Lake Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

What Lake Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists does

The Lake Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is a regional administrative body of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, headquartered at 8450 M 139 in Berrien Springs, Michigan. Founded in 1901, it serves as the coordinating layer between the North American Division of the worldwide church and five constituent state/regional conferences (Illinois, Indiana, Lake Region, Michigan, Wisconsin), which in turn oversee local member churches. Its stated mission is to share Christian teachings within its four-state Great Lakes territory and to coordinate pastoral, educational, administrative, and outreach resources across its member institutions.

The organization operates a digital platform built on Adventist Connect for content distribution, event management, and member communications, and publishes the Lake Union Herald as its official news outlet across web, social, and print. It also operates the Lake Union Conference Revolving Fund Trust (established 1993), a wholly-owned financial-services entity that issues variable-rate promissory notes to members and affiliated institutions across the territory, currently offering 2.50% interest to depositors with minimum deposits of $250 (individuals) and $1,000 (entities).

The business model is donation- and faith-based rather than commercial. Primary inflows are voluntary member contributions (tithes and offerings) routed through the conference structure, supplemented by interest income from the Revolving Fund. There is no public pricing for church membership or general services. The organization employs 11–50 staff at the conference-office level, with ministry delivery executed by local pastors and congregations within the five constituent conferences. The entity is governed by elected leadership — President, Executive Secretary, Treasurer, and General Vice President — and reports administratively to the North American Division.

Name

Lake Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Legal name

Lake Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Website

https://lakeunion.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1901

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Lake Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is a regional church administrative body, founded in 1901 and headquartered in Berrien Springs, Michigan. It coordinates five constituent conferences and member churches across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin, funded by member tithes, offerings, and a Revolving Fund for affiliated institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Religious Organization Administration

NAICS

Religious Organizations (8131), Religious Organizations (813110), Religious Organizations (81311)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Denominational & Ecclesiastical Governance Bodies (Dioceses, Synods, Conferences) (BPAGAJAB)

Keywords

• Religious organization
• Church administration
• Denominational governance
• Pastoral services
• Faith-based community

Headquarters

HQ city

Berrien Springs

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Member Donations and Tithes: The organization receives voluntary contributions from members including tithes and offerings to support church operations and mission activities.
2. Revolving Fund Operations: Issues promissory notes bearing variable interest rates to members and institutions of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Currently offering 2.50% interest for depositors. Minimum deposits: $1,000 for entities, $250 for individuals.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Lake Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is a regional administrative body of the Seventh-day Adventist Church that coordinates pastoral, financial, and administrative support for member churches, conferences, and individuals across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. It oversees ministry departments (Multicultural Ministries, Women's Ministries, Stewardship, Trust Services), publishes the Lake Union Herald, and operates the Lake Union Revolving Fund (LURF), which issues interest-bearing promissory notes to church members and institutions.

Product overview

Lake Union Conference operates primarily as a regional church administrative organization within the Seventh-day Adventist denomination, rather than as a technology product company. Its digital presence consists of a church website built on the Adventist Connect platform that provides informational content, event management, and administrative services to member churches across Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The organization offers a Lake Union Revolving Fund (LURF) for financial services to member entities, publishes the Lake Union Herald as its official news publication, and maintains various ministry departments including Multicultural Ministries, Women's Ministries, Stewardship, and Trust Services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Lake Union Revolving Fund: A trust that issues promissory notes bearing interest to members and institutions of the Seventh-day Adventist Church within Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin.

Products and services

• Lake Union Revolving Fund (LURF) A trust that issues promissory notes bearing variable interest rates to members and institutions of the Seventh-day Adventist Church within Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, and Wisconsin. Current depositor interest rate is 2.50%; minimum initial deposit of $1,000 for entity accounts and $250 for individual accounts.
• Lake Union Herald
• Pastoral and Ministry Services Spiritual guidance, religious education, evangelism programs, and pastoral resources provided to Seventh-day Adventist members and churches within the Lake Union territory, including Multicultural Ministries, Women's Ministries, and Stewardship services.
• Events and Camp Meetings Regular regional events including camp meetings, conferences, spiritual retreats, and the Lake Union Youth Evangelism Congress held across member conferences in the Great Lakes region.
• Treasury and Trust Services Administrative and financial services provided to local churches and conferences, including stewardship support, trust administration, and Public Affairs and Religious Liberty coordination.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• North American Division of Seventh-day AdventistscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Lake Union Conference is an integral part of the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists. The union coordinates efforts and pledges support of personnel and means to the World Church in fulfillment of its mission.
• Illinois ConferencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstituent conference serving Seventh-day Adventist churches and members in Illinois.
• Indiana ConferencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstituent conference serving Seventh-day Adventist churches and members in Indiana.
• Lake Region ConferencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstituent conference serving African American Seventh-day Adventist churches and members within the Lake Union territory.
• Michigan ConferencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstituent conference serving Seventh-day Adventist churches and members in Michigan.
• Wisconsin ConferencecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConstituent conference serving Seventh-day Adventist churches and members in Wisconsin.
• Lake Union Conference Association of Seventh-day AdventistscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerServes as the Trustee for the Lake Union Conference Revolving Fund Trust established by the Lake Union Conference.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Atlantic Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists: A peer SDA union conference in the northeastern US. Notably, the Lake Union's current Executive Secretary, Ted Huskins, previously served as Executive Secretary of the Atlantic Union Conference, illustrating the close structural and personnel interchange among these union conferences.
• Southern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists: A peer SDA union conference serving the southeastern US with multiple constituent conferences. Directly comparable in organizational form, ministry portfolio, and Revolving Fund-style member financial services.
• Southwestern Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists: Peer SDA union conference coordinating conferences across the south-central US. Operates the same regional governance model and member services infrastructure as Lake Union.
• Columbia Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists: Another NAD union conference coordinating multiple state conferences along the Mid-Atlantic and eastern US. Closely comparable to Lake Union in structure, scope (multiple constituent conferences), and mission operations.
• North Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists: Peer SDA union conference in the Pacific Northwest. Operates the same denominational coordination, ministry support, and financial services model as Lake Union.
• Mid-America Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists: Peer SDA union conference in the central US. Structurally and operationally analogous to Lake Union, with comparable multi-conference coordination responsibilities.
• Pacific Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists: One of nine union conferences in the North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists, operating in the western US. It is a direct organizational peer, performing the same regional governance, conference coordination, and ministry support functions as Lake Union but in a different geographic territory.

Regional players

• Canadian Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists: The Canadian counterpart SDA union conference structure. Comparable in mission and organizational form to Lake Union, but operates in a different national jurisdiction (Canada) and does not directly compete in the US Great Lakes territory.

Broad incumbents

• General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists: The global governing body of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, of which Lake Union is a subordinate entity via the North American Division. Operates the same denominational mission and ministry coordination at a global scope, making it a broad incumbent in the same overall religious category.
• North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists: The direct parent organization of the Lake Union Conference, coordinating all SDA union conferences across the US, Canada, Bermuda, and Guam. Operates at a broader territorial scope but is the immediate hierarchical superior and a clear structural peer in the same denomination.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lakeunionherald
• YouTubeyoutube.com/lakeunionherald
• Facebookfacebook.com/lakeunionherald
• Instagraminstagram.com/lakeunionherald
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/lake-union-conference

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Lake Union Conference of Seventh-day Adventists