Great Lakes Conference

Our Mission

Helping every congregation become a healthy, missional church. Pursuing Christ. Pursuing Christ’s priorities in our world.

Our Vision

Great Lakes 2020 Vision: By the year 2020, to multiply to 100 missional, Christ-magnifying congregations in an increasing mosaic of communities.

Our Passion

To lift up Jesus Christ. We are a movement that emphasizes “new life in Christ.” (John 12:32) We are continually open to the fresh movements of the Spirit that lift up Jesus Christ and bring people to Him.

Our Conference

The Great Lakes Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church covers lower Michigan, Ohio, western Pennsylvania, western New York, Kentucky, Tennessee and West Virginia and is committed to church planting, church development, church outreach and christian camping.

Special Announcement

Celebration of Life Service Set for Larry Sherman

Covenant Newswire, DETROIT, MI (May 8, 2013) – A Celebration of Life service will be conducted this coming Saturday, May 11, for Larry Sherman, associate superintendent of the Great Lakes Conference of the Evangelical Covenant Church (ECC), who died Tuesday aboard a flight from Nashville, Tennessee, to Detroit, Michigan.

Sherman, who celebrated his 60th birthday last September, also served as director of church planting for the conference and had been meeting with Covenant churches in Nashville and in Paducah, Kentucky, over the weekend, according to conference Superintendent Garth McGrath.

Visitation will be observed from 5 to 8 p.m. this Friday at Faith Covenant Church, 35415 West 14 Mile Road in Farmington Hills, Michigan.

The Celebration of Life service will begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Life Covenant Church, 7001 North Haggerty Road in Canton, Michigan.

“We do not know a cause of death at this time,” McGrath said, noting that a coroner met the flight when it landed in Detroit. “We do know that we have lost a great friend, a devoted man of God, and a gifted colleague who served Christ faithfully and passionately every day of his life.”

Joe Muzzi, pastor of the Shermans’ home church – Crossroads Community Church in South Lyon – and his wife, JoAnne, were caring for Larry’s wife, Debbie, as news of Larry’s passing became public Tuesday afternoon.

“Larry was resolutely committed to the mission of God in the world, which we all respect," said ECC President Gary Walter upon learning the news. “He lived a ‘God first’ life as a husband, father, friend, and colleague. Pray for Debbie, their children, and grandchildren at this time of great mourning and crying out to God."

There is a clarification we wish to make in regards to the Friday, May 10th 5-8pm visitation for Dr. Larry Sherman at Faith Covenant Church, Farmington Hills, MI. This will be a reception and an opportunity for us to visit with Larry's family and close friends to offer condolences and a time to grieve together.

Larry's casket will not actually be present at either the Friday night reception or at the Saturday, Celebration of Life service.

Click here for details on Funeral Arrangements and Memorial Gifts

Conference News

The Soul Center, Louisville, KY

The Soul Center, one of the newest churches in the Great Lakes Conference, recently celebrated its third anniversary. The Soul Center's mission is to lead people into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. We do this through our vision which is to T.O.U.C.H the whole person through Togetherness, Outwardness, Upwardness, Creativeness, and Holiness, leading folks into a growing relationship with Jesus Christ. We are a creative faith community incorporating dance, song, hip-hop and even stand-up comedy in our worship services. Sunday sermons are typically presented...

Church Planting: A Mission Priority of the GLC

WHY do we need more churches?

Because the number of churches has not kept up with population growth.
Because for each Evangelical Church that is healthy and missional, individual lives are changed, marriages are healed, kids receive direction, communities are transformed, AND where the church fails, society fails. The church is the hope of the world.

HOW do we plant new churches?
1. Churches Plant Churches because Healthy living things reproduce according to their kind.