As 2018 rolled in we began to hear 50 year retrospectives. The year 1968 was a tumultuous, pivotal, and significant year in our nation’s recent history. It’s impossible to reflect on all of those semicentennial events and persons that have shaped us more than we may realize.
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Last month United Methodist Directors of Connectional Ministries from around the world met in Atlanta. It was an opportunity to visit the new General Board of Global Ministries (GBGM) offices and meet with many of the key staff in that agency. The time was well spent as we learned more about the resources provided by GBGM for our conference and churches.
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Rev. H. Frederick Brown retired clergy member of the Northern Illinois Conference passed away on October 7, 2017. Rev. Brown served as the Executive Director of the Methodist Youth Services.
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A memorial service for Rev. James N. Moore will be held Saturday, March 3, 2018, at 10 a.m. at Christ United Methodist Church in the Alpine Center Sanctuary, 4509 Highcrest Rd., Rockford, IL 61107. There will be no visitation. Refreshments will follow the service.
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One year after laity and clergy pondered the “why”, participants at the 2018 Northern Illinois Conference Laity Convocation focused on the “how” local churches carry out the mission to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world. About 270 people gathered at Sycamore United Methodist Church on Feb. 17 to learn strategies for transforming ministry plans into action. General Secretary of Discipleship Ministries Rev. Dr. Junius Dotson delivered the keynote challenging local churches to move from the ‘why’, (the purpose), to the ‘how’, (seeing all the people.) Dotson calls it “missional engagement.”
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As bells tolled and wreaths were placed in remembrance of the 10th anniversary of the Valentine’s Day shooting which killed five students at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, news of another horrific school shooting was breaking in Florida. Feelings of shock, fear and disbelief reemerged for the families of victims, survivors, students, University staff, the community and faith leaders who were gathering for the memorial service at the garden outside Cole Hall, where a gunman opened fire in a lecture hall the afternoon of Feb. 14, 2008 taking the lives of Ryanne Mace, the granddaughter of two retired pastors from the Illinois Great Rivers Conference, Gayle Dubowski, Catalina Garcia, Julianna Gehant, and Daniel Parmenter.
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