LGBTQ+ delegates applaud change, but ‘there's still work to do’
General Conference 2024 was a good start toward full inclusion of LGBTQ+ people, North Central Jurisdiction delegates say. But there is still work to be done.
Read MoreAvoid the echo chamber and walk alongside other cultures
"I know that my episcopal area is not the only area dreaming of new ways of being better siblings to those who were here first . . . We collectively have the opportunity to do a good thing,” Bishop Plambeck (Dakotas-Minnesota Episcopal Area) told North Central Jurisdiction delegates.
Read MoreWesleyan Vile-tality: A Call to United Methodist Renewal
Dr. Ashley Boggan D. of the General Commission on Archives and History urges NCJ delegates to embrace "Wesleyan vile-tality" as a core aspect of Wesleyan identity.
Read MoreNorthern Illinois Conference seeks to yield to God’s leading: 2024 Conference Summary
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 More2024 One Matters Awards
The 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 MoreSlightly increased budget passes
Without 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.
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