July 2026
The LCMS Northern Illinois District is blessed to have a dedicated, faithful staff in place to serve the needs of congregations, schools, ministries, pastors, commissioned workers, lay leaders, and the many others members of our District. For the July and August Ministry Theme topics, we wanted to take time to introduce (or re-introduce) them to you!
We hope you find it helpful to learn a bit more about each of them.
<h3>Meet Joe Willmann – District Vice President for Lutheran Church Extension Fund</h3>
For Joe Willmann, serving the Church is about building relationships, supporting congregations, and helping advance Christ’s mission throughout the LCMS Northern Illinois District.
As District Vice President for Lutheran Church Extension Fund (LCEF), Joe serves as LCEF’s local representative for the LCMS Northern Illinois District. While he assists congregations with financial resources and planning, he sees his role as much more than that. Whether encouraging church leaders, supporting ministry initiatives, or simply walking alongside congregations, Joe considers it a privilege to serve wherever he is needed to help advance Christ’s call to bring His children home.
Joe recently celebrated five years of serving alongside the Northern Illinois District staff. Before serving the LCMS Northern Illinois District, he spent nearly six years with Concordia Publishing House. Earlier in his career, he served in several areas of education, including teaching students, mentoring educators, and administration. Each of those experiences helped prepare him to encourage and equip others in ministry today.
Family is one of God’s greatest blessings in Joe’s life. He and his wife, Nicole, have been married for nearly 16 years and are the parents of two children, Ava and Carter. Nicole serves as a teacher at Immanuel Lutheran School in Batavia, and together they are grateful for the opportunity to raise their family in Christ while serving His Church.
One of Joe’s favorite parts of serving the District is the opportunity to work directly with congregations and their church workers. Building relationships with God’s people and encouraging local ministry are what bring him the greatest joy. Whether he’s visiting a congregation or partnering with ministry leaders, Joe is thankful for the opportunity to serve Christ’s Church alongside others who share that same mission.
A Bible passage that has profoundly shaped Joe’s life is Galatians 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.”
Those words remind him that the Christian life is rooted in Christ’s death and resurrection. As one of his pastors often says, believers are called to “see and say and do as Jesus sees and says and does.” That perspective continues to guide Joe’s life, his work, and his service to others.
Rather than pointing to one individual who influenced his journey, Joe reflects on the many faithful people God has placed in his life. Their examples have shown him that every Christian vocation is an opportunity to serve Christ and love one’s neighbor. For Joe, “church work” extends beyond a job title—it’s the calling every believer receives to share Christ’s love through everyday acts of service. That understanding continues to shape the way he approaches his ministry each day.
For Joe, every conversation, every partnership, and every opportunity to encourage a congregation is another way to point people to Jesus. He is grateful to use his gifts to strengthen ministries, support God’s people, and help advance Christ’s Kingdom across the LCMS Northern Illinois District.
