Continue Martin Luther King Jr.’s—and God’s—Agenda, Urges Rev. Danita R. Anderson
At the Northern Illinois Conference’s 2025 Martin Luther King Jr. observance, keynote speaker Rev. Danita Anderson urged United Methodis…
Explore the wave of new Christian churches emerging to reach unchurched and dechurched people living in a culture that is increasingly non-religious and multi-religious.
Special Guest Speaker: Rev. Dr. Michael Beck, Director of Re-missioning with Fresh Expressions
Watch a Recording of the Prairie South Event
Sunday, September 18 at 9:30 am at Schaumburg: Our Saviour's, 701 E. Schaumburg Rd., Schaumburg, Ill. (847) 352-8181
Questions Contact Martin Lee mlee@umcnic.org
Learn More about Fresh Expressions
Rev. Dr. Michael Beck
Rev. Dr. Michael Beck is a pastor, professor, and author. He is a spiritual guide who helps people heal, love, and unleash imagination to create better lives, organizations, and communities. Beck and his wife Jill are co-pastors of Wildwood UMC in Wildwood, Florida, St. Marks UMC in Ocala, Florida, and a network of 13 fresh expressions led by laity that gather in tattoo parlors, dog parks, burrito joints, and digital spaces. They direct an inpatient rehab center, a shelter for those experiencing homelessness, and an anti-racism movement.
He serves as the director of Fresh Expressions for the Florida Conference of The UMC, director of the Fresh Expressions House of Studies at United Theological Seminary, and director of ReMissioning for Fresh Expressions US. Beck has a passion for helping laity and clergy plant new forms of church. He helps church leaders across the globe follow Jesus in fresh and exciting ways. In addition to teaching as an adjunct professor at several seminaries, he coaches, trains, and educates leaders internationally across a broad theological spectrum and has consulted with hundreds of churches, districts, denominations, networks, synods, and dioceses.
Beck earned a Master of Divinity from Asbury Theological Seminary and a Doctorate in Semiotics and Future Studies at Portland Seminary with his mentor Leonard Sweet. He’s the author of eight books and is considered a global thought leader in the missional church movement. View his books here.
At the Northern Illinois Conference’s 2025 Martin Luther King Jr. observance, keynote speaker Rev. Danita Anderson urged United Methodis…
The 2024 apportionment contributions reflect a positive trend in giving across the Northern Illinois Conference. Churches contributed $4,110,820 toward conference apportionments (79%…
The Northern Illinois Conference and the Conference Global Board of Ministries celebrate the churches that went the extra mile as 100% Mission Links supporters. In 2024, NIC churches contributed…
The Northern Illinois Conference’s HEAL Well initiative addresses food insecurity and environmental sustainability by uniting faith communiti…