Meet The Pastor
Reverend Sara L. Isbell
Rev. Sara L. Isbell was appointed as Senior Pastor to Wesley UMC on July 1, 2018. Her previous appointments were to Decatur Grace and Chatham UMC’s. Rev. Isbell received her M.Div from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in 2003 and was ordained Elder in the Illinois Great Rivers Conference in 2006. She has served as a delegate to General and Jurisdictional Conferences since 2008, and currently chairs the North Central Jurisdiction Committee on the Episcopacy.
Sara grew up in the United Methodist Church as a “preacher’s kid.” Her father is retired pastor Rev. Dr. E. Paul Unger, who now lives with Sara’s mom Judith in Bloomington, right across town. She received her call to ordained ministry while working as a Program Associate at the Wesley Foundation campus ministry at the University of Illinois (UIUC), and bears witness to the importance of campus ministry in the lives of college students.
Sara is happily married to husband Andy since 1988, and is very proud of their two adult children. Andy enjoys his own role as musician in the church, taking part in choir, ensembles, praise band and handbells.