Redistricting Announcement
Our virtual annual conference is over and now we begin the work to address the many changes that are before us. One of those changes is the redistricting of the Northern Illinois Annual Conference.
Read MoreA new journey begins for United Methodists in Elgin
Two churches in Elgin, Welsey UMC and Epworth UMC, combined congregations on May 31, 2020, and formed Journey of Hope UMC—just five months after merger talks began and despite a worldwide pandemic.
Read MorePlanting justice and harvesting hope for NIJFON
Northern Illinois Justice for Our Neighbors (NIJFON) has been blessed with a $25,000 gift from Berry Memorial UMC in Chicago through the sale of the church’s historic building. As Berry UMC seeks to plant the seeds of a new church home in Chicago, they also chose to plant seeds for justice through supporting the mission and vision of NIJFON.
Read MoreDYK - Connecting the dots
John Wesley’s ability to knit together groups of people through faith and call them into action remains a constant in our DNA as Methodists today. Today’s virtual church, forced upon us by the COVID-19 pandemic has pushed us back in time to claim the future. We are moving out of our pews and into the world, bringing our faith, our invitation to discipleship to the masses in a 21st century “virtual” way.
Read MorePastor embraces technology for ministry during pandemic
Pastor Toni Lucas was in her third year serving Albany in the DeKalb District and her fourth year as a pastor when the pandemic hit and Illinois’ stay-at-home order began. “I was sitting there thinking ‘what can I do’?” she remembered. “How can I stay in touch with my people when we can’t be in the sanctuary and they can’t come to church and some of them don’t have technology and some of them don’t want technology?”
Read MoreChurches respond to call to denounce racism
For too long, in so many of our churches and communities, racism has been willfully ignored—and even perpetuated. The Bishop's message, building on generations of antiracism work in the church, inspired the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) to formally adopt the goal of living out the conviction that racism is incompatible with Christian teaching.
Read More