The Northern Illinois Conference Board of Global Ministries showcased at Annual Conference (June 14-16) Northern Illinois United Methodists’ support of ministries that bring hope around the world.

During one of the Lunch and Learn gatherings on June 15, the board invited conference members to hear from two speakers who brought insight and resources.

Our first speaker was Rev. Jane Eesley, senior pastor of First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple. She spoke profoundly of her experience of serving in Jerusalem. Decades after serving as a mission intern there, she returned in 2023 as a United Methodist missionary assigned to the Methodist Liaison Office. Within weeks of her arrival, Hamas militants attacked Israeli communities near Gaza, killing about 1,200 people and taking more than 250 hostages. Israel responded with a campaign that has killed more than 40,000 Gazans to date.

Rev. Eesley started a weekly online chat during which people around the world could dialogue with Palestinian Christians. She also worked to identify where emergency grants from the United Methodist Committee on Relief could make a difference in the lives of people affected by the war.

She encouraged us all to continue to pray for all those who are suffering in the conflict and to find ways to support women and children who are suffering the horrors of war.

Our second speaker was Rev. Jen Huff, a deacon and mission engagement liaison for the North Central Jurisdiction. She shared with deep appreciation for the Northern Illinois Conference, where she was raised and enjoyed formational youth mission experiences.

“When I joined my middle school youth group, I was eager for the opportunity to participate in the high school mission journey,” she said. “I immersed myself in every service opportunity available throughout middle school, high school, and into college, driven by a deep passion for missions.

“The chance to travel to a place where both of my parents had been before me was incredibly meaningful, and it was even more impactful to do so alongside peers who shared the same heart for service. Meeting young adults in Senegal who were equally committed to living out the United Methodist mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world was a profound experience.”

Jen also shared many resources available to churches and individuals who have a call to serve in missions overseas, and told those gathered about the amount of information, opportunities, and funds available to encourage those called to missions service.

At the Lunch and Learn, the board also honored two congregations that have generously supported missions: Kingswood United Methodist Church in Buffalo Grove and Hope UMC in Joliet.

These congregations received awards during conference session. Hope UMC received the John Wesley Award for achieving the highest amount given per member.

Rev. Shirley Pulgar-Hughes, conference secretary of global ministriest, observed while granting the award that “what makes this award meaningful is not simply the amount given, but the commitment behind it. Hope UMC has shown what can happen when a congregation embraces the idea that mission is not something the church supports occasionally—it is part of who the church is.

“Through faithful stewardship and a generous spirit, Hope UMC demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to mission. Their witness reminds us that every gift, offered in faith, can become a channel of God’s grace and hope in the world.”

Kingwood UMC received the Philip Otterbein Award for having the highest overall giving to missions.

“For more than sixty years, Kingswood has embodied a spirit of service and generosity,” Rev. Pulgar-Hughes said.

“Their commitment to mission reflects a congregation that faithfully responds to Christ’s call to serve others and share God’s love in tangible ways. Their faith has been expressed not only in words, but in action. Generosity changes lives, and Kingswood’s witness reminds us that when a church embraces generosity as a way of life, it becomes a powerful instrument of God’s healing and hope in the world.”