Representatives of churches in the Illinois Great Rivers Conference listen to presentations and make commitments to expand scouting ministries.

FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill.--Illinois Area Bishop Jonathan D. Keaton told 55 people from seven districts in the Illinois Great Rivers Annual Conference that scouting ministries provide “value-added” programs for local churches, and these outreach programs train “principled leaders,” one of the four areas of focus for the UMC.

Bob Chase, conference scouting coordinator, said the March 15 meeting at Christ UMC was based on the Bishop’s Dinner for Scouting model, but omitted the dinner.

“Having coordinated two Bishop’s Dinners for Scouting in Virginia in the 1990s, I felt that they took too much time, particularly for the bishop and others who traveled more than an hour to attend the program,” said Chase.

The event included presentations by a senior Girl Scout, a Venturer, a 4-H leader, and Chase.

“There were many favorable comments about the meeting and its content, and questions about having additional meetings in the future,” said Chase.