Lake Union Delegates Re-Elect Leadership at Constituency Session

On May 31, 2026, delegates to the 24th Lake Union Constituency Session re-elected the current slate of administrators to serve another five-year term. 

More than 300 representatives from the Illinois, Indiana, Lake Region, Michigan and Wisconsin conferences, Andrews University and UChicago Medicine AdventHealth met at Pioneer Memorial Church in Berrien Springs, Michigan, to receive reports and determine the Lake Union leadership. 

Election Results

*Elden Ramirez and his wife Jenny are congratulated by North American Division President Alexander Bryant. [Photo by Katie Fellows]*

President Elden Ramirez initially assumed the role in May 2025, after serving four years as executive secretary in Lake Union. “Thank you for the vote of confidence. It’s a team effort,” he said in brief remarks after the vote was announced. “The leader of the church is Christ and Christ alone. Keep us in your prayers as we seek to do His will on a daily basis.”

The administration team was re-elected by an overwhelming margin. Left to right: Elden Ramirez, president with his wife Jenny; Ted Huskins, secretary, along with his wife Cynthia; and Glynn Scott, treasurer, with his wife Donna-Mae. [Photo by Dave Sherwin]

Ted Huskins, who joined Lake Union in July 2025, was voted to continue as executive secretary. Huskins previously held the same position in the Atlantic Union. Treasurer Glynn C.W. Scott will continue in the role he’s held for more than 20 years. 

From left to right: Associate Communication Director Ruben Casabona, IT Director Sean Parker, Associate Education Director Laura Frary, Education Director Nicole Mattson, HR Director Vicki Thompson, Associate Treasurer Richard Moore and Communication Director Debbie Michel. [Photo by Dave Sherwin]

Delegates also voted overwhelmingly to reappoint departmental and administrative leaders in Communication, Education, IT, Human Resources and Treasury.

Several departmental leadership positions were referred to the Executive Committee for further review as part of an ongoing evaluation of organizational structure and ministry leadership models. In some cases, the positions affected are coordinator roles that are ordinarily filled by Executive Committee action rather than constituency session election. The action reflects broader organizational and strategic considerations and should not be interpreted as a reflection on the faithful and valued service of the individuals currently serving in those areas.

NAD President G. Alexander Bryant was on hand to facilitate the vote on the nominating committee’s report. 

Other items 

The Lake Union administration took time to honor Carmelo Mercado, general vice president and director of multicultural ministries. President Ramirez thanked Mercado for 50 years of faithful service as a pastor and administrator and acknowledged his wife Roseanne for her partnership and prayers. Mercado expressed gratitude for the opportunity to serve God in Lake Union and his eagerness to spend more time with family. “God is doing great things in this union,” he said in a final exhortation. “Jesus is coming again. That’s the blessed hope that we have. May we share that with all the world. Let them know that God is love and that he wants his people to be ready for his kingdom.”

Leaders shared departmental reports to convey the state of the union. The president’s report was a video presentation highlighting a series of testimonies from members and ministries throughout the region. 

In the Secretariat’s Report, Huskins shared that membership in the Lake Union Conference is nearly 92,000, up from around 88,000 in 2020. Baptisms have increased year over year since 2020, while the numbers of members leaving due to death, absence or transfer are decreasing. 

Lake Union received a clean financial audit from auditors from the General Conference. 

Delegates reviewed and voted on a series of proposed changes to the Lake Union Conference Constitution and Bylaws, with most amendments passing by vote. Delegates engaged in thoughtful discussion regarding proposed language addressing the relationship between the Lake Union, the North American Division, and the General Conference. Following discussion, the section was referred back to the Constitution and Bylaws Committee for further study and recommendation.

A new group of executive committee members were also elected to serve for the next five years:

Lake Union: Ted Huskins, Glynn Scott, Elden Ramirez

Andrews University: John Wesley Taylor V

Indiana: Jimmy Arnett, Mark Eaton, Onias Muza, Vic Van Schaik

Illinois: Marcia Bedney, Michael Campos, Eva Cruz, Jon Grys, Doug Reeves

Lake Region: Eddie Allen, Jin Choi, Christopher Clark Sr., Harold Cleveland, Deidre Garnett, Abraham Henry, Gary Loster, Floyd Mathis, Rijenna Murray, Kent Nichols, Pamela Wright-Daly

Michigan: Sarah Canada, Michael Bernard, Sim Clemens, David Fernandez, Jermaine Gayle, Nereida Martinez, James Micheff Jr., Lori Randall, Israel Ramos

Wisconsin: Bill Dudgeon, Gerardo Medina, Titus Naftanaila, Justin Perrone

UChicago Medicine AdventHealth: Monica Reed

The Lake Union holds a constituency session every five years to conduct the official business of the church. Delegates elect leadership, receive reports from union and department leaders, and vote on church business items. The state of the union is shared through various reports on finances, church membership, audits and other statistics. Session programming also highlights stories of mission, evangelism and the accomplishments of union departments and lay members. 

You can follow more highlights from the constituency session on the Lake Union Adventists social media pages.

More photos from the session are available here.

Written by Kaara Harris and Debbie Michel