By Paul Black
SPRINGFIELD -- Annual Conference Secretary Ethan Carnes has announced that 162 congregations will have an additional lay member to annual conference to equalize the number of clergy and laity members for the 2023 Annual Conference session.
The equalization formula is set by the Standing Rules of the Annual Conference III.C. The purpose of equalization is to ensure an equal number of laity and clergy at the annual conference. Clergy members of the annual conference consist of all active and retired deacons and elders in full connection, provisional members, and associate members. Local pastors under appointment are included, as well. (2016 Book of Discipline, ¶32). Each charge in the conference elects one layperson for each pastor appointed to the charge.
Churches which paid 100 percent of their apportionments in the previous year (in this case, 2021) are to be granted one "equalization member.” Eligibility will be granted to the 198 largest churches according to membership who have paid 100 percent of their 2021 apportionments. Equalization members are elected to serve to the end of the quadrennium if the congregation continues to pay 100 percent of its apportionments.
"Please notify your district office if you have not filed your equalized member with your 2022 Charge Conference paperwork," Carnes said. "I have a Equalization Lay Member Change Form on my website: www.igrc.org/secretary. Please file this appropriately. If you have any questions, do not hesitate to contact me."
Congregations that have been granted the additional equalization lay member are as follows:
Normal Calvary UMC | VRD |
Bloomington Wesley UMC | VRD |
Belleville Saint Matthew UMC | MRD |
Crossroads UMC | ILD |
Peoria First UMC | ILD |
Normal First UMC | VRD |
Charleston Wesley UMC | ERD |
Champaign Faith UMC | IRD |
Macomb Wesley UMC | SPD |
Belleville Union UMC | MRD |
Canton Wesley UMC | ILD |
Morton UMC | ILD |
Springfield Laurel UMC | SRD |
Effingham Centenary UMC | ERD |
Taylorville UMC | SRD |
Troy UMC | MRD |
Pontiac First UMC | VRD |
East Moline Christ Multisite UMC | SPD |
O'Fallon First UMC | MRD |
Pekin First UMC | ILD |
Geneseo Grace UMC | SPD |
Pana UMC | SRD |
Monticello UMC | SRD |
Marion Aldersgate UMC | CRD |
Danville Saint James UMC | IRD |
Aledo UMC | SPD |
Carbondale First UMC | CRD |
Lincoln First UMC | SRD |
Pekin Grace UMC | ILD |
Kewanee First UMC | ILD |
Geneseo First UMC | SPD |
Coal City UMC | VRD |
Edwardsville Saint John's UMC | MRD |
Willow Hill UMC | ILD |
Gibson City UMC | IRD |
Mahomet UMC | IRD |
Dwight UMC | VRD |
Champaign First UMC | IRD |
Jerseyville UMC | LRD |
Mount Vernon First UMC | KRD |
Shelbyville First UMC | ERD |
Sugar Creek UMC | SRD |
Tremont UMC | ILD |
Chillicothe First UMC | ILD |
Quincy Vermont Street UMC | LRD |
Mackinaw UMC | ILD |
Dunlap Prospect UMC | ILD |
Peoria University UMC | ILD |
Granite City Nameoki UMC | MRD |
Decatur First UMC | SRD |
Manteno UMC | VRD |
Orion UMC | SPD |
Petersburg UMC | SRD |
Lexington First UMC | VRD |
Paxton First UMC | IRD |
Fairbury First UMC | VRD |
Metropolis First UMC | CRD |
Chatham UMC | SRD |
Centralia First UMC | KRD |
Carlinville UMC | LRD |
Monmouth First UMC | SPD |
Urbana Wesley UMC | IRD |
Galesburg First UMC | SPD |
Beardstown First UMC | LRD |
Vandalia First UMC | KRD |
DuQuoin UMC | CRD |
Paris First UMC | ERD |
Highland Hope UMC | MRD |
Saint Joseph UMC | IRD |
Gillespie First UMC | MRD |
Camp Point UMC | LRD |
LeRoy UMC | VRD |
West Frankfort Trinity UMC | CRD |
Jacksonville Wesley Chapel UMC | LRD |
Sherman UMC | SRD |
Kankakee Saint Mark UMC | VRD |
Mattoon First UMC | ERD |
Havana First UMC | LRD |
Arthur UMC | IRD |
Harrisburg First UMC | CRD |
Tuscola UMC | IRD |
Trenton First UMC | MRD |
Casey UMC | ERD |
Savoy UMC | IRD |
Carthage First UMC | LRD |
Moline Riverside UMC | SPD |
Kankakee Asbury UMC | VRD |
Olney First UMC | KRD |
Springfield Douglas Avenue UMC | SRD |
Clinton UMC | SRD |
Delavan UMC | ILD |
Momence First UMC | VRD |
Cambridge UMC | SPD |
Colona UMC | SPD |
Sullivan First UMC | IRD |
Salem Grace UMC | KRD |
Galva First UMC | SPD |
Arcola UMC | IRD |
Quincy Melrose Chapel UMC | LRD |
Bradley Wesley UMC | VRD |
Tolono UMC | IRD |
Cerro Gordo UMC | SRD |
RiversEdge UMC | ILD |
Watson UMC | ERD |
Champaign New Horizon UMC | IRD |
Marshall First UMC | ERD |
Maryville Saint Luke's UMC | MRD |
United Church of Heyworth | VRD |
Moweaqua UMC | SRD |
Manito UMC | ILD |
Sparta First UMC | MRD |
Pinckneyville UMC | CRD |
Streator First UMC | VRD |
Living Faith UMC | LRD |
Mount Sterling First UMC | LRD |
Neoga Grace UMC | ERD |
Elmwood UMC | SPD |
Greenville First UMC | MRD |
Jacksonville Centenary UMC | LRD |
Winchester UMC | LRD |
Mansfield UMC | IRD |
Columbia Bethany UMC | MRD |
Rantoul First UMC | IRD |
Fairview Center UMC | SPD |
Lewistown UMC | ILD |
Newton Grace UMC | ERD |
Flora First UMC | KRD |
Barry UMC | LRD |
Virginia UMC | LRD |
Reynolds UMC | SPD |
Elwin UMC | SRD |
East Peoria First UMC | ILD |
Roseville UMC | SPD |
Nashville Grace UMC | MRD |
Tonica UMC | VRD |
Peoria Bethel UMC | ILD |
Preemption UMC | SPD |
Peoria Bradley Epworth UMC | ILD |
Beulah UMC | KRD |
Macon UMC | SRD |
Springfield Cotton Hill UMC | SRD |
Washington Evangelical UMC | ILD |
Port Byron First UMC | SPD |
Marshall Armstrong UMC | ERD |
Arenzville UMC | LRD |
Shields' Chapel UMC | ILD |
Glasford UMC | ILD |
Villa Grove UMC | IRD |
Waverly UMC | LRD |
Robinson First UMC | ERD |
Carmi Emmanuel UMC | CRD |
Farmer City UMC | IRD |
Stronghurst UMC | SPD |
Warsaw UMC | LRD |
Hoopeston UMC | IRD |
Toulon UMC | ILD |
Brighton Saint Paul UMC | MRD |
Bement UMC | IRD |
Caseyville UMC | MRD |