Annual Conference briefing with moderator Dava Hensley, June 14, 10 a.m

Ministry Leadership Development Team, June 18, 6:30 p.m.

Program & Arrangements Committee, June 19, 7 p.m.

National Junior High Conference, Juniata College, June 20–22

Church of the Brethren Annual Conference, July 2-6, Greensboro, N.C.

National Older Adult Conference, Sept. 1-5, Lake Junaluska, N.C.

[all meetings via Zoom unless otherwise noted]

May Newsletter

We're pleased to welcome Annual Conference moderator Dava Hensley for a virtual Annual Conference briefing with our district via Zoom on Saturday, June 14, at 10 a.m. This is especially designed for delegates to get a preview of business and other notable events at this summer's Conference (July 2-6 in Greensboro, N.C.), but anyone is welcome (and encouraged) to attend. It will last no more than an hour.

The time will include a brief welcome and opening, sharing from Sister Dava and the Annual Conference Standing Committee, the Annual Conference preview video, and time for questions and answers.

Join the event at https://zoom.us/j/93620012185?pwd=0VbSSmG2Oy9EIaYIKKL3DUd88Wdvni.1. If you need information to call in to the meeting by phone, please contact the district office. Mark your calendars and plan to join us for an informative morning!

Registration for the Camp Emmaus 2025 summer season is open at campemmaus.churchcenter.com/registrations. A discounted price is available for those who register before June 1.

The annual Camp Clean-Up Day will be May 31. The summer schedule will include the following offerings: 

May 23-26 Memorial Day Family Camp
June 20-22 CIT Training
June 21-22 Elementary (K-Grade 2)
July 6-12 Survivor Camp at Camp Mack (Grades 6-8)
July 13-19 Senior High (Grades 9-12)
July 20-26 Middle School (Grades 6-8)
July 27-31 Intermediate (Grades 3-5)
Aug. 1-3 Young Adult/Young at Heart (Ages 18+)
Aug. 3-6 Target Sports Camp
Aug. 7-9 Women’s Camp
Aug. 22-24 Men’s Camp
Aug. 29-Sept. 1 Labor Day Family Camp
Sept. 13 Camp Celebration Day and Lunch

The next “Escape to Emmaus” day will be June 7, focusing on wood carving. Watch the camp website for details: www.campemmaus.org.

Camp Emmanuel is expanding its programming with the purchase of two tandem and two single kayaks. Donations toward the project can be made at Campem.com or by mailing a check to Camp Emmanuel, 14999 Reservoir Rd, Browning, IL 62624. Mark the gift as “Kayaks.”

Registration for the summer season at Camp Emmanuel is also now open! Visit www.campem.com to register, and for other camp news. The camp opened to the public May 1 for fishing and hiking, etc. The summer schedule will include:

May 30-June 1 Women’s Camp
June 5-8 High School Camp
June 8-14 Middle School Camp
June 15-19 Junior Camp
July 14-18 Day Camp
July 18-20 Creation Camp
Aug. 8-10 Men’s Camp
Aug. 29-Sept. 1 Family Camp

Camp Emmanuel is looking for paid lifeguards for the 2025 camp season. If you are interested in becoming a lifeguard, Camp Emmanuel will pay for your training if you agree to work here for at least one camping season. Contact camp managers Don & Kelly Davis for more information.

Young Adult Conference is planned for May 23-25, at Brethren Woods near Keezletown, Va. The annual event offers people ages 18-35 a chance to enjoy fellowship, worship, recreation, Bible study, service projects, and more. See www.brethren.org/yya/yac.

National Junior High Conference takes place June 20-22 at Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa., with the theme “Let Your Gentleness Be Known.” Join other junior high youth and adult advisors for a weekend packed with powerful worship, fun workshops, music, recreation, and more. Registration and details are at www.brethren.org/yya/njhc.

National Youth Conference 2026 will take place July 18-23, 2026, with a return to the site that the conference used in 1990 and prior years: the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colo. More information will come in the months ahead at National Youth Conference.

(Also be in prayer for the FaithX service trips headed across the US and to Africa this summer!)

Brethren Disaster Ministries (BDM) has directed grants from the Church of the Brethren’s Emergency Disaster Fund (EDF) to fund planning for increased humanitarian needs in South Sudan; an aid program by l’Eglise des Freres au Congo (Church of the Brethren in the DR Congo) for displaced families and refugees in Burundi who have fled the M23 violence; and purchase of medicines and medical equipment for hospitals and clinics serving Palestinians displaced in Gaza City due to the Israel-Hamas war.

In the US, BDM is also continuing work this year at a rebuilding site in Letcher County, Ky. Information is at: www.brethren.org/bdm/rebuild/schedules. Illinois/Wisconsin is scheduled to assist with a team Dec. 7-13. A YouTube video about the Letcher County site is at https://youtu.be/gmKy5PDf4PE. A second project site is expected to open later this year.

For any congregations currently involved in immigration issues, the following resource from the Wisconsin Council of Churches might be helpful:www.wichurches.org/immigration. A denominational task force is also working on this issue, as noted in a recent issue of Newsline. It is primarily centered in the districts that have large populations of members who are immigrants, but they are inviting other congregations with interest to partner with them in the effort. If you have interest and have not yet been contacted by the team, please let the district office know.

The 2025 Church of the Brethren Annual Conference will take place Wednesday, July 2, to Sunday, July 6, at the Koury Convention Center in Greensboro, North Carolina. Registration and hotel reservations are open at www.brethren.org/ac2025. The Annual Conference office has announced the following registration fee schedule:

For advance registration (March 5-June 10): Delegates $350; Non-delegate adult, full conference, $175; Non-delegate adult, daily rate, $60; Post-high school to age 21, full conference, $50; Post-high school to age 21, daily rate, $20; Current high school student or younger, free; Active BVSer, free.

For on-site registration (opens July 1): Delegates $425; Non-delegate adult, full conference, $210; Non-delegate adult, daily rate, $75; Post-high school to age 21, full conference, $50; Post- high school to age 21, daily rate, $20; Current high school student or younger, free; Active BVSer, free. Note there is an additional fee for age-group activities.

Registration for virtual participation (non-delegate only): Adult (until June 10), full conference, $195 or daily rate, $75. Group/institutional registration, $500; Post-high school to age 21, full conference, $75. Worship services are available free of charge.

Pastors Dennis Beckner (Columbia City, Ind.) and Glenn Bollinger (Port Republic, Va.) headline this year’s Annual Conference ballot as candidates for moderator-elect. Find the full ballot at www.brethren.org/ac2025/business/ballot. Worship preachers this year will be moderator Dava Hensley; a “cowbell service” featuring preachers Becky Baile Crouse, Josiah Ludwick, and Tony Price; Mount Hermon Church of the Brethren pastor Lupita Ortiz; Garrett- Evangelical Theological Seminary professor Gennifer Brooks; and South Waterloo Church of the Brethren pastor Dave Kerkove.

Business items will include three items of unfinished business and four items of new business, including the query “Concerns About Current Practices Related to Matters of Sexuality” brought by this district.

To date, the following congregations have registered delegates: Canton, Dixon, Freeport, Peoria First, Polo, and York Center. Please consider sending a delegate from your congregation. Congregations of up to 200 members receive one delegate, with one additional delegate for every additional 200 members or portion thereof. Delegate and non-delegate registration can be found at www.brethren.org/ac2025 (click “Registration”). A guide to registering online is available if needed.

Lodging: the Sheraton Greensboro at Four Seasons is connected to the Koury Convention Center, making it extremely convenient for guests. The Annual Conference room rate is $120 plus tax (12.75%) totaling $135.30 per night. Parking is complimentary. The Sheraton Hotel provides complimentary shuttle transportation to and from Piedmont Triad International Airport from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. In room Wi-Fi is complimentary for all hotel guests. The link for hotel registration will come up immediately after registering for the conference.

New this year will be a conference welcome meal, beginning 5 p.m. July 2 at the hotel’s Joseph’s Restaurant. The dinner buffet will be $19.95 for adults, $14.95 for 12 and under. No reservations are required, and attendees will pay onsite.

The Annual Conference Witness to the Host City this year is benefiting BackPack Beginnings, a nonprofit dedicated to making a difference for local, low-income children and families by providing for their tangible basic needs. Their mission is to connect children and their families to resources needed to thrive. For a list of items to be collected at Annual Conference see www.brethren.org/ac2025/activities/witness-to-the-host-city. Monetary contributions can be made by check during the Friday night worship offering or on the Annual Conference website offering page. To learn more about BackPack Beginnings visit https://backpackbeginnings.org.

Ushers needed: From usher coordinator David Ansley: “During worship we need volunteer ushers to help receive offerings and record attendance. While an important role in our worship services, ushering requires very little time and does not take away from participating in the rest of the worship service. You will be able to sign up when registering for Annual Conference and at the usher table when you arrive and check in for the conference, however I would like to have our first service covered on Wednesday night, before the conference begins. Once you have registered for conference, please follow the links to sign up to volunteer as an usher. You can also reach out to me directly at davidansley704@gmail.com and let me know if you are willing to serve on Wednesday evening, or for any of the other worship services. Please use ‘AC usher’ in the subject line. Feel free to contact me via text or call at 540-314-8146.”

Silent auction: The Program and Arrangements Committee is once again holding a silent auction at Annual Conference this summer. Congregations and individuals can help by contributing an item for the auction in one of three categories: 1. Arts and Craft Items (quality and unique hand-made items like woodworking, pottery, fabric art, paintings or drawings, stained glass, etc.); 2. Gift Baskets (could be assembled around a theme, organizational “swag”, books, regional products, food, and so on. Be creative.; 3. Experiences (tickets to events, use of vacation homes, trips, classes, a living room concert, etc.). Items being donated must be registered in advance. NO UNREGISTERED ITEMS WILL BE ACCEPTED ONSITE THIS YEAR. To register a donation, go to to https://cobrethren.wufoo.com/forms/ac-2025-silent-auction-donation-form to submit contact information and a description of the item you wish to contribute. ONLINE SUBMISSIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY JUNE 1. Actual items must be onsite at Annual Conference no later than 10 a.m. Wednesday, July 2. Arrangements can be made to ship them to the Annual Conference office in advance if you are not planning to attend Annual Conference. Volunteers to assist with the auction are also needed. To volunteer, sign up at www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0945AFA722A4FCCF8-annual. And, of course, bid at Annual Conference! Bidding opens at noon July 2 and closes at 2 p.m. July 5.

The next National Older Adult Conference (NOAC) will be held Sept. 1-5, at Lake Junaluska, N.C., with the theme “Alive in the Spirit!” (from Romans 15:13). Registration opened May 1 at www.brethren.org/noac. Registration fees are $220 for early-bird registration (May 1 to July 20), or $250 for regular registration. First- time attendees receive a $20 discount. A virtual participation registration option is available for $150 per household.

The vibrant week includes worship, keynote sessions, workshops, service projects, field trips, ice cream socials, and more. NOAC has announced this year’s keynote speakers: writer and poet Cole Arthur Riley; musician and storyteller Ken Medema; playwright and actor Ted Swartz; and Dominique DuBois Gilliard, director of Racial Righteousness and Reconciliation for the Evangelical Covenant Church. Preachers include Greg Davidson Laszakovits, Rebecca Dali, Herb Smith, Samuel Sarpiya, and Audri Svay.

While our district will not have transportation to the event, the Western Plains District will have a bus passing through southern Illinois that might be able to accommodate additional passengers ($450 round-trip from Kansas). If interested, please contact Monica Frye at 620-241- 0919 x264 or mfrye@thecedars.org.

The planning team includes Heidi Berkenbosch, Deanna Brown, Bonnie Kline Smeltzer, Leonard Matheny (Peoria First), Don Mitchell, Karlene Tyler, and coordinator Christy Waltersdorff (York Center). Debbie Noffsinger (Highland Avenue) designed the NOAC 2025 logo. Registration information and other details will be coming out soon.

The 2025 Illinois/Wisconsin District conference will take place Nov. 7-8 at The Chateau Hotel & Conference Center in Bloomington, Ill. Bill Williams (Yellow Creek) will serve as moderator, with the theme “Are You Being Called?” Jocelyn Watkins (Peoria First) serves as moderator-elect.

A continuing education event will be offered for clergy and others during the day on Friday, Nov. 7, with the main conference starting with worship Friday evening in the Smart Auditorium and continuing with business and equipping sessions in that space on Saturday, along with meals, exhibits, and other events in an adjacent ballroom. The spaces are handicapped-accessible, and ample parking is available. Cerro Gordo and perhaps other area congregations will help to “host” the conference. Peoria First members are working on worship center plans.

All congregations are encouraged to send their allotted delegates to the conference. Per the 2022 constitution revisions, each congregation of 100 or fewer members can send three delegates, with one additional delegate for every 100 members or portion thereof. The pastor (if any) and board/leadership team chair typically serve as delegates, along with at-large members called by the congregation. The district Program & Arrangements Committee recently voted to increase the district conference assessment to cover costs; it will now be $30 per allotted delegate. Non-delegate registration will also increase slightly, to $15 per person. A block of rooms will be available at the hotel (located just off Veterans Parkway in Bloomington) for Thursday and Friday nights for $99/night including breakfast.

More details will be coming in the months ahead, with registration opening in late summer or early fall. We hope that you and other members of your congregation will join us for this important time in the life of our district!

 

• Official IL/WI Channel
• Older Content

There is a Speakers List for the Illinois/Wisconsin District. Persons included in this document have accepted the invitation to be available to preach during worship services or for other special events as indicated. Hopefully you will find this tool useful and valuable when the need arises for inviting a guest speaker.

The speakers on this list are all credentialed ministers, either licensed or ordained. We would like to expand the list to include more credentialed ministers as well as interested laity. If your name is absent from the list and you have interest in serving as a guest speaker, please inform the district office. We would also welcome the names of persons you might suggest for inclusion on the list.

Since this is a new venture, it is likely we may need to provide more information than is included. Your input as to how the list can be improved would be welcomed.

Please share with the District Office any questions, comments, or concerns you may have.

Grants available through the district include the following:

1. Mission and Mortar: Sustaining and developing ministry (mission) within congregations, as well as maintaining property (mortar), is sometimes hindered because of inadequate financial resources. The Illinois/Wisconsin District, whose mission is to support the growth and development of member congregations, realizes that this dilemma exists and desires to financially support congregations that are in good standing with the district and have specific needs. More information can be found here.

2. Being Jesus in the Neighborhood: Congregations can apply for $100 in seed money to start a new outreach project or initiative in their local communities, or to expand an existing one. These should be projects that intentionally engage with the neighborhood immediately around the congregation, or for those in rural locations, with the town or area around the church. Each congregation receiving a grant will be asked to share a little about their project at district conference. More information can be found here.

3. Emerging Missions Fund: To facilitate the growth and establishment of new faith communities, this grant is available for church and ministry planting initiatives. New church and ministry plants are encouraged to apply by contacting the district office and/or the CRDT.

All ordained ministers, licensed ministers, and congregations need to keep the District Office informed of changes in contact information. Changes include: phone number, cell phone number, email address, mailing address, and congregational email or website. Please email Peggy Moylan, peg.district@gmail.com, or call 630-644-4259 with your updates. Your effort will save valuable staff time trying to track down these changes. Other information to share: changes in key leadership positions at the church or the death or serious illnesses of minister, retired ministers, or spouses. Help us serve better!

Do not wait to begin to log your Continuing Education Units. The 2025 Five-year Ordination Review process for ALL ordained ministers will launch in 2024. Ordained ministers are required to produce verification of 5 CEU credits for this five-year period. It is your responsibility to secure certificates, letters or verifying documentation regarding CEU credit. Retired clergy are exempt from this requirement with the exception of those retired clergy actively involved in Interim Ministry.

CEU Notation: The district does not grant CEU credit for personal study and/or self-designed experiences you have had and/or books you have read. It is the minister's responsibility to secure a CEU certificate, Letter of Verification, and/or authentication document for completed training, seminars or workshops, or learning experiences offered by the presenting organization. This verification should always state the number of hours of the training - 10 hours of training equals 1.0 CEU credits. Please take personal initiative to become a life-long learner and increasingly effective minister of the Gospel.

The Gifts Discernment and Call Committee seeks your help. We are commissioned to call active, informed, and committed members of congregations or fellowships from within our District to positions of service. These persons, both pastors and lay members, are to be called from all parts of the District and to represent the diversity among us. Our committee's knowledge of members eligible and capable to serve is limited. Therefore, we make this appeal for assistance.