13A—Mr. Russell Deloney, Sr. w Shepherd of the Prairie, Huntley (northeast conference)

Occupation: ELCA Archives Technician/Office of the Secretary

Areas of special leadership and interest in the congregation: Present: Men's Ministry Coordinator, Usher, Assistant Minister for Sunday Services. Past: Vice President Synod Council, Zion Lutheran Church, Avalon Park, Chicago, Usher, Choir Member.

Areas of special leadership and interest in the community:  Member of the African American Club of Sun City, Huntley; past member of the Board of Director for Lutheran Family Mission.

Reason I wish to serve this area of ministry in the synod: From 1988 to 2003 was involved with Global Mission for the Metro Chicago Synod. From 1997 to 2003 served as chair-person of Global Mission Committee. In 1995 traveled to South Africa to meet with Bishop of the Central Diocese to formulate the Companion Synod Agreement and Partnership.

My priorities for this ministry: To continue the work for which I believe, I've been called to do, with a new venue.

13B—vacant

14A—Mr. Alan Sullivan w Bethlehem, Joliet (east conference)

Occupation: Electrical Contractor

Areas of special leadership and interest in the congregation: Building Committee.

Areas of special leadership and interest in the community: Fair housing for all citizens. Green areas in a community for all to enjoy.

Reason I wish to serve this area of ministry in the synod: I believe in the mission of outreach; serving others.

My priorities for this ministry: Serving others.

My faith statement: I believe in Jesus Christ and God's Grace for our salvation.

14B—vacant

15A—The Reverend Mary Frances w Joyful Spirit, Bolingbrook (east conference)

Occupation: Pastor

Areas of special leadership and interest in the congregation: Evangelism has been an area of special interest for me since the days of my internship! Hospitality, faith sharing, welcoming and the practice of evangelism in worship and in daily life are regular areas of emphasis in my ministry.

Areas of special leadership and interest in the community: I am part of the Evangelism/Revival training for the ELCA and will be traveling around the country preaching at revivals during this coming year. We are also developing our prayer ministry to reach out into the community.

Reason I wish to serve this area of ministry in the synod: I believe that we have an incredible story to tell and too often don't know how to tell it. For some reason, most people feel awkward and embarrassed about their faith. What is it about Jesus Christ that I can't live without? Hmmm, where do I begin!?

My priorities for this ministry: Evangelism is not just a priority…it is a way of life, a way of growing relationships, a way of growing in faith.

My faith statement: I am blessed to be child of God, claimed through the waters of Baptism and saved by faith through grace, called to be a disciple of Jesus Christ who makes disciples who make disciples who make disciples…..

15B—vacant

16A—The Reverend Mike Clark w Grace, Knoxville (southwest conference)

Occupation: Pastor

Areas of special leadership and interest in the community: Knox Township Youth Council, Community Hospice Chaplain, Institutional Review Board for Cottage and St. Mary Hospitals, Western Illinois Area Agency on Aging Board.

Reason I wish to serve this area of ministry in the synod: From Frederick Muhlenberg to Lars Paul Esbjorn Lutherans have been committed to the principal "Ecclesia Plantanda," the church must be planted. The church must also be nurtured and supported. Outreach is the heartbeat of a growing church.

My priorities for this ministry: Supporting the congregations which have been started and encouraging those congregations which need to grow; we plant new churches but sometimes forget to encourage and affirm growing congregations and help other congregations grow.

My faith statement: God calls us through our baptism into the church, equips us with faith to grow in our commitment to Jesus Christ and sends us out to share the good news with others.

16B—The Reverend Chris Beamsley w Cross of Glory, Homer Glen (east conference)

Occupation: Pastor

Areas of special leadership and interest in the congregation: Pastor. I receive great joy in equiping people for ministry, coaching staff and leaders in the congregation, preaching.  Have particularly enjoyed working with our congregation's health team as we work with Natural Church Development in our context. 

Areas of special leadership and interest in the community: Natural Church Development Coach for Northern Illinois Synod; "Art Dad" for the elementary school; chaperone for the elementary school.

Reason I wish to serve this area of ministry in the synod: We have the great responsibility and joy to reach out to the communities around us. The Gospel needs to be heard and seen especially as so many of our communities are experiencing some of the greatest population growth changes in the country. 

My priorities for this ministry: To strategize how we can grow the church with the resources we have together and in partnerships with one another. 

My faith statement: Our God is a God who loves us so much nothing can hold him back from us. In this relationship with God, we discover who we are and who we are called to be. Our relationship with God is like the shape of a cross - it is "vertical" as we love God in response to God's love and it is "horizontal" as well, reaching out as we respond to God's love and purpose for us. 

17A—The Reverend Robert Dealey w Shepherd of the Hill, Lockport (east conference)

Occupation: Senior Pastor

Areas of special leadership and interest in the congregation: Member, ELCA Blue Ribbon Evangelism Task Force (the group that developed the current ELCA Evangelism Strategy); ELCA Partner in Evangelism, (1994-2006); Member, Central/Southern Illinois Synod Evangelism Committee (2002-2006); "Daily Reflections", editor, a daily electronic devotional (1998-current); "Glimpse of Hope", weekly radio broadcast host, 1989-1997.

Areas of special leadership and interest in the community:-Founding President, Maryville Outreach Center, Maryville, IL, a thrift store and food pantry (2000-2006).  Newly constructed facility dedicated April 23, 2006. President, Maryville Ministerial Alliance, 1999-2006. Founding President, Cleburne County Cares, Inc. (a united community resource center), 1986-1989; two-time recipient of the Arkansas Governor Volunteer Excellence Award for work done in conjunction with Cleburne County Cares, Inc. Founding Board Member, Haven House, Inc., a domestic abuse shelter, 1989-1991.

Reason I wish to serve this area of ministry in the synod: Because I believe that each and every baptized person is called to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with all people.

My priorities for this ministry: Teach people how to become more "evangelical"--in the sense of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.

My faith statement: God calls, equips and sends us to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with all people.   The act of evangelizing is done in a variety of ways in a variety of settings, because each of us is uniquely gifted.

17B—The Reverend Michael Thomas w Living Waters, Crystal Lake (east conference)

Occupation: Pastor

Areas of special leadership and interest in the congregation: I have served one term on the Synod Outreach Committee and have an understanding of the focus and direction of this team. I have been a Mission Pastor at Living Waters Lutheran Church since September of 1998. I continue to serve as worship leader, preacher, teacher, vision keeper, equipment manager and encourager to a group of Christians here at Living Waters. I am currently in the second year of the Association of Chicago Theological Schools Doctorate in Ministry Program in Preaching at the Lutheran School of Theology.

Areas of special leadership and interest in the community: While serving at Grace in Loves Parks from 1994-1998 as the Associate Pastor, I served on the Board of the United Way, President of the Parks Ministerial Board and member of the Rockford Area Lutheran Ministries Board. I currently participate in the Crystal Lake Ministerial gatherings, served with our teens at our community Food Pantry and Habitat for Humanity and have taken them on Youth Works servant trips.

Reason I wish to serve this area of ministry in the synod: I have enjoyed leading workshops at the Congregational Resourcing Event in recent years on Spiritual Gift discovery and on how to become a "Contagious Christian" (Mittleberg material). I believe the ELCA must equip people more and more on how to talk about what it means to share the grace of Christ without beating people over the head. We must see that God is seeking after us in order to guide and disciple others to know and share the grace of Christ in daily journey.

My priorities for this ministry: I think we need to equip and train people more about sharing their faith with others. People need to learn how to communicate the grace of Christ in order to tell their story to others in words and actions.

My faith statement: My mission is to inspire, equip and mobilize people to share the grace of Christ. God has claimed me to build my life on the grace of Christ, as revealed through the scripture and experienced in the Church.