The opening plenary session for Annual Conference 2026 included a number of informational and educational segments. Bishop Connie Mitchell Shelton called the session to order and thanked everyone for attending. The tradition of singing “And Are We Yet Alive” was continued, and the body was asked to recite our denominational and NC Conference mission and vision statements.

Rev. Dr. Grey Southern, Conference Secretary, noted that Annual Conference is a great example of people serving joyfully because many of those making the gathering possible are volunteers, and he shared that the Board of Laity has again prayed over every seat in the room.

He shared that this was the first year the Conference Workbook was only distributed electronically which allows reduced environmental and financial costs. The workbook was first published a week prior to the meeting enabling members to review it ahead of time. 

Southern thanked the people of Jarvis Memorial UMC for their dedication to providing childcare and shared that Thursday evening’s plenary had child-friendly spaces set up at the convention center with older PKs (preacher’s kids) recruited to help with younger PKs.

Danny Peck, the chair of the Conference Rules Committee, presented the proposed rules for in-person and online Annual Conference and the Lay Equalization Plan, which were adopted by attendees. There was only one proposed change made to both sets of rules in Section III. Conference Structure which added the Conference Council on Finance and Administration to the list of committees required by the Book of Discipline. No changes were made to the Lay Equalization Plan.

As part of helping members of Annual Conference with the structure of Robert’s Rules of Order, Bishop Shelton invited the Conference Youth leadership to present a mock resolution which included examples of how to speak for and against a resolution, how to offer an amendment, how to raise a point of information, voting on amendment, suspending the rules to read from outside source, and how to call the question and end debate. The humor of the mock resolution, which asked “Is a Hot Dog a Sandwich?” helped members engage with the rules.

Bishop Shelton thanked the youth for their leadership noting, “Our youth are the church and are leading us by serving joyfully and through relational discipleship.”

Article written by Julie Sutton
Photo by Chris Daniel