MINISTRY NEWS

Eric Wetzel will begin as pastor at Lanark on Nov. 2. Eric was called to serve the congregation during a visit weekend Aug. 30-31. He has been serving the Mountain Grove congregation in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia. Sherry works in food service for the local schools and will be seeking similar work here. We’re excited to welcome Eric and his wife, Sherry, to the district! 

Congratulations to Gay Bouwmeester of the Highland Avenue congregation in Elgin, who was recently approved for licensing in the district by the Ministry Leadership Development Team (MLDT)! A licensing service is planned at the church during morning worship on Sept. 21, with district executive Walt Wiltschek officiating. Gay is currently enrolled in the denomination’s Training In Ministry (TRIM) program. 

Congratulations also to Krista Dutt, who is serving as interim pastor at Highland Avenue, and was approved recently by MLDT for commissioning in the Church of the Brethren. She is a graduate of Anabaptist Mennonite Biblical Seminary in Indiana. A commissioning service has been scheduled at Highland Avenue for Oct. 12 at 5:30 p.m. with a light meal. 

Several other members of the district are discerning a call to ministry and will be exploring with calling cohorts or interviews in the coming months. Please be in prayer for them as they seek God’s direction for their lives and work. 

A recording of an equipping session offered at this year’s Annual Conference titled “Many Hands Make Weighty Work Light: A Shared Ministry Model” is now available. Featuring presenters from four congregations, including our own Springfield First, the session describes how such a model strengthens a congregation’s sense of giftedness, its call to discipleship, and mission. Find the recording at www.brethren.org/ministryoffice/shared-ministry-model. Plans for a shared ministry team event in 2026 are also under way. 

For any ordained or commissioned ministers who still need to do the ethics training for the current 2025 ordination renewal cycle, two online ethics sessions will be offered this fall. These sessions will be offered on two Saturdays, October 4 and October 11, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Central Time. The session content will equal 5 hours (.5 CEUs), allowing an hour for lunch. An electronic CEU certificate will be mailed to the minister from the Brethren Academy following the session. There is no charge for CEUs for this event. If you wish to register for this event, please contact the district office at iwdde@outlook.com. 

There will also be an in-person ethics training offered at Camp Mack in Milford, Ind., on Sept. 19, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Eastern Time, in cooperation with Northern Indiana District. Cost for that event is $45, including lunch at the camp. You can contact office.nidcob@gmail.com to register, or call 574-773-3149. All ministers must attend an ethics training every five years unless they are given an exemption for being retired and completely out of ministry of any kind. Note that all other forms (other than the background check, which will be done later) for the ordination renewal are now overdue. Copies of most forms can be found at https://www.brethren.org/ministryoffice/forms/. The district Ministry Leadership Development Team (MLDT) will complete document reviews and renewals for all credentialed ministers in the district later this year. 

Congregational vacancies/updates: 

Cerro Gordo: Larry Traxler retired as pastor effective Aug. 10. A search committee has been formed, and a congregational profile is now available. Cerro Gordo is currently using pulpit supply. District executive Walt Wiltschek will visit the congregation and meet with the search committee on Oct. 19. 

Dutchtown (Milledgeville): Ed Livengood is serving as an internal preacher and providing pastoral care. Ed is pursuing a call to ministry and has entered the licensing discernment process, with Rick Koch serving as district mentor.

Highland Avenue (Elgin): Krista Dutt (Chicago First) began serving as interim pastor on April 1. Krista was recently affirmed for commissioning in the Church of the Brethren. The congregation has called a search committee and is working on a profile.

Lanark: Eric Wetzel was called as pastor on Aug. 31 and will begin in early November.

Mount Morris: Rodney Caldwell completed his service as pastor effective Aug. 31. District executive Walt Wiltschek is serving as a partial interim pastor through the fall (two Sundays per month) to assist with the transition, as the church is also finalized the sale of its building on Sept. 5. Walt and the congregation have met several times to work on next steps.

Woodland: Local pastor Mathew Thiner is serving as an interim preacher and providing some pastoral care. Woodland member Kevin Sager is also helping to provide interim leadership, aided by a congregational team.

York Center (Lombard): A congregational profile has been published, and the search committee has been doing interviews. Jonathan Shively and Tony Asta are serving as an interim pastoral team through Sept. 30. The congregation is working on plans beyond that date.