News

Speakers announced for memorial, retirees service

Dr. Karen Westerfield Tucker, an IGRC elder, will be preaching the opening worship of the 2010 Annual Conference to be held in Peoria June 2-5. Rev. John Hamilton, pastor of Springfield Laurel UMC, will be preaching at the Thursday afternoon Service of Commissioning and Retirees Recognition. Hamilton is one of 15 clergy members that comprise the retiree class of 2010. Tucker is professor of worship at Boston University School of Theology and has done extensive work in the area of...

Rayson to lead worship at annual conference

Evangelist Mike Rayson will be leading worship during the 2010 Annual Conference, Bishop Gregory V. Palmer announced. Rayson, of Pleasant View, Tenn., is a native of Australia and no stranger to the Illinois Great Rivers Conference, as he has ministered in a number of local congregations and most recently, served as worship leader for Covenant Keepers 2009. After completing his education in tiny rural Australian schools, Rayson went on to a career in the media. After hosting number 1...

CCFA forwards 2011 budget plan to annual conference session

The conference Council on Finance and Administration approved an $11.5 million budget plan for 2011, which will be forwarded to the 2010 Annual Conference session for action. The budget plan provides a plan to fund an additional $2.9 million in payments to the General Board of Pensions and Health Benefits due to the downturn in the economic markets in 2008 and early 2009. The $2.9 million in additional payment is over and above the $3.2 million already paid annually for pensions. At the...

Burton-Edwards conference speaker

The Rev. Taylor Burton-Edwards will be the guest speaker at the 2010 Annual Conference, Bishop Gregory V. Palmer has announced. Burton-Edwards serves as Director of Worship Resources for the General Board of Discipleship of The United Methodist Church. The 2010 Annual Conference theme is Passionate Worship: Lost in Wonder, Love and Praise. An elder in the North Indiana Conference of The United Methodist Church, Burton-Edwards was Director of Community Impact with United Way of Madison...

Annual Conference Summary

The Illinois Great Rivers Annual Conference was held in Peoria, Ill., June 1-4, under the theme of Intentional Faith Development: Growing Up to the Full Measure of Jesus Christ. Theologians in Residence for the conference were Dr. Paul Chilcote, Professor of Historical Theology and Wesleyan Studies, and Director of the Center for Applied Wesleyan Studies at Ashland Theological Seminary in Ohio, and Dr. Kenda Creasy Dean, Professor of Youth, Church and Culture at Princeton Theological Seminary....

Growing Into the Full Measure of Jesus Christ

PEORIA – The Illinois Great Rivers Conference of The United Methodist Church will be meeting in Peoria for the 10th consecutive year June 1-4. The Peoria Civic Center will serve as the conference’s central location for the more than 2,400 expected to attend. The theme of the conference is Intentional Faith Development: Growing Into the Full Measure of Jesus Christ, which will focus on discipleship systems.   For the second consecutive year, the plenary and worship sessions...

McCoy to speak at Clergy Session

Dr. Myron McCoy, president of St. Paul School of Theology in Kansas City, Mo., and Oklahoma City, Okla., will be the speaker for clergy session at the 2011 Annual Conference which will begin on Wednesday, June 1 in Peoria. The Clergy Session will be held in the Grand Ballroom of the Pere Marquette Hotel, beginning at 2 p.m. McCoy has been president of St. Paul School of Theology since August 2003. Bringing more than two decades of experience in local church leadership, including serving as...

Connections: Patton featured in national magazine

RCMA Profile: Nancy Patton, event coordinator, Illinois Great Rivers Conference of the United Methodist Church This year, the Illinois Great Rivers Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church takes on added significance for event coordinator Nancy Patton. That’s because part of the conference will be dedicated to raising money for a cause that could save thousands of lives.   The cause is called Imagine No Malaria and its goal is to eradicate malaria by 2015. It is a program...

Conference approves 2011 budget with less than 1 percent increase

PEORIA -- Members of the annual conference approved a budget for 2011, created a committee to address disability concerns, amended a resolution concerning immigration reform prior to its approval and while voting not to recommend shortening the annual conference session by a day, recommended that budgetary matters be put on the front burner and dealt with earlier. 2011 budget The 2011 conference budget (LI 103) approved by the 2010 Annual Conference will have a different impact for...

Friday's legislative update

A proposal to recommend shortening annual conference by a day (LI 202) was defeated following a lengthy discussion during Friday’s session of the 2010 annual conference. The measure, offered by Sangamon River District Lay Leader Pete Paulson, sought to make it easier for younger persons and persons who are actively employed to attend by requiring less time away from home.   But others, such as retired pastor Stan Haxton noted that clergy have their only membership in the annual...

God's call: being trustworthy prophets

Listen to Bishop Palmer's sermon PEORIA – Bishop Gregory V. Palmer said the call to be trustworthy prophets is not exclusive to clergy but is a call to “get with God’s program.” Palmer said that such prophets learn to listen, develop skills to deeply listen and tell the truth.   “May it be said that when God looks for trustworthy prophets, God will say, ‘I found them in central and southern Illinois,” Palmer said. “God doesn’t need...

Commission on Religion and Race Monitoriing Report

The Commission team has attempted to offer some sense of the inclusivity of our annual conference attendees. Indeed, every event has not been monitored, thus we offer this summary as a snapshot. Did you know that? The Conference Nominations Report reflects that ·         581 members across are serving on Conference level committees and among these 75 ethnic members are represented. ·         The...

Cabinet calls for streamlined assessments, day of prayer and fasting

Listen to the Cabinet Address Download and read the Cabinet Address PEORIA – While the 2010 Cabinet address may have resembled a coach’s speech, it was also a call for renewed commitment to the vision and mission of the church. Cabinet co-chairs Randy Reese and Janice Griffith shared reflections of the past year and challenged those gathered for the 2010 Annual Conference to a time of prayer and fasting.   “Over the past several years, the Cabinet and conference...

Worship: it's about what we're giving

Listen to the Laity Address PEORIA – Conference Lay Leader Rhonda Whitaker had a confession to make.   “For six years now, I’ve been preaching the partnership of laity and clergy,” Whitaker said. “But I didn’t mean it. Oh, I knew the clergy couldn’t do it all without us, but to be honest, I’ve always thought the laity really could do it without them.”   Whitaker proposed that a new term be used – claity – to...

Thursday's Legislative Action

As part of the first full day of annual conference, lay and clergy members acted upon a number of legislative matters. The item that drew the most discussion as well as the closest vote was a resolution offered by Sangamon River District Lay Leader Pete Paulson which sought to consolidate the legislative business of the annual conference into a single day.   Paulson said his motivation for the legislation was to make it possible for more persons to attend annual conference and...

The privilege of serving God

PEORIA – To Dr. John Hamilton, ministry has been a great privilege of serving God. And he used the commissioning service and retirees recognition to recall that privilege to fellow retirees and to provide guidance to two who are just beginning their ministry. In litany fashion, Hamilton listed the nature of the privilege.   “We have had the privilege of serving the interested and the bored, the committed and half-committed (including ourselves); of seeing thousands who...

Bishop outlines four major initiatives

Listen to the Episcopal Address PEORIA – Bishop Gregory V. Palmer called on United Methodists in southern and central Illinois to join in a revival movement that involves four major initiatives – a means of getting back to the Why while paying attention to the What and How. “Will you join me? Let’s get in the revival,” Palmer urged at the conclusion of his 45- minute episcopal address, which was greeted with a standing ovation by the nearly 2,000 in...

Passionate attitude of gratitude leads to passionate worship

Listen to the sermon  PEORIA – When Martin Luther was asked about the truest form of worship, he looked to the Parable of the Ten Lepers in Luke 17 as the best example.   “It has both an inward and outward focus,” recalled Dr. Karen Westerfield Tucker. “Inward in that it expressed love for the One who first loved use and makes us open to receive what God has for us. It is outward in that the extent of human love for God must well up in speech and...

Annual Conference begins today

PEORIA – The Illinois Great Rivers Conference of The United Methodist Church will meet in Peoria for the ninth consecutive year, beginning today and running through Saturday, June 5. The Peoria Civic Center will serve as the conference’s central location for the more than 2,400 expected to attend. The theme of the conference is Lost in Wonder, Love and Praise, which will focus on passionate worship.   Rev. Taylor Burton-Edwards, director of worship resources...