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The Current Week in Review
April 23, 2021
Bishop issues statement following verdict in George Floyd death

Bishop Frank J. Beard has released the following statement in the aftermath of the verdict rendered by a jury in Minneapolis today:

“There are no winners in the George Floyd murder case. We are all hurt and weakened by all forms of injustice and pain. While our court system has rendered its verdict the pain has simply spread in yet another direction. I continue to pray for my brothers and sisters in Minnesota and for unity across our nation and world.

“I pray for Derek Chauvin and for his family. I continue to pray for the family of George Floyd. I pray for our police officers and those sworn to protect and to serve.

“Mostly I pray for the peace, unity and love of Jesus Christ to break the bonds of fear, hatred and mistrust. “Lord, in your mercy, hear our prayers!”
Annual Conference registration open

Registration for the 2021 Annual Conference is now open through June 1.


The dates for the 2021 Annual Conference will be June 11-12.
 
The theme for the 2021 Annual Conference is A Time to Heal, based upon Ecclesiastes 3

Participants will be able to join the Annual Conference session online from their homes or they may choose one of eight remote sites from which to view the sessions and participate. The remote locations for annual conference are as follows:
  • Marion Aldersgate UMC (Cache River District)
  • Belleville St. Matthew UMC (Mississippi River District)
  • Salem Grace UMC (Kaskaskia River District)
  • Champaign New Horizon UMC (Iroquois River District)
  • Bloomington Wesley UMC (Vermilion River DIstrict)
  • Pekin Grace UMC (Illinois River District)
  • Quincy Vermont Street UMC (LaMoine River District)
  • Galesburg First UMC (Spoon River District)
 
Utilizing the knowledge gained from the virtual 2020 Annual Conference, participants will be able to offer speeches for and against and ask questions during the plenary session, slated for Saturday, June 12 from 10 a.m. to noon and from 1 to 4 p.m. The Annual Conference will be using the Zoom platform, utilizing the polling feature for voting (the same as last year) and the Q & A feature for posting questions or asking for recognition to speak for or against the motion.

No amendments or changes to the legislation will be possible. However, the Sessions Committee will be holding Pre-Conference meetings to address both technological issues as well as answer questions on the legislation.

The clergy session will be held from 1 to 4 p.m. on Friday, June 11 and the laity session will be the same day from 5 to 7 p.m.

Bishop Sharma Lewis, episcopal leader of the Richmond Area (Virginia Annual Conference) will be preaching opening worship on Saturday.
 
Ordination and Commissioning services will be a week later – on Saturday, June 19. Commissioning will be aired in the morning with Ordination in the afternoon. Both services will be held with limited seating for family at Champaign Faith UMC. It will be aired live via the webstream.
 
The annual Memorial Service, which remembers those clergy, spouses and members of the annual conference, will be aired Thursday, June 10, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. and the Retiree Recognition Service will be aired Friday, June 11, from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Both services’ broadcasts will premiere at those assigned times but playback will be possible on all broadcasts of the Annual Conference following their airings.
 
Once registration is open, persons will need to register in order to obtain credentials once the screening process is completed the first week of June. Because of needing secure access to the room, persons will register, been confirmed as voting members and receive two log-ins – one for either the clergy or laity session on Friday, and one for the joint plenary session on Saturday.
Making a Good Move workshop

Bishop Frank J. Beard and Mike Crawford, IGRC Coordinator of Congregational Development will be leading a seminar designed to be helpful as pastors begin new appointments and congregations receive new pastors.

The workshop, Making a Good Move, will be held virtually on Zoom on Saturday, May 8, with the sessions from 9 a.m. to noon and 1 to 4 p.m. BOTH SESSIONS ARE REQUIRED. This webinar is designed to enhance your ministry and to prepare you for a successful transition.
 
ALL clergy that are receiving a new appointment are expected to be present at this webinar along with representatives of their new church/charge.

There is no charge for this workshop; Registration for you and your team can be made online through May 1.   
Churches across theological spectrum exiting

With a potential United Methodist split still up in the air, an increasing number of U.S. churches already are heading for the exits.
 
At least five congregations of varying views on LGBTQ inclusion are now in talks to cut ties with The United Methodist Church — often at great expense.

In Maine, three congregations have overwhelmingly voted to leave the denomination they see as discriminatory toward LGBTQ people. The congregations — HopeGateWay, Tuttle Road and Chebeague Island — are now hammering out the disaffiliation details with the New England Conference.

And Christ Church in Fairview Heights has incorporated as an indpendent church in anticipation of its exit from The United Methodist Church.
Judicial Council won't rule in advance
on The Protocol's constitutionality

The United Methodist Church’s top court will not rule in advance on the constitutionality of proposed legislation that would provide a way for some to separate from the denomination.

In Memorandum 1407 issued April 16, the Judicial Council noted that since the Council of Bishops has neither approved nor endorsed the proposed protocol it is seeking a declaratory decision “as an interested party but not in its capacity as a governing body of the Church.”

With no record of the protocol being adopted either by General Conference or the bishops, it is “simply proposed legislation and stands in the same position for jurisdictional purposes as any other proposed legislation” not adopted by those bodies, the court said.

To determine the timeliness of the bishops’ petition, the Judicial Council said it considered the authorship and history of the proposed legislation and whether “it rests upon contingent future events.” The court also found the authors of the protocol to be “fundamentally different” from the Commission on a Way Forward, a group authorized by the 2016 General Conference.

“Until the General Conference has the opportunity to consider and act on all proposals, including the Protocol, we must avoid interfering with the legislative process through premature adjudication,” the Judicial Council said in its ruling.
Video experiences upsurge during the pandemic

Most people realize a video production takes time, effort, and talent to put together, but many are surprised by the level of detail required to get a project done right. This requires pre-production planning and taking time to process all the necessary details.

Staff members of United Methodist Communications share their story of adaptabilty during the pandemic.

UM Communications' experience mirrors the work and ministry of IGRC Communications during the pandemic.

In the past year, IGRC Communications has produced a virtual annual conference, the Conference UMW meeting, five district UMW meetings in the fall, three district UMW meetings in the spring, Covenant Keepers, three Cabinet worship services (Christmas Eve, Ash Wednesday and Easter); a Good Friday service in partnership with Black Methodists for Church Renewal and moderation of 25 online meetings for Bishop Beard. This doesn't include assisting the Course of Study Extension School with virtual classrooms and a virtual UMW Mission u planned for July.

All of this done with one full-time video production staff member, Bob Schafter and a cast of volunteers.

In addition, Paul Black, director of communication ministries, has conducted four consultations with IGRC congregations in planning for ministry in a post-pandemic world.
The consultations are provided free of charge due to IGRC congregations' faithful payment of apportionments. The team is always looking for volunteers who have interest in this ministry.
United Methodist Center Contact Information
USPS (U.S. Postal Service)
P.O. Box 19207, Springfield, IL 62794-9207
Office Phone: 217-529-2040
UPS and FedEx deliveries only use the street address:
United Methodist Center
5900 S. 2nd Street
Springfield, IL 62711
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