General Conference 2020 (2024) Updates
The UMC General Conference (postponed from 2020) came to order on the morning of April 23. Follow daily reports focusing on topics of interest to Northern Illinois Conference readers.
Location: Our Redeemer's in Schaumburg and Online
Undenied: No Longer Willing to be Unheard
Thursday, Sept. 22, 2022, 12:00 - 1:30 pm
Rev. Chebon Kernell shares insights and learning related to indigenous communities’ history, present work being done, and how we can be in solidarity as we prepare for the future.
In-person and Online
Our Redeemer's in Schaumburg, 1600 W. Schaumburg Rd., Schaumburg, IL.
Speaker: Rev. Chebon Kernell, Executive Director of the UMC Native American Comprehensive Plan
Moderator: Dr. Richard R. Guzman
Find out more from the 2022 Speaker Series
About the Speaker:
Rev. Chebon Kernell
Rev. Chebon Kernell
Rev. Chebon Kernell is a member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and of Muscogee Creek heritage. Rev. Kernell is the current Executive Director of The Native American Comprehensive Plan of The United Methodist Church and formerly served as Executive Secretary of Native American and Indigenous Ministries for the United Methodist Church’s General Board of Global Ministries.
Rev. Kernell is an ordained Elder in the Oklahoma Indian Missionary Conference. He has worked with the World Council of Churches, the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues and the United Methodist Church’s Council of Bishops assisting in a denominationally mandated effort to improve relationships with Indigenous communities through dialogue, study and local or regional acts of repentance acknowledging harms inflicted upon Indigenous communities.
In 2016 he was honored by receiving the Religious Literacy Award sponsored by the Westar Institute “for his tireless efforts to educate the general public, including not only mainstream American Christians but also native peoples themselves, about the ‘deep and broad religious riches’ of Indigenous peoples in the context of reconciliation work and the recovery of native practices. “
He received his Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from Oklahoma City University and a Master of Divinity from Phillips Theological Seminary. He is a cultural practitioner and member of the Helvpe Ceremonial grounds. He is married to Sara and has five children Kaycee, Josiah, Raylen, and Solomon and niece Cali.
Dr. Richard R. Guzman
Dr. Richard R. Guzman
Dr. Richard R. Guzman is a professor emeritus at North Central College where he taught writing, literature, race/ethnicity, and social change and is active in his family’s foundation, Emmanuel House. He serves as a consultant on anti-racism initiatives for the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church and headed the committee that produced the Becoming the Beloved Community workshop.
The Becoming the Beloved Community Planning Team is Dr. Richard Guzman (Bolingbrook: Friendship), Tom Butler (Evanston: First UMC), Lennox Iton (Hinsdale UMC), Rev. Tennille Power (Chicago: Hazel Crest Community UMC), and Donna Sagami (Chicago: Ravenswood Fellowship).