164th Annual Conference

June 5-7
Pheasant Run Resort, St. Charles
  • Annual Conference gives $108,854 for Millennial Challenge (June 20)
    Members of the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) collected the largest offering in its history — $108,854.07 — for “The Millennial Challenge,” a campaign to raise $1 million this quadrennium for four projects to help children.
  • Annual Conference Resolutions
  • Bishop Sprague answers questions about Resolution 700-23
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  • General Conference Petitions
  • 24 elected to General, Jurisdictional Conferences (June 20)
    Northern Illinois is sending a delegation to next year's General Conference, the United Methodist Church’s top lawmaking body, that will be working to make the United Methodist Church open to all people, including homosexuals, and will be resisting a push from conservative groups to make the denomination a “creedal” church.
  • Bishop Sprague's State of the Church Address
    In his “State of the Church” address during the 164th session of Northern Illinois Annual Conference, Bishop C. Joseph Sprague touched on the state of United Methodism in the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) and around the world and his own expectations as he enters his last year as the Episcopal leader here. He focused on four essential traits of United Methodism: conciliar, connectional, itinerant and episcopal.
  • Bishop Sprague's Ordination/Dedication Sermon
  • Individuials, churches recognized for mission, ministry
  • Photo Gallery
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    Northern Illinois Home

    Annual Conference gives $108,854
    for Millennial Challenge

    (June 20) Members of the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC), meeting June 5-7 at Pheasant Run Resort in St. Charles, collected the largest offering in its history — $108,854.07 — for “The Millennial Challenge,” a campaign to raise $1 million this quadrennium for four projects to help children: work with the West Angola (Africa) Conference to build a residential school for orphans in Catete; re-establishment of relationships with the India Methodist Church by helping modernize churches, schools and hospitals; expansion and strengthening after-school programs in local churches in the NIC; and a Mission Endowment Fund to help fund future ministries for children.

    The offering was the result of a challenge made last year by Bishop C. Joseph Sprague asking each member to bring at least $250 for the “Millennial Challenge” to this year’s session of Annual Conference.

    Members of Annual Conference also elected delegates to next year’s General and Jurisdictional Conferences, ordained one elder, commissioned 10 candidates for probationary membership heading toward elder’s orders, commissioned two candidates into probationary membership heading toward deacon’s orders, licensed 11 new local pastors and reflected on the service of 12 retiring clergy.

    They also celebrated the centennial of the Korean-American immigrant mission, remembered lay and clergy members who died since last Annual Conference, recognized congregations and individuals for exceptional ministry, danced, sang, prayed and worshiped.

    Theme for this year’s gathering was “Called to Serve.”

     

    Annual Conference Resolutions

    The only legislation involving lengthy debate during the Northern Illinois Annual Conference was Resolution 700-23, approved 56% to 38% with 6% abstaining, affirming that homosexuality, heterosexuality and bisexuality are all gifts of God. The resolution says the current statement in the United Methodist Book of Discipline that “homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching” is “not reflective of the historic Wesleyan unwillingness to limit prerogatives which belong solely to God, and is not representative of every biblical/theological perspective.”

    The resolution encourages clergy to proclaim from pulpits that homosexual orientation can be compatible with Christian teaching; encourages lay people to teach it in Sunday school classes; affirms that loving, monogamous, intimate relationships between persons of the same or opposite gender are an expression of God’s love; and affirms that persons of all sexual orientations are equally called to ordained ministry. (Bishop Sprague responds to questions about the resolution.)

    With little discussion, the Conference also approved resolutions that:

  • Opposed torture and mistreatment of detainees in the U.S. “War on Terrorism” and denounced torture to extract information;
  • Demanded that detainees in the War on Terrorism be accorded full status as prisoners of war and treated in accordance with stipulations of the Geneva Conventions and the U.N. Convention Against Torture, and that if charges are leveled against detainees all trials shall be held under an internationally recognized judicial process;
  • Urged a boycott of Tyson Foods products because of the corporation’s mistreatment of its employees and violation of federal wage and hour laws;
  • Established a covenant relationship between the NIC and the Methodist Church in India;
  • Supported Bishop Sprague in his ministry and witness as a leader in our denomination and gave thanks for his profound witness;
  • Directed the Annual Conference Committee to set aside at least one-fifth of Annual Conference next year for dialog and fellowship;
  • Urged Israel to immediately cease all additional occupation of Palestinian territories, cease the destruction of Palestinian homes and begin withdrawal of its citizens from all occupied territories;
  • Expanded the Conference’s boycott of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and Kool-Aid to also include Jack’s Pizza until the Philip Morris (Altria) companies stop active promotion of tobacco products to children.
  • Urged President Bush to immediately sign the Landmine Ban Treaty;
  • Formed a Conference Task Force on the Church and Latino immigrants to gather information and hold discussions and forums on the Latino immigrant community in Northern Illinois and the United States;
  • Urged all local churches in the NIC to purchase Fair Trade Coffee for coffee hours, local church consumption and sale to members of their congregations;
  • Urged NIC churches to engage in “concrete acts of unambiguous support” for our armed forces and to pray for their safe return home;
  • Supported the United Nations;
  • Urged NIC churches to teach restorative justice principles in classes and seminars;
  • Called on the Bush administration to uphold agreements made between the United States and the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), to avoid a military attack against North Korea and to lift 50 years of economic sanctions against the DPRK; and
  • Urged NIC United Methodists to pray for U.S. leaders to pursue peaceful and just negotiations with other countries to resolve conflict.
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    General Conference Petitions

    Northern Illinois Conference members approved resolutions to be submitted to the 2004 General Conference, including:

  • Allow General Conference to immediately adopt enabling legislation for any constitutional amendments approved by General Conference, subject to ratification of the amendment by the required two-thirds members of annual conferences;
  • Continue the Bishops’ Initiative on Children and Poverty;
  • Continue and expand the Igniting Ministry advertising campaign;
  • Continue the National Hispanic Plan; and
  • Delete the phrase: “Although we do not condone the practice of homosexuality and consider this practice incompatible with Christian teaching” from the Discipline.
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    When time for approving legislation ran out, Conference members voted to consider 13 remaining resolutions at the Special Session Saturday, Nov. 15, at First UMC, Elgin.
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    NIC elects 24 to General,
    Jurisdictional Conferences

    (June 20) The Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) is sending a delegation to General Conference, the United Methodist Church’s top lawmaking body, that will be working to make the United Methodist Church open to all people, including homosexuals, and will be resisting a push from conservative groups to make the denomination a “creedal” church.

    Meeting in St. Charles June 5-7, members of the Northern Illinois Annual Conference elected six clergy and six lay delegates to General Conference, which will meet April 25-May 7, 2004, in Pittsburgh. Six other clergy and six other lay delegates were elected to join the General Conference delegates at the North Central Jurisdictional Conference July 12-14, 2004, in Davenport, Iowa, to elect bishops.

    Of the 24 delegates elected to General and Jurisdictional Conference, 20 are part of the “Open to All” coalition having signed a statement that says “there is room for all people within our one denomination” and stating that “all people, without regard to sexual orientation, race, gender, age, economic status, disabilities, or ethnic origin should be able to be in full connection in the church without barriers to ordination, consecration, church membership or any ministry of the church.”

    In addition, the statement said: “The United Methodist Church has always been a conciliar church with members working together in a dynamic way to explore our beliefs, our theology, and the issues of the present day. We will continue in this Wesleyan tradition and will not succumb to the pull of those who would require the affirmation of a solitary creed or statement of belief in order to be a member of the United Methodist Church, but we embrace faith in Jesus Christ.”

    General Conference delegates

    Clergy delegates to General Conference are:

  • Dr. Myron McCoy, senior pastor of St. Mark UMC, Chicago;
  • Dr. Sung-Ja Lee Moon, pastor of Wesley UMC, Elgin;
  • The Rev. James Preston, pastor of Brooke Road UMC, Rockford;
  • The Rev. Diana Facemyer, pastor of St. Thomas UMC, Glen Ellyn;
  • The Rev. Luis Reyes, pastor of Bensenville UMC; and
  • Dr. Danita Anderson, Aurora District superintendent.
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    Laity delegates to General Conference are:

  • Roger Curless, NIC lay leader and member of Wesley UMC, Aurora;
  • Harriet McCabe, NIC secretary, chair of the NIC’s 2000 General Conference delegation and member of Grace UMC, Naperville;
  • Dr. Irma Clark, chair of the Conference Board of Global Ministries and member of Fellowship UMC, Chicago.
  • Lonnie Chafin, Conference treasurer and director of administrative services and member of Church of the Three Crosses, Chicago;
  • Judy Siaba, member of the board of directors of the Women’s Division of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries and member of Humboldt Park UMC, Chicago; and
  • Ana Kelsey-Powell, student at North Central College, member of the board of directors of the Women’s Division of the United Methodist General Board of Global Ministries and member of Morgan Park UMC, Chicago.
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    Jurisdictional delegates

    In addition to the General Conference delegates listed above, the following six clergy and six laity will be part of the NIC delegation to Jurisdictional Conference. The first two Jurisdictional Conference delegates in each category will serve as alternate delegates to General Conference, serving if any of the General Conference delegates are unable to serve.

    Clergy delegates to Jurisdictional Conference are:

  • The Rev. Deborah Fisher, senior pastor of First UMC, Downers Grove;
  • The Rev. Margaret Ann Crain, associate professor of Christian education at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston;
  • The Rev. Ouk-Yean Kim Jueng, associate pastor of UMC of Libertyville;
  • The Rev. Barb Donica, pastor of Wood Dale Community UMC; Dr. Donald Guest, Chicago Southern District superintendent; and
  • The Rev. Juancho Campanano, pastor of Faith Evangelical UMC, Elmhurst.
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    Laity delegates to Jurisdictional Conference are:

  • Nancy Duel, chair of the NIC Anti-Gambling Task Force, chair of the ChildServ Board of Trustees and member of First UMC, Arlington Heights;
  • Dr. Sondra King, Conference secretary of Global Ministries and member of First UMC, DeKalb;
  • Jack Ryder, NIC Board of Trustees and member of First UMC, LaGrange.
  • Kristin Mikels, high school senior, chair of the Conference Council on Youth Ministries and member of First UMC, Arlington Heights;
  • Arthur Webb, NIC coordinator of United Adult Services and Golden Cross Sunday, member of Minooka UMC; and
  • Aquilino “Pong” Javier, vice-president of the National Association of Filipino American United Methodists and member of Cosmopolitan UMC, Melrose Park.
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    Clergy alternate delegates to Jurisdictional Conference are:

  • The Rev. Tracy Smith Malone, senior pastor of Wesley UMC, Aurora; and
  • The Rev. Duk Kyu Kwon, North Central Jurisdiction Korean Mission superintendent.
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    Laity alternate delegates to Jurisdictional Conference are:

  • Deborah Dangerfield, vice chair of the Conference Council on Ministries and member of Maple Park UMC, Chicago; and
  • Darrell Rader, member of the NIC Conference Retreat Center task force and member of First UMC, Woodstock.
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    Photo Gallery

    By clicking on the images below, you will open Adobe Acrobat files that contain photo coverage of the 164th Northern Illinois Annual Conference session. Content of each file is listed below the image. Please be patient. These are large files and will take a few minutes to load. Adobe does not provide any meter to let you know that loading is occuring, but if Adobe Reader opens, it is happening. (If you are unable to open the files, you can obtain a free Adobe Acrobat Reader by clicking on the icon below the first image.)

  • Commissioning, Ordination

  • Centennial Celebration
    of Korean-American Immigrant Mission

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  • Memorial Service

  • Opening Banquet

  • The Millennial Challenge

  • Electronic voting

  • General Secretary

  • Exhibits

  • Boogie Night

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