A Message from the Bishop: Tyre Nichols

These are days for lament, and renewed commitment to justice. I lament the murder of Tyre Nichols at the hands of the officers in Memphis. I lament the stress officers are experiencing. I lament the loss of a son and father. We need to affirm that Black Lives Matter and our systems and relationships must act accordingly. Today at our Leadership Development training in the Prairie North District, we lifted a prayer shared by Rev. Violet Johnicker of Rockford Urban Ministries. Feel free to pray and use this, if possible, in worship tomorrow. May our actions produce equity that makes Christ known. Thank you for your ministry.

Welcoming Bishop Schwerin to the Northern Illinois Conference

Bishop Dan Schwerin’s first day serving as episcopal leader in the Northern Illinois Annual Conference was January 3. Bishop Schwerin grew up just north of us in Wisconsin, where he heard his call at Concord UMC, in the small town of Sullivan, near Waukesha. Prior to his election, he served in the Wisconsin Annual Conference office as Assistant to the Bishop.

Bishop’s Column: Getting to know Bishop Dan Schwerin

Here are 10 things that will help you get to know our new Bishop.

Did you know? Practicing Hospitality

This month’s NIC Reporter is filled with images of welcome. In the conference these days, we are driven by welcome. You only need to look at the conference calendar to see all the ways in which we are engaged in welcoming Bishop Dan Schwerin as our new episcopal leader. From an Installation Service (on Sunday, February 26th) to Days on the District (the first two weeks of February), to a card shower of notes and well wishes, we have extended a welcome to Bishop Schwerin.

A Toy Story that hits the road

The late Rev. Doug Williams brought the idea of making and distributing toy wooden cars to his congregation at Aldersgate UMC in Rockford in 2011 as a new ministry to children. Combining inspiration from a similar ministry in Florida and his woodworking hobby, it was Doug’s dream for a life-giving impact.

Creating safer and more welcoming spaces

One of the goals of the Northern Illinois Conference for 2022 was to ramp up our Safe Sanctuaries training and increase the number of volunteers who have gone through this valuable course. Online training through Safe Gatherings is an ongoing tool for this training. In addition, eight Safe Sanctuaries Trainings were held in 2022 throughout the summer and fall to train over 1,850 lay and staff. This brings our number of people leaders in the past 2 years to over 2,790!

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