1	About this Presentation
2	About this Presentation
3	Report on: Northern Illinois Conference Annual Conference Summary 164^th Annual Conference June 4-7, 2003 St. Charles, IL
4	Table of Contents Introduction Official Annual Conference Reports Open to All General Conference Elections Clergy Laity Jurisdiction Conference Elections Clergy Laity Resolutions Summary Resolutions of Concern 700-23 Reflecting the Love of God 700-30 Supporting the Ministry of C. Joseph Sprague 900-10 Make the Discipline More Inclusive State of the Church Address: Bishop C. Joseph Sprague Press Reports and Reaction
5	Official Annual Conference Reports Introduction Official Annual Conference Reports Open to All General Conference Elections Clergy Laity Jurisdiction Conference Elections Clergy Laity Resolutions Summary Resolutions of Concern 700-23 Reflecting the Love of God 700-30 Supporting the Ministry of C. Joseph Sprague 900-10 Make the Discipline More Inclusive State of the Church Address: Bishop C. Joseph Sprague Press Reports and Reaction
6	NIC Annual Conference Official Reports Northern Illinois Annual Conference Report Content Annual Conference gives $108,854 for Millennial Challenge (June 20) Members of the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) collected the largest offering in its history — $108,854.07 — for “The Millennial Challenge,” a campaign to raise $1 million this quadrennium for four projects to help children. Annual Conference Resolutions General Conference Petitions 24 elected to General, Jurisdictional Conferences (June 20) Northern Illinois is sending a delegation to next year's General Conference, the United Methodist Church’s top lawmaking body, that will be working to make the United Methodist Church open to all people, including homosexuals, and will be resisting a push from conservative groups to make the denomination a “creedal” church.
7	NIC Annual Conference Official Reports Northern Illinois Annual Conference Report Content Continued Bishop Sprague's State of the Church Address In his “State of the Church” address during the 164th session of Northern Illinois Annual Conference, Bishop C. Joseph Sprague touched on the state of United Methodism in the Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) and around the world and his own expectations as he enters his last year as the Episcopal leader here. He focused on four essential traits of United Methodism: conciliar, connectional, itinerant and episcopal. Bishop Sprague's Ordination/Dedication Sermon Photo Gallery
8	NIC Annual Conference Official Reports United Methodist News Service Report Content Northern Illinois Annual Conference “St. Charles, June 5-7 Members of the Northern Illinois Annual Conference, meeting at Pheasant Run Resort, elected a slate of 24 delegates to General and North Central Jurisdictional conferences, 20 of whom had signed a statement calling for the United Methodist Church to be open to all people, including homosexuals, and opposing pressure from conservative renewal groups to make the denomination a "creedal" church.”
9	NIC Annual Conference Official Reports United Methodist News Service Report Content Continued Northern Illinois Annual Conference The article includes information on: Millennial Challenge Offering - $108,854.07 Ordinations, Commissioning and Licensing Resolution affirming that “homosexuality, heterosexuality and bisexuality are all gifts of God.” Other Resolutions Clergy delegates Laity delegates The article also noted that: Membership at the end of 2002 stood at 116,336, down from 118,316 at the end of 2001. Average worship attendance was 46,550, up from 42,058 the previous year.
10	Open to All Introduction Official Annual Conference Reports Open to All General Conference Elections Clergy Laity Jurisdiction Conference Elections Clergy Laity Resolutions Summary Resolutions of Concern 700-23 Reflecting the Love of God 700-30 Supporting the Ministry of C. Joseph Sprague 900-10 Make the Discipline More Inclusive State of the Church Address: Bishop C. Joseph Sprague Press Reports and Reaction
11	Open to All Statement This statement was prepared for delegate candidates to sign in order to be endorsed by the coalition of caucuses which prepared the statement. The Open to All Coalition has written a statement fully endorsed by MFSA, the Asian American Fellowship, and the Women's Caucus. It was written with Black Methodists for Church Renewal, the Asian American Fellowship, La Junta Hispanoamericano, Methodist Federation for Social Action, the Women's Caucus, representatives for the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered communities, young Evangelical pastors, deacons, and lay persons.
12	Open to All Statement (Signers) The Open to All Coalition has sent a letter to members of Northern Illinois Conference inviting them to sign this document. The stated purpose is to, "show the entire United Methodist Church that we can come together as one people in Christ.“ 102 Clergy Signed 76 Laity Signed In the Northern Illinois Conference edition of the United Methodist Reporter, March 14, 2003 Page 1 it was reported that, "A coalition of caucuses in the Northern Illinois Conference has been formed to promote unity and cohesion within the Conference during election of delegates to General Conference ... "The coalition has issued an 'Open to All' statement asking candidates running for General Conference to sign 'to make their values and beliefs clear to the Conference,' according to the Rev. Bob Campbell."
13	Open to All Statement One of the nine values included in the statement is: "We believe that all people, without regard to sexual orientation, race, gender, age, economic status, disabilities or ethnic origin should be able to be in full connection in the church without barriers to ordination, consecration, church membership or any ministry of the church."
14	Open to All Statement - Analysis While the writers criticize groups promoting an "exclusive understanding of scripture and theology", the statement and values are exclusive of those who affirm the BOD. Far from "promoting unity and cohesion within the Conference", this statement and the request that candidates and lay members sign it, introduces a new element of divisiveness. It divides the candidates and the lay members into those who have signed the statement and those who as a matter of principle, cannot sign it. It is exclusive, not inclusive.
15	Open to All Statement - Analysis Unity is oneness in the Holy Spirit, which testifies that Christ is Lord and Savior. We can’t just say we believe in Christ without agreement about who Christ is and what it means to follow Christ! Not all of the Values in the Open to All statement are consistent with the UMC Book of Discipline Articles of Faith and the Bible and cannot be construed as simply a matter of a different theology or interpretation -- they omit, confuse or negate essential Christian doctrines and teaching.
16	General Conference Elections Introduction Official Annual Conference Reports Open to All General Conference Elections Clergy Laity Jurisdiction Conference Elections Clergy Laity Resolutions Summary Resolutions of Concern 700-23 Reflecting the Love of God 700-30 Supporting the Ministry of C. Joseph Sprague 900-10 Make the Discipline More Inclusive State of the Church Address: Bishop C. Joseph Sprague Press Reports and Reaction
17	Elections by Northern Illinois Annual Conference General Conference (April 25-May 7, 2004, Pittsburgh, PA six clergy and six lay delegates to General Conference Jurisdictional Conference (July 12-14, 2004, Davenport, IA (to elect bishops) Six other clergy and six other lay delegates were elected to join the General Conference delegates
18	General Conference Elections Laity - General Conference Five out of Six (88%) signed Open to All Five out of Six (88%) endorsed by MFSA Clergy - General Conference Four out of Six (66%) signed Open to All Four out of Six (66%) endorsed by MFSA
19	General Conference Elections – Clergy (as reported on the NIC Web Site Report)
20	General Conference Elections – Laity (as reported on the NIC Web Site Report)
21	Jurisdictional Conference Elections Introduction Official Annual Conference Reports Open to All General Conference Elections Clergy Laity Jurisdictional Conference Elections Clergy Laity Resolutions Summary Resolutions of Concern 700-23 Reflecting the Love of God 700-30 Supporting the Ministry of C. Joseph Sprague 900-10 Make the Discipline More Inclusive State of the Church Address: Bishop C. Joseph Sprague Press Reports and Reaction
22	Jurisdictional Conference Elections Laity - Jurisdictional Conference and Non-Voting Alternates Five out of Eight (63%) signed Open to All Five out of Eight (63%) endorsed by MFSA Clergy - Jurisdictional Conference and Non-Voting Alternates Seven out of Eight (88%) signed Open to All Five out of Eight (63%) endorsed by MFSA
23	Jurisdictional Conference Elections – Clergy (as reported on the NIC Web Site Report) Clergy delegates to Jurisdictional Conference Rev. Deborah Fisher, senior pastor of First UMC, Downers Grove Rev. Margaret Ann Crain, associate professor of Christian education at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Evanston Rev. Ouk-Yean Kim Jueng, associate pastor of UMC of Libertyville Rev. Barb Donica, pastor of Wood Dale Community UMC Dr. Donald Guest, Chicago Southern District superintendent Rev. Juancho Campanano, pastor of Faith Evangelical UMC, Elmhurst Clergy alternate delegates to Jurisdictional Conference Rev. Tracy Smith Malone, senior pastor of Wesley UMC, Aurora Rev. Duk Kyu Kwon, North Central Jurisdiction Korean Mission superintendent.
24	Jurisdictional Conference Elections – Laity (as reported on the NIC Web Site Report) Laity delegates to Jurisdictional Conference Nancy Duel, chair of the NIC Anti-Gambling Task Force, chair of the ChildServ Board of Trustees and member of First UMC, Arlington Heights Dr. Sondra King, Conference secretary of Global Ministries and member of First UMC, DeKalb Jack Ryder, NIC Board of Trustees and member of First UMC, LaGrange Kristin Mikels, high school senior, chair of the Conference Council on Youth Ministries and member of First UMC, Arlington Heights Arthur Webb, NIC coordinator of United Adult Services and Golden Cross Sunday, member of Minooka UMC. Aquilino “Pong” Javier, vice-president of the National Association of Filipino American United Methodists and member of Cosmopolitan UMC, Melrose Park Laity alternate delegates to Jurisdictional Conference Deborah Dangerfield, vice chair of the Conference Council on Ministries and member of Maple Park UMC, Chicago Darrell Rader, member of the NIC Conference Retreat Center task force and member of First UMC, Woodstock
25	NIC Delegation to General Conference According to the Northern Illinois Conference Report: The Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) is sending a delegation to General Conference, the United Methodist Church’s top lawmaking body, that will be working to make the United Methodist Church open to all people, including homosexuals, and will be resisting a push from conservative groups to make the denomination a “creedal” church. Meeting in St. Charles June 5-7, members of the Northern Illinois Annual Conference elected six clergy and six lay delegates to General Conference, which will meet April 25-May 7, 2004, in Pittsburgh. Six other clergy and six other lay delegates were elected to join the General Conference delegates at the North Central Jurisdictional Conference July 12-14, 2004, in Davenport, Iowa, to elect bishops.
26	NIC Delegation to General Conference According to the Northern Illinois Conference Report (continued): Of the 24 delegates elected to General and Jurisdictional Conference, 20 are part of the “Open to All” coalition having signed a statement that says “there is room for all people within our one denomination” and stating that “all people, without regard to sexual orientation, race, gender, age, economic status, disabilities, or ethnic origin should be able to be in full connection in the church without barriers to ordination, consecration, church membership or any ministry of the church.”
27	NIC Delegation to General Conference According to the Northern Illinois Conference Report (continued): In addition, the statement said: “The United Methodist Church has always been a conciliar church with members working together in a dynamic way to explore our beliefs, our theology, and the issues of the present day. We will continue in this Wesleyan tradition and will not succumb to the pull of those who would require the affirmation of a solitary creed or statement of belief in order to be a member of the United Methodist Church, but we embrace faith in Jesus Christ.”
28	NIC Delegation to General Conference In the July 18 edition of the Northern Illinois United Methodist Report, Volume 150 Number 10 a Letter to the Editor was published on the first page. It was from: The Rev. Myron McCoy (delegation chair), President, St. Paul School of Theology, Kansas City, MO. Harriet McCabe (delegation vice-chair), Grace UMC, Naperville Roger Curless (delegation secretary), Wesley UMC, Aurora The letter is titled: "Diversity of General/Jurisdictional Conference delegation characterizes Northern Illinois Conference". In this letter, the writers request that any web sites or publications that published the United Methodist Reporter article "Diverse delegation dedicated to inclusiveness.", June 20, to replace that article with "an affirmation of the diversity that is Northern Illinois." The authors noted that this description of their "inclusiveness" as a delegation "may very well be a hindrance to attempts by the Northern Illinois Conference delegation to reach out to other delegations ...". They noted that they are a diverse group:
29	NIC Delegation to General Conference In the July 18 edition of the Northern Illinois United Methodist Report, Volume 150 Number 10 a Letter to the Editor (Continued) Of the 28 individuals elected, 16 have served in delegations in the past and 12 are brand new to the process. All six districts across the Conference are represented. There at 16 women and 12 men in the delegation with 8 lay women, 6 lay men, 8 clergy women and 6 clergy men. Within the delegation are representatives for youth and young adults along with a wide range of ages. We come from large, middle-sized and smaller congregations. We come from urban, suburban and rural congregations. Two current and two former District Superintendents are part of the delegation. The order of Deacon is represented. We may be one of the most racially and ethnically diverse delegations with African-American; Hispanic; Asian (Korean and Filipino) and white members.
30	NIC Delegation to General Conference In the July 18 edition of the Northern Illinois United Methodist Report, Volume 150 Number 10 a Letter to the Editor (Continued) They continue that, "The diversity of the delegation reflects so much of what characterizes the Northern Illinois Conference. Affirming that diversity was important to the Annual Conference." Reports on the Northern Illinois Annual Conference by the United Methodist News Service and the Northern Illinois Conference reported the following about this delegation: "The Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) is sending a delegation to General Conference, the United Methodist Church’s top lawmaking body, that will be working to make the United Methodist Church open to all people, including homosexuals, and will be resisting a push from conservative groups to make the denomination a “creedal” church."
31	Resolution Summary Introduction Official Annual Conference Reports Open to All Jurisdiction Conference Elections Clergy Laity General Conference Elections Clergy Laity Resolutions Summary Resolutions of Concern 700-23 Reflecting the Love of God 700-30 Supporting the Ministry of C. Joseph Sprague 900-10 Make the Discipline More Inclusive State of the Church Address: Bishop C. Joseph Sprague Press Reports and Reaction
32	Resolutions Summary (Unofficial)
33	Resolutions Summary (unofficial)
34	Resolutions of Concern Introduction Official Annual Conference Reports Open to All Jurisdiction Conference Elections Clergy Laity General Conference Elections Clergy Laity Resolutions Summary Resolutions of Concern 700-23 Reflecting the Love of God 700-30 Supporting the Ministry of C. Joseph Sprague 900-10 Make the Discipline More Inclusive State of the Church Address: Bishop C. Joseph Sprague Press Reports and Reaction
35	Resolutions of Concern Resolution 700-23 Reflecting the Love of God Resolution 700-30 Supporting the Ministry of Bishop C. Joseph Sprague Resolution 900-10 Making the Discipline More Inclusive
36	Resolution 700-23 Reflecting the Love of God WHEREAS, as Christians we are called to embody God's love in the world, and as United Methodist Christians, we are united in our faith in God, our love of Christ and our commitment to seek and do God's will as empowered by the Holy Spirit; and WHEREAS, for the past two decades General Conference actions have added increasingly condemnatory and exclusionary language to the Book of Discipline concerning the full participation of gay and lesbian, bisexual and transgendered person in our denomination; and
37	Resolution 700-23 Reflecting the Love of God WHEREAS, the church is deeply divided on issues related to God's gift of sexual orientation, and any pretense that we are of one mind only serves to deepen the estrangement and isolation of those who are excluded, and imposes premature closure upon the church's search to faithfully discern the will of God; THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Northern Illinois Conference of the united Methodist Church affirms that human sexuality is a good gift of God and understands that homosexuality, heterosexuality and bi-sexuality all share that gift; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that we believe that the current statement in the United Methodist Book of Discipline that "homosexuality is incompatible with Christian teaching" is not reflective of the historic Wesleyan unwillingness to limit prerogatives which belong solely to God, and is not representative of every Biblical/theological perspective; and
38	Resolution 700-23 Reflecting the Love of God BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that we commit to proclaim that homosexual orientation (no less or more than heterosexual orientation) can be compatible with Christian teaching. We encourage clergy to preach this from our pulpits and expose our parishioners to the fullness of the Scriptural witness on related matters in our Bible studies, and we encourage lay people to each it in our Sunday school classes and tell it to our children; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, we affirm that loving, monogamous, intimate relationships between persons of the same or opposite gender, are an expression of God's love; and BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, we affirm the historic charge of United Methodist clergy to be in ministry according to their best discernment among the people entrusted to their care.
39	Resolution 700-23 Reflecting the Love of God BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, we affirm that persons of all sexual orientations are equally called to ordained ministry. As clergy we will affirm god's call to ordained ministry as experienced by candidates for ministry regardless of a person's sexual orientation and welcome then into the clergy covenant, and as lay persons we will similarly affirm that call and we will offer ourselves fully in mutual ministry with pastors of our churches regardless of that person's sexual orientation. Submitted by Methodist Federation for Social Action Rev. Bob Campbell, Legislative Coordinator
40	Resolution 700-23 Reflecting the Love of God (%’s reported by UMNS and UMR) This resolution passed as amended in Plenary, June 7, 2003 with 457 (56%) affirmative votes, 306 (38%) negative votes, and 44 (6%) abstentions.
41	Resolution 700-30 Supporting the Ministry of Bishop C. Joseph Sprague WHEREAS, Bishop C. Joseph Sprague’s leadership is most appropriate for the context of the churches and ministries of the Northern Illinois Conference, which is rich in theological, cultural, racial, and gender diversity; and WHEREAS, religious fundamentalism or exclusivism would simply be an unacceptable characteristic of any religious leader who attempts to address the pertinent issues of the people who reside within the confines of the Northern Illinois Conference; and WHEREAS, while not all would agree with our bishop on every point of faith, we all agree that he makes us think and that he has the right to express his beliefs; and WHEREAS, we believe in the primacy of scripture and do not understand its truth to rest in technical or literal accuracy; and
42	Resolution 700-30 Supporting the Ministry of Bishop C. Joseph Sprague WHEREAS, our Wesleyan tradition has claimed the primacy of Scripture but also the extreme importance of history of Christian doctrine, reason, and experience as contributing elements in our pursuit to know God; and WHEREAS, we celebrate a United Methodist bishop who is courageous to speak prophetically in times such as these; and WHEREAS, we applaud a bishop that makes you think not only about what we believe, but also how we behave. With not only his written words, but also the example of his life, he leads us to seek God’s new reign and to strive for personal and social holiness; and WHEREAS, through his leadership, many of us are being led to grow in our faith in Jesus Christ, we are renewing our passion and energy for making disciples and have both confidence and integrity in our future work as a people of faith;
43	Resolution 700-30 Supporting the Ministry of Bishop C. Joseph Sprague THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that we support Bishop C. Joseph Sprague in his ministry and witness as a leader in our denomination and give thanks for his profound witness; BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Northern Illinois Conference shall send this resolution to Bishop Sharon Rader, secretary of the Council of Bishops and to Ms. Shirley Cook, chairperson of the north Central Jurisdiction Episcopal Committee. Submitted by MSFA of Northern Illinois Rev. Bob Campbell, Legislative Coordinator
44	Resolution 700-30 Supporting the Ministry of Bishop C. Joseph Sprague This resolution passed on the Third Consent Calendar at the Northern Illinois Conference, June 5-7, St. Charles, IL. It had received 86% concurrence in Sections:
45	Resolution 900-10 Making the Discipline More Inclusive WHEREAS, the Church of Jesus Christ was created for all persons; and WHEREAS the current Discipline of The United Methodist Church excludes homosexual persons from full inclusion in the life of the church; and WHEREAS, this exclusion is incompatible with Christian teaching;
46	Resolution 900-10 Making the Discipline More Inclusive THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Northern Illinois Conference of The United Methodist church recommends that the last paragraph of Section 161G be amended so that the sentence "Although we do not condone the practice of homosexuality and consider this practice incompatible with Christian teaching, we affirm that God’s grace is available to all," shall read, "We affirm that God’s grace is available to all.“ BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that this resolution be sent to the 2004 General Conference and acted upon there. MSFA of Northern Illinois Rev. Bob Campbell, Legislative Coordinator
47	Resolution 900-10 Making the Discipline More Inclusive This resolution passed on the Third Consent Calendar at the Northern Illinois Conference, June 5-7, St. Charles, IL. It had received 74% concurrence in Sections and will be sent to General Conference:
48	State of the Church Address: Bishop C. Joseph Sprague Introduction Official Annual Conference Reports Open to All Jurisdiction Conference Elections Clergy Laity General Conference Elections Clergy Laity Resolutions Summary Resolutions of Concern 700-23 Reflecting the Love of God 700-30 Supporting the Ministry of C. Joseph Sprague 900-10 Make the Discipline More Inclusive State of the Church Address: Bishop C. Joseph Sprague Press Reports and Reaction
49	Bishop C. Joseph Sprague: State of the Church Address State of the Church Address The 4 Essentials of United Methodism as Practiced Within the Northern Illinois Conference. Conciliar Connectional Itinerant Episcopal
50	Bishop C. Joseph Sprague: State of the Church Address Conciliar Paragraph 102. Section 2– Our Doctrinal History, of The 2000 Book of Discipline, in part, states the following: “While it is true that United Methodists are fixed upon certain religious affirmations, grounded in the gospel and confirmed in their experience, they also recognize the right of Christians to disagree on matters such as forms of worship, structures of church government, modes of Baptism, or theological explorations. They believe such differences do not break the bond of fellowship that ties Christians together in Jesus Christ. Wesley’s familiar dictum was, ‘As to all opinions which do not strike at the root of Christianity, we think and let think.’ ”
51	Bishop C. Joseph Sprague: State of the Church Address Conciliar Paragraph 102. Section 2– Our Doctrinal History, of The 2000 Book of Discipline, in part, states the following (continued): “But, even as they were fully committed to the principles of religious toleration and theological diversity, they were equally confident that there is a ‘marrow’ of Christian truth that can be identified and that must be conserved. This living core, as they believed, stands revealed in Scripture, illuminated by tradition, vivified in personal and corporate experience, and confirmed by reason. They were very much aware, of course, that God’s eternal Word never has been, nor can be, exhaustively expressed in any single form of words.”
52	Bishop C. Joseph Sprague: State of the Church Address Conciliar Paragraph 102. Section 2– Our Doctrinal History, of The 2000 Book of Discipline, in part, states the following (continued): “They were also prepared . . . to reaffirm the ancient creeds and confessions as valid summaries of Christian truth. But they were careful not to set them apart as absolute standards for doctrinal truth and error.” Wesley himself, “followed a time-tested approach: ‘In essentials, unity; in non-essentials, liberty; and in all things, charity.’” (Pages 50-51)
53	Bishop C. Joseph Sprague: State of the Church Address Conciliar UMC are neither creedal nor confessional. Employ Scripture, tradition, experience and reasons to engage in “holy conferencing”. UMC nor NIC are conciliar in attitude or practice Some UMs have embraced “litigation, journalistic posturing, and divisive power-seeking.”
54	Bishop C. Joseph Sprague: State of the Church Address Conciliar [“Affirmations of a Dissenter”] seeks a context of “honest theological, biblical, and ethical truth-seeking.” Regret book’s intemperance at points Heartening responses, including “thoughtful and prayerful discourse across theological lines of difference.” Need new venues to engage on the issues that divide us.
55	Bishop C. Joseph Sprague: State of the Church Address Conciliar The 2000 Book of Discipline : “In the name of Jesus Christ we are called to work within our diversity while exercising patience and forbearance with one another. Such patience stems neither from indifference toward truth nor from an indulgent tolerance of error but from an awareness that we know only in part and that none of us is able to search the mysteries of God except by the Spirit of God. We (must) proceed . . . trusting that the Spirit will grant us wisdom . . .” (Page 84)
56	Bishop C. Joseph Sprague: State of the Church Address Connectional Eight examples of NIC churches helping other NIC churches For the first time in five years, NIC did not pay General Church apportionments 100% in 2002 Downturn in economy Sky-rocketing health care and utility costs Conference leadership vowing this will not occur in 2003. Other examples of connection UMC connection Testing of UM connectionalism at General Conference 2004
57	Bishop C. Joseph Sprague: State of the Church Address Itinerant Pastors moved more frequently than helpful norm of 8-10 years Appointive system – guaranteed appointments Need for “called, committed, creative, courageous, and well-trained clergy leaders.”
58	Bishop C. Joseph Sprague: State of the Church Address Episcopacy “Bishops are elected and consecrated to a bully-pulpit. How we bishops occupy that pulpit is a matter of considerable contention in today’s church.” No apology for leadership style Transition – retirement on September 1, 2004 Plans to “ teach in seminaries, serve as the Resident Bishop in a beloved congregation, and to spend time in Washington, D.C. as preacher, pastor, teacher, and advocate.”
59	Press Reports and Reaction Introduction Official Annual Conference Reports Open to All Jurisdiction Conference Elections Clergy Laity General Conference Elections Clergy Laity Resolutions Summary Resolutions of Concern 700-23 Reflecting the Love of God 700-30 Supporting the Ministry of C. Joseph Sprague 900-10 Make the Discipline More Inclusive State of the Church Address: Bishop C. Joseph Sprague Press Reports and Reaction
60	Press Reports and Reaction Conservative UM Leader Laments Liberal Conference Resolutions By Jim Brown, July 9, 2003 (Agape Press) “At its annual convention, the Northern Illinois Conference of the United Methodist Church passed a resolution affirming the ministry of liberal bishop Joe Sprague, who denies the bodily resurrection, virgin birth, and eternal deity of Jesus Christ.”
61	Press Reports and Reaction Institute for Religion & Democracy Press Release: Chicago-Area Methodists Advocate Homosexuality, Left-Wing Politics Contact: Steve Rempe, June 27, 2003 (Institute for Religion and Democracy Press Release) “The Northern Illinois Conference of the 8.3 million United Methodist Church has recently affirmed homosexuality and bisexuality as gifts of God. At its early June meeting, it also declared support for its bishop, who has publicly denied belief in Jesus Christ’s full deity, bodily resurrection, virgin birth and atonement for the sins of the world. And it endorsed a slew of predictable, left-leaning political causes.”
62	Press Reports and Reaction Local Church Leaders Differ Over Gay Issue Ottawa Daily Times, July 12, 2003, By JONATHAN BILYK — Staff Writer “Local United Methodist Church leaders have lashed out against a recent measure by the church’s regional governing body officially endorsed same-sex marriages and the ordination of homosexual ministers.”
63	Press Reports and Reaction Methodists Divided Over Same Sex Unions Ottawa Daily Times, July 12, 2003, By JONATHAN BILYK — Staff Writer “Battle lines have begun to form within the United Methodist Church over a recent endorsement of same-sex unions by the church’s regional governing body.”
64	Press Reports and Reaction Methodist teaching and Northern IL Methodist Conference at odds The Leader-Chicago Bureau, June 20, 2003 “The Northern Illinois Conference of Methodists' website was recently updated to proclaim the NIC's position on a recent controversy concerning homosexual behavior: The Northern Illinois Conference (NIC) is sending a delegation to General Conference, the United Methodist Church’s top lawmaking body, that will be working to make the United Methodist Church open to all people, including homosexuals, and will be resisting a push from conservative groups to make the denomination a “creedal” church.”
65	Press Reports and Reaction Northern IL Methodists: straight and gay sexual behavior okay The Leader-Chicago Bureau , June 11, 2003 “ST. CHARLES -- Last week in St. Charles, the Northern Illinois Methodist Church’s Annual Conference criticized historical church positions and urged ministers and Sunday school classes to proclaim “that homosexual orientation (no less or more than heterosexual orientation) can be compatible with Christian teaching."