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1/13/2025 By Paul Black
SPRINGFIELD -- Bishops Kennetha J. Bigham-Tsai and David A. Bard announced today the appointment of the Rev. Sara L. Isbell as district superintendent of the East District, effective July 1.
Rev, Isbell will succeed the Rev. Angie Lee as superintendent. Lee has served the maximum eight consecutive years as a district superintendent and will be receiving another appointment.
"I am delighted to have Sara join the Cabinet and become the East District Superintendent," Bishop Bard said. "She has a deep and thoughtful faith in Jesus Christ along with a passionate desire to see the church be its best. She brings to the position of superintendency a compassionate pastoral heart, a concern for the church to be engaged in the world, wonderful creativity and wonderful relationship-building skills. She will be a great addition to the Cabinet team.“
Making a new appointment to the cabinet is always a joy, and always also means a loss," Bishop Bard added. "The Rev. Angie Lee has served the conference faithfully and well as a district superintendent. Her ministry among us has been deeply appreciated. She has served both the IGRC and the East District, and its predecessors, with integrity, intelligence, joy, a deep faith, and a deep love for the church. Her cabinet colleagues and bishops will miss her.”
Bishop Bard noted that Rev. Isbell has held a variety of leadership positions in the Illinois Great Rivers Conference including leading the delegation to the 2020/2024 General Conference. She is a past chairperson of the North Central Jurisdiction Committee on the Episcopacy -- the committee which assigns bishops to episcopal areas. And she has been a member of the NCJ Committee on Episcopacy since 2012. Rev. Isbell is also a four-time elected delegate to General Conference at the 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020/2024 regular sessions and the 2019 Special Session in St. Louis.
"I am honored to be asked to serve in this way," Rev. Isbell said. "I have been proud to work with Bishops Bard and Bigham-Tsai as a member of the Jurisdictional Committee on the Episcopacy. I look forward to working with them and supporting their vision for the Illinois Great Rivers Conference."
Rev. Isbell said The United Methodist Church has much good to share with the world. "I hope to let God use me to help the Illinois Great Rivers Conference – and especially the churches and pastors of the East District – celebrate our United Methodist identity and calling," she said. "I will do my best to serve faithfully, listen well, and support the churches, campus ministries, and agencies of the East District, and their leadership, to fulfill their mission and make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world."
Rev. Isbell is a graduate of the University of Illinois and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston. In her 22 years of active ministry, she has served as Associate Pastor of Decatur Grace UMC; Chatham UMC; and for the past seven years, Bloomington: Wesley UMC and for the last year, Bloomington: West Olive UMC. She and her husband, Andy, are the parents of two grown children.
Rev. Isbell's father, IGRC retired pastor, the Rev. E. Paul Unger, and with her new appointment become the first father-daughter to serve as District Superintendents in the Illinois Great Rivers Conference and its predecessor conferences. Rev. Unger served as district superintendent of the former Peoria District from 1985 to 1991 prior to retiring in 1999. Central District Superintendent, the Rev. Bradley Watkins II became the first father-son to serve on the Cabinet when he was appointed in in 2020. His father was superintendent of the former Champaign District from 1991 to 1998 before retiring in 2001.
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