Invitation to Annual Conference.mp4 from Mountain Sky Conference | UMC on Vimeo.
A Call to Annual Conference From Bishop Karen Oliveto
February 3, 2022
Dear family members of the Mountain Sky Conference,
When I was a child, my mother’s voice would ring out from our kitchen door, “Karen! Time for dinner!” I would drop what I was doing to take my seat at our kitchen table. The one rule we had at home was that we didn’t miss dinner—it was the place where the members of my family reconnected after our busy days, where bruised spirits were consoled, where our hunger for acceptance was filled, where laughter and joy permeated the space.
Consider this your call to take your place at the table as United Methodists from across the Mountain Sky Conference come together at St. Paul’s UMC in Helena for Annual Conference, June 16-18, 2022.
While we will offer AC as a hybrid this year (both online and in-person), it has been a long time since we have been able to see one another face to face. How wonderful it will be to be in each other’s presence, to sit at table, to deepen old friendships and make new ones, and to grow together as the Body of Christ.
At the supper tables of my childhood, there was always room for one more. And it was always a “come as you are” meal. Sometimes, the conversation would grow heated as family members voiced their differing opinions. But we all stayed at the table together, and the love we had for each other—even as we disagreed—was always present.
Bring your full self to our time together in Helena as we live and grow together as the early church once did:
Blessings,
Bishop Karen Oliveto
Versión en Español aquí
Una llamada a la Conferencia Anual de la Obispa Karen Oliveto
Registration Overview
Welcome to the 2022 Annual Conference Session of The Mountain Sky Conference! This year, sessions will happen in-person June 16-18th in Helena, Montana at Helena United Methodist Ministries (HUMM). This includes St. Paul’s UMC and Covenant UMC. We will partner with GNTV to bring sessions to those in-person and those who choose to attend online. The second half of the Annual Conference will occur Oct 21-22nd in an online-only format to focus on the legislative work of the Mountain Sky Conference. As a clergy or laity member, you are expected to attend both sessions to complete the business of the annual conference this year.
The Mountain Sky Conference website will be the hub for information about both sessions of the Annual Conference. Please bookmark this page as updates will be posted throughout the year: https://www.mtnskyumc.org/ac22. You will find subpages on the side menu that include:
Guest Worship Leader & Speaker
Petitions, Elections & Legislations
Mileage / Flight Reimbursements
Please register as soon as possible to help our staff and volunteer teams know how many people will be attending in–person and how many will attend online. Hotel blocks are also now open and available for you to make an individual reservation - some hotel blocks will expire on April 1 - book now! As always, we recommend sharing a room as it makes your stay more cost-effective.
A note to laity members: consider encouraging someone you know to attend conference with you as an equalization member - all districts are seeking nominations for lay equalization members (please contact your pastor or district office to inquire).
Helena, Montana is excited to host the June 2022 Mountain Sky Conference Annual Conference Sessions. You will find rich information on Helena’s Visitors Bureau website: https://www.helenamt.com/
We were able to get blocks at many hotels, but we know it is the high tourist season and many of our hotel blocks will expire April 1, 2022. All of our hotel partners have details on the MSC 2022 AC hotel page, found here: https://www.mtnskyumc.org/hotels-ac2022
Please book your lodging now if you are a laity or clergy member to Annual Conference and you plan to attend in person. It helps our conference if you use the Mountain Sky Conference hotel blocks as these rooms are at special rates, they have the flexibility to be canceled, and they are close to our event spaces.
The June sessions of the conference will include a welcome dinner, opening worship, clergy session, laity session, a plenary session for legislative business, vision exploration with Bishop Karen, district lunches, the memorial worship service, meet-ups for many groups, special meals, and Ordination worship! Plenary sessions and all regular legislation will take place online on Oct 21-22, 2022 at part 2 of the MSC Annual Conference.
The June sessions will be held primarily at St. Paul’s UMC and Covenant UMC in Helena. Together, these churches are known as HUMM (Helena United Methodist Ministries). There will be an option to participate online instead of in person.
At this table, all are welcome to experience the great love of God. Let us come together as the Mountain Sky Conference!