2017 Apportionment Receipts set new record

The Office of Finance and Administration announced this week that 2017 apportionment collections finished at 95.25 percent -- the highest in the history of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference since its formation in 1996.

A complete summary of individual church collections will be published in the February 2018 issue of The Current due out Jan. 26.

The 2017 collections continues a three-year trend in which apportionments collected topped 94 percent after collections were 94.16 and 94.52 percent respectively in 2015 and 2016.



Council of Bishops condemns President's remarks

The Council of Bishops have issued a statement condemning the reported remarks made by President Donald Trump in a conversation on immigration with Congressional members.

"We are appalled by the offensive, disgusting words attributed to President Donald Trump who is said to have referred to immigrants from African countries and Haiti, and the countries themselves, in an insulting and derogative manner," the statement read. "According to various media accounts, President Trump made the remarks during a White House discussion with lawmakers on immigration.

"As reported, President Trump’s words are not only offensive and harmful, they are racist.

"We call upon all Christians, especially United Methodists, to condemn this characterization and further call for President Trump to apologize." 

EZRA Year-End Reporting link posted on website, church portal

As churches prepare for their 2017 Year-End Reports, a link has been posted at the top of the IGRC Homepage that will take you to the log-in screen for year-end reporting. You can also log into to the Church Portal Page on the IGRC website and a link to the sign-in page for Ezra is provided within the portal. More details can be found in the Year-End reporting page under Finance and Benefits or by clicking the button below.

The filing deadline is March 31.



Volunteers needed in Puerto Rico

UMCOR - United Methodist Committee On Relief has received a formal invitation from Bishop Hector Ortiz of Iglesia Metodista de Puerto Rico requesting volunteers to support reconstruction following Hurricanes Irma and Maria.

Note that UMCOR - United Methodist Committee On Relief affirms Bishop Ortiz’s request that all volunteers refrain from making formal travel plans or deploying without invitation or following the proper application procedures.

In order to make this an orderly and coordinated process, UMCOR, working with the assistance of United Methodist Volunteers in Mission North Central Jurisdiction , has created an Intent to Serve webpage where volunteers can apply to schedule a volunteer team visit.

Accept the Five-Star Challenge for 2018

The 2018 Five-Star Mission Booklet is now posted on the IGRC website.

Many IGRC churches have found this to be an effective way to have a balanced approach when it comes to its mission giving.

To download, visit the Five-Star Mission page. Hover over the link and right-click, choosing "Save Link As..." to save to your computer.

Also check out the January 2018 issue for more detailed information. Click on the cover photo to the left to view.