Reverend Cerna Castro Rand is an ordained elder in the United Methodist Church. She was appointed to First United Methodist Church of LaGrange on July 1, 2020, after serving as the pastor at Prince of Peace United Methodist Church in Elk Grove Village, Illinois, for nine years. She previously served as Associate Pastor of the First United Methodist Church at the Chicago Temple, in Chicago, Illinois, for seven years and as an Associate Pastor and Minister of Christian Education and Family Ministries at Grace United Methodist Church in Lake Bluff, Illinois, for seven years and six months.
Before Pastor Cerna came to the United States in 1993 to study at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, she was commissioned as a Deaconess of the United Methodist Church in the Philippines and worked as a deaconess in the Philippines in the area of Christian Education for four years. Cerna earned her Bachelor of Arts in Christian Education from Harris Memorial College in the Philippines, a United Methodist Institution. She was the recipient of the Outstanding Christian Education Student Award at her graduation in 1989.
Pastor Cerna graduated from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary with two Masters Degrees, one in Christian Education in 1995 and the other in Divinity in 1998. While at the seminary, she was the recipient of the Outstanding Christian Education Student Award.
Certifications, Offices Held, Leadership Roles:
Past Involvements in Community and Church:
Present Involvements in Community:
Pastor Cerna was born the ninth of ten children in the Philippines and was raised in the Roman Catholic Church. She received her call to ministry when she was a senior in high school attending a United Methodist Youth Fellowship gathering at the United Methodist Church in San Carlos City, Philippines.
Cerna is a person who loves life in all its facets. She enjoys reading, gardening, exercising, juggling, and walking around the neighborhood. She is a people-oriented person who “never met a stranger” and gains great pleasure from talking and working with people of all ages and backgrounds.
Pastor Cerna married Mark Rand on June 3, 1995. Mark was born in Rockford, Illinois, and grew up in Homewood, Illinois. He was educated at Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana, and later at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where he earned his doctoral degree in Physics in 1996. They are blessed with a wonderful son, James Wallace, and a beautiful dog, Oreo. Pastor Cerna's favorite food is pizza. She loves to explore restaurants of all kinds, both to enjoy the food and meet people.
Personal Statement
I thank God for my appointment at First United Methodist Church in LaGrange beginning on July 1, 2020. My family and I are grateful for the opportunity to be serving with the congregation to transform the world. I look forward to our ministry together and I can’t wait to grow and mature in faith with you in Jesus Christ and to share God's love with one another and in the community and beyond. With God’s help, during the first few months of my ministry at FUMCLG these are my ministerial short- and long-term goals:
I’m looking forward to getting to know the members, learn the culture of the church, and meet people in the community. It is my prayer that we will continue to be the church that God wants us to be for the community and beyond. We are here to help!
Let us keep the faith and trust in God who sends us to serve. Let us show our love of God and others in words and in deeds. May we be faithful in following our Lord, Jesus Christ, in all that we do, and be empowered by the Holy Spirit, and be guided by Jesus’ teaching: “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Movement in 18th Century England, taught his followers to “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” Let this be our motto and commitment.
Pastor Cerna can be reached at the church by phone (708) 352-1250, ext 214, or by email [email protected] .
Before Pastor Cerna came to the United States in 1993 to study at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary in Evanston, Illinois, she was commissioned as a Deaconess of the United Methodist Church in the Philippines and worked as a deaconess in the Philippines in the area of Christian Education for four years. Cerna earned her Bachelor of Arts in Christian Education from Harris Memorial College in the Philippines, a United Methodist Institution. She was the recipient of the Outstanding Christian Education Student Award at her graduation in 1989.
Pastor Cerna graduated from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary with two Masters Degrees, one in Christian Education in 1995 and the other in Divinity in 1998. While at the seminary, she was the recipient of the Outstanding Christian Education Student Award.
Certifications, Offices Held, Leadership Roles:
- Became a Certified Grief Counselor through the State of Colorado University and the Center for Loss and Life Transition in Fort Collins, Colorado.
- Led several Volunteers in Mission (VIM) trips to the Philippines, South Dakota, and Illinois.
- Elected as a delegate from the North Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church to lead the youth and young adult delegation to attend the First Youth Global Convocation in Johannesburg, South Africa in 2007.
- Served as the adult coordinator for the Youth Ministry in the Northern Illinois Conference for (July 2006–July 2008).
- Served as the adult co-coordinator for the Youth Ministry of the Chicago Southern District (August 2008–June 2011).
- Served as a board member of the General Commission on the Status and Role of Women of the United Methodist Church (2009–2011) and served as the Vice-President of the board in 2011.
- Served as a board member at the Marcy-Newberry Association (2009– 2012).
- Served as the president of the Philippine-American College of Clergy in Chicago (2009–2010).
- Served as a small group leader for the Vocational Formation and Church Leadership Program, formerly known as the Field Education Program, for the second year students at Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary (2008–2018).
- Served as the chairperson of the Committee on Nominations of the Northern Illinois Conference (2012–2018).
- Served as the president of the Philippine American College of Clergy (PACC) in Illinois for a second term (2013–2015).
- Served as the secretary of the National Association of the Filipino American United Methodists (2015-2016)
Past Involvements in Community and Church:
- Member of Interfaith Organization in Elk Grove Village (September 2011–June 2020).
- Member of Rotary Club in Elk Grove Village (2012–June 2020).
- Member of Community Character Coalition (CCC) in Elk Grove Village and served as chair of the Nominations Committee (2012–June 2020).
- Member of UMC Clergy of Cooks Corner Cluster (2011–June 2020).
- Member of UMC Clergy of Cool Cluster (2019–June 2020).
- Member of Elgin District Committee on Ministry (DCOM) and served as the mentor coordinator (2018–June 2020).
- Mentored candidates for ordination in the United Methodist Church, and supervised seminary interns from Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary, Northern Baptist Seminary for many years.
Present Involvements in Community:
- Member of Fellowship of Asian-American United Methodists in Northern Illinois.
- Member of Philippine American College of Clergy, an ecumenical group of clergy in Illinois.
- P.E.O. member of Chapter JX in Arlington Heights, Illinois.
- Continue to mentor a candidate for ordination in the United Methodist Church.
Pastor Cerna was born the ninth of ten children in the Philippines and was raised in the Roman Catholic Church. She received her call to ministry when she was a senior in high school attending a United Methodist Youth Fellowship gathering at the United Methodist Church in San Carlos City, Philippines.
Cerna is a person who loves life in all its facets. She enjoys reading, gardening, exercising, juggling, and walking around the neighborhood. She is a people-oriented person who “never met a stranger” and gains great pleasure from talking and working with people of all ages and backgrounds.
Pastor Cerna married Mark Rand on June 3, 1995. Mark was born in Rockford, Illinois, and grew up in Homewood, Illinois. He was educated at Purdue University, Lafayette, Indiana, and later at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where he earned his doctoral degree in Physics in 1996. They are blessed with a wonderful son, James Wallace, and a beautiful dog, Oreo. Pastor Cerna's favorite food is pizza. She loves to explore restaurants of all kinds, both to enjoy the food and meet people.
Personal Statement
I thank God for my appointment at First United Methodist Church in LaGrange beginning on July 1, 2020. My family and I are grateful for the opportunity to be serving with the congregation to transform the world. I look forward to our ministry together and I can’t wait to grow and mature in faith with you in Jesus Christ and to share God's love with one another and in the community and beyond. With God’s help, during the first few months of my ministry at FUMCLG these are my ministerial short- and long-term goals:
- Lead the church in worship, Sacramental life, and provide spiritual guidance.
- Lead the church in strengthening our relationship with God, God’s creation, and our neighbors.
- With the staff and elected leaders of the congregation, lead the church toward fulfilling its mission; “To make disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of God’s world.”
- Learn the culture of the church during July, August, September and October by leading or participating in one-on-one and group meetings with staff, committees, and members.
- Make FUMCLG more visible in the community by meeting people in the community, attending or observing building users’ meetings, participating in the Village events, walking in the neighborhoods, and introducing myself to businesses and people I will meet.
I’m looking forward to getting to know the members, learn the culture of the church, and meet people in the community. It is my prayer that we will continue to be the church that God wants us to be for the community and beyond. We are here to help!
Let us keep the faith and trust in God who sends us to serve. Let us show our love of God and others in words and in deeds. May we be faithful in following our Lord, Jesus Christ, in all that we do, and be empowered by the Holy Spirit, and be guided by Jesus’ teaching: “The first is, ‘Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one; you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these” (Mark 12:29-31).
John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist Movement in 18th Century England, taught his followers to “Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.” Let this be our motto and commitment.
Pastor Cerna can be reached at the church by phone (708) 352-1250, ext 214, or by email [email protected] .