2026 Will Be a Year of Hope
Bishop Schwerin looks ahead to 2026 by turning to scripture; specifically, Psalm 130:5: “I wait for the Lord; my soul waits, and in his word, I hope.” He ponders, What kind of spiritual focus is nee…
Understand the appointment change and your role in it.
Led by Jim Ozier of The Difference Makers Group
SPRC Chair and members of the committee are encouraged to attend
Online Registration closes May 11 at noon.
Participating Churches will receive:
The Changeover Zone webinar/workshop for Churches will include: (For Church SPRC Members & Clergy)
The Changeover Zone webinar/workshop for clergy will include:
Jim Ozier
About Jim Ozier, Founder of “The Difference Makers Group”
In 1990, Jim Ozier followed the founder of a 7-year-old church, Trietsch Memorial UMC in Flower Mound, Texas. In his role as the second pastor for this young congregation, he learned first-hand how difficult the transition of pastoral leadership can be when a church has never done it before! When he left nearly 18 years later, the church had grown to more than 4,000 members and helped birth 3 new congregations. In addition, Jim saw how critical the “passing of the baton” is for the successor pastor following a long-tenured pastorate.
In 2008, Jim felt God’s nudging to leverage his own experiences and help other pastors going through critical leadership transitions. He became a trained coach—networking closely with Jim Griffith Coaching, and with Path1 of the United Methodist Church.
Serving on the Appointive Cabinet of the North Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church for 6 years as the Director of New Church Development and Congregational Transformation, Jim brings consultative insights and experience to Bishops and Cabinets dealing with issues of church culture, growth and vitality.
Jim has trained more than 20,000 pastors and church leaders in over thirty Annual Conferences in the areas of:
Jim has presented at the Church of the Resurrection Leadership Institute, and keynoted the Indiana Annual Conference. He has contributed articles for a variety of national publications, such as “The Circuit Rider” and “Leading Ideas,” and keynoted at United Methodist Annual Conferences sessions and spoken at numerous venues.
Jim’s wife, Suzanne, is a retired Special Education teacher. They live in Irving, Texas.
Bishop Schwerin looks ahead to 2026 by turning to scripture; specifically, Psalm 130:5: “I wait for the Lord; my soul waits, and in his word, I hope.” He ponders, What kind of spiritual focus is nee…
Rev. Lora Zink, a retired member of the Northern Illinois Conference, passed away on Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025.
Mrs. Freda Whittle, surviving spouse of Rev. Paul Whittle Jr., a deceased member of the Northern Illinois Conference, passed away on April 16, 2025.
This summer, churches across the conference brought vacation Bible school to life, each one putting its own unique spin on the beloved tradition. From creative scheduling and special…