The Current Week in Review

August 7, 2026

Church looking ahead, examining its governance

United Methodists are looking ahead at the denomination’s future by examining details of its governance process and the make-up of its clergy.

Over the next three years, United Methodists in the United States will hear three similar names come up again and again. They sound alike, but they are three different things, each with its own job and its own season. A guide from Resource UMC, “Three Bodies, One Path: Understanding the U.S. Regional Conference,” lays them out simply (see chart at top).

Wooden It Be Lovely has a new home

A Springfield non-profit birthed at Springfield Douglas Avenue UMC more than 10 years ago, is going literally steps across Illinois St. to the synagogue occupied by Congregation Temple Israel for 65 years.

The congregation is landing at a temporary location, with designs on transitioning to a permanent location.

Now Wooden It Be Lovely, which provides women who are struggling with addictions, poverty or other serious issues with jobs refurbishing furniture, candle making and sewing, along with support systems that include counseling, has a new home.

Search reopened for

IGRC Director of Administrative Services

The General Council on Finance and Administration (GCFA) is pleased to announce we are working with The Illinois Great Rivers Annual Conference to help them in their search for a Director of Finance and Administrative Services.

The Illinois Great Rivers Annual Conference is seeking a strategic and collaborative leader to serve as Director of Finance and Administrative Services. This role oversees the Conference’s financial operations, administrative systems, and employee benefits programs, ensuring strong stewardship, operational excellence, and alignment with the mission of supporting just under 600 United Methodist congregations across 5 districts.

Application deadline: Sept. 2

To Apply : Click Here to View Posting and Apply or visit GCFA's Careers page where you will find our open positions and Job Board.

The Illinois Great Rivers Annual Conference of The United Methodist Church is an Equal Opportunity Employer and actively seeks and encourages applications from minorities, women, and individuals with disabilities. All offers of employment are subject to the applicant successfully completing background, reference, and other applicable checks.

Charge conference forms now available online

The 2026 Charge Conference forms are now live online and can be accessed from the Church Dashboard. Pastors can also access them from their People Portal Homepage where links to all of the churches to which they are appointed are listed.

Remember: the six digit GCFA number is both the username and password for the Church Dashboard. The login information for the People Portal is the username and password you created when you established the account.

Peace with Justice grant applications sought

Peace with Justice grants are available to IGRC UMC congregations and agencies to begin programs, plan events, and host activities that celebrate the purpose and objectives of the IGRC Church and Society Committee, specifically anti-racism, immigration, inclusion, and environmental justice.

Funding for the IGRC Peace with Justice Grant is generated by the local churches and Annual Conferences from the Peace with Justice offering taken on Peace with Justice Sunday in June which “witnesses to God’s demands for a faithful, just, disarmed, and secure world.”

Click here for a Peace with Justice Grant application. Grant applications are reviewed in March, July, and October. Email christina.krost@gmail.com if you have any questions.

Hamilton wins primary in

U.S. Senate campaign

The Rev. Adam Hamilton, founding pastor of the largest United Methodist church in the United States, won the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate in Kansas Tuesday. 

For more than three decades, Hamilton has served as senior pastor at Church of the Resurrection in Leawood. He will challenge Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall in November.

“My campaign will bring Kansans together around our shared values and common purpose. Lowering costs. Restoring decency. Ending the chaos and corruption in Washington,” Hamilton said in a Facebook post after securing the nomination. “There’s a lot of work to do between now and Nov. 3.” 

Repeating with an active link below

Taking action during a

previous Iran crisis

Decades before this year’s U.S.-Iran conflict, a United Methodist bishop set off for Iran on a Christmas mission for peace.

Weeks earlier, on Nov. 4, 1979, 66 Americans had been taken hostage at the U.S. Embassy in Tehran. Eight African American and six female hostages were released about two weeks later, but 52 other Americans still were being held.

Bishop C. Dale White of New Jersey joined a small delegation of religious leaders headed to Iran in hopes of fostering dialogue. The 11-day visit not only made an impact at the moment but also led to action by the denomination’s top legislative body and a White House meeting with President Jimmy Carter in April 1980.

NCJ grant applications sought

Application window: July 14 to Sept. 7

Access Grant Application Online Here

Fund a ministry/program in cross-conference connection, identifying at least three (3) Annual Conferences in the North Central Jurisdiction of the UMC as partners

Fulfill one or more of the four priorities of The United Methodist Church

• Engaging in ministry with the poor
• Improving global health
• Developing principled Christian leaders
• Creating new and renewed congregations

Support/promote North Central Jurisdictions vision of Beloved Community (See Covenant to Build BeLOVEd Community webpage linked here)

Have supplemental funds beyond NCJ Mission Council money in budget

o NCJ Mission Council Grants will only fund 2/3 of total ministry/program budget

o Not To Exceed $15,000.00 request from NCJ Mission Council

Include a complete line-item budget of projected expenses (uploaded with online application)

Be applied for annually

Provide mid-year and year-end progress report to NCJ Mission Council 

Preference will be given to grants moving toward self-sustainability or new ministries/programs 

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