Irvin, Barnett appointed as new District Superintendents

Bishop Frank J. Beard has announced the appointment of the Rev. Stan Irvin and the Rev. James Barnett as conference superintendents, effective July 1.

Irvin will be serving as Cache River District Superintendent and Barnett will be the new Vermilion River District Superintendent, succeeding the Rev. Roger Russell who is retiring and the Rev. Leah Pogemiller, who has served seven years as superintendent.

Sexual ethics makeup session

Registration is now closed for the quadrennial sexual ethics training which will be held Feb. 6-8 in three locations in the conference.

However, a makeup session for those who were unable to attend any of the three sessions, will be Saturday, June 23, at the Conference Center in Springfield from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The training is mandatory for all pastors and laypersons appointed or assigned to local churches.

Registration is open through June 16.

United Methodists among dead in Nigeria attack

A recent attack by herdsmen in Lau has left more than 55 people dead, including 38 United Methodists, according to the Rev. Irmiya Bako, superintendent of the Yugorobi District, where the incident took place. 

Bako described January as the saddest month in Taraba State, adding that six villages were consistently under siege by the suspected Fulani herdsmen.

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.