wfn.org | ELCA Lutherans Elect Eight New Bishops

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

July 3, 1996

LUTHERANS ELECT EIGHT NEW BISHOPS (123 lines)
96-16-047-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Eight of the 65 synods of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America elected new bishops during their
annual assemblies this spring.  Another seven synods re-elected
their bishops to new six-year terms.
     The new bishops are:  the Rev. Stephen P. Bouman,
Metropolitan New York Synod; the Rev. Duane C. Danielson, Western
North Dakota Synod; the Rev. David A. Donges, South Carolina
Synod; the Rev. Callon W. Holloway Jr., Southern Ohio Synod; the
Rev. Philip L. Hougen, Southeastern Iowa Synod; the Rev.
Francisco L. Sosa, Caribbean Synod; the Rev. David R. Strobel,
Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod; and the Rev. E. Peter Strommen,
Northeastern Minnesota Synod.
     The re-elected bishops are:  the Rev. Richard J. Foss,
Eastern North Dakota Synod; the Rev. Robert L. Isaksen, New
England Synod; the Rev. April Ulring Larson, La Crosse Area
Synod; the Rev. Lee M. Miller, Upstate New York Synod; the Rev.
Glenn W. Nycklemoe, Southeastern Minnesota Synod; the Rev. Peter
Rogness, Greater Milwaukee Synod; and the Rev. Steven L.
Ullestad, Northeastern Iowa Synod.
     The only incumbent who was not re-elected is Bishop James E.
Sudbrock of the Metropolitan New York Synod.  Bouman, 49,
received 258 votes to 250 votes for Sudbrock, 61, on the fifth
ballot taken June 14 during the synod's assembly in Tarrytown,
N.Y.  Bouman will take office Sept. 1.  He has served as an
assistant to Sudbrock since 1992.
     On the fourth ballot, Sudbrock led 256 to Bouman's 238 and
the next highest vote getter was the Rev. Frederick J. Schumacher
with 12.  Schumacher, St. Matthew Lutheran Church, White Plains,
N.Y., dropped out before the fifth ballot.  There were 45 names
on the nominating ballot.
     Bouman was pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Bogota, N.J.,
1982-1992.  He graduated from Concordia Senior College, Fort
Wayne, Ind., in 1969 and Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, in 1973;
and he earned his doctor of ministry degree from New York
Theological Seminary, New York, in 1980.
     Danielson, 50, received 244 votes to 142 votes cast for the
Rev. Rolf A. Nestigen, Bethany Lutheran Church, Minot, N.D., on
the fifth ballot June 8 during the synod's assembly in Minot,
N.D.  Danielson currently serves as assistant to Bishop Robert D.
Lynne, whom he succeeds when Lynne retires on Sept. 1.
     Donges, 55, received 270 votes to 212 votes cast for the
Rev. Richard R. Campbell, St. Matthew Lutheran Church,
Charleston, S.C., on the fifth ballot June 9 during the synod's
assembly in Greenville, S.C.  Donges currently serves as
assistant to Bishop James S. Aull, whom he will succeed when Aull
retires on Aug. 1.
     Holloway, 43, received 304 votes on the fifth ballot cast
June 1 during the synod's assembly at Wittenberg University,
Springfield, Ohio.  The Rev. Walter F. Taylor Jr., professor of
New Testament, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio,
received 281 votes on that fifth ballot.  Holloway is currently
an assistant to Bishop Kenneth H. Sauer, whom he will succeed
when Sauer retires on Sept. 1.  He will be the church's only
African American bishop.
     Hougen, 53, Grace Lutheran Church, Des Moines, will succeed
Bishop Paul M. Werger who retires July 31.  Hougen received 238
votes on the fifth ballot taken May 18 during the synod's
assembly in Des Moines; the Rev. Roy C. Nilsen, Zion Lutheran
Church, Iowa City, Iowa, received 208 votes.
     Sosa, 56, Reconciliation Lutheran Church, Levittown, Puerto
Rico, became bishop on the day of his election -- May 25.  He
succeeded the Rev. Gregory J. Villal#n who resigned May 1 to
become director for Hispanic ministries in the ELCA Commission
for Multicultural Ministries in Chicago.  Sosa was elected on the
fifth ballot taken during the synod's assembly in Santurce (San
Juan), Puerto Rico; he received 48 votes to 46 votes for the Rev.
Margarita Martinez, San Marcos Lutheran Church, Guaynabo, Puerto
Rico.
     Strobel, 50, Trinity Lutheran Church, Reading, Pa., received
453 votes on the fifth ballot taken May 11 during the synod's
assembly in Lake Harmony, Pa.  The Rev. Gilbert B. Furst,
executive assistant to Bishop Harold S. Weiss, Wescosville, Pa.,
received 237 votes on that ballot.  Strobel will succeed Weiss on
Aug. 1.
     Strommen, 49, has served as a pastor at First Lutheran
Church, Duluth, Minn., since 1983.  He succeeded Bishop Roger L.
Munson on July 1.  With a total of 414 votes cast on the fifth
ballot April 28 in Brainerd, Minn., Strommen was elected with 254
votes.  The Rev. Mark L. Anderson, First Lutheran Church,
Brainerd, received 160 votes.
     Foss, 51, was re-elected with 467 of 545 votes cast on the
first ballot taken April 20 during the synod's assembly in Fargo,
N.D.  There were 409 votes or 75 percent of the first ballot
needed for election.
     Isaksen, 59, was re-elected with 273 votes on the fifth
ballot cast June 7 during the synod's assembly in Sturbridge,
Mass.  The Rev. William G. Moldwin,
First Lutheran Church of the Reformation, New Britain, Conn.,
received 250 votes on that ballot.
     Larson, 46, was re-elected with 224 of 235 ballots cast on
the first ballot June 7 during the synod's annual assembly in La
Crosse, Wis.  The synod's nomination process prior to the
assembly had named only Larson for election.
     Miller, 57, was re-elected with 333 of 424 votes to win re-
election on the first ballot taken June 2 during the synod's
assembly at the State University of New York at Oswego.  The
synod used a nominating process that placed four names on that
ballot.
     Nycklemoe, 59, was re-elected with 461 of the 505 votes cast
on the first ballot taken June 14 during the synod's assembly at
St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn.  There were 27 other names on
the nominating ballot, including ELCA Presiding Bishop H. George
Anderson who received three votes.
     Rogness, 51, was re-elected with 270 of 318 votes cast on
the first ballot May 31 during the synod's assembly at Carthage
College, Kenosha, Wis.  There were 26 other names on that ballot,
including the Rev. Kenneth W. Wheeler, assistant to Bishop
Rogness, who received ten votes.
     Ullestad, 43, was re-elected with 400 of the 503 votes cast
on the first ballot June 8 during the synod's assembly at
Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa.  The Rev. Darell Gerrietts,
assistant to Ullestad and formerly pastor of Grace Lutheran
Church, Tripoli, Iowa, received 11 votes.
     The church's 65 synod bishops make up the ELCA Conference of
Bishops, with ELCA Presiding Bishop H. George Anderson and the
Rev. Lowell G. Almen, ELCA secretary.  Bishops oversee the work
of their synod and serve as the "pastor of pastors" in their
territory.

For information contact: Ann Hafften, Dir., ELCA News Service,
(312) 380-2958; Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Dir., (312) 380-2955; Lia
Christiansen, Asst. Dir., (312) 380-2956