CurrentJanuary 2014 • Vol. 18 No. 6

Communities begin long-term recovery Pages 6-8 (Left) FEMA representative Susan Smith of Laurel Hill, Fla., works with Terry Babb of Brookport on registration for federal assistance Dec. 10, in the wake of the Nov. 17 tornado. Photo by Adam Testa, The Southern BACKGROUND IMAGES: (Above) Crews in Gifford work to clean a yard littered with debris from the Nov. 17 tornado. Photo by Paul Black (Below) Members of the Wilmington UMC, located in the Northern Illinois Conference, package supplies and items which will be transported to Coal City and Diamond. Photo courtesy of Wilmington UMC

Inside this Issue News from the Episcopal Office 2 Announcements/Events 3 Local Church News 4-5 Cover Story 6-8 Historical Messenger 9

THE CURRENT National News 10

CURRENT Global News 11 Conference News 12

1 NEWS From The Episcopal Office

Appointments In consultation with the Cabinet of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference, Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton appoints the following: NEWS Pam Cochran to Pekin: Grace (associate), effective Jan. 1. From The Episcopal Office Supply not appointed Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton

Floyd Wood to Lawrenceville Otterbein, Kaskaskia River GIFT OF JESUS District, effective Dec. 1. He is also continues serving as supply CHRIST to Browns. A Christmas Card for you…

Change of status GIFT OF Observe the Emmanuel Tree LOVE Angel Marie Taylor, discontinuation of appointment of local Our gifts because of Thee.

pastor, Vermilion River District, effective Dec. 31. God acts connecting lives Gift of Goodness and mercy arise. Repentance Deaths Remember Emmanuel God with us Gift of Retired pastor Rolland Devor, died Dec. 14. In tornados and typhoons. Forgiveness Gift from Rev. Devor served congregations in the former Southern Illinois God with us NCJ-BMCR Conference, retiring in 1997 from Ziegler-Royalton. After In mission and ministry. for INM Gift to Gifts to $700 Prisoners, retirement, he served the Wayne County Parish and Dahlgren- God with us IGRC Disaster Disciple Bible Macedonia. In prison and Bible Study. Fund for Tornado Study Victims God with us Gift to Condolences may be sent to his wife, Rev. Janice Devor, P. O. Box Africa University, In joy and sorrow, $6,244.02 Raised, 43, Creal Springs, IL 62922-0043. Gift from God with us $2000 Goal $1 Million Cherokee Nation, by 2016 Helen G. Campbell, former lay member to annual conference In failure and repentance. Necklace of Job’s Tears, Gift from Indiana a reminder of the Area Conference from Peoria First UMC, died Dec. 12. God with us Trail of Tears for tornado Mrs. Campbell was active in United Methodist Women and In health and restoration victims Gift to Victims of served as a trustee of Illinois Wesleyan University. During her God with us Typhoon Haiyan, GIFT OF tenure as IWU trustee, she chaired the building committee for In love and kindness Prayers and Cash THE JOY OF Via UMCOR the construction of Evelyn Chapel. She and her first husband, God with us SERVING Boyd Goldsworthy were extremely active and provided leader- In Jesus the Christ. GIFT OF Gifts to Liberia, SILENT VIM Teams, Gift from ship in the annual conference. NIGHT New Hope Church, IGRC Churches – John Ko School Gift to UMC $2.2 Million Condolences may be left on her memorial page at: www. Wishing you a Merry Christmas in West Point 100% raised for INM, woolsey-wilton.com. Apportionment Goal $2.5 Million and a Happy New Year. Obligation Oren S. Banks, retired local pastor, died Dec. 10 in Winnsboro, Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton Texas. Rev. Banks served the Heartland Cooperative Parish and Ritchey, retiring in 2003. Following retirement, he served Ritchey and Essex in the Vermilion River District. Condolences may be sent to his son, Marion Lee Banks, 799 County Road 4470, Winnsboro, TX 75494. mmanuel Camilla McKinney, IGRC Ministry Assistant to Congregational Shirley named Camping andE Retreat Ministries coordinator Development, died Dec. 3 (see related stories on p. 12). BY PAUL BLACK and reducing both redundancy and excess in spending.” Condolences may be sent to her sons: Bill and Lori McKinney SPRINGFIELD – Despite a job title that over- One way in which to increase its revenue base is marketing the (Isabella & Shyanne), 1161 E. Johns Ave., Decatur, IL 62521 and sees three different ministries, Alice Shirley’s camping experience beyond the IGRC and to other Christian fel- Scott and Christine McKinney (Madison & Abigail), 3 Sunnyside job title will be shorter, effective Jan. 1. lowships. Estates, Moweaqua, IL 62550. Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton, in consultation “We need to take camping to the people,” Shirley said, “particu- Meribah Jean Laughlin, widow of the Rev. William H. Laugh- with the IGRC Cabinet, the Director of Con- larly developing ministries for people marginalized or neglected lin, died Dec. 1 in Litchfield. nectional Ministries and leadership in both by circumstances (military families, those dealing with sick-unto- the Camping Commission and the Confer- death diseases, families coping with behavior disorders like She and her husband served churches in the former Central ence Personnel Committee, has announced ADHD, ODD, etc., eating disorders and racial discrimination). At Illinois Conference, retiring from Paris First UMC in 1987. the appointment of the Rev. Alice Shirley as the same time, we need to develop ministries around hobbies Coordinator of Camping, Retreat and Youth Ministries. or interests like backpacking, whitewater rafting, scrap-booking, A full obituary may be found at: http://www.plummerfu- or other pursuits to build relationships that open the door to neralservices.com/obits/obituaries.php/obitID/940202/ Shirley emerged as the search committee’s choice from a nation- disciple-making.” wide search. The shorter job title comes from the removal of the obit/Meribah-J-Laughlin and visitors can leave a note for the word, “interim,” which was part of the June 15, 2011, appointment. Shirley concedes that modernizing and sustaining campsites will family there. take additional financial resources, which may include a capital “I am thrilled to be invited to serve as the Coordinator of Camp- fund drive in the future. Joanne Bultemeier, wife of retired pastor Rev. David Bulte- ing, Retreat, and Youth Ministries,” Shirley said. “Camping and re- meier and mother of IGRC Deacon Rev. Lori Bultemeier died treat ministries produce disciples and leaders at an awesome rate. “We need to take a systematic approach upgrading the facilities to be more durable and environmentally smart and accessible. We Nov. 30. Those who work with campers day in and day out regularly see decisions for Christ, and beyond that, campers becoming camp need to construct a motel-type retreat center and wire the camps She and her husband served local churches in the former Cen- staff, pastors, and strong leaders in their local churches.” amply with internet capacity, while employing new technologies to enable target marketing.” tral Illinois Conference and in the Illinois Great Rivers Confer- Shirley is no stranger to camping both as a pastor and as a youth. ence, retiring from East Moline Christ UMC in 2000. From 1980 to 1991, she served as co-director of the conference camps in the former Central Illinois Conference. Most of those Condolences may be sent to the Rev. David Lee Bultemeier, years were spent at Jensen Woods, although she co-directed once Clergy Directory error 712 Highview Rd, East Peoria, IL 61611-1728 and to the Rev. at Living Springs (then Epworth Springs) in Lewistown. She was Lori Bultemeier at the Baby Fold, 108 E Willow St., Normal, IL also involved in camping in the former South Indiana Conference IGRC Clergy Directories, featuring photos 61761-1640. prior to coming to Illinois in 1979. taken at the 2013 Annual Conference, were “I've been a clergy for almost 37 years; I served as a camp director recently mailed to those pastors who had for 10 of those, a superintendent relating to 100+ local churches their photos taken or who provided a photo for seven, and now as a conference leader relating to the area,” of their own. she said. “I have never observed a more effective means of mak- ing disciples than camping and retreat ministries, multi-day lead- In the course of producing the directory, pho- The Current (USPS 014-964) is published monthly Send materials to: ership institutes, and mission trips, which share many of the same tos from the previous directory were pulled in by the Illinois Great Rivers Conference of The UMC, P.O. Box 19207, Springfield, IL 62794-9207 components: relationships, getting away, immersion in scripture, an attempt to include as many persons in the new directory. 5900 South Second Street, Springfield, IL 62711 or tel. 217.529.2040 or fax 217.529.4155 learning and reflecting together, and practice of living together as [email protected], website www.igrc.org Unfortunately, the photo of retired pastor James C. Williams, who An individual subscription is $15 per year. The Christian community."

THE CURRENT is currently serving at Danville Bowman Ave. UMC and who had opinions expressed in viewpoints are those of the Periodical postage paid at Peoria, IL, and Much of the past two years have been spent working to re-vision his photo taken, was omitted in the retired section and a different writers and do not necessarily reflect the views of additional mailing offices. the camping ministry around four principle values of affordability, The Current, The IGRC, or The UMC. relevance, modernization and sustainability. photo of a different individual from a previous directory was placed POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to in error. Communications Team leader: Paul E. Black; The Current, Illinois Great Rivers Conference, “We have to make our financial assets work harder and look at Team members: Kim Halusan and Michele Willson P.O. Box 19207, Springfield, IL 62794-9207 new ways of doing things,” Shirley said. “This involves offering The accompanying photo is the correct photograph and IGRC Com- 2 more programs that are not dependent on property ownership munications regrets the error. JANUARY 2014 3

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e Events & Announcements Events with God, periods of silence, morning periods of silence, with God, and an Eucharist, prayer, and evening opportunity with and encourage share to one another. Aldersgate 2014 coming coming 2014 Aldersgate Springfield to Renewal MinistriesAldersgate will hold Living, on Spirit-Filled its Conference 2014, in Springfield July 17-20 Aldersgate Center. Convention Capital the Prairie at speakers include NicKeynote Billman, Bernadine Daniels and Dr. Burger, Margie Details the conference on Sharma Lewis. 2014 the Aldersgate at can be found website. as and youth children for tracks are There as adults. well a 15 Jan. 9 receive prior to Registrations prior and registrations discount percent dis- a 10 percent June 12 will receive to available. Other are count. discounts visit http://alders- information, more For Renewal Min- . Aldersgate gate2014.org istries is a division of the General Board Methodist United The of Discipleship of Church.

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www.igrc.org/disabilityconcerns. www.igrc.org/disabilityconcerns. at: website IGRC the

2014. Complete grant criteria and links are provided on on provided are links and criteria grant Complete 2014.

from the Disability Awareness Sunday offering is Jan. 31, 31, Jan. is offering Sunday Awareness Disability the from

The application deadline for the next round of grants grants of round next the for deadline application The Disability grant proposals sought proposals grant Disability

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o underway for Registration Academy Five-Day is underway HUDSON -- Registration for Spiritual for Academy the 2014 Five-Day 2 at which will be April 27-May Formation center retreat a Catholic House, Nazareth just outside Hudson. www.igrc. 1 at: opened Nov. Registration org/fiveday2014. includes tuition, private Registration $590. and all meals for and bath room $25. 8 and save March before Register must include a $100 non- Registration place your secure deposit to refundable be paid via may This in the Academy. the be mailed to or it may card credit Center. Conference Spiritual for Academy Five-Day The of Upper Room is a program Formation an opportunityMinistries, providing and laity tune their hearts clergy to for of a daily rhythm God through toward learning and reflection. worship, prayer, gifted by includes teachings Each day deepen our walk spiritual leaders to

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& s The $120 registration covers meals, lodg- meals, covers registration $120 The is limited. Space ing and travel. www.harvestministryteams. at: Register com/golo. Course of Study Extension Extension of Study Course Spring 2014 School for for announced been sessions have Two of the Spring of the Course 2014 term Extension part-timeStudy School for local pastors. 7-8 and Feb. first session will be The in Center the Conference 7-8 at March closed. is now Springfield. Registration session will be April 4-5 and second The in Center the Conference 2-3, at May open is currently Springfield. Registration http://igrc-reg.brtapp. 4 at: Feb. through com/COS_April2014. Harvest the announced Ministries have Conference the 2014 Ignition for dates East Molinewhich will be held at Christ in youth is for UMC Jan. 24-25. Ignition 8. 6 to grades and worship Womer Speaker is Mike and the Harvest Price Tim will be led by Ministry team. visit: www.igni- information, more For tionconference.org. to want 12 may 9 to in grades Students Conference Youth check out the Fire-up UMC. Troy 21-23 at Feb. will be Acton the event Speaker for special guest will be Christian and Bowen Scott Gregory. comedian visit: information, more For org. Ignition, Fire-up events slated events Fire-up Ignition,

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or www.igrc.org/ReachYoungerAdults go to information, more For The March 14-15 workshop (Friday evening and all-day Saturday) and all-day evening Saturday) (Friday 14-15 workshop March The the work- for is $1,200 per church process the year-long for cost The Many churches are asking, “How can we reach younger adults?” adults?” younger reach can we “How asking, are churches Many founder of GoS- Coaching and of Griffith associate an James, Steve E a new living To a new area, way: finding their people are Younger . ([email protected]) contact Mike Crawford shops and coaching (it does not include the cost of travel or overnight or overnight of travel (it does not include the cost shops and coaching a portion defray to of the regis- available are if needed). Grants lodging, cost. tration will be held at Tuscola UMC, 901 N. Prairie St., Tuscola. The workshop is workshop The Tuscola. St., UMC, 901 N. Prairie Tuscola will be held at the people from 8 lay and 3 to which must include the pastor teams for the pas- for education just continuing is NOT This registers. that church It process. is a church tor. eeLove, will be the trainer and coach. Steve is a United Methodist is a United elder Steve and coach. be the trainer will eeLove, He has served and trained North Conference. Carolina Western the from young adults. reaching been very in effective which have churches How to Reach Younger Adults process Adults Younger Reach to How In 2014, the Office of Congregational Development is offering a new is Development In Congregational 2014, the Office of build effectively more help churches to and coaching of training process includes a process The adults. younger with and reach relationships including of coaching, a year by 14-15, 2014, followed March workshop in the fall of 2014. a tune up workshop One and other new chapters. a new career, relationships, new space, But to church. way doing is finding their NOT people are thing younger everywant You yours? will it be to a church, way if they do find their life. church’s in your present generation Harvest Ministry Team is hosting a young is hosting a young HarvestTeam Ministry Jan. Tenn., Nashville, adult mission trip to 5-8. participate to in invited adults are Young servea trip to in the Bridge a Ministry, Nash- in downtown homeless outreach In this anchor project, addition to ville. participants will also be working in a sharing in com- other ministries, couple and having together, munity and worship Nashville. some fun around Harvest hosts young adult hosts Harvest trip mission The tentative schedule for Covenant Covenant schedule for tentative The on the IGRC posted Keepers 2014 is now website. Keepers 2014 Covenant New this year: and with lunch on Monday will begin time to will be free evening Monday and friends. spend with colleagues meal provided will be no evening There make their own to enabling folks Monday plans. on- register or to information more For visit: www.igrc.org/CK2014. line, Covenant Keepers Keepers Covenant posted schedule A list of hotels in Peoria and East Peoria and East Peoria in Peoria A list of hotels which will serve as the annual conference and posted block has just been released www.igrc.org/ at: on the IGRC website AC2014Hotels. reserva- make your block rate, assure To pro- links are The the phone. tion over detailed information you give vided to about each facility. Hotel listing for for listing Hotel Annual Conference 2014 Local Church NEWS Outreach: Africa Danville area churches reach out to rebuild church in Liberia BY MARY WICOFF “We remained a healing pres- The Commercial-News ence in the midst of atrocities,” DANVILLE — United Methodist churches in the area are he said. busy with projects on the local level, but members still As a result, the Methodist find the energy and resources to reach out to Africa. Church has a good reputation A group of churches from Danville and Catlin has formed among the Liberians, who the Popcorn Cluster mission to Liberia to help rebuild a welcomed the Americans. church, give scholarships and donate to pastors’ aid. The During that trip, the visitors Popcorn Cluster — which gets its name from somebody learned that there were three saying “things are popping all over” — includes St. James main needs: educational schol- United Methodist, Batestown-Union Corner, Catlin United arships for children, reconstruc- Photo courtesy of Bunny Wolfe Methodist, First United Methodist, Bowman Avenue and tion of churches destroyed or Members of St. Paul’s UMC in Liberia stand in front of its current church building. Danville Area congregations in the Popcorn Farmers Chapel. damaged during the war and Cluster of the Iroquois River District are raising funds to build a new church, which they hope will be completed when a group “You don’t have to have a large church to have a mission,” salary support for the pastors. from Danville St. James UMC travel to Liberia in January 2015. said the Rev. Randy Robinson, lead pastor at St. James. The Popcorn Cluster is focusing “You just have to have passion.” on St. Paul’s about 50 miles outside the capital city; con- every month, until the $10,000 was raised. The local churches have that passion to help others, he struction was started before the war, but was halted dur- While some people might criticize churches for adopting said — not only in their own backyard, but in other coun- ing the war and never completed. Despite the bullet holes overseas missions when there’s so much to do locally, tries. Some of the churches in the cluster are small, but in the outside walls and its badly neglected condition, Robinson was quick to note that St. James parishioners they’re doing what they can to help. Methodists still gather to worship there every Sunday. are passionate about helping locally. For example, the Robinson has been speaking to local clubs about the The local churches have raised about $11,000 of the need- church helped build a Habitat for Humanity house, and its mission, and, without being asked, people have offered to ed $18,000, and expect to have the full amount by Easter. food pantry feeds 425 families every month. Recently, the help. Community members may help by making dona- The money will be sent in increments, and the Liberians church had a clothing give-away. tions, praying or going on the next overseas trip in Janu- will send photos as the work progresses. The youth group has been on missions to Memphis and ary 2015, he said. By January 2015 — when St. James takes its next trip Detroit in the past. One goal is to raise $18,000 to rebuild St. Paul’s United — they hope to see a finished church. If construction is “This congregation has demonstrated its ongoing com- Methodist Church in Liberia, with all cluster churches delayed, the visitors will help complete it. mitment to the welfare of the community,” he said. chipping in. If the church is completed, then the Americans will help When he came on as pastor, it was his goal to see mis- With just 60 members, the Bowman Avenue United Meth- renovate an orphanage built in 2000, which is need of sions both locally and globally. “God so loved the world odist Church has already collected about $2,000 of its repairs. … and that includes Danville and Liberia and Haiti and $3,000 share, the Rev. Jim Williams, pastor, said. Robinson has been on five trips to Liberia. This past Janu- Honduras,” he said. “Everybody is excited about this project,” he said. “We are ary, a group of Methodist church members from St. Louis Anyone from the community is invited to go on the trip very supportive of this.” and east central Illinois, including seven from St. James, in January 2015; however, there is a limit of 15 people went to Liberia to start construction on a school. Church members have always been open to projects to locally. The Illinois United Methodist conference takes help others, including the Fair Hope Children’s Ministry on As for the scholarships, St. James held a progressive din- three trips a year — in October/November, summer and church property. “These folks enjoy doing things,” he said. ner on Lake Vermilion recently to raise funds. Some of the January/February — so, if the local group is full, people proceeds will go to scholarships and some to putting in may consider going on one of those missions. When Robinson came to Danville as pastor two years ago, water wells. he was already involved in the Liberia project. In 2006, the To help Donations are accepted through St. James United bishop in Springfield asked four people to go to Liberia to “The need is just so overwhelming,” Robinson said. “We Methodist Church, 504 N. Vermilion St. On the memo line see if a partnership was feasible. could be in partnership with Liberia for 100 years and of your check, note it's for Liberia and indicate whether there would still be a need.” the money should go -- church reconstruction or water Robinson was serving in Jacksonville at the time, and wells. You also may call the church at 442-1504 or visit its Donations for pastors’ salaries in Liberia have fallen off a agreed to go on the 10-day trip. website, www.stjames-umc.com. bit, but Robinson hopes to revive that soon. By 2006, Liberia was still recovering from 14 years of civil (Reprinted with permission from the Nov. 9 issue of the Dan- The church also raised $10,000 a year ago to buy bed nets war; the war ended in 2003. During the war, the United ville Commercial-News, www.commercial-news.com) Methodist Church stayed behind to help the people, as part of the Imagine No Malaria global program. The while other groups were fleeing. church took monthly offerings, taking in more than $500

Mother of all mixups in Christmas drama at Mt. Vernon BY JOHN KRAPS information. CHAMPAIGN -- Punk rock- At the beginning of the drama set early in the ers, karate kids, holy rollers and one Christmas season, church choir leader Hildebrand ditzy church secretary with a good Gottlieb declares that this year the church will not put heart yield the “Mother of all Church on the traditional Christmas pageant. Instead, she Scheduling Mix-Ups” in Mt. Vernon plans a Karaoke Christmas Concert to raise funds for (Champaign) UMC’s Christmas her late husband’s chapel. At the same time, the church drama, A Karaoke Christmas. se