The Current Week in Review
October 14, 2022
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Bishop calls special sessions for 2023 to deal with disaffiliation matters
Bishop Frank J. Beard announced today that there will be two special sessions in 2023 to deal with matters associated with church disaffiliations.
Bishop Beard announced that sessions will be held on the following dates:
- Saturday, May 6
- Saturday, Dec. 2
The Bishop has the authority to call for a special session and to set the date. The Sessions Committee will be determining whether the meeting shall be online or in-person when they meet in the next few weeks. The call for both special sessions is for the sole purpose of ratifying disaffiliation agreements between congregations and the Conference Board of Trustees through its Disaffiliation Team. Agreements cannot be amended and are subject to a yes/no vote to approve.
In order for an agreement to be a part of the May 6 agenda, all church conferences, payments, and the Disaffiliation Agreement must be completed or executed by March 6, 2023. Those congregations missing the March 6 deadline will be held over for the Dec. 2 special session.
In order to meet the Dec. 2 special session, all church conferences, payments and the Disaffiliation Agreement must be completed or executed by Oct. 2, 2023. Churches will need to initiate the process of disaffiliation by June 1 in order to meet the Oct. 2 deadline for the Dec. 2 special session.
Because of the two special sessions, no disaffiliation agreements will be considered as part of the regular June 8-10 session in Peoria. The Conference Trustees may have resolutions pertaining to churches that have completed its mission as part of its report and a remembrance of those churches will be a part of the Memorial Service.
By announcing the special sessions now, churches will have adequate time to complete the discernment process and the next steps should disaffiliation be sought.
Currently, there are 40 congregations have inquired about disaffiliation and are engaged in the discernment process.
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Bishop to host virtual clergy meetings on disaffiliation Nov. 7
Bishop Beard also announced this morning that three virtual sessions for IGRC clergy will be held on Monday, Nov. 7.
The 90-minute sessions will start at 10 a.m., 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
The sessions will be a time where questions may be asked concerning disaffiliation issues and its effect on clergy status.
Registration for the three sessions is required and the form will be live early next week.
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Listening Sessions slated
Each of the five regions comprising the new districts will be invited to attend Listening Sessions during the month of November aimed at hearing concerns and feedback to the proposed reorganization plan. The sessions are designed at providing additional explanation and clarify details to the plan.
Bishop Beard is inviting United Methodists to consider these three questions during the Listening Session:
- “What if anything, is unique about this district, that we do not want to lose?”
- “How do we assist two districts in coming together to form a new district?”
- “How do we assist our district laity and clergy in being better connected?”
After the listening sessions are completed, each district’s leadership team will be formed and will begin functioning to ensure a smooth transition.
The webpage will be updated as additional sessions are announced by the Superintendents. Check back often to find one near you.
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Invitation to Breakthrough Prayer
Psalm 127:1a says, “Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted.” IGRC is undergoing a restructuring. The 2022 Annual Conference approved going from 10 Districts to five Districts effective July 1, 2023.
The Bishop, Extended Cabinet, and IGRC Committees are working on how to “build our [IGRC] house.” We are inviting the entire Annual Conference to join with us in calling upon God to breakthrough and guide our plans.
Throughout October and November, we are covenanting together to pray for ONE MINUTE each day asking God to breakthrough and reveal God’s will. You are welcome to utilize the prayer provided below or your own prayer. Opportunities will be provided throughout the IGRC to receive what you are hearing from God during this prayer time.
In light of Psalm 127:1, you are invited to join with the Bishop & Extended Cabinet to pray wherever you are at 1:27 p.m. for one minute. It is suggested that folks set a daily alarm on their phones at 1:27 p.m. (to begin your prayer time) and at 1:28 p.m. (to close your prayer time).
Potential Prayer:
Gracious and Merciful God, we come before You acknowledging that Your ways are higher than ours and Your wisdom is greater than ours. While we love and care deeply for our communities and congregations, Your Love for the people of and in IGRC is greater than ours. We also know that You do nothing except in believing prayer. So, we are calling out to You and asking for You to breakthrough in new and fresh ways. Reveal to us and our leaders Your will, Your guidance, Your direction. Bring Your wisdom as we seek to restructure in ways that will allow us to be more faithful and fruitful in making disciples of Jesus the Christ that will lead to our world being transformed in God-glorifying ways. Thank You, in advance, for working in and through us to accomplish Your plans and purposes. Please speak for Your servant is listening…. Amen.
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Cartwright Memorial Sermon Sunday
LaMoine River District Superintendent Nic Showalter will be this year’s preacher at the annual Cartwright Memorial Sermon on Sunday, Oct. 16 at the Peter Cartwright UMC in Pleasant Plains.
Services begin at 10:30 a.m.
The Cartwright Sermon is usually observed on the third Sunday of October and serves to remind persons of the contribution of the Rev. Peter Cartwright, who was a leader in the formation of the church in the State of Illinois.
The series is co-hosted by the IGRC Commission on Archives and History and the IGRC Historical Society in cooperation with Peter Cartwright UMC.
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If your pastor hasn't had a pay raise in years, now is the time to make it right
The U.S. Department of Labor reports that compensation costs for private industry workers increased 5.5% over the past year. That comes on the heels of a 3.5% increase for the year ending June 2021.
Yes, churches too often do not follow the private sector in compensation. But even so, zero increase versus the nearly 10% average increase private sector workers have been given over the past two years isn’t even a contest. It’s cruel.
“But we can’t afford to give salary increases,” you may say.
What could possibly be more important than paying your pastor a living wage? What curriculum, carpet, mechanical device — even what missions project — is more essential to your operation than hiring and keeping a good pastor? How can you justify prioritizing anything in your church budget over paying a fair wage to the shepherd of the flock?
Failure to pay your pastor appropriately is not only short-sighted but mean. You cannot demonstrate the love of Christ as a community of faith while effectively giving your pastor a salary decrease every year. This is backward thinking.
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Family missions: build a life of service
Busy families might find it hard to dedicate time and energy to mission projects or serving others, but it doesn’t have to feel that way. Reconsider what this type of work looks like and build a missional lifestyle that will nurture and strengthen lifelong faith.
“Serving and seeking ways to incorporate mercy and justice into our everyday life is a component of discipleship. To offer that to children at a young age helps them incorporate it into their lives in a way that doesn’t make it feel separate,” says the Rev. Melissa Collier Gepford, Intergenerational Discipleship Coordinator for the Great Plains Conference of The United Methodist Church.
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Internship program opens for applicants,
host churches
Applications for the 2023 and 2023-24 IGRC Intern Program open Saturday, October 1. Prospective interns, mentors, and host churches/ministries are all invited to apply. The program handbook and application links are available at the IGRC Intern page by clicking the button below.
Priority deadline is Jan 17, 2023. Final deadline is March 1, 2023.
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Charge conference forms online
Forms for charge conferences which will be held in the fall are now available through your Church Portal Page.
To access the documents, click on Church Portal on the IGRC Homepage or go to: https://www.igrc.org/churchportal to find the log-in page. Select your District from the dropdown menu. This will trigger a second drop-down menu where you select your Church. The passcode is the church's six-digit GCFA number which can be found on the monthly remittance form for apportionment payments.
In preparation for charge conferences in the fall, the Finance Office has prepared two pages of information that will assist you in your budget building for 2023.
A document outlining the Clergy Benefits and Costs for 2023 includes action taken by the 2022 Annual Conference with regard to minimum salaries for full-time elders and full-time local pastors.
A second document Important Numbers for Charge Conference provides additional information and background. The Apportionment calculations and the Charge Conference forms will be published in the next few weeks.
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United Methodist Center Contact Information |
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USPS (U.S. Postal Service)
P.O. Box 19207, Springfield, IL 62794-9207
Office Phone: 217-529-2040
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UPS and FedEx deliveries only use the street address:
United Methodist Center
5900 S. 2nd Street
Springfield, IL 62711
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