021, we accepted a charge to assemble a group of leaders, representative of our entire Conference, who would pray and discern how God is calling us to pursue our mission in this season. This group would claim our Conference’s core values, and would name the areas of transformational ...

5/23/2022

We will all be thrilled to return to in-person conferencing in North Georgia, but what else will be new in 2022? Here are a few things to expect at Annual Conference:  #1 The Digital Handbook! There will not be printed Annual Conference Handbooks in 2022. That means that before arriving in Athens you should plan to print the Handbook or download it to your digital device for reference. Find the digital handbook and important additions and corrections at https://www.ngumc.org/handbook-2022.  ...

5/11/2022

Updated May 31, 2022 Find answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Annual Conference 2022 below. We will update this document regularly. Stay connected to news and information by visiting www.ngumc.org/AC2022. Q: Will Annual Conference 2022 be in-person? Yes! Members of the 2022 North Georgia Annual Conference will meet in person in Athens.  Q: Can members participate remotely? All voting will be done in person only. The sessions will be live-streamed, however, for all to follow along.  Q: ...

4/27/2022

Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson has named the United Methodist Committee on Relief, UMCOR, as the 2022 North Georgia Annual Conference Special Offering.  Churches are invited to collect the offering any time before Annual Conference. One person from each local church will have an opportunity to present a check from their church during the Service of Remembrance on Friday, June 3, or checks may be submitted to the Conference Office.  As the humanitarian relief and disaster response arm of The United ...

3/23/2022

Each summer a number of North Georgia Conference clergy pack their belongings and make the move to their next appointment. To make coordination easier, an official "move day" is set by the Conference.  Beginning in the summer of 2020, the Conference launched a new pattern for moves. The last Sunday in June is the final Sunday of a moving pastor's current appointment. The following Tuesday is "Move Day." The first Sunday of July is a Sunday off. The first day at the new appointment will be the ...

3/17/2022

The Blueprint for Wellness Screening for HealthFlex participants is available until August 31. In addition to registering to get your screening at a patient service center, via Self-Collection Kit, or via physician form you can now sign up for an on-site appointment at Annual Conference in Athens! Phone: 1-855-623-9355 Employer group: HealthFlex or United Methodist Church Online: Log in to your Virgin Pulse account and find Blueprint for Wellness under the “Benefits” tab or through Benefits ...

2/9/2022

(United Methodist News Service) The United Methodist Judicial Council has begun to release decisions from its 22-item fall docket. These Judicial Council rulings cover decisions of law that bishops made during the 2020 and 2021 annual conference seasons. The Judicial Council affirmed both Decisions of Law made by Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson at the 2021 North Georgia Annual Conference.  Before the court was whether annual conference members can amend a congregation’s disaffiliation agreement when...

1/19/2022

Athens, Here We Come! The Annual Conference Planning Committee is pleased to announce that plans are underway to hold the 2022 North Georgia Annual Conference session in person June 2-4 at The Classic Center in Athens.   Thanks to vaccinations and available mitigation protocols, the Planning Committee and The Classic Center staff feel confident that an in-person gathering can occur in June of this year. In-person attendance will be limited to voting members of the 2022 Annual Conference. A live ...

7/8/2021

Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson has issued two Rulings of Law on questions submitted at the 2021 North Georgia Annual Conference. She has submitted the rulings to the United Methodist Judicial Council for review. See the rulings below: Question 1: As authorized in ¶51 of the United Methodist Constitution and as reiterated in ¶2609.6 of the 2016 Book of Discipline, the following question of law was submitted at the North Georgia Annual Conference session for a ruling: Does a local church that ...

6/7/2021

Thanks to all who were part of the production of the 2021 North Georgia Annual Conference Session. Their faithful collaboration enabled members and guests of the Conference to participate in the session and for hundreds of family and friends to attend the Ordination Service and Service of Remembrance in person while hundreds more watched via live stream. The team included: Associate Conference Secretaries Joya Abrams Nate Abrams Dave Allen Grady Chris Branscomb Kathy Brockman Lee Fullerton ...

6/4/2021

The 155th North Georgia Annual Conference was joyful and productive. The Conference began Thursday, June 3, with the Clergy Executive Session. The clergy of the North Georgia Conference met virtually to approve the Business of the Annual Conference report, hear updates from the Orders, and affirm their covenant community. On Friday, June 4, North Georgia United Methodists gathered online for our annual time of holy conferencing. Meeting virtually from across the Conference, members conducted ...

5/20/2021

As Annual Conference 2021 approaches there are a few ways members of the Annual Conference can prepare for the session. Here are three important steps to prep: #1 - Register. Register between now and May 31. Be sure you receive your confirmation email. REGISTER HERE #2 - Read the Handbook. Be sure to read the North Georgia Conference Handbook. Start by reviewing the Table of Contents (immediately behind the cover page), the Agenda (page 9), and the Virtual Meeting Guide (page 16).  2021 ...

2/24/2021

Find answers to Frequently Asked Questions about Annual Conference 2021 below. We will update this document regularly. Stay connected to news and information by visiting www.ngumc.org/AC2021. UPDATED 5/20/2021 Q: What technology do I need to participate in a virtual Annual Conference? Members and guests will need an internet-connected desktop or laptop computer. You will access the session using a web browser. Q: Can I use a smartphone or tablet? This year you must use a desktop or laptop ...

9/10/2020

North Georgia Annual Conference Virtual Session August 29, 2020 Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson, presiding On Saturday, August 29, nearly 2,000 North Georgia United Methodists gathered for a beloved time of conferencing in a new way. Meeting virtually from living rooms, kitchen tables, church offices, and beyond, members of the Conference adopted a condensed agenda to complete essential business in one day. Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson presided over the historic session that utilized a secure meeting ...

8/28/2020

Photos: (Above) Bishop Sue presiding over the 2020 Annual Conference online. Photo courtesy of Rev. Dr. Joseph McBrayer. (At right) Conference Associate Secretary Rev. Joya Abrams takes minutes from home this morning. Photo courtesy of Nate Abrams.  On Saturday, August 29, nearly 2,000 North Georgia United Methodists gathered for a beloved time of conferencing in a new way. Meeting virtually from living rooms, kitchen tables, church offices, and beyond, members of the Conference adopted a ...

7/29/2020

Updated August 17, 2020   The 2020 virtual Annual Conference session will utilize a trusted online meeting and voting platform that will allow members to securely participate using an internet-connected device. The platform will also allow guests to view the Annual Conference session. A condensed agenda will include only items before the Annual Conference that are essential at this time so that the session can be conducted in one day. Find answers to Frequently Asked Questions below. (And if ...

7/16/2020

More than 700 North Georgia Conference clergy and members of the Board of Ministry gathered online July 16 for our first-ever virtual Clergy Executive Session. Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson presided over the session and was joined by Director of the Center for Clergy Excellence Bernice Kirkland, Conference Secretary Donn Ann Weber, Chair of the Board of Ministry Julie Boone, and Executive Assistant to the Bishop Terry Walton.  Attendees of the session sang, prayed, celebrated, and cast electronic ...

4/24/2020

After the announcement of our postponed 2020 Annual Conference dates, several groups, including ordinands, requested a reconsideration of the proposed August schedule. Conference leadership went back to the drawing board and have adapted the agenda so that the session will happen across only two days—August 28-29, 2020.  The revised agenda will begin with the Clergy Executive Session on Friday, August 28, at 9:30 a.m. followed by a 1:30 p.m. Opening Worship, and an afternoon plenary session. ...

2/10/2020

Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson and the Annual Conference Planning Committee are busy preparing for the 2020 North Georgia Annual Conference Session, set for June 18-20 at The Classic Center in Athens. This year's theme is "One in Ministry to All the World." This is our third year drawing our theme from the beloved prayer in our United Methodist Communion Liturgy: "May we be one with Christ, one with each other, and one in ministry to all the world." In 2018 we focused on spiritual disciplines as we...