Annual Conference Information

 

 

For a printable version of this page, please click here.

In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, grace and peace to all who read this on behalf of the Detroit Conference Program Committee! We are eagerly anticipating the 2010 Detroit Annual Conference session, which is scheduled for Thursday-Sunday, May 20-23, on the campus of Adrian College in Adrian, Mich.

This booklet, along with the other materials in this pre-conference mailing, are vital as you begin your preparations for our time of “holy conferencing.” Please review all the materials carefully - there have been many changes in terms of the conference schedule and the registration process, and it is important that all those who will be attending annual conference become familiar with the information contained in this booklet. 

 

We look forward to hosting you for the 42nd session of the Detroit Annual Conference. We pray that this year’s conference will equip you for ministry and connect you with one another as we join together to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. 

Important Dates To Remember

As annual conference approaches, please remember the following key dates relating to registration and preparations for annual conference:

 

February 19
Pre-conference materials, containing registration materials and other important information, will be posted on the conference web site - www.detroitconference.org/annualconference.

 

April 1
Pre-conference materials, containing voting items and other important information, will be posted on the conference web site.

 

April 8
Registration deadline for annual conference. Any registration forms received after this date will be charged an additional $30 late fee.

Child care registration form due.

 

April 29
Last day to have registration verified by mail. Any registration forms received after this date will be processed and held.

Last day to register for special meals.

Last day to have meal and housing costs refunded.

 

May 6
Last day to contact Adrian College Food Service (Sodexho) regarding special dietary needs.

 

May 20
Annual conference begins.

 

Annual Conference Schedule

Please click here for the most recent annual conference schedule. 

 

Registering for the 2010 Detroit Annual Conference

All persons who will be attending annual conference, regardless of whether you plan to attend for the entire session or part of one day, are strongly encouraged to pre-register. Please note that there are four different registration forms to register for annual conference. Here is how to determine which is the form for you:

GENERAL Registration Form

Persons to use this form: Active clergy, Lay members representing local churches and/or conference agencies, Alternate lay members representing local churches

 

This registration form is to be filled out by clergy members of the annual conference and lay members of the annual conference representing local churches/charges and conference agencies. In addition, alternate lay members representing local churches that plan on attending annual conference need to fill out this registration form.

 

Payment for registration, room, and board at the on-campus rate for clergy and lay members shall be the responsibility of the local church they serve/represent. Payment for registration, room, and board of persons representing a conference agency shall be the responsibility of the conference agency they represent. Full payment is required with your registration form, and it is the responsibility of the clergy/lay member to secure payment from their local church or conference agency.

Please see Detroit Conference Standing Rules, Rule II.A.3.a-b for the conference rules regarding annual conference financial obligations for local churches and conference agencies.

DISTRICT AT-LARGE Registration Form

Persons to use this form: District at-large lay members

 

This registration form is to be filled out by those lay members who are representing their district. The registration, room, and board is paid for by the district you represent at the on-campus rate. You do not need to send payment unless instructed to do so by your district. Late fees, however, will be the responsibility of the lay member and will not be covered by the district.

 

RETIRED CLERGY Registration Form

Persons to use this form: Retired clergy members

 

This registration form is to be filled out by retired clergy. The registration, room, board, and registration fee is paid for by the annual conference at the on-campus rate. You do not need to send payment. Late fees, however, will be the responsibility of the retired clergyperson and will not be covered by the annual conference. 

GUESTS & VISITORS Registration Form

Persons to use this form: Guests and visitors

 

This registration form is to be filled out by those who will be attending annual conference as a guest or visitor, and do not meet any of the descriptions of the previous three registration forms. This also includes spouses of conference members who do not have voting privileges at annual conference. Full payment is required with your registration form. 

 

 

Please fill out the form that is appropriate for you and follow the instructions on the form. Please remember to make a copy of your form (for your records) before you mail it. Registration forms are due by Friday, April 10, to the annual conference registrar.

 

Janice Osborne is the registrar for annual conference and handles all registration details. She can be contacted at josbornedac@gmail.com or 517-265-4776 (after 6 p.m.), or, regarding any registration questions you may have. 

 

During annual conference (Wednesday-Sunday, May 19-23), the registration office number is 517-264-3103.

Important Registration Information

  • The registration fee is non-refundable.
  • All meal and housing costs are non-refundable after April 29.
  • All registration forms received after the deadline (April 8) will be charged an additional $30 late fee.
  • Registrations for special meals will not be accepted after April 29.
  • If you have physical limitations, please indicate your limitations on your registration form.
  • If you have special dietary needs, please contact Adrian College Food Service (Sodexho) at 517-265-5161, extension 4217, at least two weeks prior to your arrival. Diabetic options are offered at every meal.

Lodging Options for the 2010 Detroit Annual Conference

On-Campus Housing

On-campus housing is available at Adrian College at the rate of $18.50 per night per person. Each person staying in a residence hall will be provided with two sheets, one pillowcase, one bath towel, one hand towel, one washcloth, one pillow, one blanket, on small bar of soap, and a disposable drinking cup. If you require more than what is provided, you are asked to bring them with you. A fee will be charged by Adrian College for all extra linens used.

 

A limited number of single-occupancy rooms are available in Pellowe Hall at the rate of $42.00 per night. Rooms are available on a first-come, first-serve basis. You can register for single-occupancy rooms on your registration form. In the event single occupancy rooms are not available, you will be assigned into a double-occupancy room. If your request for single-occupancy rooms is granted, the remaining balance of your housing will be due at registration.

Handicapped-Accessible Rooms

A limited number of handicapped-accessible rooms are available on the Adrian College campus. If you are staying on campus and require a handicapped-accessible room, please indicate it on your registration form.

Campers & RVs

Campers and RVs are not allowed on the campus of Adrian College during annual conference. Space for campers and RVs may be available at the Lenawee County Fairgrounds (www.lenfair.com). Please contact the Lenawee County Fairgrounds at 517-263-3007 to check for availability and reserve your campground. 

Staying Off-Campus

For those that wish to stay off campus, please consult the suggested list of hotels in this booklet. Please be advised that hotel availability during the annual conference weekend is very limited. If you plan on staying off campus, you are strongly encouraged to make your hotel reservations well in advance of the annual conference weekend. 

Adrian Area Lodging

Courtesy of the Lenawee County Conference and Visitors Bureau (www.visitlenawee.com)

 

Hotels & Motels

Carlton Lodge 

1629 W Maumee St, Adrian

517-263-7000 

www.cladrian.com

 

Adrian Motel

1575 W Maumee St, Adrian

517-263-5741

 

Holiday Inn Express

1077 W US-223

517-265-5700

www.hieadrian.com

 

Super 8 Motel

1091 W US-223

517-265-8888

www.s8adrian.com 

 

Tecumseh Inn

1445 W Chicago Blvd, Tecumseh

517-423-7401

 

Brentwood Motel

2457 E US-223, Adrian

517-266-0055

 

Pine Motel

3895 S Adrian Hwy, Adrian

517-263-2444

 

Bed & Breakfasts

Briar Oaks Inn

2980 N Adrian Hwy, Adrian

517-263-7501

 

Blissfield B&B

420 W Adrian St (US-223), Blissfield

517-486-2878

 

H D Ellis Inn

415 W Adrian St (US-223), Blissfield

517-486-3155

 

Heart Wood Place

3723 Wisner Hwy, Adrian

517-265-3550

 

Food Options at the 2010 Detroit Annual Conference

Those attending annual conference are strongly encouraged to eat on campus and to pre-register for all of their meals on their registration forms. Meal tickets will be issued for each meal that is requested, and meal tickets are required to eat in the campus dining hall. 

 

All meals during annual conference will be held at the Ritchie Dining Complex on the campus of Adrian College, which has multiple dining options for those attending annual conference. 

 

The Ritchie Marketplace features an entree’ station, a grill, a pizza and pasta station, a Mongolian barbecue, a deli, a soup station, a salad bar, a cereal bar, a desert bar and a beverage station. If the weather is favorable, the Marketplace has patio seating available.

 

A new addition to the Marketplace opened in September 2008 and features a full-time breakfast bar as well as international and traditional entree’ offerings. 

The Adrian Room will be offering traditional buffet lines as well as a salad bar. 

Special Dietary Needs

 If you planning on eating on campus and have special dietary needs, please contact Adrian College Food Service (Sodexho) at 517-265-5161, extension 4127, at least two weeks prior to your arrival. Diabetic options are offered at every meal.

Other On-Campus Options

For those who do not wish to purchase meal tickets, Adrian College does not offer any additional on-campus dining options. However, gourmet coffee will be available in the lobby of the Arrington Ice Arena at Jazzman’s, which will be open from 7:30 a.m.-7:00 p.m.

Off-Campus Options

If you plan on eating off campus during annual conference, please consult the list of Adrian area restaurants by clicking here.

Special Meals

During regular meal times, special meals will be hosted by conference agencies and various groups during the annual conference weekend. Anyone wishing to attend one of these meals must submit their registration form no later than April 29. Any registration forms received after this date will not have their special meal request granted and will receive a general meal ticket for that time. Please consult the special meals listing on the conference web site for information regarding each meal. 

 

For a breakdown of special meals for the 2010 Detroit Annual Conference, please click here.

 

Information For Lay Members

Elected lay members to annual conference that represent local churches are verified through the district offices and are registered as voting members of the annual conference. Alternate lay members are registered as visitors and will not have access to the bar of the conference unless the lay member is unable to attend.

 

If there is a change in lay members, lay members are required to notify their pastor, who is required to notify their district office immediately so the annual conference registrar can make the change. (see Detroit Conference Standing Rules, Rule II.C.6 for the process of changing lay members representing local churches/charges.) 

Elected lay members that represent districts are also verified through the district offices and are registered as voting members of the annual conference. 

 

Lay members representing conference agencies are verified through the agency chairperson and conference secretary. According to conference rules, alternates are not allowed for lay members representing conference agencies.

 

Youth that are designated as lay members by the Council on Youth Ministry (CCYM), districts, or local churches will be registered as voting members of the annual conference. All other youth will be registered as observers and will not have access to the bar of the conference. 

 

Annual Conference Information

Receiving Pre-Conference Mailings

All pre-conference materials are made available on the conference web site - www.detroitconference.org/annualconference and will not be mailed.

All the voting items to be addressed at the conference as well as any other important items that need to be communicated to the conference membership will be posted on the conference web site no later than April 1, 2010.

 

In order to keep annual conference expenses down, pre-conference mailing packets will not be mailed this year. All members of annual conference who do not have internet access are encouraged to work with their local church, public library, or friends to gain access to the conference web site. 

Legislative Section Assignments

Legislative section assignments will be made at random by the conference registrar. If you are a voting member of the annual conference, you will be notified of your legislative section when you receive confirmation of your registration. Your legislative section will also appear on your name tag. Work assigned to legislative sections will be made available along with the voting items on April 1. 

Child Care During Annual Conference

Child care is available for infant through kindergarten-aged children for all conference members at Adrian: First UMC during annual conference. Parents will be responsible for the child(ren)’s breakfast and dinner and for requesting lunch at child care, as well as their child(ren)’s housing. If your child will share your room, there is no charge. However, you will need to supply bedding for your child. If your family requires an extra room, the regular daily fees will be charged. Children’s meals may be purchased on the registration form or at the registration office. 

 

In order to register for child care at annual conference, please download the child care registration form from the conference web site and return it to Marlene McKimmy, annual conference child care provider, by Thursday, April 8.  

Handicap Assistance

If you have physical limitations, please indicate it on the space provided on the registration form.

 

A shuttle service will be available during annual conference that will service Dawson Auditorium, Herrick Chapel, the Ritchie Dining Hall, the Caine Student Center, and the Arrington Ice Arena. Shuttles will operate during meal times and other times when the conference is not in a plenary session or worship service. 

Space for wheelchairs and personal mobility devices is reserved at the back of the main floor of Dawson Auditorium.

 

Most buildings on campus have handicapped-accesible rest rooms and entrances. Handicapped parking spaces are located throughout campus and can be found by consulting the Adrian College map in this booklet. 

Distribution of Material to Conference Members

According to the Standing Rules of the Detroit Annual Conference, Rule IV.C, only materials authorized by the Committee on Reference and Daily Procedure can be distributed by the ushers to members of the annual conference. 

 

Materials that have been authorized for distribution need to be delivered to the Usher’s Room, located backstage in Dawson Auditorium, no later than 1:00 p.m. the day prior to distribution. Please have 1,200 copies of materials in order to service all members of the annual conference.

 

Handouts can begin to be delivered to the Usher’s Room at 12:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 19. Please clearly mark your materials with the date and time of the plenary session you wish to have them distributed, as well as instructions for what to do with any leftover materials.

 

Please contact Diane Brown, chairperson of the Committee on Reference and Daily Procedure (dianebr@umich.edu or 734-662-0469) to have your materials authorized for distribution.

 

The head usher for the 2010 Detroit Annual Conference is Jon Gross. He can be contacted at jgross3585@aol.com or 248-391-5983. Ushers will only accept and distribute materials that has been authorized for distribution. 

Name Badges

Each person who registers for annual conference will receive a color-coded name badge with their name and the church/agency/district/position they represent. If a person is a voting member of the annual conference, a legislative section number will also appear on the name badge. You will receive your name badge when you check in to registration at annual conference.

 

It is important to note that the bar (voting area) of the conference is only available to the members of the annual conference. The bar of the conference is set during the opening plenary session. Guests, visitors, and alternate lay members will be directed where available seating is in Dawson Auditorium.

 

Name Badge Identification

Name badges are color-coded to identify members of the annual conference in regards to voice and voting privileges. The following is the listing of name badge colors and the corresponding voting privileges:

 

CLERGY

  • White - Deacons and elders in full connection - have right to voice and vote on all matters.
  • Green - Probationary deacons and elders, associate members, and affiliate members (if granted by the conference), full- and part-time local pastors under appointment, appointed members of other denominations - have right to vote on all matters except the selection of delegates and constitutional amendments.
  • Orange - Retired local pastors - have voice but no vote.
  • Blue - District superintendent assignments, student local pastors, affiliate members (if voting privileges not granted by the conference) - no voice and no vote. (Note: these name badges are not allowed in the bar of the conference).

LAITY

  • Yellow - Lay members, diaconal ministers, deaconesses, home missioners - have right to voice and vote on all matters.
  • Pink - Alternate lay members, guests and visitors - no voice, no vote (Note: these name badges are not allowed in the bar of the conference).

Name badge holders will be available at the registration table or in the registration office. 

Parking at Adrian College

There are multiple parking options on the Adrian College campus. If you must leave campus during annual conference, please allow yourself adequate time to find a parking space when you return. The City of Adrian does not allow parking on the streets of Adrian College. You will be ticketed by the City of Adrian Police Department. If you are staying on campus during annual conference, you are asked to park in the parking lot closest to your dormitory. This is to allow for parking for commuters and visitors in the parking lot nearest to Dawson Auditorium.

 

The parking areas on the campus of Adrian College include:

  • Off North Charles Street - Serves Cargo, Herrick, Lowry, and Deans residence halls.
  • Off North Madison Street - Serves Jarvis and Estes residence halls.
  • Dawson Auditorium - All parking in the lot west of Dawson Auditorium is reserved for annual conference use. Certain spaces around Dawson Auditorium are reserved for annual conference staff and are marked accordingly. Please respect these spaces and leave them available for the persons they are reserved for. 

Please consult the Adrian College map at www.adrian.edu to familiarize yourself with the parking lot locations on campus. 

Registration Process at Adrian College

If staying on campus (except Pellowe Hall)

Persons who have pre-registered for annual conference and will be staying on campus, with the exception of those staying in Pellowe Hall, may pick up their registration packets at the main desk of the dorm they have been assigned. The main desk of the dorms will be open from 1:00-8:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 19, and from 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m. on Thursday, May 20. Any person who has pre-registered to stay on campus and will be arriving after 2:00 p.m. on Thursday will need to check in with the registration office in Dawson Auditorium.

 

If staying off campus or in Pellowe Hall

Persons who have pre-registered for annual conference and will be staying off-campus or in Pellowe Hall can pick up their registration packets according to the following schedule:

  • Wednesday, May 19 - The registration office will be open from 1:00-8:00 p.m.
  • Thursday, May 20 - The registration office will be open from 7:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
  • Friday-Saturday, May 21-22 - The registration office will be open from 8:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m. 
  • Sunday, May 23 -The registration office will be open from 8:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.

From Wednesday-Saturday, May 19-23, any person who checks in after 8:00 p.m. and is staying on campus may pick up their registration materials at the Adrian College Safety Office, which is located in the Caine Student Center. 

Frequently Asked Questions

I am a visitor coming to annual conference for one meal, or part of one day. Do I still have to pay the registration fee?  

No, as long as you are not staying on campus. If you are staying on campus, you will be subject to the registration fee, which is non-refundable.

 

I did not pre-register for a special meal. Can I still get a ticket when I get to annual conference?

No. Only persons who pre-register for special meals will receive tickets. Tickets for special meals are not available after April 29. The only meal tickets that can be purchased at annual conference are general meal tickets, which can be purchased prior to each meal at the registration office or in the Ritchie Marketplace.