Rev. Glen Sayler. File photos.

“The eyes of the Lord range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him.” (2 Chronicles 16:9) 

“God is faithful to lead if I will trust in Him completely! God is in control even when everyone else has lost their minds. God loves and forgives us though we are prone to stray and wander,” said Pastor Glen Sayler, a member of the 2022 retiring clergy class in the Dakotas Conference.

Glen Sayler grew up attending church regularly with the support of his parents. After graduating from high school, he felt a call to ministry. Glen attended and graduated from a Bible college with a bachelor’s degree in Bible studies and worked on a church plant for three years. From there, he attended seminary and earned a Master of Divinity.

He continued serving as a pastor in that organization at two other churches for six more years. Glen found himself struggling greatly with financial and emotional support from that denomination. Broken and desperate for help, he sought counsel from a former professor who had been invited to pastor in the United Methodist Church. That professor introduced him to the Dakotas cabinet. In 1990, Pastor Glen was appointed to serve at Marion and Dickey, North Dakota. Two years later, Judd was added to the charge. In 1994, he was appointed to the Hazen and Beulah charge. Pastor Glen served there for a little over two years. 

In 1996, his health began deteriorating rather noticeably. After several doctor’s visits, he was diagnosed with Multiple Chemical Sensitivities. In October 1996, Pastor Glen was placed on disability leave. “I went into isolation with my home becoming my safe place free of chemicals,” said Sayler. 

Expecting to recover someday and return to full-time ministry, he spent his time in isolation working on a Ph.D. in Organizational Leadership from Regent University in 2000. 

From 2000 until 2013, he taught part-time extension classes for Mary University, Central Michigan University, and The King’s University, each semester testing to see how his body would handle the limited public exposure to chemicals in indoor class settings. He continues to work with doctors who specialize in environmental illnesses.

Pastor Glen said, “It was determined that my condition would be a lifetime struggle. I needed to manage this condition mainly by avoiding chemicals that triggered my symptoms. That meant continuing to limit my exposure to public places that, in our modern world, tend to be saturated with chemicals. I did not want to live the rest of my life feeling isolated, victimized, and useless. With the rise of the Internet, I began a ministry working out of my home to help people become homeowners who may not qualify for financing through traditional financial institutions. Some of my most successful homebuyers were immigrants from Mexico who just wanted to be part of the American dream and own their own homes.”

So, for the past several years, Pastor Glen’s ministry included convincing friends and family, who wanted a better return on their money, to partner with him and put their funds to work and provide the resources to buy deeply discounted and distressed properties. Saylor would then sell these properties to buyers while the owner carried financing. 

“It was a win-win-win. The investors earned a better return on their money, the buyers were happy to be able to own their own home, and I was able to feel fulfilled in ministry by helping both the investor and the homebuyer,” said Pastor Glen.

He is grateful for his time serving in the Dakotas. He states, “I greatly appreciate Art Scanson and Dwight Meier, who encouraged me and supported me emotionally when I transitioned to become a United Methodist minister.”

As he enters a new season of ministry, Sayler says that his ministry journey has shaped him. He states, “I certainly have become more patient and tolerant in dealing with people and life’s difficulties. I have also become much more confident of God’s favor toward me. I have grown into a firm trust in God because I have seen far too many ‘unexplainable interventions’ in dire situations ever to think that God does not intimately rule in the affairs of men. I attribute these miracles to the hand of God leading and sustaining my life and all His creation in ways that have solidified my faith in God who loves, forgives, and abundantly provides.”

In retirement, Pastor Glen plans to continue living in Sun City, Arizona, a 55-plus community. “I plan to continue to manage the ministry of connecting investors and homebuyers, but on a much smaller scale – taking advantage of opportunities as they come to me,” he said. “I also plan to garden and enjoy the goodness of God – His promises are new every morning.”