This Week's Current Week in Review

The Current Week in Review

April 1, 2022

Bishop calls IGRC to prayer

Bishop Frank J. Beard is inviting you to participate in a 24-hour Prayer Vigil for Peace and Unity, which gets underway today at noon and continues until Saturday at noon.

Currently, nearly 100 persons have accepted the Bishop's invitation and will be participating through the prayer vigil. There are still plenty of spaces for you if you haven't already registered.

Bishop Beard will kick off the prayer vigil at noon on April 1 with a pre-recorded message which can be viewed on the IGRC website at that time.

The Bishop is also inviting prayers of 25 words or less to be posted on threads on his Facebook Page which will launch at noon today. One thread will be for Prayers for Peace and Unity for Ukraine and Russia. The second will be for persons to post Prayers for Peace and Unity for our United Methodist Brothers and Sisters Around the World.

Forums on disaffiliation information posted

Bishop Beard hosted four forums on disaffiliation Monday and Tuesday, providing information and answering questions from pastors and laity. Nearly 700 persons attending.

Bishop Beard's presentation was recorded during the first forum as well as the Question and Answer Sessions from Sessions 2 and 3. Session 4 was not recorded due to the operator forgetting to hit the Record button. However, those questions which were submitted can be found on the three pages of questions listed in the right-hand side menu from the main page on the forums.

In addition, Bishop Beard's Power Point slides and a document outlining the IGRC Process on Disaffiliation are also posted there.

VISIT THE DISAFFILIATION PAGE

DOWNLOAD BISHOP BEARD'S POWER POINT SLIDES

VIEW AND DOWNLOAD THE IGRC DISAFFILIATION PROCESS DOCUMENT

VIEW SUBMITTED QUESTIONS FROM PARTICIPANTS WITH BISHOP'S RESPONSE

Bishop Laurie Haller

Bishop Deborah Kiesey

Bishop Haller takes medical leave

The Executive Committee of the Council of Bishops, upon the recommendations of the North Central Jurisdiction College of Bishops and the North Central Jurisdiction Committee on the Episcopacy, has approved a medical leave for a period of up to six months for Bishop Laurie Haller, beginning April 1, 2022, per paragraph 410.4 of The Book of Discipline. The request for a medical leave is part of the recovery process for Bishop Haller.

On the morning of Feb. 16, Bishop Haller fell on ice while running, fracturing her right wrist, and being knocked unconscious. Her concussive symptoms have persisted, leading Bishop Haller to make the difficult decision to request a leave from her responsibilities as bishop.

Working with the NCJ College of Bishops, the Executive Committee of the Council of Bishops approved retired Bishop Deborah Kiesey to provide episcopal leadership for the Iowa and Dakotas Conferences during Bishop Haller’s medical leave. Bishop Kiesey was a member of the Iowa Conference when she was elected to the episcopacy, and served as resident bishop for the Dakotas Area from 2004-2012.

"Her knowledge of these people and these areas will be invaluable for her work," said Bishop David Bard, NCJ College President. "The entire NCJ College of Bishops has promised their support for Bishop Kiesey as she assumes this responsibility at this critical time in the life of The United Methodist Church. Bishop Kiesey will be calling upon members of the College to assist her in her duties as needed."

Bard added, "I know you join me in offering prayers of healing for Bishop Haller and prayers of support for Bishop Kiesey. Please also hold the Dakotas and Iowa Conferences and their leaders in prayer during this time of interim episcopal leadership."

Church court evaluates Bishops' decisions of law

Even in these days of instant communications, an annual conference must wait until it is in session to vote on any changes to its standing rules.

“Anything else would be tantamount to proverbially ‘putting the cart before the horse,’” the Judicial Council said in Decision 1440

The United Methodist Church’s top court released that decision and four other rulings March 29 — almost all reviewing bishops’ decisions of law during the 2021 annual conference season.

During church meetings at which they preside, United Methodist bishops often face questions about church law. The Book of Discipline, the denomination’s policy book, requires that the bishops’ resulting decisions go to the Judicial Council for review. The church court then has the option to affirm, modify or reverse each bishop’s decision.

Clergy Session moved to McKendree June 4

After reviewing the initial proposed agenda with Bishop Beard and the Cabinet, the Committee on Sessions recommended that the Clergy Executive Session of Annual Conference be held a week earlier on Saturday June 4 from 1 to 4 p.m. at McKendree University in Lebanon.

The session will be in the Melvin Price Convocation Center on the McKendree campus and will be a hybrid event where persons will be able to join in-person or online.

This will open up the Thursday schedule for more plenary business time as the Annual Conference has received a lot more legislative business than usual. With the consent of the Bishop in charge and support of the Superintendents, the time and location of this part of Annual Conference may be changed. This scheduling option is becoming fairly common among other Conferences, as it allows for more flexibility with the unique scheduling of Clergy Session.

Laity Session will still be held in Peoria on June 9. As with all of this year’s Annual Conference, both clergy and laity will be hybrid sessions, so that members may participate online. Registration for all sessions will be part of the Annual Conference registration, and there will be no additional cost to members.

2021 Journal-Yearbook posted online

The 2021 Journal-Yearbook is posted online for your viewing and reference.

The proof is now being sent to the printers for print copies and the duplicators for the CD copies. It will be 4-6 weeks before the final product will be available for distribution.

Given that reality, print copies and CD's will be distributed to those that attend in-person during the 2022 Annual Conference. For those joining online, these materials will be mailed to you.

VIEW OR DOWNLOAD THE 2021 JOURNAL-YEARBOOK

Cabinet produces new handbook for Pastor/Staff Relations Committees

This booklet contains guidelines which reflect traditions and practices of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference of The United Methodist Church. This booklet has been approved by the Bishop and Cabinet of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference for use in local churches.

This handbook can be viewed online or saved to your computer as a 40-page PDF. Click on the cover image to open the document.

Should legislation impact information in the booklet, it will be updated prior to printing any copies for wider distribution.

The handbook replaces two older booklets -- Pastoral Expectations and Understanding Pastoral Changes

Denman, Cartwright award nominees sought

Nominations are now being accepted through April 25 for the Denman Evangelism Award for clergy, laity and youth, and for the Peter Cartwright Lifetime Achievement Award in Ministry. These awards are presented by the IGRC Evangelism Committee.

The Denman Evangelism Award honors an IGRC United Methodist lay, youth lay and clergy person who exhibits unusual and outstanding efforts for work in Christian evangelism by faithfully carrying out the mission of “making disciples of Jesus Christ.”

The Peter Cartwright Lifetime Evangelism Award of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference is awarded to someone who has exceptional leadership qualities to help our conference in making disciples of Jesus Christ. This person’s lifetime example challenges pastors and lay people to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with others. Where the Denman award is given for a period of work, the Peter Cartwright Lifetime Evangelism Award is given to a retired pastor who has reflected this work throughout their ministry career.

Ukraine update

United Methodists in countries near Ukraine continue to provide food, shelter, transportation, language classes and worship opportunities to Ukrainian refugees.

Meanwhile, Children and staff from an orphanage in Kyiv, Ukraine, have been taken in by Romanian United Methodists after a thwarted abduction attempt during their refugee journey.

VIEW AND DOWNLOAD THE MARCH 29 UPDATE