wfn.org | Defreese Elected Lutheran Bishop of Nebraska

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

June 12, 2000

DeFREESE ELECTED LUTHERAN BISHOP OF NEBRASKA
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     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. David L. deFreese, First Lutheran
Church, Kearney, Neb., was elected June 10 to a six-year term as bishop
of the Nebraska Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) during the synod's assembly at the Sioux Land Conference Center,
Marina Inn, South Sioux City, Neb.  On the fifth and final ballot, he
received 450 votes to 399 votes for the Rev. Gordon D. Peterson Jr.,
assistant to the bishop, ELCA Central States Synod, Shawnee Mission,
Kan.
     The Rev. Mark A. Grorud, First Lutheran Church, Fremont, Neb., was
also considered on the assembly's fourth ballot.  There were 33 names on
the first and nominating ballot.
     deFreese, 45, will succeed the Rev. Richard N. Jessen, 63, as
bishop Sept. 1.  Jessen was elected bishop in 1990 to succeed the Rev.
Dennis A. Anderson, who became president of Trinity Lutheran Seminary,
Columbus, Ohio.  Jessen was re-elected in 1994 to a six-year term and
plans to retire at the end of August.
     "I am very humbled, very amazed," deFreese told the assembly after
the declaration of his election.  "I will trust God to help me serve the
very best I can."
     "I long for our church to be family.  If God is our father and
Christ is our brother, we need the family resemblance," he said.  "We
need to be joyful people, different people, whose hearts show on our
sleeves for those so easy to forget."
     Born in Hastings, Neb., deFreese is a graduate of Augustana
College, Sioux Falls, S.D., and the Lutheran School of Theology at
Chicago.  Ordained in 1982, he has served as pastor of three Nebraska
congregations -- First Lutheran Church, Kearney; Immanuel Lutheran
Church, Bellevue; and Christ Lutheran Church, Pierce.
     deFreese was chaplain for Martin Luther Home, Beatrice, Neb., and
Bethphage Mission, Axtell, Neb.  In 1999 he served as an exchange pastor
with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania.
     The bishop-elect is married to Anita Mihelic deFreese, a resource
teacher at Sunrise Middle School, Kearney.  They are the parents of
three children.
     The Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, will
install deFreese in a ceremony Sept. 14 at First Lutheran Church,
Kearney.
     Special meetings were held at various locations across the state
Feb. 26 and March 4 to nominate 24 candidates for bishop.  Nominations
were also accepted at the assembly.
     The Nebraska Synod includes more than 128,000 Lutherans in 266
congregations across the state of Nebraska.  Synod offices are in Omaha.

For information contact:
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