The Great Lakes Annual Conference (GLAC) is announcing a new district structure, effective August 1, 2025, for our Illinois churches to strengthen connection and improve efficiency. This realignment sees four districts serving Illinois while maintaining existing arrangements for Indiana, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The new structure is designed to create more manageable district sizes, improve geographical coherence, and strengthen pastoral support systems throughout Illinois. Wisconsin Illinois West District (Presiding Elder: Rev. Doug Carroll ) serving Illinois counties in red: Carroll, Jo Daviess, Ogle, Stephenson, Whiteside, Winnebago, in addition to existing counties already being served in Wisconsin West Illinois North District (Presiding Elder: Rev. Jason Woolever ) serving areas in blue: Boone, Bureau, Cook, DeKalb, DuPage, Ford, Fulton, Grundy, Henderson, Henry, Iroquois, Kane, Kankakee, Kendall, Knox, LaSalle, Lake, Lee, Livingston, Marshall, McDonough, McHenry, McLean, Mercer, Peoria, Putnam, Rock Island, Stark, Tazewell, Warren, Will, Woodford Illinois Central District (Presiding Elder: Rev. Jon Carrell ) serving areas in yellow: Adams, Bond, Brown, Calhoun, Cass, Champaign, Christian, Clark, Coles, Crawford, Cumberland, DeWitt, Douglas, Edgar, Effingham, Fayette, Greene, Hancock, Jasper, Jersey, Lawrence, Logan, Macon, Macoupin, Madison, Mason, Menard, Montgomery, Morgan, Moultrie, Piatt, Pike, Richland, Sangamon, Schuyler, Scott, Shelby, St. Clair, Vermilion Illinois South District (Presiding Elder: Rev. Danny Motta ) serving areas in green: Alexander, Clay, Clinton, Edwards, Franklin, Gallatin, Hamilton, Hardin, Jackson, Jefferson, Johnson, Marion, Massac, Monroe, Perry, Pope, Pulaski, Randolph, Saline, Union, Wabash, Washington, Wayne, White, Williamson This realignment will impact various aspects of church life including contacts for pastoral appointments, district events, charge conference reporting, and other support networks, such as the Board of Ministry. We are currently in a transition period and request your patience as we update our systems and materials. Database records, communication directories, administrative processes, and resource distribution networks are all being revised to reflect the new district boundaries. For specific questions about how this realignment affects your local church, pastoral assignment, or district activities, please contact the GLAC office or your Presiding Elder. This change represents an important step forward in better serving our Illinois churches and supporting our shared mission of making disciples of Jesus Christ and spreading scriptural holiness across the globe.
Bishop Leah Gregory—who also serves as the Conference Superintendent of the MidTexas Annual Conference—shares this update following the recent flooding: “MidTexas wants to thank the connection for the outpouring of prayers and support for the people of our conference. We have been humbled by all those around the country that have reached out and given voice and heart to what it means to be a connectional church. Thank you. In the weeks and months ahead, there will be a need for ongoing recovery work on the ground. We are working to set up those opportunities to serve in ways that are safe for the participants and helpful to recipients. More information on that will be forthcoming in the next week. If you would like to help today, here are three things you can do: Pray. Take time every day and throughout every day to pray for those who have lost family, friends, and loved ones. Pray for our families that have lost their homes and businesses. Pray for our farmers who have lost their crops. Pray for our ranchers who have lost their herds. Prayer is our first response—and it makes all the difference. Assemble Flood Buckets. These kits are useful for floods, fires, and more. We’ll deploy as many as needed and store extras for future response efforts. Storm Relief Kit & Drop-Off Locations: midtexasgmc.org/midtexas-response Donate. Select “Disaster Relief” from the drop-down menu when giving. Funds will go directly to the areas most impacted, help complete flood buckets, and support immediate disaster response. Donate here: midtexasgmc.org/midtexas-response Thank you for standing with us.”
The Great Lakes Annual Conference (GLAC) today announced a staff restructuring designed to better align conference resources with the new strategic plan and enhance support for local churches and leaders across the four-state region. The restructuring has been approved by both the Finance and Administration Committee and the Conference Connectional Council. The restructuring creates a new Director of Equipping position and redistributes responsibilities across key staff roles to improve efficiency and focus on the conference's core mission of strengthening local churches. “This restructuring represents our commitment to equipping local churches and supporting ministry health," said Conference Superintendent Scott Pattison. “By creating the Director of Equipping position, we're making a further investment in our core mission and aligning our resources with the strategic plan and equipping theme that has been central to our recent Annual Conference session.” Key Staffing Changes Rev. Kara Bussabarger will transition from Administrative Assistant to Director of Equipping, effective August 1, 2025. In her current role, Bussabarger has demonstrated exceptional organizational skills, strong leadership, and a deep understanding of the needs of local churches and their leaders. In this new position, she brings a unique and valuable combination of executive capability, strategic leadership, and deep pastoral insight, drawing on nearly two decades of ministry experience. Known for her passion for church health and leader development, Bussabarger will help guide efforts in local church and leadership support, professional development opportunities, equipping event coordination, external communications, and more. Rev. Tyler Best will continue as Director of Operations and add Conference Treasurer responsibilities, effective August 1, 2025. Best brings his church and nonprofit finance experience to this expanded role. His comprehensive understanding of conference systems and strategic planning makes him ideally positioned to serve in this dual capacity, ensuring seamless integration of operational and financial oversight. His areas include day-to-day conference operations/logistics, project management, strategic plan implementation, staff oversight/human resources, financial management, external communications, and technology. Rev. Dr. Scott Pattison continues as Conference Superintendent, providing strategic leadership and vision for the conference's mission across the four-state region. Open Positions - Now Hiring The Great Lakes Annual Conference is actively seeking qualified candidates for two new positions. The Operations Coordinator/Bookkeeper will support financial operations, event coordination, project management, and technology systems. The Office Manager is an in-person role that will provide administrative support, internal communications, and event coordination in the Kokomo office. Both positions have an application deadline of July 22, 2025. How to Apply: Use the link below for complete job descriptions and applications. For questions about the open positions, contact Rev. Tyler Best, Director of Operations, at tyler.best@greatlakesgmc.org.
