Ordained in 1999, the Rev. Dr. Greg G. Busboom grew up near Flatville in east central Illinois. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and History from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign in 1995, a Master of Divinity degree from Trinity Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio in 1999, and a Doctor of Ministry degree in Congregational Mission and Leadership from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota in 2018. His doctoral thesis is titled Perichoretic Worship: Cultivating Relationships with the Triune God, with One Another, and with the World.

Bishop Busboom served as pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Carthage, Illinois from 1999-2007, the Pastor of Outreach and Discipleship at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Springfield, Illinois from 2007-2011, and the Lead Pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Springfield, Illinois from 2011-2023. He was elected bishop of the Central/Southern Illinois Synod in June 2023.

Bishop Busboom has been married to his wife, Maressa, for 27 years. Maressa is an R.N., B.S.N. who works as a school nurse at Rochester Elementary School. They have three children. Emma is a graduate student in elementary education at the University of Illinois in Springfield. Luke is a senior at Saint Louis University, majoring in public health. Liam is a 7th grader at Glenwood Middle School in Chatham.

Bishop Busboom enjoys good food, good music, and a good book.

Responsibilities:

• Liaison to Mission Support and Stewardship Education Committee
• Liaison to New and Renewing Congregations Committee
• Area Mission Strategies, New Congregations, and Congregational Vitality

Pastor Rothfusz attended Luther College and Luther Seminary, and was ordained in 1997. She has served calls to St. John Lutheran Church, Bluff Springs, Eureka Presbyterian Church, Eureka, and Salem Lutheran Church, Peoria. In 2018 she was called to serve the Central/Southern Illinois Synod as Director for Evangelical Mission, a position in each of the ELCA synods that promotes congregational vitality. She also serves the synod as Congregational Resources Coordinator ¼ time, which includes assisting staff, pastors, and congregations from a family systems perspective. She is married to Pastor John Rothfusz, and they have three young adult children.

Kim is a Springfield native and currently lives in Sherman with her husband Jeremy and sons Roman and Liam. They are members of St. John’s Lutheran Church in Springfield. The boys keep her busy with their many activities: travel hockey, marching band, musicals, and more.

Kim recently worked as administrative assistant at Idealease in Springfield; before that she was youth program director for the YMCA.

Responsibilities:

• Website and social media
• Email communications
• Videographer and editor
• Congregational communications and technology resource

A Pennsylvania native, Michael joined the synod staff in 2022 as Director of Communications. He previously served as communications manager at the United States Indoor Sports Association for nine years.

His passion for helping the church adapt to new technologies, combined with his education and work experiences, led him to serve as webmaster, social media manager, and technology committee member for his home congregation of Evangelical Lutheran Church in Greencastle, Pa. He also serves as webmaster for Trinity Lutheran Church in Greencastle, Pa., and previously served in the role for Salem Lutheran Church in Marion, Pa.

He has a master’s degree in broadcast and digital journalism from Syracuse University (class of 2012) and a bachelor’s degree in meteorology from Penn State University (class of 2007). Michael is an avid sports fan and cheers for the New England Revolution and New England Patriots, and he enjoys watching international motorsport. He collects Transformers action figures and model starships.

Responsibilities:

• Bookkeeper

Jennie has worked in the bookkeeping field for 23 years, most of them spent in a public school district in Missouri. She has also done some time working in a CPA office and in corporate bookkeeping and tax work.

She recently moved to Springfield, Illinois, from the Springfield, Missouri, area with her husband and two adult children. Jennie’s husband is Associate Regional Minister of Transformation for the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Illinois and Wisconsin region. Her son is currently a cook at a restaurant in Springfield and lives at home as he gets on his feet and can find a place of his own. Her daughter is studying Physical Therapy at Maryville University in St. Louis, so they don’t see nearly enough of her anymore.

Jennie is very excited to be working for the Synod and having the opportunity to do a job she enjoys in a ministry setting.