The name of the new episcopal area that will include the Wisconsin Conference and the Northern Illinois Conference is the Northern Illinois–Wisconsin Episcopal Area. Meeting on Feb. 26 in Kenosha, the task forces in both conferences that are working on sharing a bishop starting Sept. 1 agreed on this name.
Read MoreNow that the North Central Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church has confirmed that Wisconsin and Northern Illinois will share a bishop, the work of NIC's Shared Bishop Task Force has moved from hypothetical to reality.
Read MoreConversations among leaders of the Wisconsin and Northern Illinois Conference express increasing confidence and enthusiasm for the conference’s sharing a bishop beginning Sept. 1. At their most recent joint meeting--on Dec. 19 in Rockford, Ill.--conference lay leaders, ministry directors (lay and clergy), and representative full cabinet members from both conferences took a deeper look at the practical details of sharing a bishop.
Read MoreIt’s official: Wisconsin Conference and Northern Illinois Conference will start sharing a bishop on Sept. 1. The North Central Jurisdiction, meeting online in a special session on Jan. 23, passed two motions: to form a new episcopal area composed of Northern Illinois and Wisconsin Conferences and to form another composed of East Ohio and West Ohio Conferences.
Read MoreThe North Central Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church will hold a special, virtual session on Jan. 23 at 7 p.m. Central Time. The sole item for consideration at this session is the recommendation that four episcopal areas (regions overseen by a bishop) be combined into two. Wisconsin and Northern Illinois conferences are among those proposed to share a bishop.
Read MoreWisconsin and Northern Illinois conferences continue to anticipate the possibility they will share a bishop—something like a two-point charge—in the near future. A Bishop-Sharing Task Force in Northern Illinois met on Aug. 28 to plan NIC’s next steps in the exploration.
Read More