May
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Adalberto Lay Leader starts hunger strike (May 26)
The Lay Leader of Adalberto UMC in Chicago is in the middle of a 21-day hunger strike to protest U.S. government raids and deportations of undocumented immigrants. The raids have intensified since March when millions of people across the country began marching and protesting against legislation proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives that would criminalize undocumented immigrants and those who help them.
150 learn how to plan worship in digital age (May 26)
More than 150 laity and clergy filled Cornerstone UMC in Elgin to hear Len Wilson and Jason Moore, pioneers in using multi-media in worship, give a day-long tutorial on how to plan worship in the digital age. The “Refreshing Worship” seminar was sponsored April 29 by the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) Communications Com-mission and the NIC Office of Congregational Development.
Volunteers sought to assist with International Clergywomen’s Conference in Chicago Aug. 13-17 (May 26)
The Northern Illinois Conference will be the site of the International United Methodist Clergywomen’s Conference Aug. 13-17. The event, which will be held at the Hyatt/McCormick Center in Chicago, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of women’s full ordination in the United Methodist Church. The site planning team seeks help in a variety of areas.
Women finally came fully into clergy picture 50 years ago (May 26)
Susan Dal Porto, director of the Northern Illinois Conference Media Resource Center, wonders what the world would be like if women were not talked about in oral traditions or photographed to preserve their images.
4-church Naperville team works in ‘sister city’ (May 26)
Thirty volunteers from four Naperville United Methodist churches spent a week in Pass Christian, Miss., helping rebuild homes damaged by last fall’s Hurricane Katrina. The project, organized by Grace UMC, included volunteers from Community, Wesley and Wheatland-Salem United Methodist churches.
NIC charters first Korean UMM (May 19)
Men from 16 Korean-American congregations across the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) gathered at Korean Central UMC in Prospect Heights on April 30 to charter the first organization of NIC Korean United Methodist Men (UMM).
United Methodists rally for Darfur (May 19)
United Methodists participated in a “Rally to Stop the Genocide in Darfur” held May 1 at Federal Plaza in downtown Chicago. The Northern Illinois Conference was one of the sponsors of the rally that focused on ending the civil war and atrocities that threaten the lives of 2 million people in the Darfur region of Sudan.
School of Christian Mission to ‘Harvest Peace’ (May 19)
Northern Illinois Conference United Methodist Women (UMW) Summer School of Christian Mission will be July 20-23 at Hickory Ridge Marriott Conference Center, 1195 Summerhill Dr. in Lisle. Topics to be taught will center around the theme of “Harvesting Peace.” The studies will challenge attendees to look at what peace means as members of the global community, as people of India and Pakistan, and as members of different religious groups.
Is it worth the effort? (May 19)
Aurora District Superintendent the Rev. Danita Anderson-Wilkins writes that the 50th anniversary of the ordination of women with full clergy rights is a time to think about how far we have come and yet how far we have to go.
Waukegan First work team returns from Gulfport (May 19)
A volunteer team from First UMC, Waukegan, recently returned from Gulfport, Miss. The team of 13, including the pastor, the Rev. Betty Jo Birkhahn-Rommelfanger and Peggy Decker, a member of Living Faith UMC, also in Waukegan, spent the week repairing houses. The team was hosted by Mt. Pleasant UMC, a small church of under a hundred members that has hosted two or more volunteer teams almost weekly since September.
Bishop Jung: ‘Bless, O God, this country with an open policy for full and fair immigration rights’ (May 12)
United Methodists were prominent at the May 1 Chicago rally for immigrants’ rights. Laity and clergy from Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) churches participated in the march that began at Union Park on Chicago’s west side and ended with a rally in Grant Park on Chicago’s lake front.
Glen Ellyn St. Thomas breaks ground for phase one of $6 million expansion (May 12
Members of St. Thomas UMC, 2S511 Rte. 53, Glen Ellyn, broke ground on April 2 to begin the first phase of a $6 million improvement and expansion to the church’s facilities. “A dream in the making for 40 years,” said the Rev. Diana Facemyer, pastor, “the St. Thomas family is taking a bold step into the future.”
13 churches participate in BMCR confirmation service (May 5)
On Palm Sunday, 95 youths from 13 primarily African-American congregations became official members of the United Methodist Church in a Celebration of Confirmation sponsored by Chicago Black Methodists for Church Renewal (BMCR). The sanctuary of St. Mark UMC in Chicago was filled to overflowing as families and friends of the young people gathered to participate in the worship service and witness the confirmation of the newest members of the denomination.
UMC’s roots support workers (May 5)
Chicago Northwestern District Superintendent the Rev. Dr. Marti Scott writes that “as the children of Wesley’s holiness movement and his concern for the working peon,” the United Methodist Church continues to defend workers rights and collective bargaining.
Zavala to serve with Hispanic/Latino Plan (May 5)
The Northern Illinois Conference Committee on Nominations has appointed the Rev. Roger Zavala to serve as Hispanic clergy person on the Committee to Implement the National Hispanic/Latino Plan. Nominations are being sought for several other openings.
Fire/Police Chaplain’s Association being formed (May 5)
The Northern Illinois Assn. of Fire and Police Chaplains is being formed to provide a forum for those who engage in ministry to first responders.
Adalberto Lay Leader starts hunger strike
(May 26) The Lay Leader of Adalberto UMC in Chicago is in the middle of a 21-day hunger strike to protest U.S. government raids and deportations of undocumented immigrants. The raids have intensified since March when millions of people across the country began marching and protesting against legislation proposed in the U.S. House of Representatives that would criminalize undocumented immigrants and those who help them.
 Elvira Arellano, who serves as Lay Leader of the Hispanic congregation and president of La Familia Latina Unida, is calling on President Bush to institute an immediate moratorium on all raids, deportations and separation of families “until Congress fixes its broken immigration laws.”
Arellano began her hunger strike on Wednesday, May 10, the day Mexicans observe Mother’s Day.
“This Mother’s Day, this mother is sick and tried of the politics and rhetoric,” Arellano said. “These grown men and women of Congress have had more than enough time and reasons to change the laws that hurt good families. We contribute to this economy. We pay taxes. We build buildings. We don’t destroy buildings. We are not terrorists. We are human beings.”
Arellano has been joined in her hunger strike by Flor Crisostomo, who is one of 26 employees of IFCO Systems detained April 19 and placed in deportation proceedings. The two women plan to continue their hunger strike until June 1 when the IFCO workers are scheduled to have a court hearing.
Arellano herself is in deportation proceedings. She worked at O’Hare International Airport cleaning airplanes until December 2002 when she was arrested and placed in deportation proceedings.
“While I’m here, I am determined to fight for my family and all the families that find themselves threatened with separation,” said Arellano who has a seven-year-old son who is a U.S. citizen.
During the hunger strike Arellano is inviting church members and community residents to join her each night in evening prayers from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Plaza Tenochtitlan at the corner of 18th St., Blue Island and Loomis St. in Chicago.
150 learn how to plan worship in digital age
(May 26) More than 150 laity and clergy filled Cornerstone UMC in Elgin to hear Len Wilson and Jason Moore, pioneers in using multi-media in worship, give a day-long tutorial on how to plan worship in the digital age.
 The “Refreshing Worship” seminar was sponsored April 29 by the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) Communications Com-mission and the NIC Office of Congregational Development.
Noting that most worship presentations are just text on a screen that look like a “1990s board room corporate presentation,” Wilson and Moore urged their listeners to shift from thinking in text to thinking in image.
“The screen is not a giant piece of paper,” Wilson said. “It is a visual medium. We need to make the shift from text to image.”
Moore said, “We need to find ways to communicate the Gospel of Jesus Christ in ways that are as compelling as movies, Web sites and other things that we are involved in today in the world around us.”
Patterning their approach to worship after Jesus’ use of parables, Moore and Wilson encouraged their audience to use metaphors from current culture to explain stories from the Bible. “A metaphor takes something that is a little bit hard to connect with and puts it in terms that are easily under-stood,” Wilson said. “A metaphor is a tangible way to express an abstract story, thought or idea. It takes something that is foreign or unfamiliar and puts it into everyday language.”
 But the duo warned against using the same metaphors that Jesus used, because most of those must be explained to people living in today’s society. “If we really want to follow the model Jesus gave us,” Wilson said, “we need to find metaphors that are present in our culture today.”
Moore added, “When we use metaphors from our culture, and do the hard work of redeeming those metaphors, the culture then becomes a reminder of the Gospel.”
A follow-up seminar, “Refreshing Worship 2.0: Building Skills for Digital Culture Ministry,” will be 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at Community UMC in Naperville. For more information, contact the Rev. Dr. James Galbreath, Communications Commission chair, at jtgalbreath@verizon.net or (815) 872-2821; or Linda Rhodes, NIC director of Communications, lrhodes@umcnic.org or (312) 346-9766, ext. 107.
Volunteers sought to assist with International Clergywomen’s Conference in Chicago Aug. 13-17
(May 26) The Northern Illinois Conference will be the site of the International United Methodist Clergywomen’s Conference Aug. 13-17. The event, which will be held at the Hyatt/McCormick Center in Chicago, will celebrate the 50th anniversary of women’s full ordination in the United Methodist Church.
“We have been working for several months preparing for the consultation,” said the Rev. Dr. Michelle Oberwise-Lacock, chairperson of the Site Planning Team. “There are many opportunities for all of us to participate in assisting with the event.”
Oberwise-Lacock said many women, both lay and clergy, have talked about being involved in the event. “So that we can organize the volunteers, we have developed a list from which to select where your gifts might best assist us,” she said. The survey is available through the Northern Illinois Conference Web site calendar page, www.umcnic.org. Click on calendar and go to the Aug. 13-17 date to find a link to the volunteer survey.
Surveys are also available from Oberwise-Lacock, (630) 336-2317, or the Rev. Donna Atkinson, DonnaAtki@aol.com.
Volunteers are especially needed in the areas of sign language interpretation, nursing, certified mas-
seuse, and greeting and assisting international guests as they arrive at the airport, Atkinson said.
Volunteers are also needed to provide music for half an hour during registration on Sunday, Aug. 13.
There will be a banquet on Tuesday evening, Aug. 15, celebrating the 50th anniversary.
To register to attend the event, go to the clergywomen’s Web site at www.gbhem.org/clergywomen/consultation2006.
Women finally came fully into clergy picture 50 years ago
 By Susan Dal Porto
Director, Northern Illinois Conference Media Resource Center
(May 26) I was recently looking through some family photo albums. What nostalgia I felt as I saw old pictures of several generations of aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins. But this thought struck me: What if all the images of women were edited out of those photos? What if only men were part of that pictorial history? What if the only stories that get passed down in families were about men and what they did? What if women were not talked about in oral traditions or photographed to preserve their images?
If one were to take snapshots of the Church throughout history, there would be no women pictured as leaders, only men in spiritual leadership roles.
The Methodist Church ordained women as early as 1880, but restricted them from the full rights enjoyed by clergy men. But a courageous decision was made on May 4, 1956, to bring women into the picture. That was the day that the Methodist General Conference approved full clergy rights for women.
Think about gifts
We are reminded by one leader: “Think about all the gifts that clergywomen have brought to the church in these 50 years! Think about how the cause of Christ has been advanced because of their efforts.” This is indeed a cause for celebration!
Full rights were granted in this historic decision, but the struggle for equality in the pulpit was only beginning. Early clergywomen pioneers tell amazing stories of resistance. The Rev. Grace Huck of North Dakota described how she felt the call to ministry early in her life, but was told no women in ministry. After the historic change in 1956, her district superintendent announced to a congregation that she would be appointed to that church. “There will be no skirts in this pulpit while I’m alive!” one congregational member roared, pounding the pew as he spoke.
Another early pioneer, the Rev. Marion Kline experienced a neighboring male clergy take over her church in Wisconsin while she was working on her divinity degree at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston. She was forced to move. Her next bishop said he “would not have a woman in his conference” and so Kline was forced to move again, this time to Michigan.
Many clergywomen still face often subtle but formidable obstacles to full acceptance in their ministerial roles.
This 50-year milestone affords us not only an opportunity to celebrate the contribution of clergywomen, but also to take a realistic look at what has been accomplished. In the United States, much has changed for women in the past 50 years.
Consider U.S. statistics
Consider these U.S. statistics: There were 68.7 million women in the workforce in 2004, a significant increase from 18.4 million in 1950. This year women are projected to make up 48% of the national labor force. Contrast this data to the current “picture” of clergywomen in the United Methodist Church. Statistics from the Commission on the Status and Role of Women show:
13% of all ordained elders are women.
13% of all ordained women in pastoral ministry are racial/ethnic clergywomen.
Clergywomen with the same number of years experience as men and with the same type of appointment make 9% less than their male counterparts.
15% of district superintendents are women.
8% of all bishops, active and retired, are women.
2% of clergy serving as lead pastors of churches of 1,000 members or more are women.
This data suggest that the struggle for full and equal treatment of clergywomen continues. The Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) claims a better track record for clergywomen than the denomination overall. In this conference:
50% of NIC district superintendents are women.
179 of 666 ordained elders — 27% — in the NIC are women.
Clergy have demanding careers and give generously of their time and talents. At this important anniversary, take time to celebrate women who have answered the call to serve.
 The Media Resource Center (MRC) has six “Courageous Past, Bold Future” posters suggesting ways to celebrate the 50th anniversary of clergywomen rights. If you would like a free poster, stop by the MRC office at 217 Division St., Elgin.
The MRC would like to help you become more informed on this anniversary. On page 4A, you will find resources available in the Media Center on the issue of women in ministry. I am also ready to consult with you on other resources that may be appropriate for your needs. You can contact me at sdalport@umcnic.org or (847) 931-0710, ext. 17.
4-church Naperville team works in ‘sister city’
(May 26) Thirty volunteers from four Naperville United Methodist churches spent a week in Pass Christian, Miss., helping rebuild homes damaged by last fall’s Hurricane Katrina. The project, organized by Grace UMC, included volunteers from Community, Wesley and Wheatland-Salem United Methodist churches.
Pass Christian was adopted by Naperville as a “sister city” as a result of the Naperville Responds program, a community-wide effort to raise funds for construction of new homes in that devastated area of the Mississippi coast. Other community organizations in Naperville have come to the aid of their counterparts in Pass Christian.
While in Mississippi, the mission team was hosted by First UMC of Pass Christian, which has responsibility for hurricane relief along the western Gulf Coast of Mississippi for the Mississippi Annual Conference’s Disaster Response Center.
Damaged homes and other work projects in Pass Christian are selected by First UMC without regard to religious affiliation based on an assessment of need.
Since November, First UMC has housed nearly 500 volunteers, assisted more than 100 families and completed repair and reconstruction of about 15 homes.
The Naperville volunteers performed debris removal, stripping and disinfecting home interiors and rebuilding of homes, churches and other civic structures.
The mission team departed Saturday, April 30, for the 1,000-mile drive to Pass Christian and returned Sunday, May 7.
For more information on this special mission to the Gulf Coast, contact the Rev. Lisa Telomen at Grace UMC, (630) 355-1748.
NIC charters first Korean UMM
(May 19) Men from 16 Korean-American congregations across the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) gathered at Korean Central UMC in Prospect Heights on April 30 to charter the first organization of NIC Korean United Methodist Men (UMM).
 Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, who serves on the board of directors of the General Commission on United Methodist Men, preached for the chartering service and urged the men to be involved in mission to help the poor and the suffering.
Jung told the men that they are part of the Korean diaspora, 8 million Koreans who have left their native country and settled around the world, including 2 million in the United States.
“There must be a good reason we are here,” Jung said. “We must be here to do God’s work. God wants to use every one of us.”
The bishop noted that “millions and millions of undocumented people” in the United States are going through pain and suffering “while debates go on in Congress about how to deal with immigration issues.”
Bishop Jung also pointed out that hundreds of thousands of children are living in poverty in “the richest country in the world” and many U.S. residents are concerned about where to get their daily meals.
Jung urged the men to share what they have received from God with others.
“We are called to be leaders in this time,” the bishop said, “to serve people who are suffering. Jesus asks us to be there and be with them.”
“We must understand the pain of others and be able to help,” Jung told them.
Jung challenged the Korean UMM to go where people are suffering and “wipe their tears.”
“We must look after the people who are suffering,” he said. “That’s our mission.”
Dan Henry, president of the North Central Jurisdiction UMM, welcomed the Korean men into the organization of United Methodist Men and said he had a “hole in my heart” when he realized that certain ethnic groups of men have not always been part of UMM.
“I’m so very grateful to Bishop Jung for helping pull together this group of Korean men of the United Methodist Church, not only here in Chicago which we celebrate today, but also in Los Angeles and New York.”
Henry said, “Our hope is that you will join us in our ministry by men and to men.”
 Bernard Brantley, president of Chicago Southern District UMM, and Glenn Campbell, Chicago Southern District UMM financial secretary, represented the NIC UMM executive committee.
Korean UMM also received greetings from Suck Hee Cha, president of the NIC Korean United Methodist Women, which was chartered in 1983; and the Rev. Peter Suh, chair of the NIC Korean-American Caucus.
Dr. David Kim, newly elected president of NIC Korean UMM and member of South Suburban Korean UMC in Homewood, asked for “continued prayers and support for our continued growth and success.”
The chartering service was followed by a banquet featuring Korean food.
United Methodists rally for Darfur
 (May 19)United Methodists participated in a “Rally to Stop the Genocide in Darfur” held May 1 at Federal Plaza in downtown Chicago. The Northern Illinois Conference was one of the sponsors of the rally that focused on ending the civil war and atrocities that threaten the lives of 2 million people in the Darfur region of Sudan.
Speakers urged participants to call President Bush and urge him to increase NATO and United Nations assistance to the African Union peacekeeping force, enforce a no-fly zone for Darfur, ensure rapid troop protection and increase humanitarian assistance.
For more information, resources or speakers about the situation, contact the Rev. Chris Pierson, Northern Illinois Conference director of Outreach and Witness Ministries, (847) 931-0710, ext. 15, or cpierson@umcnic.org.
 
School of Christian Mission to ‘Harvest Peace’
(May 19) Northern Illinois Conference United Methodist Women (UMW) Summer School of Christian Mission will be July 20-23 at Hickory Ridge Marriott Conference Center, 1195 Summerhill Dr. in Lisle. Topics to be taught will center around the theme of “Harvesting Peace.”
The studies will challenge attendees to look at what peace means as members of the global community, as people of India and Pakistan, and as members of different religious groups.
The School of Christian Mission is open to all persons, male or female, clergy or laity. It also includes programs for children and youths, and in Korean and Spanish. A drive-in day on Saturday offers a concentrated version of the curriculum.
The Rev. Dr. Lana Sutton will lead a study on “Shalom — Peace — Salaam,” three words that mean “peace” from the three Abrahamic religions: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. These word provide the foundation for the spiritual growth study at the school.
“Globalization: Its Impact in our Lives” will be led by the Rev. Norval Brown, Mary Melvin and Linda Priest.
The Revs. George David and Robert Sathuri will lead the study on “India/Pakistan.” This year is the 150th year of Methodist mission, ministry and heritage in those countries.
The weekend school will begin with registration at 4 p.m. Thursday, July 20, and end after lunch on Sunday, July 23.
A children’s class for ages 7 to 11 on “India/Pakistan” will be taught by Betsy Houghton.
A youth class for ages 12 to 15 on “Globalization” will be taught by Jacqueline Ford.
On Drive-in Day, Saturday, July 22, two identical sessions will be offered: one from 7:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. that will include a midmorning snack and lunch, and one from 12:30 to 6:30 p.m. which will include a midafternoon snack and dinner.
Two classes for Korean-speaking women will be taught on Saturday. The Rev. Heju Nam will lead a study on
“Shalom — Peace — Salaam,” and the Rev. Kyeong-Ah Woo will lead the study on “India/Pakistan.”
A class for Spanish-speaking women on “Shalom — Peace — Salaam” will be led by the Rev. Barbara Greicar on Saturday.
Should you need a registration brochure you may contact your district president or school registrar Marta Siaba Rodriquez, 1531 Cuyler Ave., Berwyn, IL 60402, (773) 936-3692.
Is it worth the effort?
 By the Rev. Danita Anderson-Wilkins
Aurora District Superintendent
(May 19) This year, we celebrate 50 years of the ordination with full clergy rights for women in the Methodist/United Methodist Church. It is certainly an opportunity to look back and reflect on one’s journey in the midst of such a celebration.
It is also a time to think about how far we have come and yet how far we have to go. Sometimes you just have to wonder if it is worth the effort.
In my own journey are difficult places where male parishioners as well as colleagues have made uncomfortable approaches and inappropriate comments. Pastor-Parish Relations Committees have declared they did not want a woman pastor during the introductory meeting, and then worked diligently to try to undermine the ministry of the church and/or my reputation. Churches have stated in ways that would boggle one’s mind, the need in their congregation for the new pastor to have “the right equipment.”
It just makes you wonder.
Yet there are so many places and celebrations that far outweigh the ignorance of the few and recognize the need and gift of women clergy. One such gift is empowerment of lay women to step into leadership in churches and community or to acknowledge calls to ordained ministry that might not have been if there had not been a role model. Another is a different — and sometimes more sensitive — touch and approach to the ministry of the church that had not been experienced before. And third is a perspective that says “Yes” to new possibility and potentiality.
Unfortunately, women clergy as role models were a scarce commodity. But thanks be to God for the Barbara McEwings, Tallulah Fisher Williams, Kathy Reeves and Ellen Renee Dills. These women opened doors for others, especially those of us who are African-American. We reach back through the memories of Jarenna Lee, Harriett Tubman and Sojourner Truth and are reminded that the struggle is a hard one, but certainly one that requires perseverance.
There are challenges, but there are also the victories and celebrations: 50 years of celebrations. So, when we remember the “why” of the struggle, the “how” becomes attainable.
Thank you to those who have gone before us! Continue to stand with me, those who are on this journey. And look forward and look up, those who are coming behind us. We are reaching out to give you a hand.
Waukegan First work team returns from Gulfport
(May 19) A volunteer team from First UMC, Waukegan, recently returned from Gulfport, Miss. The team of 13, including the pastor, the Rev. Betty Jo Birkhahn-Rommelfanger and Peggy Decker, a member of Living Faith UMC, also in Waukegan, spent the week repairing houses. The team was hosted by Mt. Pleasant UMC, a small church of under a hundred members that has hosted two or more volunteer teams almost weekly since September.
The Waukegan team worked on six homes. Some of the work involved minor repairs, painting and cleanup. Other work involved gutting a room and rebuilding it; roof repairs and building a new shed for a family whose belongings had been caught under a fallen roof.
“By helping rebuild homes we were helping rebuild lives,” said team member Jeff Dick. “And the people were so grateful it seemed as though they were helping us.”
While in Gulfport the team was taken on a tour of the Biloxi/Gulfport area. They had the opportunity to see the scope of the devastation following Hurricane Katrina, and to hear stories of lives lost and changed.
Dave Tucker, another team member, said: “It is hard to comprehend the amount of destruction we witnessed from total devastation at the coast to scores of large trees snapped and the blue [Federal Emergency Management Agency] FEMA tarps dotting the landscape far inland.” He said it is clear that it will take years to rebuild.
The team was warmly received. Don Looyer said, “I was personally moved by how grateful the people of Gulfport were.”
Team members were impressed by the optimism of the people and the plans to rebuild. A sign on a local bakery in Biloxi, symbolized the spirit. It read: “The Bread will rise again, Kneads time.”
Also encouraging were the number of other work teams, from churches, colleges, and other organizations from around the country.
Bishop Jung: ‘Bless, O God, this country with an open policy for full and fair immigration rights’
(May 12) United Methodists were prominent at the May 1 Chicago rally for immigrants’ rights. Laity and clergy from Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) churches participated in the march that began at Union Park on Chicago’s west side and ended with a rally in Grant Park on Chicago’s lake front.
 Police estimated that more than 400,000 people participated in the rally. Organizers put the number closer to 700,000.
Rally participants said they oppose legislation approved by the U.S. House of Representatives (HR 4437) that was introduced by U.S. Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr. from Wisconsin. The bill criminalizes undocumented residents and anyone, including volunteers with faith-based organizations, who help them.
Rally participants also called for a pathway to legalization and U.S. citizenship for the 11 to 12 million undocumented workers now in the United States.
After speeches by politicians, labor leaders and representatives of ethnic groups, faith leaders from the Greater Chicago area took the stage. Bishop Hee-Soo Jung, Cardinal Francis George of the Chicago Roman Catholic Archdiocese, and Abdul Malik Mujahid, chair of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago, addressed the crowd.
“I am an immigrant,” Bishop Jung told the crowd. “I want to support all of you.” He said we need to “change the mind of government” regarding the way immigrants are treated in this country.
 The bishop offered a prayer for “no more discrimination, no more separation of family members, no more unfair treatment or unfair wages, no more children dying because of lack of food or poor nutrition, no more tanks and machine guns, no more strangers because of their race, nationality or ethnicity.”
Calling the United States a “land for all immigrant families,” Jung prayed to “let this government and Congress reclaim your peace and shalom again. Let all people play and dance together for justice and harmony.”
“Bless, O God, this country,” Jung prayed, “with an open policy for full and fair immigration rights.”
The Rev. Oscar Carrasco, NIC director of Connectional Ministries, translated the bishop’s prayer into Spanish.
After the speeches and prayers, rally participants sang the Lord’s Prayer and “Amazing Grace.” Then Bishop Jung and some of the other religious leaders were given doves to release into the air.
Joining Bishop Jung on the platform were six of the United Methodist pastors who participated in the rally.
Glen Ellyn St. Thomas breaks ground
for phase one of $6 million expansion
 (May 12) Members of St. Thomas UMC, 2S511 Rte. 53, Glen Ellyn, broke ground on April 2 to begin the first phase of a $6 million improvement and expansion to the church’s facilities.
“A dream in the making for 40 years,” said the Rev. Diana Facemyer, pastor, “the St. Thomas family is taking a bold step into the future.”
Phase one improvements, estimated to cost $1.6 million, include construction of a hospitality wing on the north side of the existing facility. The new two-story wing will have classrooms, bride’s room, conference room, offices and handicapped-accessible restrooms.
New construction will also include a drive-up covered entry and walkway.
 Phase two plans include construction of a new 250 to 300-seat sanctuary.
Phase three will be construction of a new chapel.
Total cost of all phases of the planned improvements is “in the vicinity of $6 million,” according to David Flood, chair of the church’s fundraising committee.
Architect for the first phase of the improvements is Hanno Weber and Associates of Chicago.
13 churches participate
in BMCR confirmation service
(May 5) On Palm Sunday, 95 youths from 13 primarily African-American congregations became official members of the United Methodist Church in a Celebration of Confirmation sponsored by Chicago Black Methodists for Church Renewal (BMCR).
 The sanctuary of St. Mark UMC in Chicago was filled to overflowing as families and friends of the young people gathered to participate in the worship service and witness the confirmation of the newest members of the denomination.
Bishop Hee-Soo Jung preached the sermon, baptized two young men, and then laid hands on each kneeling confirmand and offered a prayer for each one.
“We never envisioned having more than 90 youths to be confirmed,” said the Rev. Dr. Jon McCoy, St. Mark UMC senior pastor. “For us to come together at a time like this is a wonderful thing.”
Walton Davis, Chicago BMCR president, called the service “a true celebration” and said BMCR plans to make it an annual event. “This is an historical event,” he said, “not only for the Northern Illinois Conference, but also for Chicago BMCR.”
Davis said the confirmation celebration, suggested by the Rev. Oscar Carrasco, Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) director of Connectional Ministries, was designed to “help strengthen the black church by involving our youths.”
“The life of our church is our youth,” Davis said. “We must nurture them and show them the way. We want to have programs for them so they will not leave. Young people, you are our future.”
In his sermon, Bishop Jung told the confirmands that they “are God’s beloved children” and that God loves each of them unconditionally. “How often do you hear that you aren’t good enough,” the bishop asked, “and if you want to be beloved you’d better prove that you are worth loving.”
The bishop urged them to remember that God’s love is unconditional, “and you don’t need to prove that you are good enough.” He said that even though society may say that you are not tall enough or pretty enough or skinny enough or smart enough, “the Bible says you are good enough.”
“You are God’s beloved sons and daughters,” Jung told the confirmands, “and God is pleased with you.”
Bishop Jung told about his own conversion to Christianity and his baptism at the age of 16. “My family came from a Buddhist and Confuscian tradition,” he said, “and I was the first in my family to become a Christian. I became a Christian because God accepted me without judgment.”
The bishop said he went from being a negative person to being “a very, very optimistic person” because he “encountered Jesus’ unconditional love and it was thunderous.”
 God “is choosing you and claiming you,” the bishop told the youths, adding that they no longer had reason to suffer low self-esteem or feelings of not being wanted.
“God clearly says to all of us that we are God’s beloved,” Jung said. “Today, we learn the secret of overcoming the sense of rejection, of hopelessness, of powerlessness. Because today we are born again and can trust in God. We know that each of us has been chosen by God. Our lives will be strengthened and we will grow stronger every day.”
Bishop Jung also admitted that the church has not done a good job trusting and honoring its young people. “Today, we say that we are going to trust you,” he said. “We are going to trust in your future. We are going to trust in your faith walk. You are strong and you are going to be our future.”
The bishop urged the confirmands to let the church be the center of their lives where they will be surrounded by people who will love them, pray with them and support them.
“The church is much stronger than what society will give you,” Bishop Jung emphasized.
Churches participating in the service were African Community UMC, Faith UMC, Gorham UMC, Hartzell Memorial UMC, Ingleside-Whitfield UMC, Maple Park UMC, New Gresham UMC, Resurrection UMC, St. James UMC, St. Mark UMC and Southlawn UMC, all in Chicago; Ivanhoe Community UMC, Riverdale; and Neighborhood UMC, Maywood.
UMC’s roots support workers
 By the Rev. Dr. Martha (Marti) Scott,
Superintendent, Chicago Northwestern District
(May 5) God’s concern for the workers’ welfare is affirmed in Holy Scripture. Pharaoh’s mistreatment of the Israelites results in 10 plagues and a major labor walkout in Exodus chapters 5 to 12. Jesus expresses his desire for full employment in a parable. In this text the last to be hired have as much right to a living wage as the first to be hired (Matthew 20:1-16).
Our denominational roots reveal worker support as well. During the economic shift from an agrarian economy to an industrial economy, John Wesley constructed new faith communities among both persons who had fallen through the cracks and among those who profited.
As the children of Wesley’s holiness movement and his concern for the working peon, the United Methodist Church continues to defend workers rights and collective bargaining. Our “Social Principles” found in the Book of Discipline are clear: “We support the right of public and private (including farm, government, institutional and domestic) employees and employers to organize for collective bargaining into unions and other groups of their own choosing.” Moving in summary from Scripture to Wesley to the Book of Discipline 163.B, we find God’s expressed concern for the welfare of workers.
UNITED HERE
The Rev. Teran Loeppke, commissioned deacon, continues in ministry under primary appointment as a community organizer with UNITE HERE Local 1 and under secondary appointment at Epworth UMC, Chicago. On April 3, Teran brought the Rev. Gregory Seal Livingston of Mandell UMC, Chicago, and me to the employee cafeteria at the Hyatt Regency Chicago. We heard the concerns of about 80 housekeepers, doormen, bellmen, dishwashers and others who are joining union efforts. Their movement is destined to lift hotel workers out of poverty, not only in Chicago but across the United States and Canada, during nearly coinciding contract negotiations in 10 major U.S. cities and in Toronto, Canada.
While the clergy and workers met in the cafeteria, the highest-level Hyatt managers from all over the world were gathered in another hotel room to strategize on profit maximization. Nevertheless, as Gregory and I listened, the employees shared their criteria for better working conditions: dignity, a just wage, safety, quality and affordable health care, paid sick days and immigration protection.
In league with religious leaders across the country who are standing on the side of the workers, Gregory and I passionately encouraged the rank and file to stay strong and united across boundaries of race, gender, nationality or seniority, and to do so regardless of intimidation by their employers. The meeting ended in prayer and the workers scattered to their various departments. The clergy scattered to their department: the Church.
During season of Easter
During this season of Easter, as we celebrate the rising of Christ above all that destroys life, let us be mindful of workers rising above the systemic human greed that denies them access to living wages, quality health care and other necessities of dignified employment. Unionized Chicago hotel workers will renegotiate their contract this August and, if successful, will continue and improve these and other gains won over the past four years in the 60% of hotels here that are union:
No monthly individual premium for a PPO Blue Cross Blue Shield health provider network, and $30 monthly premium for the family regardless of number of dependents.
Housekeeper wages increased from $8.83/hour to $12.10/hour.
Contract protections for immigrants.
In Miami, Fla., and other cities with only a few union hotels, however, the workers make only around $7/hour. Ironically, they work for the same five multinational hotel companies as do people here in Chicago. As workers move into negotiations this year in New York, Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities, we as United Methodists need to remind hotel employers that it is immoral to abuse or intimidate people who want to form a union. When we stand faithfully with everyday people working in unionized Chicago hotels, we stand faithfully with everyday people working poverty jobs in nonunion hotels both here and across North America.
We resist evil and death
During the season of Easter, we resist evil and death just as Jesus conquered evil and death. In Jesus’ victory, let us give witness to the ongoing resurrection in hotel workers who rise up to improve their lives and jobs. If you’re vacationing this summer, try greeting the bellman before he greets you. Remember the woman — most of them really are women — cleaning 18 to 25 rooms in eight hours, who takes pain pills in order to sleep because her wrists and back are breaking down day by day. Help her out. Try cleaning your sink. Put trash in the basket. You could even strip your own bed. More important, teach your children to honor and respect hotel workers.
Furthermore as a family, as a church, as a denomination and as the Church universal let us pledge that we will stand by hotel workers, by hosting our own celebrations and conventions only in settings that reflect the core values for which our faith traditions stand: hospitality and human dignity.
We can all wear the Hotel Workers Rising button, and clergy can do the “write” thing by signing onto the Hospitality and Human Dignity statement being circulated across the United States and Canada. Please contact Teran at (312) 663-4373, ext. 260, for a copy.
Wear the button! Rise up with hotel workers! Celebrate the Resurrection!
Zavala to serve with Hispanic/Latino Plan
(May 5) The Northern Illinois Conference Committee on Nominations has appointed the Rev. Roger Zavala to serve as Hispanic clergy person on the Committee to Implement the National Hispanic/Latino Plan. In a related action, Zavala resigned from the Conference Personnel Committee. Richard Neblock was appointed to fill that vacancy.
Nominations for the Board of Trustees Class of 2010 were reviewed. The nominations of Phyllis Tholin, Eugene Williams and the Rev. Kwadwo Ntim will be presented for election at Annual Conference in June. The resignation of Paul Lewis was received from the Class of 2007. Ron Kamykowski will be nominated to fill his unexpired term.
Hesed Campañano is unable to continue as secretary of the Program Council. Nominations are needed.
The Board of Higher Education and Campus Ministry needs more members. Persons with a vision and passion for campus ministry are sought.
The Committee on Nominations itself needs representatives from Aurora and Rockford districts. Currently no one from Aurora and one member from Rockford serve. Each district needs at least two persons.
Other program areas need more members, particularly Children’s Ministries, Committee on the Status and Role of Women, and the Council on Young Adult Ministries.
Members of the Nominations Committee will make presentations at each Pre-Conference Briefing, highlighting membership needs of the conference. Nomination forms will be available at those meetings.
Forms may also be obtained by contacting Betsy Houghton, committee chair, at (847) 395-5463.
Fire/Police Chaplain’s Association being formed
(May 5) The Northern Illinois Assn. of Fire and Police Chaplains is being formed to provide a forum for those who engage in ministry to first responders.
The Rev. Steve Ziegler, pastor of Zion UMC in Hampshire, said the first task of the association will be to prepare a directory of United Methodist pastors in the Northern Illinois Conference who serve in this capacity, either as volunteer to a local fire or police department or in an appointment beyond the local church.
To be included in the directory and for more information regarding the association, contact Ziegler at thez@interaccess.com or P.O. Box 515, Hampshire, IL 60140, or call (847) 683-2045.
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