After much anticipation, the report from the Commission on The Way Forward has been released. If you have not seen it but would like to read it, it can be found by clicking here. Delegation members are studying the legislation and beginning strategy discussions. We met with Bishop Dyck in August, and we will be meeting with the delegations from the North Central Jurisdiction and the College of Bishops in September to further discuss and learn about the legislation before we have our conversations with the conference. 

We are still waiting on other proposals that have been submitted from individuals and groups, which will be mailed to us later this fall. Other documents will be presented from the floor of the special session in February. Right now, we are keeping our minds open, listening to all of the information coming our way, praying for discernment, and waiting for yet another declaratory decision of the Judicial Council as requested by the Council of Bishops. We are working through our understanding, thoughts, and strategies, and we are refining our thinking as the conversations continue. We do have consensus on a few things:


• We agree with removing the incompatibility clause, as the One Church Plan does.
• We are devoted to the United Methodist Church and we do not wish to see it break apart. We will work to create a way for the UMC to be the church for all of God’s children because unity does not exist if some are excluded.
• We cannot continue to let this divisiveness get in the way of us doing God’s work through the church. We continue to seek a way forward that does not elevate either unity or justice over one another.
• We do need a way forward for the church just as urgently as we did when we approved the creation of the Commission on The Way Forward at General Conference 2016, and we continue to seek to be the church through this process.

The Methodist Church has been in crisis before. Hindsight tells us we did not always choose the best path, and people were hurt in the process. In many cases, the hurt still continues. We are keenly aware of the responsibility before us, and we commit ourselves to lead as God is calling us.

We need YOUR help as well.  We urge you to:

• Read the report and let us know what stands out to you. 
• Have conversations in your own congregation. 
• Continue to pray. 
• Plan to come to one of the conversations with the delegation that will take place in each district (October 6 – Freeport First and Sterling Wesley, October 20 – Park Ridge and St. Mark, November 10 – Barrington and Bethany of Fox Valley). 

We will continue to keep you updated as we get closer to, throughout, and following GC2019. Follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/NICDelegation.