2025maycurrent

ANNOUNCEMENTS AND UPCOMING EVENTS

C H R I S T I AN CONVERSATIONS

A REFRESHED WESLEYAN VISION IS EMERGING

Bishop Bard to participate in ecumenical celebration of the Nicene Creed SPRINGFIELD – Bishop David Bard will participate in an ecumenical celebration of the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea on Sunday, May 4, 2 p.m. at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Springfield. Bishop John Paprocki will host the event commemorating a creed frequently used in worship services that unite most Christians around the world. On May 20, 2025, the Christian world will commemorate the 1700th anniversary of the opening of the Council of Nicaea, which took place in Asia Minor in the year 325. This was the first ecumenical council in history, and it produced the creed that, completed by the First Council of Constantinople in 381, has become the distinctive expression of the Church’s faith in Jesus Christ. The World Council of Churches (WCC) is organizing a year-long series of events in 2025 to commemorate the 1700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, which convened in 325 AD. This includes the Sixth World Conference on Faith and Order. Other Christian denominations and organizations are also marking this significant anniversary with various activities, including theological symposia, webinars, and discussions on the legacy of the Council.

CORR Action Grant opportunities The General Commission on Religion and Race (GCORR) is currently accepting applications for the 2025-2026 CORR Action Fund (CAF) grant cycle. This funding opportunity supports initiatives that promote equity, intercultural competency, and justice within the church and broader communities. For United Methodist Church (UMC) and Methodist Church of Puerto Rico entities within the United States, GCORR seeks proposals that address the realities of immigration. Eligible projects should: • Directly impact immigrant communities. • Build alliances with organizations serving immigrants. • Engage congregational or organizational leadership in GCORR's Immigration Vital Conversations curriculum. districts, campus ministries (e.g., Wesley Foundations), and UMC-affiliated colleges and universities. Grants of up to $10,000 are available for projects lasting up to 12 months, beginning Aug. 1, 2025, and concluding by July 31, 2026. The application deadline is May 15. Application Process Interested applicants are encouraged to review the detailed guidelines and application requirements at gcorr.org/ caf . Completed applications, along with all required documents, should be submitted Eligible applicants include local congregations, church clusters,

Living Into My Yes sessions explore calls into ministry SPRINGFIELD – The “Living Into My Yes” online inquiry session is designed for people of any age or life stage who are beginning to discern a call to some form of vocational ministry but who have not yet officially begun the process toward ordination or licensing. Pastors and other leaders are welcome to attend to learn more about the process. Upcoming events in the Living Into My Yes series include: • Thursday, June 12, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Living Into My Yes online inquiry session. This session is for anyone discerning how God might be calling you.

via email to grants@gcorr.org by May 15. Disaster Response Training Basic ERT – June 4 Training for new Early Response Team members. Full-day, in-person training covering fundamental early response skills and protocols.

Five potential impacts of tariffs, trade policy BY JOE HALWAX, CAIA, CIMA Senior Managing Director, Institutional Investment Services, Wespath Benefits and Investments 2025—on the eve of the new tariffs taking effect. The index fell another 1.2% the following day, reaching its lowest level in four months.

BY REV. DR. PAUL W. CHILCOTE Following a tumultuous year, United Methodists now stand in a liminal space that separates us from the past and opens a door into a future filled with hope.

• Date: Wednesday, June 4 • Time: 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m.

This is a particularly good moment to think about a refreshed Wesleyan vision of The United Methodist Church. A new vision of what it means to be united is emerging from the pain of schism. A number of characteristics will identify a church renewed as we recapture the vision of John and Charles Wesley. We are called to be church of wide embrace, Christlike practice, Scriptural dynamism, spiritual growth and missional character. The prayers and the hymns of our church underscore these values and practices. United Methodists are called to be a church of wide embrace. Those who refused to leave the church embrace an inclusive vision of our community. Everyone is welcome; everyone is invited to share their gifts. A collect — or prayer — of the church reminds us why: Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within the reach of your saving embrace. So, clothe us in your Spirit that we, reaching forth our hands in love, may bring those who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you, for the honor of your name. Amen. Jesus humbled himself, taking on the form of a servant. Humility is a critical characteristic of a refreshed church. Most people in our cultures view the church as judgmental, arrogant and hypocritical. We want to present a completely different image to the world. “If so low a child as I may to your great glory live,” Charles Wesley prayed, “claim me for your service, claim all I have and all I am.” Methodists are not fundamentalists or biblical literalists. The Wesleys gave us a much more dynamic approach to Scripture. When we engage the words of Scripture and invite the Holy Spirit to be our guide, those dead words become the “living Word” for us. Our dynamic approach to Scripture means that we take the current context seriously. The truths that have emerged through science, in particular, do not contradict the Truth of Christ. We seek the Light of Christ in Scripture in light of the emerging truth in God’s world. The continuing United Methodist people will be characterized by their emphasis on spiritual growth. This has always been a hallmark of the Wesleyan way. This is why intimate small groups played such a major role in our origins. If the fullest possible love in all things is our goal, then we must grow into it. It just does not happen. Fellowship provides growth. This is why John Wesley claimed that the fruits of intimate connection with others included peace, joy, love and zeal for every good word and work. Charles sang:

o The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 1.5% on both March 3 and March 4. • Goldman Sachs estimated back in early February—when the tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China were first scheduled to be implemented—a 2-3% reduction in S&P earnings per share because of the tariffs, Reuters reported. • Investors should prepare for potential market instability in the coming months from the tariff talks, and the weaker U.S. economic data in February. • The U.S. markets are already fragile with high concentration in large cap technology and high valuations, as evidenced by the sharp drawdowns 3. Consumer Price Increases • There’s the potential for significant price hikes across various sectors. In particular, consumers in the market for a new car could feel sticker shock. On March 5, the automotive industry received a month-long reprieve from the tariffs on goods imported from Mexico and Canada, but if the tariffs are eventually imposed, a Michigan- based economic consultancy expects the cost of a pickup truck assembled in North America to jump $8,000. • Supply chain disruptions could lead to broader inflationary pressures. • The National Association of Wholesale Distributors issued a statement about how prolonged tariffs “could create significant cash flow challenges and supply chain disruptions for distributors.” The trade association added that tariffs “divert valuable capital away from critical investments in hiring, wages, training, and expansion.” from the August yen carry trade blowup and DeepSeek-induced volatility in late January. 4. Drag on Economic Growth • The Atlanta Fed's GDP estimate for Q1 2025 has fallen precipitously to -2.8% as of March 3. The estimate was +3.0% just one month earlier. The latest estimate is the biggest projected contraction since the start of the pandemic. • The tariffs will disproportionately impact lower-income households, according to an analysis released by the Yale University Budget Lab on March 3. • Potential economic contraction is being predicted across multiple economic indicators. The drag on GDP and the increased inflation potential heightens the risk of stagflation. TARIFF IMPACTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

• Location: Peoria, IL (Site Location TBA) Contact: Curt Franklin, cfranklin@igrc.org Basic ERT – Sept. 6 Training for new Early Response Team members. Full-day, in-person training covering fundamental early response skills and protocols. • Date: Saturday, Sept. 6 • Time: 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. • Location: East Bay Camp Contact: Curt Franklin, cfranklin@igrc.org ERT Recertification – Oct. 28, 30 Join us for ERT recertification training delivered via Zoom. Recertification requires attendance at both dates. These interactive virtual sessions will refresh your ERT knowledge, update you on new procedures, and maintain your certification status. Dates: • Oct. 28, 6 to 8 p.m. (via Zoom) • Oct. 30, 6 to 8 p.m. (via Zoom) Contact: Curt Franklin, cfranklin@igrc.org

As tariffs descended on key U.S. trade partners China, Canada and Mexico—and then were paused on Canada and Mexico—last week, investors were confronted with a fundamental question: Will President Donald Trump’s trade strategy be primarily opportunistic and short-term, or deeply structural and transformative? Tactical tariffs represent a negotiation tool, designed to extract concessions from foreign governments through economic pressure. One example might involve leveraging tariff threats against Mexico to secure more robust border security commitments. Structural tariffs embody a more comprehensive economic philosophy. They aim to fundamentally reshape import dynamics, such as addressing the trade imbalances. This approach suggests tariffs are not merely a transactional mechanism, but an instrument for broader economic and geopolitical recalibration. The Trump administration’s tariffs are just one of many topics investors will have to monitor over the coming weeks and months. Investors will also have to navigate sweeping changes in immigration policy, budgetary frameworks, regulatory environments and geopolitical relationships. To prevent this blog from becoming unwieldy, we will keep the focus on the potential impacts the tariff could have on investors. Here are five things to monitor: 5 POTENTIAL IMPACTS ON MARKETS AND INVESTORS 1. Political and Cultural Tensions • The tariffs risk creating significant political backlash and straining international relationships. • Trump originally campaigned on lowering costs for Americans, riding a wave of voter anger over inflation. These tariffs appear to directly contradict his campaign promise, potentially increasing consumer costs and undermining economic appeal. • Public sentiment about the U.S. is shifting, with 50% of Canadians now viewing the U.S. as "unfriendly" or an "enemy." • There is the potential for long- term damage to Trump's economic credibility, which is key to his brand and central to his campaign platform. 2. Market Volatility • Immediate stock market reactions to the tariffs enforced on goods imported from Canada and Mexico include: o The S&P 500 dropped 1.7% on March 3—its biggest daily dip of

Civil rights trip traces the historic struggle

ANNOUNCEMENTS CONTINUED ON PAGE 18 A nine-day journey exploring significant sites of the Civil Rights Movement across Tennessee and Alabama. Through guided tours, group discussions, and personal reflection, participants will engage with this crucial history and its contemporary relevance. Read more by visiting: https://www.igrc. org/calendardetail/18995126 IGRC Missions and Outreach, in cooperation with Normal: First UMC, will be hosting the trip Oct. 2-10. The trip will explore key historic sites in Tennessee and

Enlarge, inflame, and fill my heart With growing, boundless love divine, So shall I all my strength exert, And love all with a zeal like thine.

Early Methodism existed for the purposes of God’s mission of love in the world. We pray, “All day long, great God of light, you are working for good in the world.” The refreshed church will partner with God in God’s good work and be noted for this. The primary practices associated with this exciting aspect of our discipleship are acts of compassion and justice. We have no mission but to serve in these ways. A refreshed church seeks to care for all and spread the word of liberation to those oppressed and abused. The rise of xenophobia, nationalism and nativism in our nation and world will call upon our steadfast proclamation of God’s love for all people in Christ. We will need to be those in the world who transform hostility into hospitality. We will bear witness to the extravagant, unconditional and unbounded love of God. These characteristics of a refreshed church represent what John Wesley simply called the recovery of true religion. “What is true religion?” he asked. It is neither more nor less than love. Love more than anything else characterizes the refreshed church. True religion is the love of God and every human being, and even more, the love of the whole creation. If this love rules the life of our whole church, shaping all our attitudes and actions, what an amazing force for good we will be in the world. God is calling the refreshed United Methodist Church to be a people of wide embrace, Christlike practice, Scriptural dynamism, spiritual growth, missional character and deep love. Nothing stands in the way of our being known as the most loving family anyone has ever experienced. (Rev. Dr. Paul W. Chilcote is a research fellow at Wesley House in Cambridge, England. He was a keynote speaker at the 2011 Illinois Great Rivers Annual Conference.)

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