Over a year ago, “Y Church” became our theme for AC2020 because we had just come off a particularly difficult special General Conference 2019 where further restrictions were put on the full inclusion of LGBTQ persons. It was a painful time for many clergy and local churches. Y Church—why put up with all this—we were wondering on some days.
Read MoreAs we gather in this virtual format, it is yet another reminder of how COVID-19 has changed our everyday lives, and while we are inconvenienced, we have learned new ways of doing things, some of which will stick with us post-pandemic. We have also had a chance to assess what things in our busy lives were really important to us and needed to be done, even if in a different way. Our churches are no different. The onset of the shutdown came at a rapid pace for most, without a chance for pre-planning, we had to learn to adapt on the fly.
Read MoreOur virtual annual conference is over and now we begin the work to address the many changes that are before us. One of those changes is the redistricting of the Northern Illinois Annual Conference.
Read MoreAs we approach our virtual annual conference sessions and worship, I encourage you to be sure and attend the pre-conference briefings this week if you are a registered delegate. It is essential that you have read and been briefed on the legislation with the opportunity to ask questions during these briefings.
Read More“When did I first start zooming?” I wondered one day. I went back in my virtual calendar and to the best of my knowledge, it was September 10, 2019. Almost to the day of writing this, it’s been a year of Zoom video conferencing. But not all days and weeks and months of zooming are equal. Since mid-March, I have been zooming every day, sometimes for hours. My guess is that many of you have been zooming these last months (or using another platform like Zoom). Even my 88-year-old mother zooms (when her computer works), and she’s very proud to be the only person in her senior facility to do so.
Read MoreOn Sept. 11 God’s miracle happened. The first school inspection was successfully completed because God made a way in an impossible situation. When we failed to reach 75% of construction by August 2020 according to the Ministry of Education, a light of HOPE to open the school in Jan. 2021 was almost gone.
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