Observing a Wesleyan spiritual practice rather rallying around a slogan, members of the 2024 session of the Northern Illinois Conference of met from June 16 to 18 in Schaumburg to yield to God as they recognized ministry milestones, worshiped, and voted on policies and resolutions.
Read More"We don’t have 330 churches. We have 330 experiments. We are missional incubators," said Bishop Dan Schwerin in his State of the Church Address at Annual Conference. "Yield to the call forward and get on an experiment for the gospel!"
Read More"Our Northern Illinois Conference has many reasons to celebrate," observes Rev. Fabiola Grandon-Mayer, Northern Illinois Conference's director of connectional ministries. "Although we are not all the same, come from diverse backgrounds, and have different opinions, we are one in Christ Jesus. As we work for the kin-dom, we are not islands; we are one body working together to make a difference in this world."
Read MoreThe Northern Illinois Conference recognized five churches with the One Matters Award. The United Methodist Church’s Discipleship Ministries created this recognition to encourage congregations that in the previous year increased baptisms and professions of faith from zero to at least one. The UMC believes that each person matters.
Read MoreWithout debate, this year’s conference members passed a 2025 budget of $4,630,098. It represents an increase of $243,254 over the 2024 budget. “The increase of 5.25 percent from 2024 is an increase in every area of the budget; there was no single large expense,” explained Elaine Moy, conference treasurer and director of administrative services.
Read MoreThe Northern Illinois Queer Clergy Caucus celebrates the gains made at General Conference and calls United Methodists to an affirming, not just neutral, stance. "Ending legislated exclusion does not mean true inclusion," they say.
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