MINISTRY NEWS

Jonathan Shively (Highland Avenue) began as board president of Anabaptist Disabilities Network on Feb. 1. Jonathan joined the board in spring 2025. He serves as executive director of Fox Valley Hands of Hope, a nonprofit providing grief support in north central Illinois, and has a coaching and consulting business, ArtistryLeads. A lifelong member of the Church of the Brethren, Jonathan has a long history of church leadership, but his most rewarding ministry venture was a four-year partnership with Jeanne Davies in Parables, a Chicago-area church community for persons with disabilities and their families. Jonathan is a husband to Kim and a dad to three adult children, including Benjamin, who has Williams Syndrome.

Lynda Willmann, who retired as pastor at Lanark at the end of 2024, will begin serving as part-time interim pastor for Mount Morris in March, with an initial contract of six months. We welcome Lynda back to pastoral ministry in the district!

Several members of the district are exploring calls to ministry. The district’s Ministry Leadership Development Team has connected them with ordained district mentors, and they are meeting with discernment cohorts to continue exploring paths to ministry. Please be in prayer for them as they seek God’s direction for their lives and work.

A grant is now available for church employees who have lost ACA credit for their health insurance plans. The grants is available for active employees of a Church of the Brethren district, camp, or congregation through the Church of the Brethren’s Church Workers Assistance Plan via Eder Financial. For more details or to apply contact Diane at cwgrants@eder.org

Note: The IRS mileage rate for business travel is 72.5 cents per mile for 2026, up 2.5 cents from 2025. 

Congregational vacancies/updates: 

Cerro Gordo: 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 be meeting with the search committee again in March. 

Highland Avenue (Elgin): Krista Dutt (Chicago First) was commissioned (ordained for term of service) in the Church of the Brethren in October and is serving as interim pastor. The congregation has called a search committee, and a profile is now available.

Mount Morris: The congregation is meeting in the Allure of Pinecrest Grove community building and is using pulpit supply during the winter. Lynda Willmann begins as interim pastor for six months in March. Jonathan Shively also will be doing a consultation process with Mount Morris in the coming months as they discern direction. Conversations about next steps for pastoral ministry are ongoing.

Naperville: A search committee has been formed and is finalizing a profile. Conversations about interim possibilities are under way with the church board. Naperville is using pulpit supply during the winter/early spring. District executive Walt Wiltschek met with church leadership in early February.

Woodland: Local pastor Mathew Thiner and Woodland member Kevin Sager are taking turns filling the pulpit, an arrangement the congregation says is working well for them at this time.

York Center (Lombard): Gay Bouwmeester began as part-time interim pastor Nov. 16. The congregation is working on next steps, and a congregational profile is available. District executive Walt Wiltschek met with the search committee in early February.