events

2025 AC Registration Guidelines

Registration for the Upper New York Annual Conference (AC) is open from March 18-April 15, 2025 via the online form. If you have any requests or questions, contact Brittany Combs at (615) 369-2386 or bcombs@gcfa.org. 

Register now by clicking here. To be excused, click here and submit the form. The 2025 Upper New York Pre-Conference Workbook will be available on April 15. 

Housing during Annual Conference 

The deadline to make a housing reservation at a discounted rate is Thursday, May 1 and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. The Conference Office does not take or make reservations and does not accept payment for rooms. 

Youth that notified their district office that they would be attending as Equalization members should confirm with Tony Hipes at (607) 624-2989 or tjhipes@gmail.com all AC details – including hotel rooms. 

1. Clergy retirees, those on medical leave, and equalization members are asked to make their own room reservations directly. There will be no reimbursement given to EQ members this year. Rates and rooms are not held for UNY Conference attendees beyond May 1, 2025. 
2. The person reserving the room is responsible for obtaining a completed and signed tax exemption form from their affiliated church to avoid sales tax on your room. The individual is also responsible for notifying the hotel of the tax exemption form in advance of arriving to avoid any complications. If there is no affiliation with a church, sales tax will have to be paid by the individual. 

Registration for Annual Conference closes on April 15. All payments need to be received by May 2 in order to avoid paying the $50 late fee. The next opportunity to register will be at the start of Annual Conference on May 22. All late registrants, including those registrations not paid in full, will be charged an additional $50 fee. Registration refunds will not be offered after May 2.   

Registration Cost and Fee                                                                        

Active Clergy: $250 

Lay Member to Annual Conference: $250 

Clergy-Retired or on Medical Leave: $120 

Equalization Member: Conference Position and District Superintendent Selection: $120 

Youth Equalization Member: $20 

Clergy Spouse: $250 

Visitor/Vendor: $250 

Specific Instructions: All items marked with a * on the form must be completed.   

Name, email address, postal address, and daytime telephone contact numbers: We would like at least two phone numbers where we might be able to reach you during the day if there are questions regarding your registration. 

Gender, ethnicity, and age: These are necessary demographics used to help evaluate and describe our annual conference. 

Church and district: Please indicate the church to which you are appointed as clergy or at which you attend as laity. If, as clergy, you are appointed to more than one church, please identify just one of the churches. Visitors, please identify your church, if applicable. Please select your district from the list provided. 

Registration fee section: You must select one category which reflects your relationship to the annual conference. The individuals that should be using this form are clergy, lay members to conference, equalization members, retirees, visitors, cabinet, staff, and Sessions team members. If you are uncertain as to your status and relationship to the Upper New York Conference, contact your District Superintendent. 

• Clergy – Includes active elders, provisional and associate members, deacons, and licensed  local pastors. 
• Clergy – Retired and Clergy on Medical Leave – Please identify if this category applies to you. 
• Visitor – To obtain registration materials and to sit in the annual conference sessions as an observer requires registration as a visitor. Individuals coming to annual conference with no assigned role have no voting privileges.  
• Vendor – For those requesting vendor tables who are not members of the UNYAC.  
• Clergy Spouse – Spouse of a clergy person attending annual conference. 
• Lay Member – Lay person chosen by your charge/church conference as the church member to annual conference. 
• Equalization member – Conference Position – Lay persons serving on certain conference committees, boards, agencies, teams, and task forces are eligible to serve as ex-officio equalization members. Only those individuals contacted by the Director of Missional Excellence are eligible to serve in this capacity. A list of all ex-officio equalization members will be kept in the Conference Office to verify appropriate registration. If you have any questions, contact Colleen Boyea at colleenboyea@unyumc.org. 
• Equalization member – at-Large – Lay persons invited by their District Lay Leader and District Superintendent may serve as at-large equalization members to annual conference in the current year. An attempt is made for no more than one at-large equalization member from each charge. 

Clergy/Laity Sessions: Please let us know if you plan to attend:  

• Clergy Session: Thurs., May 22 at 1 p.m. at the OnCenter in Downtown Syracuse 
• Laity Session: Thurs., May 22 at 1 p.m. at the OnCenter in Downtown Syracuse 

Memorial Luncheon: Friday, May 23 at 11:30 a.m. at the OnCenter in Downtown Syracuse. Attendance is by invitation only. 

Retirement and Ordination Dinner: Thursday, May 22 at 5 p.m. at the OnCenter in Downtown Syracuse. Attendance is by invitation only. 

Childcare: If you are registering for annual conference and have children (up to 10 years of age) for whom you need childcare, please indicate the need on your registration form. Please be specific with your request, including number of children in each age category and periods of time needed. Due to space restrictions, there is a limit of 25 spots of childcare available. Spots will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis. A confirmation email will be sent to you if we are unable to accommodate your childcare request. There will be a charge for childcare of $75 per child for the whole conference, with a maximum amount of $300 for four or more children. Your Annual Conference registration must be submitted and paid in full to complete your registration for childcare. After registration, an emergency and medical information form will be sent to you to be completed and submitted to the childcare worker when you first drop your child(ren) off. You will not be able to leave your child(ren) without submitting a completed form(s).  

Childcare will be available onsite at the OnCenter.   

Care is provided during these general times. Times slots will be listed on the registration. Please note: childcare is not provided during scheduled meals:  

Thursday, May 22: morning and afternoon until 5 p.m., evening until 9 p.m.  

Friday, May 23: morning and afternoon until 5 p.m.  

Saturday, May 24: morning until 1 p.m.  

Contact Shari Mudge at sharimudge@unyumc.org for any additional childcare information.  

Special needs or requests: In this section of the form, please list any special requests you have including wheelchair use, other handicapping, or medical conditions of which you want us to be aware.