Greta McDonald

The Reverends Jim and Greta McDonald have been married since 1977, and each of them has 34 years of pastoral experience. Greta grew up in northern Illinois, graduated from Dixon High School, received a BS in Communications-Journalism from the University of Illinois at Champaign, and served in 1974-75 as a part-time Senior High youth minister at Downers Grove First UMC. Greta and Jim met at Iliff School of Theology, a United Methodist seminary in Denver, Colorado, where they both received Masters of Divinity degrees. Following seminary, Greta served the Elizabeth, Illinois UMC, before being appointed with Jim as associate pastors to Libertyville UMC, where they served for 13½ years. For the past 11 years, they have served as co-pastors of the New Lenox UMC. They have two adult children. Their daughter, Danica, is a pediatric intensive care nurse at Hope Children's Hospital in Oak Lawn. Her husband, Dave Johnson, is a middle school teacher at Hinsdale, and they are parents of a 20-month old son, Kellen. Danica and her family live in New Lenox (guess what Greta's and Jim's favorite hobby is these days!). Their son, Colin, is completing his Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing degree, at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minnesota.