Plans Are Shaping Up for 2025 Annual Conference
The Northern Illinois Conference’s 186th session, themed “Grace is Sufficient,” will take place June 9-11. Bishop Dan Schwerin, inspired by the transformative power of grace, e…
Presiding Bishop Dan Schwerin
Bishop Dan Schwerin
Bishop Dan Schwerin, Bishop of The United Methodist Church, is serving as the Bishop for the Northern Illinois-Wisconsin Episcopal Area. Bishop Schwerin was elected to the episcopacy at the North Central Jurisdiction gathering in November 2022.
Bishop Schwerin is husband to his wife, Julie, and a father, grandfather, poet, and Jesus is the gold in his life. He is a graduate of Perkins School of Theology and did post-graduate Bowen family systems theory work there. He has enjoyed many contexts for pastoral ministry, including urban and rural churches, a new church plant, a Superintendent of two districts, as well as a multi-staff downtown setting . After the General Conference of 2019, Bishop Schwerin was asked by Bishop Hee-SooJung to lead a collaborative effort with conference partners to increase racial justice and radical inclusion. He then served as Assistant to the Bishop in the Wisconsin Conference. He has also served on the General Conference Task Force on Funding Patterns in the UMC.
Dan and Julie love evening walks and labyrinths. His poetry comes from life on a farm or making his rounds across thirty plus years as a pastor in Wisconsin.
Bishop Karen Oliveto
Ordination and Commissioning Service Preacher: Bishop Karen Oliveto
Bishop Karen P. Oliveto is a bishop, pilgrim, pastor, activist, and scholar. She was consecrated as a bishop of The United Methodist Church on July 16, 2016 and retired on August 31, 2024.
She holds a B.A. in Psychology from Drew University, a Master of Divinity from Pacific School of Religion, a Master in Philosophy and a PhD in the Sociology of Religion, both from Drew. Bishop Oliveto has served in rural and urban settings in parish and campus ministries in NY and California. She has also served as the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs at Pacific School of Religion and has been an adjunct professor of United Methodist Studies at the school from 2004 to 2016. She has also been an adjunct professor at Drew University, Brite Divinity School, Illif School of Theology, and Yale Divinity School. She was elected to the episcopacy after serving as the first woman pastor of the 12,000-member Glide Memorial United Methodist Church in San Francisco, Calif. She served Glide from 2008 until her election as bishop.
Bishop Oliveto has the distinction of being the first openly LGBTQIA+ bishop in The United Methodist Church. She and her wife, Robin Ridenour, a nurse anesthetist and United Methodist deaconess, met in Junior High Church Camp and have been together for 25 years. They were married in 2014.
Rev. Dr. Reginald Blount
Bible Study Leader: Rev. Dr. Reginald Blount
Rev. Dr. Reginald Blount is a Murray H. Leiffer Associate Professor of Formation, Leadership, and Culture and director of the Center for the Church and the Black Experience, both at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. He earned a bachelor’s degree from Tuskegee University, a master of divinity degree from Candler School of Theology, and a doctor of philosophy degree from Northwestern University in cooperation with Garrett-Evangelical.
Dr. Blount believes the purpose of Christian education is to be emancipatory, to set people free to be children of God and co-creators with God. Many personal, social, spiritual, and institutional hindrances prevent the people of God from becoming all that God has created them to be. His research interests are in the areas of African American identity formation, adolescent and young adult identity formation, Christian education theory, Christian education and the black church, and African/African American spirituality. He is currently researching the role of the black church in the identity formation of African American youth.
Pastor Jacob Tipantasig-Wolverton
Worship Leader: Pastor Jacob Tipantasig-Wolverton
Pastor Jacob Tipantasig-Wolverton is the lead pastor at Community United Methodist Church in Naperville. He brings over 25 years of experience in leading both traditional and contemporary worship, children’s and youth ministries, adult discipleship, and pastoral ministry.
Pastor Tipantasig-Wolverton earned a master of divinity degree from the Methodist Theological School of Ohio and an associate’s degree in biblical studies and bachelor of ministries from White Horse School of Ministries in West Lafayette, Ind. He also holds a bachelor of arts in music education from St. Joseph’s College in Rensselaer, Ind. His ability to transcend worship styles to meet each group has been a testament to his ministry. He has preached and led worship for conferences throughout his ministry.
Pastor Tipantasig-Wolverton's desire and passion are to see the next generation embrace their gifts and talents and to find a love for worship and God that will impact their lives for the future. He encourages everyone, no matter their skill level, to approach worship with a heart to worship our Lord and Savior from a place of gratitude. His life motto is "love God and love people."
Deborah Dangerfield
Annual Conference Committee Chair: Deborah Dangerfield
Deborah Dangerfield has been an active member of Chicago: Maple Park UMC since 1963. In the Northern Illinois Conference, she serves or has served on the Nominations Committee, Board of Pensions, Annual Conference Shepherding Team, Black Methodists for Church Renewal, the Inter-Ethnic Strategic Development Group, and the Religious Conference Management Association. She has also served as a delegate to the North Central Jurisdiction of The United Methodist Church. She has master’s degrees in both business and health care.
Rev. James Fu
Annual Conference Committee Vice Chair and Daily Proceedings Chair: Rev. James Fu
Rev. James Fu is the senior pastor at Elmhurst: Christ UMC and the associate pastor at Lombard: First UMC. Jim is a member of the Board of Ordained Ministry and the Prairie Central District Board on Church Location and Building, and is presently the Treasurer and Financial Secretary for the Fellowship of Asian Americans. He has his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Computer Science from the University of Pennsylvania and Stanford University and his M.Div from Asbury Theological Seminary.
Randy Hayes
Conference Secretary: Randy Hayes
Randy Hayes is a retired licensed local pastor, active member at Faith United Methodist in Polo, and former conference co-chair of the Bishop’s Initiative on Children and Poverty. He spent his professional career in Behavioral health as a licensed clinical professional counselor and a certified addiction and drug counselor.