2026 Annual Meeting
DELEGATES: Churches with 500 members or fewer may have FIVE delegates. Ministers with standing in the SWC, members of the SWC Executive Board, and General Synod Delegates are Delegates in their own right and do not count toward the five church delegates.
STANDING RULES: Click here to read and/or download.
RESOLUTIONS: Procedures for communicating resolutions from churches, individual delegates, or other interested parties which are to be considered by the Annual Meeting are as follows:
Resolutions must be submitted to the Conference Minister and the Executive Board, in writing or via email, no later than ONE week before the meeting of the Board preceding the Annual Meeting for approval for submission at the Annual Meeting.
The Notice of the Annual Meeting will contain the date that resolutions must be received by the Executive Board.
The Executive Board has the authority to change, withhold, or combine resolutions with the permission of the submitter.
STANDING COMMITTEE REPORTS are due no later than March 31, 2026.
We’re beyond grateful to our Annual Meeting planning team led by Rev. Dr. Gloria Smith for their organization skills, attention to details, and communication gifts as we put together this year’s event. We appreciate you SO MUCH!
OFFERING: This year’s offering during the worship services will be shared between La Casa de la Misericordia, Tohono O’odham scholarship fund, and the Sahuarita Food Bank culinary program.
April 23-25, 2026
The Good Shepherd UCC, Sahuarita AZ
We are thrilled to invite you to our 3-day transformative gathering centered on the theme of “A New Heart: Crossing the Threshold." This year’s annual meeting aims to equip clergy and church leaders with the tools, inspiration, and faith-based strategies to address today's pressing chaotic times. Together, we’ll explore how the church can lead in advocating for equity, compassion, and lasting change. Our 2026 event will feature a film screening, an awards banquet, intriguing workshops, and so much more!
We are excited to announce that our keynote speaker will be ELCA Bishop, The Rev. Deborah K. Hutterer!
Registration is now open! Early registration ends on March 1, so save $50 per person and register now!
Early registration prices are $186 in person, and $146 virtual.
Attending IN PERSON? Click here.
Attending VIRTUALLY? Click here.
In-person registration includes these four meals:
snacks on Thursday evening during the film screening of “SAMARITANS”
Friday lunch and banquet dinner
Saturday lunch
Travel reimbursement is available for $225 for airfare or driving.
Virtual attendance includes live streams of the business session on Saturday morning, opening and closing worship, and workshops in the church sanctuary.
VENDORS AND EXHIBITORS
Vendor registration is now open for non-SWC vendors for $50. Note: Meals are NOT included.
SWC exhibitors and vendors may have a table but MUST be registered for the Annual Meeting. Please notify Wende Gonzales that you would like to have a table.
LODGING
We’ve secured a block of rooms for the event at the Best Western for the special rate of $130 per night (one king bed or two full beds), which includes a free breakfast. It’s located at 111 S La Canada Drive in Green Valley, an easy 10-minute drive down the street from the church. The reservation code for the special rate will be added here and in the Loop very soon.
OPTIONAL THURSDAY ACTIVITIES, 8 am – 4 pm
(registration required; choose ONLY ONE)
#1 Immersion Experience to La Casa de la Misericordia
Please be ready to leave the church at 8:00 AM. Visit this migrant shelter in Nogales, Sonora, Mexico run by Sister Lika. This trip will be led by Pastor Randy Mayer. You will have opportunities to meet migrant families staying at the shelter while awaiting the next steps along their journey and to learn about the work of the shelter. (Driver’s license or passport is required). Information regarding lunch will be provided after registration.
#2 Samaritans Water Drops
Accompany Green Valley/Sahuarita Samaritans as they deliver water and food to locations along possible migrant trails in the Sonoran Desert. *Participants must wear closed-toed shoes and bring a water bottle and snacks. Limit: 4 participants.
#3 Desert Search
Accompany Green Valley/Sahuarita Samaritans as they drive along trails in the Sonoran Desert while possibly providing humanitarian aid to the people in need and learn about the Desert Search program. *Participants must wear closed-toed shoes and bring a water bottle and snacks. Limit: 8 participants.
THURSDAY EVENING FILM SCREENING AND Q&A WITH THE FILMMAKER!
Documentary filmmaker David Damian Figueroa has spent the last few years working on this film. "Samaritans" examines a seldom-explored aspect of extreme volunteering and migration, specifically focusing on Nogales and Sasabe, as well as a twenty-three-mile stretch of one of the deadliest land crossings in the world: the US-Mexico border in Southern Arizona.
In the shadow of remarkable human struggle, *Samaritans* weaves a poignant narrative of hope and humanity along the US-Mexico border in Southern Arizona. The film highlights the importance of extreme volunteering and the compassion shown by those providing life-saving aid to migrants facing harsh realities and often deadly challenges in the Sonoran Desert.
DELEGATES
Please attend the mandatory orientation session on Saturday, April 18 at 9 am Arizona time / 10 am New Mexico time. We ask that virtual delegates stay on the call for a bit longer for specific training on voting during the business session, please.
Printed materials will NOT be available at the event! All of your need-to-know reports will appear below as they become available. You'll be able to click on them to download, print, whatever works for you to prepare for Annual Gathering. Please review them thoroughly BEFORE the event and bring them with you in either paper or digital format. The budget and other financial documents have been emailed to you.
watch this space too
watch this space
WORKSHOPS
Information coming soon!