illinois great rivers conference logo
The Current Week in Review
December 3, 2021
Registration open for Covenant Keepers 2022

Registration is now open for Covenant Keepers 2022 which will be a hybrid event Jan. 31-Feb. 1 at Troy UMC.
 
Registration can be found on the IGRC website at: https://www.igrc.org/ck2022. At the time of registration, persons will have the choice of registering for the in-person event at Troy or joining on Zoom. Both options are $25.

In keeping with the theme of excellence, the planning team wants to assure everyone that they are paying attention to daily COVID updates. Everyone’s safety is a top priority. You are encouraged to continue to register and to keep watch for future updates. Covenant Keepers will not be cancelled. If necessary, it will become a totally virtual event automatically moving in-person registrants into the virtual mode. If this occurs, you will receive adequate notice to cancel hotel reservations.

No meals will be served on-site and participants will be responsible for their own overnight accommodations. There are several hotels in Troy within a short driving distance from the church. Time for the event will be from 1 to 5 p.m. Jan. 31, and from 9 a.m. to noon Feb. 1.
 
The theme is Called to Holy Excellence, based upon Philippians 4:4-9. 
Mandatory sexual ethics training to be online with three options of dates

Desiring to provide support and encouragement to our clergy, the Board of Ordained Ministry with the Bishop’s Response Team on Relational Ethics is offering a fresh approach to the 2021-2024 Quadrennial Ethics and Boundary Training events. Though still mandatory for all appointed and assigned clergy and lay ministers, this year’s workshop will engage the topic of relational ethics from a “whole person” perspective – considering how to strengthen both personal and professional relationships in a highly stressful environment. 
 
The presenter will be the Rev. Dr. David C. Olsen, co-author with Nancy Devor, of the book,Saying No to Say Yes: Everyday Boundaries and Pastoral Excellence (2015). The book explores the difficulties clergy face when they attempt to say “no” by setting effective boundaries in order to say “yes” to the life-giving call of ministry. 
 
Dr. Olson will weave together the basics of boundary-training with a deep understanding of the stressors of church leadership during a pandemic. You’ll glean insights that will encourage and strengthen you not only for leadership within the church, but for all relationships.
 
This quadrennial training (5.5 hour webinar) will be offered via Zoom on the following dates. Register now for ONE of these three dates. Though identical in content, each training will be hosted live with Dr. Olson leading each one and engaging the unique questions which arise during each session.  
 
Dates: Thursday, January 13, 2022
           Friday, January 14, 2022
           Saturday, January 15, 2022
 
Each webinar will begin at 9:00 a.m.and end at 3:30 p.m. Each will be broken into 4 sections with a lunch break.
 
Topics to be covered will begin with the necessity and history of boundary awareness, the complexity of boundaries in church settings as well as types of boundary issues including the obvious sexual misconduct, social media, email, etc.  The afternoon focuses on what makes boundaries so complicated: looking at both internal psychological issues and systemic issues and ending with prevention strategies. Special attention will be given throughout the sessions to the impact of significant anxiety over COVID and the way it has made boundary setting even more complex. Dr. Olson will offer wisdom and encouragement for saying “yes” to the life-giving call of ministry even in the midst of a pandemic.

The training is mandatory for all persons under appointment and will fulfill the requirement for the 2021-24 quadrennium.
Vote NO on BSA bankruptcy plan

With a deadline looming, United Methodist leaders earlier this week began advising those churches to vote “no” on a proposed BSA bankruptcy reorganization plan. A press release reiterating that recommendation went out Thursday.

The plan seeks to halt a deluge of lawsuits against BSA by creating a fund for those who, as Scouts, experienced sexual abuse from troop leaders or others. Under the plan’s latest version, nearly $1.9 billion has been committed to the fund.

A United Methodist Ad Hoc Committee — consisting of eight annual conference chancellors, two bishops, two lawyers from the General Council on Finance and Administration and two staff members from United Methodist Men — has been part of the bankruptcy negotiations.

Members of the committee have sought a plan that deals compassionately with abuse survivors financially and otherwise, but also protects United Methodist churches from abuse-related lawsuits.

The United Methodist committee was part of mediation talks that continued through the Thanksgiving weekend. But votes on approval for the plan have to be in by Dec. 14, in anticipation of a January bankruptcy court hearing. 

So the committee has put out the word that the churches involved — all of them in the U.S. — should vote “no.”

“We do not have a signed settlement that would bring healing to the survivors and a release from claims against United Methodist local churches and other United Methodist entities. These releases are essential to prevent congregations and United Methodist entities from being sued and numerous court cases for United Methodists to defend,” the committee said.
State sexual harassment training needs to be completed by Dec. 31

Churches are reminded that the State of Illinois requires all employees (including pastors) to complete an annual sexual harassment training by Dec. 31.

The 2021 Illinois Harassment Prevention Training Law of the Illinois Human Rights Law requires that all Illinois employers must provide sexual harassment prevention training to all employees. While the IGRC Employee Handbook sections of “Prohibition of Discrimination, Harassment, Sexual Misconduct, and Retaliation” (p. 17-22) meet the minimum standards set forth in the law, the training provided by the Illinois Department of Human Rights (IDHR) has updated terms and examples.

The online training can be completed in 30 minutes and a link is provided as a convenience. Churches should have employees document their completion by printing out the certificate at the end of the training.
Bishop Palmer's midweek service

Bishop Palmer has extended an invitation to the IGRC to join in with the midweek service online at 11 a.m. Central time each Wednesday.

The Facebook Live event will be shared on the IGRC Facebook group.
Paperwork
Charge Conference materials available online

Forms and other materials needed to prepare for the 2021 Charge Conference season are now posted online on the IGRC website.

Forms can be accessed through the Church Portal page located in the upper right corner of the IGRC Homepage.

  • Choose your District
  • Choose your Church
  • Type in the six-digit GCFA number for the church as the password

In addition, the Finance Office has put together information needed to build local church budgets for 2022. Apportionments are also available below.
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
About      Bishop Beard       News       Get Involved       Our Conference, Our Kids
Connect With Us