THE EFCCL ELDER BOARD

While the governance of our church (EFCCL) is vested in its members, the Elder Board represents the members as their servants, overseeing all matters necessary for the effective accomplishment of the church's ministry and vision. The Elder Board serves as the church's visionaries for its future and as the custodians of its physical assets. The elders also undertake the responsibility to protect biblical truth and assess and strengthen the spiritual health and shepherding of the church. Presently, the Elder Board includes 6 elders in addition to the Senior Pastor.

Send an email to the elders: elders@efccl.org 

Ben Ackert

Ben and his wife Kim have enjoyed fellowship with the EFCCL church family since the early 2000’s. It is here that the Lord began to bless Ben and Kim with a quiver full of children, as He gave to them Clara, Nickolas, and Rachel. In 2007, the Lord brought a move to the Rockford area for the family through Ben’s work. There, the family attended the First Free Rockford church. The Lord continued to bless the Ackert family with children as Jacob and Jane were added. In the fall of 2013, the Lord brought the family back to Crystal Lake, and they have continued to worship at EFCCL since that time.

Ben studied music and sound recording at Greenville College and Civil Engineering at the University of Illinois, Chicago. He has worked in different capacities as an engineer, including as a public servant for the federal government. Kim also works in public service as a Physician’s Associate in the Emergency Room.

Ben and Kim hold God’s Word above all worldly wisdom. They are committed to the Deuteronomy 6 command to diligently teach the words of God to your children. They share a passion for an Ephesians 4 discipleship that trains the next generation for equipping the saints for ministry and building up the church to full unity in faith and knowledge of Jesus. To this end, Ben leads the AWANA ministry, and Kim serves in NEXUS Student Ministries.

The Ackert’s have been richly blessed through the community of saints at EFCCL, and spend as much time as possible with their Community Group and other friends from the various ministries in which they serve. Ben enjoys time with family and friends, laughter, music, sports, the outdoors, American history, tinkering, good books, silly movies, and desserts of all kinds (especially frozen custard and homemade cookies). Ben likes to remember that God is always good, and always at work for the good of those who love Him. As James 1:17 says, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

Jay Childs

Pastor Jay has been in full time ministry since 1987 and has served as the Senior Pastor at EFCCL since October 2013.  Prior to this, he served as Senior Pastor for the Evangelical Free Church in Balaton, Minnesota (1987-1990), and the Evangelical Free Church in Midland, Michigan (1990-2013).  

Pastor Jay grew up in Southern California and then moved to Michigan as a teenager. His wife, Becky, grew up in Boulder, Colorado where she and Jay were later married. They have three children: Ben (married to Ellie), Stacy (married to Andrew), and Heidi (married to Shawn). Jay and Becky also have ten grandchildren.

Pastor Jay and Becky love to hang out with friends, eat ice cream, and watch epic stuff like the Lord of the Rings trilogy. They also enjoy traveling, leading study tours to Israel and visiting missionaries in various and sundry places.  One of Pastor Jay's favorite verses is Isaiah 6:3, "And they were calling to one another: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory.'"  

Mark Gerhardt

Mark and his wife Jill have been attending EFCCL since 2014. Married in 2003, they have four children, Grace (17), Benjamin (15), Audrey (14), and Ella (12). Mark serves on the Safety Team and is the class administrator for the men’s Bible Study Fellowship class that meets at EFCCL. Jill sings in the choir with Grace and Ben while Grace and Audrey serve with the worship team.  Jill assists in a number of other church ministries as needed.

Mark works as a Circuit Judge for McHenry County currently presiding over criminal cases. He has been a judge for 11 years and previously practiced law in Chicago, Hawthorn Woods, and Woodstock. Jill is originally from the Seattle area and came to the Chicago suburbs as a teen eventually studying at Moody Bible Institute and managing her parents restaurant in northwest Indiana. Mark and Jill met in a Bible Study Fellowship Young Adult class in the late 90s.

The Gerhardt family enjoys the great outdoors and can usually be found on summer vacation camping and hiking in a national park, canoeing in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, or serving at Benjamin’s summer camp in upstate New York.  When not out in the woods, Mark and Jill’s favorite activity is to spend time with their family. Whether it’s family movie night or listening to multiple instruments and singing all being practiced at once, the Gerhardt family is always most at home with one another.

Due to his admiration for God’s Creation, Mark finds Romans 1:20 particularly meaningful, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—His eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

Rob Page

Rob and his wife, Suzanne, have been married for 17 years and have been blessed with three children : Jonah, Eleanor (Ellie), and Sadie.  They have been members and regular attenders at EFCCL since 2007.  Rob also attended the church during high school and college.  Over the years, Rob has served as church treasurer and community group leader and Suzanne has served in worship and children’s ministries.  Currently both Rob and Suzanne serve in Awana and worship/tech ministries and Rob also participates on the finance team. Without immediate family members in the area, the church has served to anchor and encourage them greatly. 

Rob and Suzanne met at Zurich Insurance in 2003 where Rob currently works as AVP of Programs Support. Suzanne is currently a stay at home mom and keeps herself extremely busy homeschooling the kids. Together they enjoy traveling, hiking, and family time. Rob also loves any chance he can get to see a Nebraska Cornhusker football game.

Over the years, Rob has been especially impacted and shaped by the message of joy, peace, and provision packed into the 4 verses of Philippians 4:4–7, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Jake Seiler

Jake and his wife, Jena, have been married for almost 16 years. They began attending EFCCL in the spring of 2013. They have four children, Anna (12), Benton (10), Henry (7), and Isaac (4). Jake and Jena both sing in the choir on Sunday mornings and currently lead a Community Group. Jake is a member of the Thursday morning men’s group and Jena serves in BSF as the Student Program Children’s Supervisor. EFCCL has been a source of community and belonging with other believers that they have cherished greatly over the last decade.

Jake has taught physics and chemistry at Prairie Ridge High School for the past 22 years, where he also works as the assistant STEM Division Leader. He has directed plays, built sets for musicals, and has helped run lights and sound for many of the student productions. Jena is a former elementary school teacher who now stays home with their four children. Jake and Jena enjoy spending time with friends and family, cooking and baking, and of course, competitive board games with the kids. 

One of Jake’s favorite verses is Isaiah 40:8, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”  This verse brings great comfort because it reminds us that the Bible was true yesterday, is true today, and will be true for all eternity.

Dan Wallace

Dan and his wife Mary Jo (MJ) began attending EFCCL in 2010. Born in California, Dan’s family moved around in his early years as his father was a pilot in the Marine Corps. They settled in Wisconsin when Dan was in 1st grade and he grew up there. MJ also moved around quite a bit as a child. She was born in Queens, New York and lived in several east coast states, but mostly in New York. They met in college but only began dating later after reconnecting at their mutual friend’s wedding. They were married in 1988. They are blessed with two children, Colin (Amanda) living in Dallas, and Chloe, living in St. Louis.

Dan has been active in several ministries with EFCCL, including the Men’s Ministry team and he and MJ are community group facilitators, part of the community group shepherding team, and they recently joined the church choir. They sang together in college, at their wedding and at a previous church, so they are enjoying getting back to their “roots!” MJ can also be seen frequently at the church helping out in several ministries, most notably with Connections and helping plan the annual Fall Fest.

Dan went to USAF pilot training and then flew KC-135s in the Milwaukee Air National Guard. He was hired in 1988 at American Airlines and is currently a captain flying international routes on the 787 from O’Hare. MJ has worked in the paper industry, had her own gift basket business and is currently writing children’s books, hoping to be published one day. Her favorite job, by far, has been being a stay-at-home mom!

One of Dan’s favorite verses is Romans 8:38-39, reminding him of God’s love. “For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Kevin Wegrzyn

Kevin and his wife Beverly have been members of EFCCL for 40 years, and have raised both their sons in this church. They are very grateful for the countless godly men and women who have poured into their lives over the years.

Through the ups and downs of running his own dental practice, Kevin learned to trust in God through all things. Because Kevin practiced dentistry for over 40 years, he likes to share Psalm 81:10 with people: “Open your mouth and I will fill it.”

Early on his Christian walk, Kevin felt the call from God to go on a mission trip to Belize. Since then, he has had the joy of serving God on 30+ mission trips all around the world to China, South Sudan, Albania and Honduras. Kevin uses Isaiah 6:8 as his impetus to go on oversea mission trips.

Kevin has served in many roles at EFCCL including elder, Sunday School teacher, usher, and Missions Committee member. He as served under the leadership of senior pastors Robert Fault, Bob Page, and Jay Childs.

Now retired, Kevin and his wife have more time to enjoy their kids and grandchildren. In the summer months you can often find them at their Sawyer, Michigan cottage in Bethany Beach. Kevin is an active reader of history, a golfer and collector of presidential autographs.