The Current Week in Review
February 26, 2021
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General Conference postponed until 2022, special online session called for May 8
In response to the further postponement of the 2020 General Conference, the Council of Bishops (COB) is calling a Special Session of the General Conference of The United Methodist Church (UMC) to be convened online on May 8, 2021.
According to the call letter signed by COB President Bishop Cynthia Fierro Harvey, the Special Session will be held in accordance with Division Two - Section II - Article II of The Constitution of The United Methodist Church as recorded in Paragraph ¶14 of The Book of Discipline (2016).
The purpose of the 2021 Special Session of the General Conference will be limited to gaining a quorum in order to suspend the rules for the sole purpose of allowing the use of paper ballots to act upon 12 pieces of legislation that would enable the church to effectively continue its work until the postponed 2020 General Conference is held in 2022. While other potential amendments were considered, it was agreed that these 12 pieces of legislation would enable the church to continue its administrative functions appropriately. Click here to read the 12 pieces of legislation.
Issues such as human sexuality or proposed separation plans are not among the agenda items for the special session call as it is anticipated debate and amendments would be required.
The decision to call the Special Session came in conjunction with the Commission on the General Conference’s announcement of a further postponement of the 2020 General Conference to August 2022. The General Conference had been previously postponed to August 2021 due the COVID-19 pandemic. It is now scheduled to take place August 29 to Sept. 6, 2022, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Click here to read the Commission’s announcement.
The Council of Bishops and the Commission on the General Conference have been working collaboratively to determine the best way for the General Conference to meet and maintain the Church’s current commitment to mission and ministry as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the Constitution of the Church, the Special Session of the General Conference shall be composed of the delegates elected to the postponed 2020 General Conference or their lawful successors.
In addition, The Council of Bishops and the Commission on the General Conference have agreed on a timeline of events that will create a pathway for the church in this liminal time. This timeline includes Special Sessions of the Jurisdictional Conferences to be held virtually in July 2021 (for the purpose of retiring bishops, announcing coverage of areas, and determining if or how many bishops will be elected in each Jurisdiction) and regular in-person Sessions of the Jurisdictional Conferences following the postponed 2020 General Conference in the Fall of 2022 (for the purpose of electing bishops, making assignments for the new quadrennium, electing members to General Boards/Agencies, etc.).
Under this timeline, General Boards & Agencies would maintain their current memberships until after the postponed General Conference in 2022.
Click here to read the full letter sent to the Secretary of the General Conference, the Chairperson of the Commission on the General Conference, heads of delegations to the 2020 General Conference (or successors) and conference secretaries.
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Themes selected for quadrennium, 2021
for Annual Conference
Bishop Frank J. Beard has announced that the quadrennial theme for annual conferences in years 2021 to 2024.
"The base scripture for the next four years will be Ecclesiastes 3:1-8, 11a. "God has made everything beautiful in its time," Bishop Beard said.
The 2021 theme will be A Time to Heal, based upon the writings of King Solomon.
Future themes for the remaining three years will be under the quadrennial theme and announced at a later time.
The 2021 Annual Conference will be held virtually June 11-12.
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This week's Coronavirus Update
There are no changes within the Illinois Great Rivers Conference. Regions 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 are now in Phase 4 with no mitigations.
- Churches may gather indoors for any purpose in groups of 50 and less
- Churches with larger rooms may gather indoor groups of up to 25% of the room capacity, but may not exceed 100 people in total
- Churches may gather out-of-doors in groups of any size with proper distancing and masks
- Children and youth ministry programs may occur
- Social distancing, face masks, and other precautions should be taken for all activities
- Churches should not practice group singing
- Church buildings may be open all kinds of groups and meetings of appropriate size, and all church staff and volunteers can regularly use the building
- Facemasks and social distancing are required
Congregational singing and serving of meals and snacks are still not advised until Phase 5. These two activities have been seen as the source of virus spread when churches are at the center of an outbreak.
Because the metrics are very fluid, the regions could move between Wednesday announcements. When this occurs, the church is asked to use prudent judgment and decide based upon the congregation's comfort level.
Vaccinations for clergy
As COVID-19 vaccinations are becoming more widely available, some counties are including clergy in Phase 1A vaccine distribution plans. The Illinois Department of Public Health plan specifically mentions clergy in health care settings, but given the role that many clergy play in providing pastoral and palliative care within various health care settings throughout the state, some counties are including in Phase 1A vaccination distribution all clergy, including pastors of local congregations, who might provide this care even if they are not paid or permanent chaplaincy staff.
Check with your county health department to see which categories of clergy are eligible for priority vaccinations in your community. Of course, clergy who are eligible because of their age, health care occupation, first responder work, or complicating medical conditions should also contact their county health department. Clergy who are not primarily serving in health care settings should consider their eligibility and the availability of vaccinations in order to ethically prioritize those who are most in need or at risk from COVID-19 at this time.
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Guidelines issued for attendance with virtual worship, other statistics for year-end reporting
The IGRC Finance office has sent the following email to appointed pastors and local church treasurers concerning the Ezra statistical reports for 2020. A link can be found on the IGRC Homepage at the top. Deadline for filing is Feb. 28.
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March 2021 issue of
The Current
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The March issue of The Current features four pioneer women of Methodism -- Ida B. Wells, Mary McLeod Bethune, Sallie A. Crenshaw and Bishop Leontine Kelly -- in observance of Black History Month in February and Women's History Month in March.
Click on the cover to view or download the issue.
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UMCOR Sunday (formerly the One Great Hour of Sharing) can be observed any Sunday, although the official observance is the Fourth Sunday of Lent (March 14 in 2021).
Resources to assist your congregation's promotion of this Special Sunday offering is now available.
A pastor's and leader's kit can be ordered as well as resources for the congregation in English, Spanish and Korean.
Click the button below to order what you need free of charge.
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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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