GRAND RAPIDS, MI (May 2, 2012) – Delegates to the Great Lakes Conference annual meeting elected Garth McGrath to be their new superintendent and honored his predecessor, Richard Lucco, with an award that will be given annually in his honor.
The conference was held April 19-21 at First Covenant Church in Grand Rapids.
McGrath will be installed during the Evangelical Covenant Church Annual Meeting June 21-24 in Irvine, California. He will assume his new responsibilities September 1 at the Great Lakes Conference offices in Canton, Michigan.
McGrath succeeds Lucco, who now serves as the denomination’s first executive director of ministry development. Lucco was presented with the Richard Lucco Award in Church Leadership.
The Dave and Beth Chilcoat Award in Church Outreach was presented to Marge Palmerlee. She is a lifelong resident of Grand Rapids and a member of the Covenant for 40 years, serving in many capacities.
The Dave Dahlberg Award in Church Vitality was given to Russ Carlson, who has spent his pastoral ministry of nearly 30 years serving churches in the conference. He pastored the Forest Park Covenant Church in Muskegon, Michigan, for 18 years until his retirement in January.
The Arv Anderson Church Planting Award was presented to Herb Kolbe, who has worked for 22 years with the non-denominational Coalition for Christian Outreach in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He also is serving as a volunteer associate pastor at the adoption/plant of Keystone church and played a significant role in encouraging Cityview Covenant Church to join the denomination.
Delegates also welcomed Redeemer Church in Hamilton, Ohio, as the conference’s newest church. Kim L. Katterheinrich is the pastor.
The conference celebrated an all-time record of church financial support. Church support totaled $553,000, more than four percent over budget and $64,500 better than in 2010. Delegates approved a $919,000 budget.
