Eugene Williams, Northern Illinois Conference co-lay leader, says that to practice hope, we must take brave actions. "Giving up power and extending equity is hard to do; especially when are afraid or hesitant to lead courageously," he says. "We've settled at times just to move parts of our overall agenda forward."
Read MoreSome 657 lay and clergy members of Northern Illinois Conference gathered to practice hope at their annual session, held June 14-16 at the Schaumburg (Ill.) Renaissance Convention Center. “Practicing Hope,” the NIC’s theme of the year, was highlighted in the conference’s presentations and worship.
Read MoreThis October, the United Methodist Council of Bishops will host leaders from the episcopal areas around the world in Calgary, Canada, for "Emboldened by the Spirit: Imagining a Church Yet to Be,” a meeting to envision the denomination’s future. From the Northern Illinois-Wisconsin Area, Rev. Violet Johnicker, Rev. Fabiola Grandon-Mayer, Eugene Williams, and Rev. Jeremiah Cottrell-Duebner will participate.
Read MoreThe 2027 apportioned budget for the Northern Illinois Conference will be $5,647,000, which is an increase of $539,000 over the 2026 approved budget. Apportionment receipts for 2025—the most recent numbers available—reached 80 percent of the amount apportioned, which is the highest percentage since 2016.
Read MoreAbout 150 Northern Illinois United Methodists marched to demonstrate their support of justice for immigrants on June 15, near the Schaumburg Renaissance Convention Center.
Read MoreHope is like a refuge, Bishop Dan Schwerin said in his episcopal address on June 15. He was not talking about escape but the biological idea of refugia, a pocket of safety that allow species or populations to survive hostile conditions on their way to their next phase.
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