The Northern Illinois Annual Conference, with United Methodist Communications, is excited to launch the #BeUMC Awards! Celebrate laypeople, clergy, and congregations who love boldly, serve joyfully, and lead courageously. Nominations are open for individuals and congregations who inspire through faithfulness, leadership, and service.
Read More"A Year of Practicing Hope" is a new devotional created for 2026 in the Northern Illinois–Wisconsin Area. Featuring Scripture, reflections, and prayer, the booklet invites individuals and communities to live hope as an active, daily practice of grace. Copies will be shared at conference and district gatherings, with additional options available for downloading or ordering.
Read MoreLeaders of fourteen church bodies in the Chicago area who came together on Jan. 24 for the World Day of Prayer put faith into practice by urging the federal government to stay in the Paris Agreement on climate change and pressing Illinois legislators to order the removal of lead drinking water pipes from the state.
Read MoreOver 300 people gathered at Trinity United Methodist Church in Mount Prospect on Jan. 18 for the conference's annual Martin Luther King Jr. celebration, where they affirmed that King’s words and life are still relevant to our Christian witness today.
Read MoreIn his reflection, Rev. Dr. Charles A. Woolery Sr., challenges readers to move beyond a comfortable, sanitized remembrance of Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to engage his full prophetic witness. He lifts up King’s critique of racism, poverty, and militarism, warning that honoring monuments and sound bites is easier than living out the costly work of justice.
Read MoreClergy and lay members will gather June 14–16 in Schaumburg for the Northern Illinois Conference’s 187th Annual Conference, centered on the theme “Practicing Hope.” With inspiring worship, engaging Lunch-and-Learns, a returning mass choir, and supportive childcare, the conference invites participants to deepen connections and explore how hope shapes ministry and mission. Grounded in Romans 5:3–5, the gathering encourages endurance, renewal, and faithful leadership for the future.
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