The cancelation of the joint Dakotas-Minnesota Annual Conference, scheduled for June 10-12, 2020 in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, was announced earlier. Read the details here.

The plan is to meet for 24 hours, beginning at noon on Friday, October 9, 2020, and concluding at noon on Saturday, October 10. The shortened timeframe will require an abbreviated agenda for the annual conference session, covering only the necessary items on the agenda.

The 27th session of the Dakotas Annual Conference will take place on October 9-10, 2020, at Legacy United Methodist Church in Bismarck, North Dakota. It is going to be a jam-packed, one-day event, starting at noon on Friday and concluding at noon on Saturday. Here are a few details:

The theme for the Dakotas and Minnesota Annual Conferences' sessions is "Be the Light: Live Hope!"

Schedule: View the schedule here.

• Friday, we'll gather and begin with worship, hear Bishop Ough's episcopal address, initial reports, and the Board of Ordained Ministry recognition of individuals at different junctures of ministry.
• Friday will also feature the missional report to celebrate all we have accomplished this past year. We will conclude business at 5:30 p.m.
• Friday evening, we will celebrate the ministries of those who have gone to their glory, are retiring, those being commissioned and licensed. 
• Saturday morning, there will be morning devotions followed by continuing business. We will end with a worship service to remember our baptisms.

Attendees at the 2019 Annual Conference discussing considerations. Photo by jlynn studios.

Lodging, registration, and venues: 

• We will have blocks with enough rooms for all participants at hotels in Bismarck. Watch for details and book your room beginning August 1, 2020. 
• Registration for the Annual Conference Session itself will open August 1! 
• Annual Conference 2020 will be held at the Legacy UMC, 4600 Durango Dr., Bismarck, North Dakota.
• Child care will be available. 
• McCabe UMC in Bismarck will host some pre-conference meetings and special events. 

Legislative items and award nominations:

• All proposals for petitions and resolutions for the 2020 Dakotas Annual Conference Session have been previously submitted electronically to Rev. Rebecca Trefz. If you have questions about legislation you have submitted please contact her by e-mail or phone 605-990-7791. 
• Nominations for awards have closed. The following awards will be distributed in Bismarck.
  • Denman Award for Evangelism 
  • Francis Asbury Award 
  • Multiplying Matters Award
  • One Matters Award
  • Youthworker Hall of Fame 
  • Darrell Leach Youth Worker of the Year Award 

Clergy Session: A virtual clergy session will take place June 11. View details here.  

Flexibility and being able to pivot as circumstances change will shape our Annual Conference Session planning and delivery, just as they have shaped local churches’ planning and delivery of worship and other gatherings during this season.

We look forward to seeing you in June, and are excited to dream and pray about what God might have for us next as we continue to...  Be the Light: Live Hope!