Equalization members to annual conference announced

10/31/2017

Equalization members to annual conference announced
Editor’s Note: the list published in the November issue of The Current was incorrect.  Please see the list below for the most up to date information.   
By Paul Black
SPRINGFIELD – Annual Conference Secretary Joy Caschetta has announced that 161 additional lay delegates from Illinois Great Rivers Conference churches will be needed in 2018 to equalize the number of clergy and lay delegates at annual conference.
 
According to the conference standing rules, each pastoral charge is entitled to one lay member. Each charge served by more than one clergy member shall be entitled to as many lay members needed for equalization by subtraction the number of lay persons from the number of clergy.
 
The Book of Discipline (2016) indicates that clergy members consist of deacons and elders in full connection, provisional members, associate members and local pastors under appointment (¶32). While certain allocations of seats are made for certain lay positions, if the lay membership numbers less than the clergy members of the annual conference, the Discipline indicates that an annual conference, by its own formula, provide for the election of additional lay members to equalize the clergy membership.
 
Standing Rule III.C.4d provides that lay members of the annual conference elected for lay/clergy equalization come from the larger churches, in order of decreasing size, who have paid 100 percent of their conference apportionments in the previous year. Equalization members shall serve to the end of the quadrennium as long as the congregation continues to pay 100 percent of its apportionments.
 
For 2018, the 161 include all congregations paying 100 percent of 2016 apportionments with a membership of 202 or more.
 
The churches that will have the additional equalization lay member for 2018 are:
Fairview Heights Christ Marshall First
St Matthew Belleville Rushville First
Normal Calvary Tuscola
Springfield First Harrisburg First
Bloomington Wesley Clinton
Normal First Sherman
Peoria First West Frankfort Trinity
Washington Crossroads Arthur
Troy Carthage First
Champaign Faith Havana First
Charleston Wesley Leroy
Pontiac First Godfrey
Springfield Laurel Centralia First
Effingham Centenary Delavan
Canton Wesley Olney First
Quincy Vermont Street Trenton
Macomb Wesley Casey
Morton Nashville Grace
Taylorville Wesley Chapel
East Moline Christ Multisite Momence
Pekin First Rantoul
Monticello Savoy
Pekin Grace Sullivan
Carbondale First Streator First
Geneseo Grace Colona
Marion Aldersgate Melrose Chapel
Pana Arcola
Edwardsville St Johns Spring Bay Rivers Edge
Danville St James Bradley Wesley
Kewanee Edwardsville Immanuel
Mahomet Douglas Avenue
O’Fallon First Maryville St Luke
Geneseo First Pinkneyville
Champaign First Tolono
Moline Riverside Manito
Lincoln First El Paso
Vandalia First Moweaqua
Aledo Cerro Gordo
Murphysboro Champaign New Horizon
Nameoki Bradley Epworth
Gibson City Greenville First
Mt Vernon First Nokomis
Dwight Mount Carmel Evangelical
Decatur First Rossville
East Peoria Willow Hill Washington Evangelical
Dunlap Prospect Living Faith
Fairfield First Jacksonville Centenary
Galesburg First Virginia
Shelbyville First Heyworth
Peoria University Abingdon
Coal City Newton Grace
Sugar Creek Lewistown
Jerseyville Robinson First
Salem Grace Lawrenceville First
Fairbury Elmwood
Chillicothe Winchester
Orion Fairview Center
Decatur Grace Neoga
Metropolis Mansfield
Kankakee St Mark Hoopeston
Mackinaw Mt Sterling
Paxton Moline Bethel Wesley
Monmouth First Reynolds
Tremont Elwin
Lexington First Tonica
Manteno Columbia Bethany
Cambridge Peoria Bethel
Beardstown Urbana First
Carlinville Barry
Sparta Roseville
East Peoria First Princeville
Highland Hope Altamont First
Urbana Wesley Warsaw Trinity
Chatham Flora First
Paris First Catlin
Petersburg Glen Carbon New Bethel
Rochester Knoxville
Camp Point Watson
St Joseph Villa Grove
Gillespie First Homer
  Sumner