Giving thanks for Bishop James Thomas Page 2


Illinois Great Rivers Conference — The Current News from the Episcopal Office Call to Action Steering Team


Dear Friends in Christ, Fred Pratt Green penned the words below which is the first


verse of the hymn Rejoice In God’s Saints (No. 708 in the United Methodist Hymnal). This year as we approach All Saints Day they speak to me poignantly as I continue to rejoice and give thanks for the life, faith and ministry of Bishop James Samuel Thomas.


Bishop Palmer


Rejoice in God’s saints, today and all days! A world without saints forgets how to praise. Their faith in acquiring the habit of prayer, their depth of adoring, Lord, help us to share


There was considerable church press about Bishop Thomas immediately follow-


ing his death on Sunday, Oct. 10. You can still reference that material at www.umc. org. The articles about Bishop Thomas included helpful reminders of historical details about the life of this saint of God. But my memories of his impact on my life and the life of the church are what I have been living most closely with. • • • • • • • •


As I give thanks for his life and witness I especially call to mind: His envisioning a church free from structures defined by race His tireless labor for a church and world of radical inclusivity His servant leadership that moved people and systems His practice of mentoring that has shaped countless leaders His commitment to living a holy life


His integration of “knowledge and vital piety” His love of his family


You may or may not have known Bishop Thomas. But there have been and there are


right now people who have lived in such ways that their lives and faith has influenced you for the good. The invitation of the hymn writer is to Rejoice. So hear him again:


Rejoice in God’s saints, today and all days! A world without saints forgets how to praise. in loving, in living, they prove it is true: The way of self-giving, Lord, leads us to you.


Have a blessed All Saints Day. I remain, Your servant in Christ, = Gregory V. Palmer


Deaths Janis L. Muir, surviving spouse of the


Rev. John E. Muir, died Oct. 3. Rev. and Mrs. Muir served local churches in the for- mer Central Illinois Conference for over 40 years, retiring from Watseka in 1990. Ex- pressions of sympathy may be sent to a son, Dale E. Muir, 715 Roberts Lane, Batavia, IL 60510. Walter D. Krech, a retired pastor, died


Sept. 28. He served in the former Central Illinois Conference, retiring from Kanka- kee Asbury in 1985. Cards may be sent to 1706 E. Amber Lane, Urbana, IL 61802. A full obituary may be found at www.renner- wikoffchapel.com Justine Louise Tunstall, widow of


Rev. John Edward Tunstall, died Sept. 24. Rev. Tunstall served 62 years of ministry in Missouri, Iowa, Kansas and in the for- mer Southern Illinois Conference where he served nine years as pastor of East St. Louis Wesley-Bethel UMC from 1964 until retirement in 1973. Ted Phillips, husband of retired pastor


Lillian Phillips, died Sept. 22. Lillian Phillips currently serves the Alma – Pleasant Grove UMC’s in the Kaskaskia River District. Retired pastor Lloyd H. Vinnedge, Jr.,


died Sept. 12 in Oklahoma. Rev. Vinnedge served in Oklahoma and in the former Cen- tral Illinois Conference, retiring in 1981. Expressions of sympathy may be sent to a


son, Ron Vinnedge, 9 Brandea Court, Glen Carbon, IL 62034-1350.


Positions The General Board of Higher Educa-


tion and Ministry of The United Methodist Church is seeking candidates to fill the po- sition of Director of Student Ministries, Vocation, and Enlistment, a position that has cross-divisional responsibilities within the Division of Higher Education and the Division of Ordained Ministry. The search team is actively seeking a pool of qualified candidates who would be representative of the church. We are requesting your nomi- nations and your assistance in bringing this position to the attention of persons who might be interested in applying for the po- sition. For more information please contact Cheryl Stacker at hr@gbhem.org Director of Children and Youth Dis-


cipleship — Greenville First UMC in Greenville Michigan is seeking a director of Children and Youth Discipleship. This is a 30 hour a week position with salary and housing included. Resumes must be in by Friday November 12th. Contact Michelle Fassett at office@greenvillefumc.org or send resumes to 204 West Cass St, Green- ville MI 48838. CEO of GBHEM — The General See Positions on page 23


Releases Final Report NASHVILLE -- The first priority of


The United Methodist Church must be a commitment to fostering and sustaining congregational vitality if the denomination is to be effective in its mission, states the final report of the Call to Action steering team, released Oct. 25. The steering team’s final report, the op-


erational assessment report and the congre- gational vitality report are all available in their entirety at www. umc.org/calltoaction. “While there are many examples of ef-


fective disciple-making, prophetic witness, and ministries of justice and mercy across the Connection, these efforts do not obviate the effects in the United States and Europe of our increasingly older membership and aging leaders; declines in the numbers of professions of faith, worship attendance, and baptisms; and growing financial bur- dens accompanied by decreasing reve- nues,” the report states. “Thus, the adaptive challenge for The


United Methodist Church is to redirect the flow of attention, energy, and resources to an intense concentration on fostering and sustaining an increase in the number of vital congregations effective in making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world.” The steering team proposed the follow-


ing five recommendations, which would be mutually interdependent: • Beginning in January 2011 and con-


tinuing for at least ten years, concentrate on using the drivers of congregational vi- tality to build effective practices in local churches. • Dramatically reform the clergy lead-


ership development, deployment, evalua- tion, and accountability systems. • Measure progress in key perfor-


mance areas using statistical information to learn and adjust approaches to leadership, policies, and use of human and financial re- sources. • Reform the Council of Bishops, with


active bishops assuming responsibility/ accountability for improving results in at- tendance, professions of faith, baptisms, participation in servant/mission ministries, benevolent giving, and lowering the aver- age age of church participants, as well as for establishing a new culture of account-


ability throughout the church. • Consolidate program and adminis-


trative agencies, and align their work and resources with church priorities and the commitment to build vital congregations, and reconstitute them with much smaller competency-based boards of directors. The Call to Action Project was launched


by assignment from the Council of Bishops with endorsement and funding from the Connectional Table in November 2009, building on work of the previous Call to Action Committee. In order to assure that recommendations


would be fact-based and not opinion-based, the steering team commissioned research based on extensive data-mining and objec- tive methods for identifying relevant trends, behaviors, and issues. An independent system-wide operation-


al assessment of the connectional church was conducted by Apex that looked at how the denomination is currently using people, money, and processes at the district, annual conference, and general church levels. In addition, comprehensive research on


data from various sources was carried out by the international firm Towers Watson to gain information about the factors that lead to congregations being more vital as evi- denced by attendance, growth and engage- ment.


Reliable statistical findings based on


massive amounts of data from over 32,000 congregations show that high-vitality churches consistently share common fac- tors that work together to influence congre- gational vitality and are characterized by the prevalence of: • Effective pastoral leadership includ-


ing inspirational preaching, mentoring laity, and effective management • Multiple small groups and programs for children and youth • A mix of traditional and contempo- rary worship services • A high percentage of spiritually en- gaged laity who assume leadership roles The Call to Action steering team will


present their recommendations to the Council of Bishops at their meeting in Panama City, Panama in two parts on Nov. 3-4, and to the Connectional Table at their meeting in Franklin, Tenn. on Nov. 15.


The Current (USPS 014-964) is published monthly by the Illinois Great Rivers


Conference of the United Methodist Church, 5900 South Second Street, Springfield, IL 62711. An individual subscription is $10 per year. The opinions expressed in viewpoints are those of the writers and do not neces-


sarily reflect the views of The Current, the Illinois Great Rivers Conference, or The United Methodist Church. Communications Team leader: Paul E. Black; team members: Catherine Flynn


and Michele Willson. Send materials to P.O. Box 19207, Springfield, IL 62794- 9207, tel. 217-529-2040, fax 217-529-4155, e-mail TheCurrent@igrc.org, web page: www.igrc.org. Periodical’s postage paid at Peoria, IL, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to “The Current,” Illinois Great Rivers Conference, P.O. Box 19207, Springfield, IL 62794-9207.


November 2010


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