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…
Lay and clergy who have completed steps toward confirmation of their ministry are celebrated at Annual Conference sessions.
This includes lay people in the order of deaconesses and home missioners, and clergy and lay as missionaries.
It includes clergy who are being licensed as local pastors, commissioned as provisional member deacons or elders, and ordained as deacons or elders; and those who are retiring.
The following were celebrated at 2023 Annual Conference:
Joann Cultura Melad
Rev. Jane Eesley
Lino Aragon
Xiomara Aragon-Castro
Joshua D. Brown
Ron DeBaun
Nicholas Joyner
Shalamar Molina-Perez
Jenny Moller
D. Josiah Montgomery
Jacqueline Salgado
Ivan Sarabia
John Marc Sianghio Jr.
Rev. Satya Sudhaker
Rev. Solomon Sudhakar
Jaeeon Cho
Clayton Scott Edwards
G. Morris K. Jarkloh Jr.
William Cody Johnson
Beverly Doreen Dukes
James Fu
Sung-Eun Kim
Elsa Noemi Meza
Elizabeth M. Rutherford
Jieun Mori Siegel
Tyler Swihart-Ward
Cynthia Anderson
Julie Bunt
Susan Flinn-Portee
Brian LeBaron
Claire Marich
Miguel Nieves
NoahPanlilio
Gary Peluso-Verdend
Jim Rough
Jonathan Singleton
Brett Todd
Brad Wilson
Mary Zajac
What Do United Methodist Missionaries Do?
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…