The
From the Bishop:
of The United Methodist Church
Our future together
Flying home from a meeting, I worried about making my connections between Pensacola, Fla., and Chicago via Atlanta, Ga. I had about 30 minutes and in the Atlanta airport it can take a while Bishop Sally Dyck to get from one end to the other. I inquired about catching an earlier flight to Atlanta, but it cost $50 and they assured me I’d make it. So I decided to hold fast. But before I boarded my flight to Atlanta, I had a message that said my Atlanta to Chicago flight had been delayed, easing the problem tremendously. It was delayed some more and I had more than plenty of time to make my connection! I was glad I didn’t spend $50 to get an earlier flight! This was a “regular” domestic flight; nothing much unusual or even remarkable except…I thought about it when I was reflecting on a question I get asked nearly every day: what do you think will happen in The United Methodist Church over this quadrennium? Will we split? Will one side or the other take an exit ramp from the church? And a host of follow-up questions. I thought about how I can’t even predict a regular flight from Pensacola to Chicago, much less what will happen in The United Methodist Church. Circumstances keep changing! But I believe we need to pay attention to the circumstances. I will try to keep you informed along the way as best I can, recognizing that I don’t have a crystal ball and…did I mention that circumstances tend to keep changing? We are in a period of time in which there are a number of groups — some official and other unofficial groups — trying to figure out our future as a denomination, trying to determine the circumstances. Just in case you haven’t heard, the reason why we have to figure out our future as a denomination is because we are (like the nation itself) split over the acceptance of LGBTQ persons in ordained ministry and same-sex marriage. At General Conference we came to a big impasse and the General Conference voted for the Council of Bishops to form what is called The Commission on the Way Forward. They were charged with reviewing and potentially recommending changes to the church’s teaching on homosexuality. The members of this Commission are just being announced as I write this article. They represent a diversity of the church although not perfectly. There has been some concern about the imbalance of clergy and laity. I have registered my concern about not enough laity on the Commission, but it is unknown what will happen in regard to the imbalance of clergy and laity as I write this.
www.umcnic.org
I’m sure there will be other imbalances identified. It’s hard to have a commission that is representational of the various theological perspectives, racial/ethnic groups, U.S. and central conferences, gender, and also include LGBTQ persons and family members who would bring a unique viewpoint to the impasse — and still just have a working group of under 30. I’m mostly concerned that the Commission is peopled with those who are committed to the common mission of The United Methodist Church. A common mission is what connects us. A commitment to the mission of the church — to make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world — doesn’t need to demand agreement or uniformity around social principles (which are not doctrines of the church). As I said when I came to Northern Illinois, if you’re conservative as a clergyperson or congregation, then be a fruitful conservative (there are plenty of people for you to reach with our common faith) and if you’re progressive, then be a fruitful progressive (there are also plenty of those folks in all communities)! Gil Rendle, a United Methodist clergyperson and church consultant, has written on this in a monograph entitled, “Be Strong and of Good Courage: A Call to Quiet Courage in an Anxious Time.” The impasse seems to be that we have battled this out legislatively with winners and losers over a position. He stresses that our differences around human sexuality are positional differences. We aren’t changing our minds and nor is anybody else. When we hold a positional difference, compromise or a forced agreement is to ask us all to “abandon (our) claimed positions.” He suggests that in a positional impassion, it’s possible and even essential to move forward when we work toward a common mission or purpose. If the intended outcome of the work of the commission is agreement over issues of human sexuality the commission will have little hope of success because agreement requires contesting parties to abandon their clearly claimed positions. If the intended outcome of the work of the commission is unity within the denomination, the work will again struggle to bring any resolve because unity will ask comprise by disagreeing parties. Compromise on any hard claimed position is again, by definition, not the position—and therefore an unacceptable step…. (T)he real work of the church…(is) the work of connection. It is connection that finally brings us back to purpose. For, if we are to be connected to one another, we need to know clearly what holds us together that makes our discomfort with one another
Hurricane Matthew relief efforts
Northern Illinois Conference of The United Methodist Church 77 W. Washington St. Suite 1820 Chicago, IL 60602
Northern Illinois Conference
DO NOT DELAY. DATED MATERIAL.
REPORTER
November 2016 | Volume 162 | Issue 12
Look Inside . . .
Celebrating 180 Years | 4
Book Club Binds Together | 4
continued on page 2, see From the Bishop: Future)
By Kathy L. Gilbert
Hurricane Matthew, one of the fiercest hurricanes in nearly a decade, left nearly 1,000 dead in Haiti and at least more than 45 dead in the United States — 26 in North Carolina. The hurricane formed near the Windward Islands on Sept. 28 making landfall in Haiti and eastern Cuba on Oct. 4 as a Category 4. The Weather Channel reported Hurricane Matthew moved close to the coasts of Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Matthew made one official U.S. landfall on Oct. 8 southeast of McClellanville, South Carolina, as a Category 1 hurricane with 75 mph winds.
New Hispanic/Latino Ministry | 4
Still assessing damage McBride United Methodist Church, South Mills, North Carolina, had eight to 10 inches of flood water in the fellowship hall after Hurricane Matthew. The ground was already saturated from September floods. Photo by Angie Willis, courtesy of McBride United Methodist Church
The United Methodist Florida Conference reported 29 church claims of damage as of Oct. 11. “Our churches fared amazingly well,” said LaNita Battles, the conference’s director of Ministry Protection. “None of the churches appear to have damage which makes them uninhabitable. My rough estimate of damage thus far is (continued on page 2, see From the Cover: Hurricane)
Bringing Hope to Tanzania | 7 The Reporter is published monthly by NIC Communications. Postmaster: Send address changes to: NIC, 77 W. Washington St. Suite 1820, Chicago, IL 60062
Calendar News Cultural Competency Workshop November 12
“Building God’s Beloved Community” – this truly is an awesome task, and yet, at the same time, a task that requires hard and intentional work. How do we relate across racial, ethnic, and cultural differences? How do we live together, work together, and build God’s beloved community where everyone is valued and every gift celebrated? The Northern Illinois Conference Task Force on Cultural Competency and the Cabinet are pleased to provide a workshop on Nov. 12 for our church leaders to address these important questions. The workshop is designed not only for the pastors and congregations in Cross-Racial/ Cross-Cultural appointments, but for all those who are eager to gain core leadership skills for vital congregations. We strongly encourage every church to send a team of leaders to this workshop, including Pastors, Lay Leaders, Administrative Council members, SPRC members, Missions and Evangelism Committee members. This workshop is made possible by a generous grant from GCORR (General Commission on Religions and Race). We are pleased to have two expert trainers from California-Nevada Conference – Rev. Sun Hee Kim and Rev. Dale Weatherspoon. We have no doubt that this workshop will inform, encourage, and equip us with fundamental skills and vision for building God’s beloved community. Bishop Sally Dyck will also be with us with her inspiring message. The workshop will be held on Saturday, Nov. 12, 9:00 a.m. – 3:30 p.m., at Barrington UMC (98 Algonquin Rd, Barrington, IL). The cost is $15 per individual or $60 flat rate for a group of 4 or more (the 5th person and more from the same church can register for free). Lunch will be provided for everyone, and childcare will be available upon request. 0.5 CEU will be given to clergy. To register, please go to www.umcnic.org/bgbctraining. If you need assistants with the online registration, please contact Betsy Smith at the Rockford/DeKalb Regional Office (bsmith@umcnic.org, 815-561-8285).
Accessibility Awareness Sunday November 13
The Northern Illinois Conference has declared that the second Sunday of November be set aside as “Accessibility Awareness Sunday”. As a community of faith, we recognize that all people are not physically and/or mentally able to access the word of God in what might be described as the traditional manner. As our population ages and people continue to live longer, these challenges become even more apparent. One day you are fine, the next day you are using a walker, crutches or a wheel chair. Should that mean you should not be able to attend worship?
UM Student Day
One of the major causes of dementia is hearing loss. The reasoning behind this connection is that when a person has difficulty hearing in social settings, such as church, they begin to isolate themselves and pretty soon that social interaction that is so vital to keeping our brains active and functioning, slowly dissolves. How do we keep our churches up to date so that these folks stay involved and come to worship and other activities?
Right now there are UMC young people—who might not have had the resources to attend a school of their choice, or, for some, any school at all—who’ve been sent by you into the world God loves because of your giving to United Methodist Student Day. When you give generously you are supporting these students as they prepare for a life that unites faith with knowledge.
November 27
The Committee on Accessibility Ministries has compiled a list of suggestion on how to make our churches and worship services inclusive for everyone with mobility, hearing, vision and processing challenges. For more information visit www.umcnic.org/accessibility.
What no one person or congregation can do alone, we’re doing together.
The Committee is offering each congregation the challenge of figuring out how to do one thing to make their worship more accessible. Then we want you to celebrate it with the person or persons it will help! Go get them and bring them to church. Turn on that hearing loop or park that wheel chair in the space where a pew was shortened. Hand them a large print version of the bulletin.
To give by mail: Send checks to: GCFA, P.O. Box 340029, Nashville, TN 37203
Will you give to United Methodist Student Day? To Donate Online: Visit www.umcgiving.org/umsd.
Please put Student Day Sunday in the section.
We are here to assist and serve, so please send us an email at accesstogodshouse@gmail.com should you have any questions and/or need assistance with your project. We even have some grant monies available.
More on page 4
From the Bishop: Future worthy…If we can, as United Methodists, move our conversations from human sexuality to purpose, we will have moved from dividing positions to shared interests. (“Be Strong and of Good Courage: A Call to Quiet Courage in an Anxious Time” - 18, 19) Can the Commission construct a way for us to live together in our differences, connected by a common purpose or mission as we have claimed for several quadrennial now? While this official Commission is getting organized, a group of people met for a day in early October in Rosemont, Ill., called the Wesley Covenant Association. Its purpose is to “return” to “a high view of Scripture, Wesleyan vitality, orthodox theology, and Holy Spirit empowerment,” particularly as these relate to human sexuality. My understanding from those who attended and from what I’ve read is that there was no explicit conversation about LGBTQ persons in ministry or same-sex marriage, but they did call upon the Commission to “bring forth a recommendation that would definitively resolve our debate over The United Methodist Church’s sexual ethics and its understanding of marriage.” Furthermore, “if the commission determines no such plan is possible, then we believe it should prepare a plan 2 | The Reporter | November 2016
From the Cover: Hurricane of separation that honors the consciences of all the people of the church and allows them to go forward in peace and good will.” (www.wesleyancovenant.org) Instead of asking the question, “What do you think will happen to The United Methodist Church over this quadrennium?” you may now be asking, “Is there hope for The United Methodist Church?” I believe that there is hope for us if we can identify and choose our purpose and mission of being the church. Our diversity allows for us to live in cultural and social diversity. I want to live within a body of Christ that has many expressions of Christianity, diverse experiences of God, and multiple ways of exercising our spiritual gifts to serve the world. That’s how God made us; the holy scriptures are filled with persons’ expressions of faith from beginning to end that are also very diverse. St. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12 and also in Romans 12 that the body of Christ is made of many parts. As an African proverb says, “At the end of the day, you can focus on what’s tearing you apart or you can focus on what’s keeping you together.” That’s the United Methodist Way at our best. ~Bishop Sally Dyck
$500,000 to $700,000.” Six of the 12 districts in the South Carolina Conference have seen damage from the storm, several of those with massive flooding, and the conference has opened up its disaster response hotline to begin helping people in need. Matt Brodie, disaster response coordinator for the South Carolina Conference, said the church needs people to assess needs in their local communities, as well as begin to give of their time, their buildings and their financial resources. “We’re still in the assessment phase, and we’re gathering as much information as we can from those who are on the ground, but those who are not affected can still help,” Brodie said. The South Georgia Conference is also still assessing damage.
Ways to help
Cleaning buckets are needed in all affected areas. The United Methodist Committee on Relief (UMCOR) has directions on their website, www.umcor.org, for assembling the buckets. Donations can be given online at Disaster Response, International #982450 and United States Disaster Response Fund. For all U.S. disaster response, donations may be sent through Advance #901670 UMCOR U.S. Disaster Response. If you already want to take a team for post hurricane clean up, repair and rebuild, please understand it is important to WAIT until annual conferences along the damaged areas or UMCOR request volunteer help. For more information visit www.umcor.org. Gilbert is a multimedia news reporter for United Methodist News Service.
Celebrating Deacons beyond the local church The Rev. Kimberly Lewis-Davis wears a police uniform more often than a pastor’s robe. The Rev. Barry Sharp was ordained by the church, but he works for the state. The Rev. Bruce Maxwell has served the same appointment nearly 25 years, pastoring a mostly itinerant flock. Sharp, Lewis-Davis and Maxwell are among the United Methodist church’s 1,927 deacons, about 6 percent of its ordained U.S. clergy. While elders are called to lead congregations in ministry and mission, deacons are called to connect baptized Christians with their ministries in the world. Twenty years after the 1996 General Conference established the Order of Deacons, 44 percent of deacons report that their primary appointment is beyond the local church: They serve as teachers, lawyers, writers, church-growth consultants, nonprofit agency staff or any number of other professions. That’s a big change from 2000, when research showed 70 percent had their primary appointment to a church. “It’s an endless list,” said Rev. Victoria Rebeck, a deacon who serves as director of deacon ministry development and certification programs for the United Methodist Board of Higher Education and Ministry. “I am sure there are things I haven’t even thought of.” That diversity of service illustrates the deacon’s call to bring the church to the world — and the world to the church.
A nontraditional call
Maxwell earned his Master of Divinity degree, but did not feel “called to a traditional parish.” After a couple years’ discernment, in 1992 he became chaplain at the Trucker Traveler Ministry in Breezewood, Pennsylvania. “It became clear what God had been preparing me for,” he said. He was in the first class of deacons ordained by the Upper New York Conference in 1997. As “a chaplain out on the tarmac,” he ministers to crosscountry truck drivers, people traveling on business or families on vacation. Sometimes he counsels regular visitors — perhaps a trucker who stops at the plaza a couple times a week — but often he’s helping people who end up at the highway stop in need of food, medical attention, car repairs or fuel. “Sometimes it’s truly a one-shot deal,” he said. “I’ll have a 15-minute window of opportunity to plant the Gospel.” People once were ordained as deacons as a steppingstone to ordination as elder, but that ended in 1996 with the establishment of the two orders of clergy with distinct, but complementary, responsibilities. The new order actually reclaimed the order of deacon described in the New Testament, one of a caring minister who trains new Christians in ministry and helps the poor and downtrodden, Rebeck said. “You hear a lot of deacons talk about how they’re called to be a bridge,” she said.
Combining ministry with other work
The Rev. Barry Sharp, manager of the Tobacco Prevention and Control Branch of the Texas Department of State Health Services, wanted to combine ministry with his work promoting physical and mental health when he was ordained deacon in the Rio Texas Conference in 2016. Sharp, who worked in health education for 23 years, was involved in health ministry at his local church, Bethany United Methodist Church in Austin, Texas. His ministry includes offering health programs to faith
By Susan Keaton
communities, arranging smoking cessation programs in churches and speaking to youth groups. He has started regular devotions at the office for anyone who wants to participate, and “my coworkers know that if they need to talk to somebody there’s somebody down the hall.” At Bethany, he helps with music and liturgy and occasionally preaches. He and his wife lead a marriage ministry. “We’ve got a good church staff that understands deacons and supports us,” he said. The Rev. Joy Melton also was in the first class of ordained deacons (in the North Georgia Conference). Unlike Maxwell, she had long planned to combine her interests in Christian education and the law. “I always knew I wanted to do both,” said Melton, a partner in the law firm of Hindson & Melton in Atlanta. After earning a Christian education degree, she became a diaconal minister. That was a term the denomination previously used to describe people who were not ordained clergy but were certified to hold ministerial roles at local churches such as music leadership, Christian education or life-stage ministries. Melton also earned a law degree, following her father into that profession. In the early 1990s, Melton served on a task force that wrote the first sexual ethics guidelines for The United Methodist Church. In 1996, she wrote the Safe Sanctuaries policies; she is now the author of six books on that topic. She also serves on the denomination’s Interagency Sexual Ethics Task Force. Melton estimates she spends about half of her time as a lawyer working on clergy sexual ethics issues and the rest on more routine legal matters with families, but she is always a counselor. “Ministers are involved with families at the time of greatest crisis and greatest joy — and so are lawyers,” she said.
Deacons not itinerant
While elders are guaranteed appointments but must serve wherever the bishop appoints them, deacons are not itinerant. The bishop appoints them to their position, but they often seek out a job on their own that helps them fulfill their ordination vows. Those appointed outside the walls of a church usually receive a secondary appointment to a local congregation where they take missionary responsibility for leading Christians into service. For the Rev. Kimberly LewisDavis, that secondary appointment is in Maple Park United Methodist Church in Chicago, where her mother, father and grandmother all were in leadership roles. She grew up visiting church members with her grandmother, and as a young adult taught Sunday school. “Church and ministry was such a big part of my life,” she said.
Increasingly, United Methodist deacons such as the Rev. Kimberly Lewis-Davis, a Chicago Police Department chaplain, are serving their primary appointments outside the local church. Photo courtesy: Rev. Kimberly Lewis-Davis
Her primary appointment as a Chicago Police Department chaplain took a more winding road. After working in public relations, she joined the police department as a beat officer and plainclothes officer before getting into administration. She began seminary classes part time while working full time at the police department, being married to another officer and caring for a 2-year-old daughter and newborn son. “It was one of the most challenging periods of my life, but God was in the middle,” Davis said. During a seminary internship as a hospital chaplain, she decided chaplaincy was her calling and found her niche in the police department’s chaplaincy office. Now she counsels officers and their families, prays with them, visits then in hospitals, performs weddings, leads worship services and a marriage ministry — much of what “a pastor would do to minister to a flock.”
Deacons by the numbers
The most recent data shows the denomination now has 29,098 ordained elders in the U.S. and 1,927 deacons (including provisional and retired clergy), said Mark McCormack, director of research and evaluation for the Board of Higher Education and Ministry. The vast majority (1,422) of deacons are female. Rebeck of Higher Education and Ministry is excited that a growing number of deacons serve beyond the local church. “I honestly think it’s great because it means the church is getting outside its walls,” she said. “Deacons are really a crucial part of church vitality.” *Keaton is a freelance writer in Chicago.
Know your Ordained Orders •
Elders are ordained to a ministry of word, sacrament, order and service. They preach and teach God’s word, provide pastoral care, administer sacraments of baptism and communion, and order the life of the church.
•
Deacons are ordained to a ministry of word, service, compassion and justice. Like elders they preach and teach and provide pastoral care, but they do not administer sacraments. They are called to a ministry that brings the church into the world — and the world into the church.
The Reporter | November 2016 | 3
Local Church News
Naperville book club marks 50 180 Years of Ministry in the City of Rockford years of reading By Susan Keaton CENTENNIAL UMC: By Rev. Fabiola Grandon-Mayer
Avid readers recently celebrated the 50th year for the women’s book club at Community UMC in Naperville. Photo Courtesy Roger Bunting.
In 1966, Lyndon B. Johnson was president, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. moved to Chicago to advocate for housing desegregation, and John Lennon infamously said that The Beatles were “bigger than Jesus.” In the small community of Naperville, Ill., a group of women from the First Evangelical United Brethren Church formed a book group.
Photos courtesy Joan McCarty
“180 years ago Andrew Jackson was president, Wisconsin became a territory, and Davy Crockett arrived in Texas. That was also the year Centennial United Methodist Church in Rockford began its ministry,” a local TV news reporter from station WIFR said.
Centennial is a family church, hospitable and friendly. “We are a loving church. Everybody works together. This is a family,” said Art Huenkenmeier to a local newspaper reporter, explaining why he has remained a member for 75 years.
Centennial is a multicultural congregation and the oldest religious organization in Rockford with its members representing 16 countries. On Sunday, September 18, Centennial celebrated its 180th Anniversary through a bilingual worship service with 140 people in attendance. Several special guests including our Bishop, Rev. Sally Dyck, Rockford District Superintendent, Rev. Lisa KruseSafford, former District Superintendent, Rev. Ray Rhodes and several former pastors, choir directors, and friends gave prominence to the celebration.
Although the church has changed location, the mission has not changed. Centennial is well known for its neighborhood outreach programs: Saturday Kids’ Club for over 20 years, English as a Second Language, the Summer Food Program, Sidewalk Hospitality, Multicultural Vacation Bible School and Spanish Services.
Calendar News
“Our worship to God is an expression of who we are,” said Rev. Fabiola Grandon-Mayer in her words of welcome. A variety of music, bilingual prayers, liturgical dance, the recognition of former pastors and 55 to 75 year members of our church, plus the sharing of Holy Communion were part of the celebration.
4 | The Reporter | November 2016
For the next 50 years – through the Civil Rights and Women’s Rights movements, the creation of the internet and the invention of smart phones, the disbanding of The Beatles and the formation of The United Methodist Church – the women of Community UMC continued to gather monthly for lively book discussions.
New Hispanic/Latino ministry launches in Blue Island By Judy Siaba
Bishop Sally Dyck thanked our congregation for our devotion saying, “I thank God for you, ...for all that great cloud of witnesses upon whose shoulders you stand...they are part of your family and they are going to continue to help you to be strong as individuals and as a church.” Singing as one voice, “Great is Thy Faithfulness” (“Grande es Tu Fidelidad”) concluded the anniversary worship service in an environment of celebration, thanksgiving and joy for God’s faithfulness through 180 years.
Pastor Nino Espinoza at the pulpit with Bishop Sally Dyck and Chicago Southern District Superintendent Rev. Jacques Conway in the background at the opening of Jesucristo Rey de Reyes in Blue Island, Ill., on Oct. 9, 2016.
UMC #Giving Tuesday - November 29 Mark your calendars! UMC #GivingTuesday is Nov. 29. Last year, thanks to the extravagant generosity of our supporters, we raised just short of $2.8 million on UMC #GivingTuesday. UMC #GivingTuesday is part of an international movement to extend the spirit of giving thanks into the Advent season. It offers an opportunity to start off the holiday season by giving instead of receiving. UMC #GivingTuesday offers United Methodists a way
to participate by supporting projects through The Advance. Join in the UMC #GivingTuesday campaign by visiting the Giving Tuesday resource page at www.umcmission. org/giving-tuesday/resources.
Donation Matches
The Advance remains committed to sustaining a strong foundation that allows projects and missionaries to build relationships and empower ministries.
“I think it’s the people and the fellowship – and, of course, the books – that kept us going,” said Marty Schwab, a co-leader of the group from 1978 until this fall. Although a few of the members have been part of the group for decades, Schwab is the only one to have been a member all 50 years. She remembers that in the mid 1960s, the women’s ministries group (now United Methodist Women) at First EUB was looking for ways to attract more members and enliven its offerings. Leaders decided to create smaller groups for women who shared special interests, like crafting, or who were in a similar point of life, such as being mothers of young children. As part of that effort, Ella Dute and Loretta Stein proposed a book discussion group (originally the “Book Browsers’ Circle.”) Dute was a recently retired English professor at North Central College, and, “this was wonderful for her,” Schwab said. “It filled a gap.” In the beginning, fresh from the classroom, Dute made all the book selections. Usually at least one book each year was a classic, many were contemporary, and the group often ended the year reading a play. Dute led the all the discussions at first, but then started asking other members to take turns. Only one book from that first season is recorded, and it is one of Schwab’s favorites: An Episode of Sparrows by Rumer Godden. Although it is considered a children’s book, Schwab said, the women enjoyed discussing its
Congregants, conference leaders and guests gathered on a beautiful Sunday afternoon to celebrate the launch o f a new Hispanic/Latino Ministry on Oct. 9 at Grace United Methodist Church in Blue Island, Ill. Jesucristo Rey de Reyes, which began hosting Bible studies and Spanish as a Second Language classes more than a year ago at Grace UMC, is another visible evidence of God working within our churches to reach out to the changing communities throughout Northern Illinois. The Conference Academy for Faith Community Development has been in the forefront of training and developing lay missioners to plant the seeds of the Gospel and work the fields of our neighborhoods. Pastor Nino Espinoza along with his wife Reyna and two children, Vanessa and Jesús, are 2015 Conference Academy graduates. “The Espinoza’s took a leap of faith,” said Rev. Martin Lee, NIC Director of Congregational Development and Redevelopment. “Some might say they are crazy to move their children to a new community, leave their jobs and start a
deeper themes. The club has a complete list of all the group’s readings starting in its second year, and Cindy Bunting, co-leader since 1994, gathered them in a booklet given to members as they kicked off the 2016-17 reading year. The titles range from classic world literature like The Brothers Karamazov (read in 1971-72) to more contemporary books like Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil (1995-96) or A Man Called Ove (spring 2016). The group read the beloved classic To Kill a Mockingbird in 2010 and then author Harper Lee’s original version of the novel, Go Set a Watchman, published under some controversy in 2015. Members have discussed political biographies, historical works and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Several authors have made repeat appearances on the list through the years. Stein left Naperville a few years after starting the group, and Dute moved away in 1978 although she left behind some written “Suggestions for Studying Fiction or Drama,” which were also included in the anniversary booklet. Dute asked Schwab to take her place, and Schwab served as co-leader until the first meeting of this year’s club, when she and Bunting retired. Now, a committee gathers each July to make the year’s reading selections from members’ suggestions, aiming for a well-rounded list including books about people in different cultures, countries or religious traditions.
new faith community, but they have a passion to make a difference and are working hard to serve God’s people in our mission field.” The Espinoza family came out of another New Faith Community, La Luz de Cristo in Elgin, which chartered in February 2015. La Luz de Cristo has continued to be supportive of the Espinoza family and their new mission site by continually praying for them and their ministry. La Luz de Cristo Pastor Ruben Rivera brought the sermon and Bishop Sally Dyck was the communion celebrant. There were several Hispanic congregations represented at the worship service giving their support and love. Bishop Dyck shared this observation, “The passion and commitment of Pastor Nino Espinoza and his family to share the gospel in the Blue Island community and the level of support by the northern Illinois Hispanic community was evident in the service and fellowship. Many thanks to Grace Church who offers gracious hospitality to birth and nurture with a place for this new Hispanic
The only rule, said Bunting, is “you’re not to recommend a book that you haven’t read.” Not all the books are hits with everyone, of course. Bunting said sometimes women come to the meeting not caring much for the selection, but “after they’ve heard the discussion, they feel differently about the book.” Every meeting is held at a member’s home, and a different member leads each month’s discussion, in a format of her own choice. Over the years, discussion leaders have dressed like characters from the book being discussed or played music or passed around maps or photos to set the mood for the discussion. Outside the regular meetings, members have attended authors’ read ings locally or have watched movies based on earlier selections. All agree one of the best things about the group is being exposed to books they might never have otherwise read. At this year’s pot-luck dinner to launch its 50th year, members discussed some of the works that had a profound effect on them or that they enjoyed the most. Then they launched into an animated discussion of the first book of 2016-17, the memoir The Water is Wide by Pat Conroy. “It’s just a wonderful group of ladies,” Bunting said.
faith community. It was a wonderful service—spirited and warm—as we celebrated the ministry we all have together at the Blue Island Hispanic ministry! Many thanks to all who make it possible.” It was a wonderful celebration of God’s love being shared in a new way. Rev. Juancho Campañano and Pastor Nino Espinoza have combined their ministry gift in the Blue Island area to reach out to all of their neighbors, no matter the language. Grace UMC has been gracious in opening themselves to new ways of doing ministry. May God continue to bless them as God’s word and love is shared. Great food, liturgical dancing by a group from La Luz de Cristo and fellowship was enjoyed after the worship service. The worship services in Spanish are celebrated at 2:00 p.m. on Sundays. A Bible study is held on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 p.m. Grace UMC is located at 12739 Maple Ave., Blue Island, Ill. All are welcome.
2016 APPOINTMENTS: OCTOBER ANNOUNCEMENTS In the past, the Advance was fortunate to offer matching funds to motivate giving. While matching funds will not be available this year, The Advance continues to allocate 100 percent of all giving to the designated project and missionary with the administrative overhead covered through apportionments. This Advent, encourage your congregation to “Give Light, Give Love and Give Life” through The Advance at www.umcmission.org/give.
Tim Casey (Elder) to Channahon from Bartlett: Good Shepherd. Tim follows Steve Good who is appointed to Oswego: Good Shepherd. Effective January 1. Sophia Hyon (Local Pastor) to Milledgeville ¼ time (DeKalb District) while also serving Coleta (DeKalb District). Sophia follows Andrew Pittman who will discontinue his assigned status. Effective November 1.
Danice Loveridge (Deacon) to Rockford Urban Ministries as Work Camp Program Developer from Poplar Grove UMC. Effective September 1. Antoinette Lucas (Assigned) to Albany 1/2 time (DeKalb District). Toni follows Nancy Weingartner who retired. Effective 10/15. Cheri Magrini (Deacon) to Woodland Spiritual Retreats for Women in Ministry from Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance Chicago Loop Chapter.
Effective September 1. Mary Steinwandt (Local Pastor) to Mokena 1/2 time (Aurora District). Mary follows Eddie Eddy who is appointed to Freeport: Trinity/Embury. Effective September 15. Marcus Tabb to Maywood: Neighborhood (3/4 time) while continuing to serve Chicago: Granville. Marcus follows Jacque Conway who is appointed as Chicago Southern District Superintendent. Effective October 1.
The Reporter | November 2016 | 5
New overtime rule means church changes By Heather Hahn A new federal rule that increases the number of U.S. workers who are eligible for overtime pay could have an impact on your church’s payroll. Church employees who are not clergy are among those affected by the new regulation — currently set to take effect Dec. 1. Under the new U.S. Department of Labor rule, most workers earning up to $47,476 annually ($913 per week) will qualify for overtime pay. That roughly doubles the current cutoff, set in 2004, of $23,660 annually ($455 per week). The changes mean more white-collar salaried workers can earn time-and-a-half wages (that is, 1.5 times their hourly rate of pay) for each hour they put in beyond 40 per week. In addition to raising the ceiling, the overtime-eligibility regulation provides for automatic updates every three years to keep pace with U.S. wage growth. It also strengthens protections for workers already entitled to overtime. For churches, the rule’s big exceptions are likely clergy and possibly some individuals with the education and duties of clergy such as youth pastors. The U.S. Department of Labor manual exempts clergy from minimum wage and overtime requirements. However, the rule potentially applies to a variety of other
church employees, including administrative assistants, Christian educators, custodians, daycare workers and musicians. The U.S. Department of Labor calculates that the expansion makes an additional 4.2 million U.S. workers eligible for overtime pay. Steve Lambert, the general counsel for the United Methodist General Council on Finance and Administration, cautions, “Making generalities about these rules is fraught with peril.” He said a variety of factors contribute to a worker’s overtime eligibility. For instance, if a church includes a preschool, and that preschool is not a separate employer entity, its employees are covered by the new rule. The rule also covers employees involved in any interstate work, which can include such routine tasks as using the internet, exchanging emails and making phone calls across state lines. The General Council on Finance and Administration — the denomination’s legal and finance agency — is working with ComplianceHR software to help churches determine who qualifies for overtime pay and to reclassify employees if needed. Churches will need to pay $60 for each employee to determine whether the worker is exempt or non-exempt from
overtime pay. Lambert’s office also has been working with conference treasurers to help United Methodists comply with the regulation. He said his office has handled more than 100 inquiries to date about the changes. “People are taking this very seriously,” Lambert said. “But they aren’t panicking. There are definitely ways to manage the changes.”
How to deal with new regulations
The U.S. Labor Department suggests four ways employers can satisfy the new requirements: • • • •
Pay time-and-a-half for overtime work Raise workers’ salaries above the new threshold Limit workers’ hours to 40 per week Do some combination of the above
Employers will not face any criminal penalties for failing to pay overtime. But if a church does not comply, employees can file suit in federal court for back pay with interest and other financial penalties. Hahn is a multimedia news reporter for United Methodist News Service. Contact her at (615) 742-5470 or newsdesk@umcom.org.
Training empowers and equips conference leaders
Bishop Sally Dyck led opening worship and remarks at the leadership orientation for conference committee leaders Oct. 15 at Downers Grove First UMC.
Equipping local churches for ministry to make disciples of Jesus Christ while also providing a connection for ministry beyond the local church is the foundational mission of the Northern Illinois Conference. Work over the past year through the Landscape survey and listening sessions has helped us better understand that “equipping” is at the heart of our mission as conference leaders. On Oct. 15, conference committee chairs and key leaders gathered for a training event at Downers Grove First United Methodist Church titled, “Equip and Empower: Leadership Orientation for Conference Chairs”, to focus on the work ahead in the new quadrennium. The day highlighted the conference’s mission, vision, core values, and key aspirations as well as our conference culture. Bishop Sally Dyck opened the event with worship and remarks saying we need to look beyond how “we’ve always done things” and be willing to try something new.
“This is an opportunity to keep changing the culture of our annual conference in ways that will address the changing landscape that we find around us,” said Bishop Dyck who challenged committee chairs to experiment, evaluate, innovate and work together on the conference’s priorities.
Our Vision:
“Making and supporting vital Christians in vital congregations that engage with their communities and the world for peace, justice and mercy.” Assistant to the Bishop and Director of Connectional Ministries Rev. Arlene Christopherson outlined those priorities which include: equipping both leaders and churches, resourcing struggling churches, rethinking how to be
vital churches and cultivating trust within the conference. “It’s a partnership with the local church and the annual conference,” said Christopherson. “This (training) is an opportunity to set direction, share resources and help us be a team working in coordination with one another.” Other highlights included presentations on cultural competency from DeKalb District Superintendent Rev. Young-Mee Park, how to hold effective meetings from conference co-lay leader Mark Manzi, using technology for virtual meetings from Rev. Megan Dean, sharing our story (social media, NIC publications, calendaring etc.) from Director of Communications Anne Marie Gerhardt and finance information from Treasurer Lonnie Chafin. Many of the forms, documents and guidelines for committee chairs and leaders are available on the conference website, www.umcnic.org, under the leadership resources tab.
Conference finance committee sets goals for new quadrennium It’s a new quadrennium and for many of our Conference’s committees it means new faces in leadership. Our Northern Illinois Annual Conference’s Committee on Finance and Administration is facing the challenges of administrative ministry with old and new faces alike. At their August 13 meeting, the council elected myself, Rev. Rob Hamilton of Rochelle UMC as President. Stephanie Uhl, laity from United Church of Hyde Park as Vice-President and Rev. Luis F. Reyes of First UMC of Lombard as Secretary. In the coming quadrennium, our CCFA is focused on accomplishing these four goals in addition to the work required by Discipline and our Standing Rules: • Return to 100% General Church Apportionment Payment by 2020 • Assess & Audit Administrative Staffing • Investigate an apportionment formula that fits today • Find new ways to support Local Churches through new relationships In pursuit of these goals CCFA is experimenting with a novel way to organize its work. Instead of distributing its work into different sub-committees, each task that is in pursuit of CCFA’s goals stands on its own and members elect to 6 | The Reporter | November 2016
work on the tasks that best fits member’s gifts and graces. This form of organization around tasks verses sub-committees easily allows for people with passions for tasks who are not members of the committee to aid in the completion of the tasks and bring the work before the whole CCFA for action. The tasks CCFA will be working on this year in pursuit of their goals for the quadrennium are: • Audit of Administrative Staffing • Bidding for a Financial Audit • Annual Review of Treasurer/ Director of Administrative Services • Create, provide, and promote Apportionment Interpretation materials and resources. • Regular Review of Financial Statements • Forecast Future Conference Apportionment Income • Update Conference Investment Policy • Review Annual Conference Legislation • Support Local Church Stewardship Efforts • Explore Experimental Local Church Supportive Services • Prepare Narrative Budget • Create and Promote a Resource Directory • Investigate a New Apportionment Formula
By Rev. Rob Hamilton
• Oversee Apportionment Appeals Process • Local Church Interventions If you feel a call to sharing your gifts and graces to help with any of these tasks, you are invited to share your sense of calling with CCFA. The easiest way to contact CCFA is through their new email: ccfa@umcnic.org. The members of CCFA for 2016-2020 are: Abbey Ogunbola, Amos Oladipo, Andrea Davidson, Cynthia Zolk, Ed Page, John Meyers, Joyce Frankfother, Kelli Beard, Luis F. Reyes, Lynette Rice, Rob Hamilton, Rudy Smith, Scort Christy, Stephanie Uhl, Tammy Scott, and Teri Lafferty. Serving exofficio are: Sally Dyck, Arlene Christopherson, Lonnie Chafin, Jacques Conway and Chris Winkler. Upcoming CCFA meetings will be held at First UMC Lombard from 9 a.m.-Noon on Dec 3, Feb 25 and May 6 and most business is open for any to attend and participate in conversation. All business considered at CCFA meetings is determined by the Executive Committee 2-3 weeks prior to the meeting date. Items of new business need to be brought to me, three weeks before a scheduled CCFA meeting for consideration and placement on the meeting agenda.
Missionary bringing hope to the next generation in Tanzania The Rev. Young Seon “Christina” Kim, a South Korean pastor from the Northern Illinois Conference who has been appointed to the UMC in Tanzania, recently came back to the U.S. for several weeks visiting friends, colleagues, churches and groups who continue to offer her prayers and support, including Salem UMC in Skokie and her former appointment at Cherry Valley UMC. Rev. Kim shared her experiences with everyone she met of her mission over the last couple years developing Next Generation ministries and its goal to recruit and equip young Tanzanian leadership for ministry and mission. Objectives of Kim’s work include the preparation of pastors and lay leaders with skills in relating to young people and analysis of the youth ministries presently underway in each of the church’s districts. She has traveled thousands of miles across Tanzania leading retreats and implementing ministries while sharing God’s word with dozens of youth. She recently wrote more about her ministry and mission in the Global Ministries magazine, New World Outlook. The following is a portion of Rev. Kim’s article: To briefly introduce my mission journey, I am Korean and my unofficial English name is Christina. I am an ordained elder of the Northern Illinois Conference of The United Methodist Church. In August 2011, I was invited to serve the Harvest Conference for Kenyan university students in Nakuru, Kenya, where 800 young Africans gather to worship God. Surprisingly, God had called me to serve in Africa, so I applied to Global Ministries in 2012 to
become a missionary. While awaiting approval, I was invited to teach English at a mission school in Tanzania. So in March 2014, Global Ministries of the youth surround Rev. Kim during officially commissioned me to Some Rev. Young Seon Kim (right) visited with Bishop a Discipleship and Leadership training in the serve the UMC in Tanzania Sally Dyck during her stay in Chicago. Tanzania Morogoro District in September. (UMCT). Young Christians in Tanzania want strong youth leaders Tanzania has two official languages, Swahili and and good Bible teachers. They also want to learn English, English, but most Tanzanians use Swahili. I studied at a and they seek more education because most of them have Swahili language school for three months, but I continue finished only elementary or secondary school. Youth yearn my Swahili studies for at least one hour a day because my for meaningful employment and projects. They want leadgoal is not only to converse with people but also to preach ership training and seminars in Christian living, and many and teach in Swahili. are interested in sports ministry and youth choir. As director of the Next Generation Ministries of the To be honest, the long bus trips and bumpy roads this UMC in Tanzania, my mission is to empower youth (ages journey required were challenging, but I gained a better 13 to 30) to become healthy, growing, and committed picture of the UMCT youth and their work. I am cerdisciples of Jesus Christ. The UMCT has many youth, but tain that the UMC in Tanzania will grow if the youth are only a few churches have active youth groups and youth trained and empowered. programming, so there is much to be done. Even though For more information and how you can be in prayer or I’ve had long experience in ministry, I asked God to guide support her and Next General Ministries contact: Young me in discerning how to start. God’s answer was very Seon “Christina” Kim at: yskim1023@gmail.com. Your simple: “Go and see. Go and visit different districts, meet church can also support Rev. Kim through The Advance young people, and listen to them.” So I obeyed. #3021957, Next Generation Ministries, Advance #00205A. I learned about their problems, questions, wishes, One hundred percent of all Advance giving goes to the prayers, and dreams. Many young people said the same chosen mission project or ministry. For more information things, so it was not difficult to hear God’s voice through visit www.umcmission.org. them.
Church and Society Board elects new directors The newly-elected board of directors of the General Board of Church and Society of The United Methodist Church gathered in Columbia, Maryland from September 21-24. Church and Society’s board consists of 62 United Methodist members. Bishop Charlene Kammerer organized the board of directors for this meeting. The board elected Bishop Sally Dyck of the North Central Jurisdiction as president, and Randall Miller, lay person from the CaliforniaNevada Annual Conference as vice-president. Rev. Sharon Austin of the Florida Annual Conference was elected as Secretary and Lonnie Chafin, lay person from Northern Illinois Annual Conference, as Treasurer. The Rev. Carol Hill, pastor of First UMC in West Dundee, is also on the board. The Rev. Dr. Susan HenryCrowe was re-elected as the General Secretary. HenryCrowe has led the social justice agency since 2014. The outgoing Executive Committee of the board of directors proposed changes to the
bylaws, which were approved by the newly-organized board. The new bylaws reorganize the board under four administrative committees (Personnel, Finance, Trustees, and Bylaws, Nominations, Evaluation and Review) and three work areas (Advocating, Educating, and Connecting). Three task forces were created to address the concerns of the Inter-Ethnic Strategic Development Group, the Social Principles Revision, and Ministry With the Poor. The board traveled to Washington, D.C. where the members toured the United Methodist Building – which General Conference named as a Heritage Landmark in May – and held closing worship in the Simpson Memorial Chapel. The board members also heard from Melissa Rogers, Special Assistant to the President and Executive Director of the White House Office of Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships, on the importance of people of faith engaging in public policy. The board will meet again in March of 2017.
*Article from New World Outlook, January/February 2016
Imagine No Malaria: Bringing hope, peace, joy and love to congregations with Advent resources
This Advent season, let Imagine No Malaria help you and your United Methodist congregation imagine a world filled with hope, peace, joy and love through a collection of downloadable materials that include sermon starters, hymn suggestions and children’s messages. The five weeks of undated materials are centered on the themes of “Imagine Hope,” “Imagine Peace,” “Imagine Joy, “Imagine Love,” all highlighted by the African hymn “I’ve Got The Light Of God In Me,” from the country of Cameroon. Additional materials include litanies, prayers, and a short video that can be shared in small groups or with the congregation. Church leaders may choose to use all of the resources or customize the materials to complement current programming. In addition to utilizing the resources, many churches collect special offerings during the Advent season for Imagine No Malaria. Imagine No Malaria has surpassed 92 percent of its $75 million goal, an achievement that has inspired churches across the country to dedicate Christmas Eve offerings to the initiative. The Northern Illinois Conference surpassed its $1 million dollar goal this summer and churches are encouraged to continue fulfilling their pledges.
Imagine No Malaria, an initiative of The United Methodist Church, is committed to ending death and suffering from malaria through prevention, communication, trained health workers and grassroots education. To date, Imagine No Malaria has raised 92 percent of its goal with more than $69 million in gifts and pledges. United Methodists across the world are working hard to reach and celebrate Imagine No Malaria’s $75 million goal. Safe, secure and easy giving opportunities are available at imaginenomalaria.org or by mailing directly to Imagine No Malaria at P.O. Box 440544, Nashville, TN 37244-0544. NIC churches may mail donations to: Northern Illinois Conference, P.O. Box 5646 Carol Stream, IL 60197-5646. Anyone can participate and join the fight to eliminate this disease through one-time gifts and pledges; many people have chosen recurring pledges of $28 per month over three years, an amount that will potentially save the lives of up to 100 children at risk for contracting this deadly disease. Additionally, visitors to the website can get a glimpse at the lives being changed by Imagine No Malaria through video diaries, touching photos and news stories. The Reporter | November 2016 | 7
Did You Know:
Outdoor & Retreat Ministries Happenings
The OTF is Underway?
By Rev. Arlene Christopherson, Assistant to the Bishop/Dir. Connectional Ministries
Government agencies and religious denominations love to shorten their language into acronyms and alphabets. In July, I became the A2B/DCM, Assistant to the Bishop/Director of Connectional Ministries. Beyond the alphabet soup, when I first heard those titles spoken as part of a Sunday morning introduction they still needed more explanation, even beyond the words. What is the job of an A2B or a DCM? Well that’s a story for another day, today I want to spell out OTF. So here is the story of the OFT Organizational Task Force. During the Northern Illinois Conferences Landscape work that began in the spring of 2015 and extended through the annual conference of 2016, we engaged in some self-assessment, visioning, listening and collating of our purpose, priorities, core values and mission. Out of that work it became evident that our governance system which can be broken down into administrative, superintending and programmatic areas, isn’t always able to work as effectively as possible when one group has little opportunity to engage with another. Living out a common goal becomes more difficult when leadership does not meet at a common table beyond the June gathering of the annual conference. As many as two-thirds of the conferences across the U.S. have addressed this gap in structure with opportunities for the various leadership groups to come together for common learning, sharing and strategizing around the conferences priorities. Enter the OTF. Our Landscape Taskforce brought a resolution to the 2016 annual conference inviting us to create the Organization Taskforce to: • Plan strategically • Align resources • Create an intersection between administrative, program and superintending functions • Streamline the work of the conference committees • Respond with flexibility • Be accountable to conference membership • Act with coordinated efficiency Members of the Taskforce were recruited in August and held their first formational meeting in September. Chaired by Liz Gracie, a lay member of
Oak Park First UMC, this group of 28 is tasked with the work of bringing design recommendations back to the annual conference in June, 2017. The Taskforce is meeting almost monthly in 4-6 hour long sessions, with work teams gathering between full taskforce meetings. This group of dedicated laity and clergy began by learning about our current structure as an annual conference, then looking at models of governance in conferences of similar size or where creative work has been successful. Over the next few months the group will work in teams to design a recommended model for the NIC. This might include a central coordinating body and some reorganization of our committees. This is adaptive work so none of us knows where it will lead. In the early spring the group will host listening sessions for feedback as a resolution is crafted for adoption at the 2017 annual conference. The OTF has identified some of the key characteristics in the new structure as a working guide. They feel that the central coordinating body should: • Equip churches for ministry in a new way/age • Be flexible for adaptation – from permission giving – to mission • Be accountable • Encourage Diversity • Be understandable at the local church level (for resourcing) Please pray for this important work as we reshape the governance of our conference to address our changing needs. Thank the Taskforce members for their deep commitment and gracious gift of time and talents in the design of the proposal and join us in planning for adaptive change in our structure so we might be an effective organization in addressing our conference priorities to: 1. Equip both Leaders and Churches: ✓With strategies to reach new members ✓To help members grow as disciples ✓To be more effective in community outreach 2. Resource struggling churches 3. Rethink how to be vital churches 4. Cultivate trust within the conference
Water Sports
Riddle me this...
What does it mean when you see Christmas decorations popping-up in malls around the country? (That Halloween is just around the corner!)
Riddle me that...
What does it mean when you see Halloween decorations popping-up in malls around the country? (That your NIC Camps are finalizing the 2017 Summer Camp schedule with new activities, events, programs and entire camps!)
NEW CAMPS: Chicago Southern District
We are working with District Superintendent Jacques Conway to co-host a brand new, Chicago Southern District Summer Camp. We are extremely excited about this new week and will announce the dates within our annual Summer Camp Insert in the December-January Reporter.
Advanced Sailing
Thanks to requests and more reservations than sailboats for this year’s Sailing Camp, Wesley Woods hosted Advanced Sailing this year, and is bringing it back for 2017.
In response to parental requests and camper interest, Wesley Woods is adding a new WaterSports camp to run concurrently with CAPA Camp in 2017.
EXPANDING CAMPS
We are also expanding existing summer youth programs at both Reynoldswood and Wesley Woods to include: • fire-starting (for campfires, with safety training), • foil pouch cooking, • night hikes, and • campfire skits. At Reynoldswood, we are adding a halfday of HORSES to each residential Youth Camp! Look for all the details in the 2017 Summer Camp insert in next month’s Reporter.
Mark Your Calendars
Wesley Woods Winter Ski Retreats @ Wilmot • January 27-29, 2017 • February 10-12, 2017 • February 24-26, 2017
Program Office Changes NIC Program Office Staff has moved from Elgin to the Chicago office at 77 W. Washington St., Suite 1820, Chicago, IL 60602. Administrative Assistant Natarsha Gardner can be reached at 312-346-9766 ext. 764 or by email: ngardner@umcnic.org. For Safe Sanctuaries background checks, mail to Natarsha at the Chicago office address or fax: 312-346-9730. Director of Communications Anne Marie Gerhardt can be reached at 312-346-9766 ext. 766 or by email: agerhardt@umcnic.org.
Director of Connectional Ministries Rev. Arlene Christopherson can be reached at 312-346-9766 ext. 713 or by email: achristo@umcnic.org. The Media Resource Center remains at 217 Division St. Elgin, IL 60120. MRC Director Susan Gieseler is working part-time 10-12 hours a week (Tuesdays and Thursdays) and can still be reached 847-931-0710 ext. 17 or by email: sgieseler@umcnic.org.
CORRECTION
Reporter Correction: In the October Reporter on pg. 4, “Red Oak UMC Celebrates 125 years”, the wrong District and address were listed. Red Oak UMC is in the Rockford District and is located at: 6381 High St., Red Oak, Ill. We apologize for the error.
Stay Connected
How to Contact Us:
Submit News
Sign up for the weekly NIC eNews & Appointment Announcements. Visit www.umcnic.org and scroll down to enter your email and name under “Newsletter”.
For editorial content, subscriptions & address changes:
Please submit items at least two weeks prior to publication date. Include your name, address, email, phone number and name of local church. Space is limited. Electronic submissions are preferred with high-resolution attached jpegs.
Note: if you opt out of one email, you opt out of all conference emails.
Job Openings For the latest NIC job openings, visit www.umcnic.org/jobs 8 | The Reporter | November 2016
Anne Marie Gerhardt, Dir. of Communications agerhardt@umcnic.org 312-346-9766 ext. 766 77 W. Washington St. Suite 1820, Chicago, IL 60062