the CURREN AUGUST 2014 VOL. 19 NO. 1 Our Bridge To The Future MAKING INSIDE THIS ISSUE News from the Episcopal Office 2 Events & Announcements 3 REAMS Christian Conversations 4 D Local Church News 5-9 Africa University Scholarships 10-11 Historical Messenger 12-13 POSSIBLE National/Global News 14-18 Africa University Scholarship campaign launches with $1 million goal in two years’ time Conference News 18-20 NEWS From The Episcopal Office 2015 Holy Land Pilgrimage NEWS dates announced Bishop Jonathan Keaton has announced that the 2015 Holy Land From The Episcopal Office Pilgrimage will be Feb. 10-19. Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton Cost for the trip is $3,196 from St. Louis, Chicago or Indianapolis. To learn about the Illinois Great Rivers Conference 2015 Bishop’s Holy Land Pilgrimage visit the EO website at: www.EO.travel/ Kingdom dreams continue to unfold find_trip (there is an underscore between find and trip). The (Editor’s note: Bishop Jonathan Keaton is currently on renewal Of timely importance to us in Illinois Great Rivers Tour is HL15 and the Code is 021015K. leave. He has asked his Executive Assistant, Rev. Janice Conference is one specific Kingdom dream: In 1898, Bishop Griffith to write this month’s column for The Current.) Joseph Hartzell stood on Chiremba Mountain above Old The occasion of infant baptism always Mutare, Zimbabwe. At that time, it was called Old Umtali Deaths invokes Kingdom dreams. During the 2014 in rural Rhodesia. Looking down into the valley below, he Retired pastor, the Rev. Mervin R. Burroughs, 81, died June Service of Ordination and Commissioning, envisioned hundreds of African young people with books in 17 in Mt. Carmel. Bishop Keaton baptized Harper Jane Krost. their hands, running to school. And he prayed to God dedi- He served as a local pastor for Allendale and St. Francisville UMCs My heart was strangely warmed as I watched cating that valley to the spread of the Gospel and to building Harper’s father carry her through the con- the Kingdom of God. after retiring from the General Baptist Church. He then retired gregation as the soloist sang of God’s love Bishop Hartzell shared this dream with Cecil Rhodes, from service in The United Methodist Church in 1998. for this precious child. We were all reminded again of the an executive of the British South Africa Company which Condolences may be sent to his wife, Margaret Ann Burroughs, resurrection hope that is ours through Jesus Christ. I began owned the land. Hartzell successfully obtained the buildings 403 Cherry Hill Drive, Mt. Carmel, IL 62863. to imagine all the ways that God would touch Harper’s life at Old Umtali and a large tract of land for use as a mission and bring her to maturity in Christ as one who helps build station. Among the first institutions to be established at Old Mervin was also the brother of retired pastor and District Super- the Kingdom of God. Umtali Mission were intendent, Donald Burroughs, 14 Culpepper Ct., Edwardsville, IL All those standing on the stage to be commissioned or a primary school and 62025-3205. ordained as clergy had also once been brought for baptism an "industrial" school. A full obituary may be found at: http://short-cunninghamfh. and were now living into the Kingdom dreams that were Hartzell High School com/obituaries/reverend-mervin-r-burroughs made possible as they were claimed as children of God followed. And, Africa and nurtured in the faith. Harper’s father, Todd Krost, University would come Norma Jean Reimer, 81, widow of the Rev. Elmer E. Reimer, was among them. I wondered how God will work through nearly a century later. It died June 16 in Warrensburg, Mo. Harper to dream Kingdom dreams and to transform the is the latest educational Together they served Loami, Buffalo and Mechanicsburg in the world. I wondered how God will work through those newly- offering in fulfillment of former Central Illinois Conference. He retired in 1981 and died in commissioned and ordained clergy to dream Kingdom Bishop Hartzell's King- 1991. dreams and transform the world. dom dream. Dreaming Kingdom dreams is certainly not a new phe- The amazing work Condolences may be sent to a niece, Karen Homoly, 115 Fairview nomenon. The churches across Illinois have baptized count- of God through the Ave, Warrensburg, MO 64093-2601. less Kingdom dreamers across the years. Back in 1842, a son Kingdom dreams of the A full obituary may be found at http://www.legacy.com/obit- was born to Michael and Nancy Hartzell in a farmhouse at baptized is exemplified uaries/sj-r/obituary.aspx?pid=171418349 and messages Moline. The Hartzells brought little Joseph before God and through the life of Bishop Joseph Hartzell who claimed for the family may be posted on-line there. the members of the Methodist Society for the sacrament a vision for the valley below Chiremba Mountain. It has of Holy Baptism. Little did they know that Joseph Crane spanned hundreds of thousands of miles, more than a cen- Della Marie Yates, 99, widow of the Rev. Earl U. Yates, died Hartzell would not only dream Kingdom dreams but that tury of years, and countless lives. And, what about the many June 14 in Lawrenceville. he would help bring to reality the dreams of many precious people who have been inspired by the life and leadership of Together, they served local churches in the former Southern children of God. Even more, he would set the stage for Bishop Joseph Hartzell? These baptized Kingdom dreamers Illinois Conference. He was the superintendent of the Carbondale Kingdom dreams to continue to blossom over the course of have multiplied the fruitfulness of this dream through their District from 1935-41 and also the Executive Secretary of the centuries to come. own vision, commitment, and gifts – people whose names Conference Board of Pensions in the late 50’s. They retired from Michael and Nancy Hartzell were ardent Methodists are too numerous to mention. Greenville First in 1961. Rev. Yates died in 1965. so it is not surprising that Joseph decided to pursue a call Who could have guessed all this was possible as one tiny to ministry at a very young age. He graduated from Illinois infant boy was baptized back in the 1840’s? Yet, ultimately, A full obituary may be found at the website address below and Wesleyan University in 1862. After graduation from Garrett it wasn’t about Joseph Hartzell at all, but about God who messages for the family may be left there online: http://www. Biblical Institute, he was ordained in the Central Illinois claimed Joseph’s life for making disciples of Jesus Christ for cunninghamfuneralhomes.com/fh/obituaries/tributes. Conference in 1866 and received his first appointment in the transformation of the world and for Kingdom dreaming. cfm?o_id=2569964&fh_id=13833 Pekin. In 1870, he transferred to the Louisiana Confer- Today, more than 5,000 Kingdom dreamers have gradu- Former Sangamon River District Lay Leader Ora Mae ence where he was appointed to one of the largest churches ated from Africa University. They are making disciples and Goodrich died June 16 in Springfield. Goodrich served as in New Orleans, Ames Chapel (later known as St. Charles transforming the world. These graduates are doctors and Street M.E. Church). In the aftermath of the Civil War, nurses, engineers and teachers, social workers and govern- District Lay Leader for many years and was a long-time member Joseph Crane Hartzell would soon become a well-known ment leaders. Through them, Kingdom dreams are becom- of Springfield Wesley (now Northside) UMC. leader when his church advertised “free seating” – that is, ing reality. Her brother, Orville “Bud” McCafferty of Rochester is a District Lay seating no longer segregated by race. It is said that people During Annual Conference, we officially inaugu- Servant and her niece is Rev. Kathy McCafferty. The full obituary were drawn to the church simply to experience the mixture rated the Making Dreams Possible Campaign to create an is online at www.bischandsonfuneralhome.com of humanity seated together in the pews worshipping in endowed scholarship fund for students at Africa Univer- unity as the people of God. sity. We, the baptized from across the Illinois Great Rivers Ruth Evelyn Mann, 82, the wife of retired pastor Charles W. In 1873, Hartzell was appointed superintendent in Conference, have pledged to share in the Kingdom dreams Mann, died April 28, 2014, in Machensney Park. the Louisiana Conference. For the next nine years, he gave of God’s children across the continent of Africa, not just for She and her husband served local churches in the Missouri East direction to the evangelistic and educational work of the a few years but for generations to come. I’m already praying and former Central Illinois Conferences, retiring from Galesburg Methodist Episcopal Church during an important segment about how much I’ll contribute. I already know that one First UMC in 1992. of the reconstruction era in the South. He later accepted an way I’ll contribute is to make a gift in honor of each “King- appointment to the Freedman’s Aid Society which played a dom dreamer” whose baptism I witness between now and Condolences may be sent to the Rev. Charles W. Mann, 6115 key role in establishing more than 50 schools in the South when we reach our goal. Weathervane Ln, Machesney Park, IL 61115-1974 that were open to all men, women and children. While Harper, that means my first gift is in honor of you! A full obituary may be found at the website listed below: there, Hartzell continued to exert his influence in favor of Dream on, Harper, dream on! It’s never too early to help a http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/rrstar/obituary.