GLC Annual Meeting 2024

The Great Lakes Conference held its Annual Meeting on Saturday morning, April 20. Doug McCann (GLC Board Chair) called the meeting to order at 8:30 a.m. and after approval of the agenda, standing rules and committees, the adventure began for the 91 delegates (79 in person, 12 virtually) representing 42 churches, one delegate for one institution and 9 delegates for the GLC Board for a total of 101 delegates.

Highlights from the meeting:

AWARDS – Awards for faithful, exceptional, and diligent efforts in each of the mission priorities of the Conference were given during the meeting: CHURCH PLANTING – New Wine Covenant Church in Mason, MI (our Conference’s most recent church plant); CONGREGATIONAL VITALITY – Saranac Community (Covenant) Church in Saranac, MI; LEADERSHIP – The Leadership Team of Bethany Covenant Church in Lyndhurst, OH; OUTREACH – Faith Covenant Church in Farmington Hills, MI.

ELECTIONS – Elected to serve on the Conference Board for 3-year terms were Debbie Abbott (Member of Thornapple Covenant Church, Grand Rapids, MI); Mark Nelson (Pastor of Austintown Community (Covenant) Church, Austintown, OH), Steve Ormond (Member of Faith Covenant Church, Farmington Hills, MI), Art Tucker (Member of Covenant Community Church in Fairfield, OH). The following Board Members were elected to serve as Officers on the Conference Board:  Doug McCann, Chair; Sara Charlton, Vice-Chair; Brian Rudy, Treasurer; John Goss, Secretary. Garth McGrath was elected to serve another term as Superintendent of the Conference.

NEW MEMBER CHURCHES – Two churches were voted to be received into membership: LifeChurch Auburn Hills in Auburn Hills, MI, was planted as an ECC Church in 2019 by Pastor Donearl Johnson. Healing Covenant Church in Paducah, KY, was started in 2023 by Dawn Choate and a small group of people who had previously been part of 4 Rivers (Covenant) Church in Calvert City, KY.

MINISTRY PLANNING CYCLE – Delegates and participants in the Annual Meeting participated in a 90-minute interactive session on Friday evening to provide insight on the strengths and needs of Conference churches as they strive to fulfill their kingdom purpose in their community. During the Annual Meeting on Saturday, delegates were encouraged to take advantage of the tremendous resources now available to Covenant churches through the GLC and the ECC to help them pursue their mission. The Ministry Planning Cycle work will continue through the coming year.

ORDINAND PRESENTED – It was announced to our delegates that Dr. Georgia Hill, Planter/Pastor of LifeChurch Riverside in Detroit, MI, has fulfilled all of the requirements for Ordination in the Evangelical Covenant Church and that the Ministerium of the Great Lakes Conference voted to move Dr. Hill forward for Ordination at the Annual Meeting of the ECC in June of 2024.

CONSTITUTION & BYLAW REVISIONS – Following 2 ½ years of hard work by members of the GLC Board, amendments to the Constitution and Bylaws of the Conference were approved by the Annual Meeting Delegates. The revised documents more accurately reflect the functioning of the Conference and will help the Conference better fulfill its mission to support the ministries of our churches.  

CLOSED CHURCHES – Two Churches recently ended their ministries: Bethany Covenant Church in Lyndhurst, OH voted to close the church after 70 years of faithful, sacrificial ministry in the Cleveland area; The Movement Covenant Church in Nashville, TN, ended its ministry after 7 years of challenging work.

RECOGNITION FOR SERVICE – Jody Eidnes was recognized and celebrated for her 20 years of service as the Conference administrator for the Great Lakes Conference.

Jack Nichols, who is transitioning to full retirement, was recognized for his 13 years of service as a consultant to GLC churches in the areas of finance.

Connie Berry (Faith Covenant Church, Westerville, OH), Amorette Clausen (Forest Park Covenant Church, Muskegon, MI) and Jim Russell (Faith Covenant Church, Farmington Hills, MI) were recognized for their terms of service on the Great Lakes Conference Executive Board.