2021 FLORIDA ANNUAL CONFERENCE
June 11-12, 2021
Annual Conference News Digest update - June 18
A 40-Day Journey of Discipleship - Daily Devotional videos
Click here for Annual Conference 2021 General Schedule
Guests of the annual conference are invited to join the sessions via livestream.
The 2021 session of Annual Conference will be held virtually on Friday, June 11 and Saturday, June 12, using the same format as the 2020 virtual session. The clergy and laity sessions will be Friday, June 11, also held virtually. Due to the ongoing presence of COVID-19 and our continued dedication to “Do No Harm,” we don’t anticipate that an in-person gathering of this size, along with the logistical challenges of travel and lodging, will be feasible by June. We understand most other annual conferences will also hold virtual sessions this year. We learned that the 2020 virtual session of Annual Conference was accessible to more people and had significant participation.
“I want to express my gratitude to the Annual Conference planning team,” Bishop Carter commented. “Over the past two years they have done the complex work of exploring differing scenarios to make our Annual Conference possible. While none of us imagined that COVID-19 would affect large gatherings in this way for such an extended time, I am grateful for the collaboration that has gone into making the 2021 Annual Conference Session possible in this way."
The recognition of licenses and services of commissioning and ordination will be livestreamed on the afternoon of Saturday, June 12 from First United Methodist Church of Lakeland. In-person attendance at these services will be limited to those participating in the service and their immediate families with safety protocols including masks and social distancing.
This decision was made by Bishop Carter in consultation with the conference lay leader, the cabinet and the annual conference planning team. Alice Williams, Conference Lay Leader, shared: “As faithful followers of Christ, our calling hasn’t been diminished by COVID-19, and our mission remains clear. While it’s not optimal, meeting virtually again this year is the best strategy to ensure the well-being of all our conference members.”
There will be virtual events throughout the week preceding annual conference. More details will be shared in the coming weeks. All lay and clergy members should be prepared to be available to consider and vote on essential business items and Resolutions on June 11th and 12th.
Please continue to check this page for updates and submit questions to acquestions@flumc.org.