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Chicago Metropolitan Association

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Procedure for Renewal of Standing

Procedures for Pastors moving between calls within the Chicago Metropolitan Association were adopted April 10, 2003 by the Sub-Committee on Standing of the CMA Church and Ministry Committee. To review the procedure and other policies about standing, visit our Resources Page.

Contact one of the CMA Association Co-Ministers for more information about standing requirements.

Also, please report any change of address, phone, fax, email or other information to CMA as soon as possible.

You can mail, fax, phone or email changes to us. For how to contact us, go to: About CMA

Churches

Staff Changes for CMA & IL Conference

Rita Root to be CMA Interim Co-Minister

LETTER FROM THE ILLINOIS CONFERENCE
January 10, 2008
Dear Pastors, Sisters and Brothers,

We pray that the New Year finds all of you in God's abounding grace and in good health.

You may not know all the news of the various changes in the life, ministry and leadership of our Illinois Conference, so we want to provide you with some updates.

God is good all the time - Including times of change.

We give thanks to God for the faithful service and witness of our sister and former Conference Minister The Rev. Jane Fisler Hoffman. Jane has been called to serve in the California, Nevada Southern Conference of the United Church of Christ. We wish Jane God's continuous guidance and blessing in her new call.

We also bid farewell to our brother The Rev. Michael Denton, Association Co-Minister of the Chicago Metropolitan Association. Michael accepted a call to the UCC's Pacific Northwest Conference. May God keep Michael in God's mercy and grace as he sets out to serve God in a new setting.

The Rev. Rita Root has accepted the call to be the Interim Association Co-Minister at CMA beginning April 1, 2008. Rita is currently the Pastor of Federated United Church of Christ in Sycamore, IL in Prairie Association. She was elected President of the Illinois Conference Council in June of 2007. Rita has now resigned as Conference President effective January 1, 2008. Rita served as a faithful and effective leader. We give thanks for her leadership and for God calling her to serve in new ways in our midst. May God continue to be a blessing in her life and in her ministry.

Harold Harmison, from Decatur, IL, has become our new Illinois Conference President. Harold has served the church at the local, association, and conference setting and was a delegate to General Synod in 2007. In his previous role as first vice-president he was very much involved in the life and ministry of our conference and in the planning of both the 2007 and the 2008 Conference Annual Meetings.

We want to express appreciation to our Conference Council and Personnel Committee members for their confidence in entrusting The Rev. Jorge L. Morales, Illinois Associate Conference Minister, with the responsibility of acting as Conference Minister while we seek an Interim Conference Minister. Jorge looks forward to returning to his priority full time commitment of doing stewardship and new church development as Associate Conference Minister once the Interim Conference Minister is in place.

The Illinois Conference Council and the Personnel Committee have authorized the hiring of new part-time staff to help the Conference staff during the interim search period. Help will be needed for the many tasks having to do with the general life of our Conference, for Local Evangelism and Planting/LEEAP and for stewardship. This is a very important time in securing OCWM dollars, contacting churches to send contributions, closing the books, following-up with funded LEEAP projects, preparing for the new calendar year and maintaining conversations with the national Church about Local Church Ministries funding for new and renewed church development.

After serious consideration and conversations with Sammie Dortch, Chair of the Conference Personnel Committee, and with Rita and Harold, we've decided to contract with Mr. Larry McCure, as Stewardship Associate. Larry is a long time Eastern Association Consulting Steward who needs little training for what needs to be done.

Ms. Kathy Groth has been contracted as a LEEAP Associate given her tenure on the LEEAP board and knowledge of the various tasks needed to be carried out. We give thanks for the gift of these two servants of Christ and their willingness to step forward and assist at this time of transition.

We invite your continuous prayers that our service in common ministry may be pleasing to God and that the New Year may be one where God's mercy, peace and love will reign in our hearts and in our midst.

"FOR I KNOW THE PLANS I HAVE FOR YOU," DECLARES THE LORD; "PLANS TO PROSPER YOU AND NOT TO HARM YOU; PLANS TO GIVE YOU HOPE AND A FUTURE." Jeremiah 29:11

Harold Harmison
Illinois Conference President

Rev. Jorge L. Morales
Associate Conference Minister

Ordinations

Installations

Deaths

Services for The Rev. Calvin C. H. Bremer were held at Westchester Community Church on Saturday February 9. The Rev. Bremer was Pastor Emeritus of Westchester Community Church. Please hold his family and friends in your prayers.

Rev. Kenneth B. Smith, Sr. died on January 21, 2008 at the age of 77. Ken had served as President of the Chicago Theological Seminary, Pastor of the Church of the Good Shepherd, Pastor the Congregational Church of Park Manor, and Pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.

The Chicago Tribune quoted the Rev. Jesse Knox's description of Ken: "He was known for just walking the streets, talking to people in the neighborhood. He never distinguished between culture and class."

Read the Chicago Tribune article HERE.

Michael Seaton, husband of Rev. Melody Seaton of Covenant UCC in South Holland, died on January 11, 2008. Homegoing Services were held at Covenant on January 19th. Please hold Melody and her family in your prayers. Her email address is mel28crim@aol.com.

Nicholas Camcam died on January 16, 2008. He was the husband of Gloria Camcam, who is a member of Mont Clare UCC in Chicago and a long-time active lay member of many CMA and Illinois Conference committees. Funeral Services were held on January 21st. Please keep Gloria Camcam and her family in your prayers. Gloria can be reached by email at glocamcam@gmail.com.