Skip to Main Content

Bishops Sign Joint Statement on Sports Betting

Posted: June 26 2018 at 01:08 PM

Bishop Sally Dyck and Illinois Great Rivers Bishop Frank J. Beard are expressing their concerns on a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision clearing the way for states to legalize sports betting, striking down a 1992 federal law that had prohibited most states from authorizing sports betting.

"As United Methodists, we have long held that 'gambling is a menace to society, deadly to the best interests of moral, social, economic and spiritual life [and] destructive of good government' (Social Principles, ¶163G). Our concern for Illinoisans is the seduction of an easy way out of our state's financial mess with unfunded pension liabilities and a backlog of unpaid bills. Advocates will once again parrot a familiar refrain that we can solve our financial problems on someone else's dime." 

Read the full statement here.

For resources and advocacy contact Anita Bedell, Executive Director of ILCAAAP at 217-546-6871 or through the website www.ilcaaap.org.  

News & Announcements

2025 Mlk Banner Cmyk

Dr. King Wanted to Build a Better World, Not a Monument

In his reflection, Rev. Dr. Charles A. Woolery Sr., challenges readers to move beyond a comfortable, sanitized remembrance of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to engage hi…

Ac 2026 Logo Square

Gathering in Hope Together

Clergy and lay members will gather June 14–16 in Schaumburg for the Northern Illinois Conference’s 187th Annual Conference, centered on the theme “Practicing Hope.” With inspiring worship, engaging…

Hands Quilting Cmyk

From Your Bishop: A Year of Practicing Hope

Acknowledging the challenges of a fractured and uncertain time, Bishop Dan Schwerin lifts up gratitude for the resilience, courage, and faithfulness of the Northern Illinois Conferen…

Town And Rural Lena Shirt Back Cmyk

Stronger Together: Grants Make a Difference

Over the past year, the Northern Illinois Conference has supported local churches through a range of grants designed to nurture innovation, sustain vital rural ministries, and advanc…

Print