wfn.org | Wollersheim Re-Elected ELCA Northern Illinois Synod Bishop

[NEWS@ELCA.ORG]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

June 21, 2004

Wollersheim Re-Elected ELCA Northern Illinois Synod Bishop
04-126-AB*/JB

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Gary M. Wollersheim was elected to a
second six-year term as bishop of the Northern Illinois Synod of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) at the synod assembly June
18-19 at Augustana College, Rock Island, Ill.  Augustana is one of 28 ELCA
colleges and universities.
     Wollersheim, 53, was re-elected on the first ballot for bishop.  He
received 392 of 469 ballots cast.  Second was the Rev. Janet H. Hunt, who
serves as assistant to the bishop, Northern Illinois Synod.  She received
10 votes.  There were a total of 36 names on the nominating ballot.
     Wollersheim was first elected bishop in 1998.
     Born in Chicago, Wollersheim earned a bachelor of arts in secondary
education in 1973 from Augsburg College, Minneapolis.  In 1977, he earned
a master of divinity from Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary
(later, Luther Seminary), St. Paul, Minn.  In 1995, he earned a doctor of
divinity from Luther Seminary.	Augsburg College is an ELCA college;
Luther Seminary is one of eight ELCA seminaries.
     Following his ordination in 1977 Wollersheim served as pastor of
Gethsemane Lutheran Church, Cicero, Ill., and as pastor/developer and
pastor at Hosanna! Lutheran Church, St. Charles, Ill.  From 1990 to 1998,
he was assistant to the bishop, Northern Illinois Synod, and was a shared
churchwide staff member as a mission director and stewardship specialist.
     During his first term as bishop of the Northern Illinois Synod, he
has served in numerous denominational capacities, including as chair of
the ELCA Evangelism Task Force.  That effort resulted in the adoption of
an evangelism strategy for the ELCA at the 2003 Churchwide Assembly in
Milwaukee.
     Wollersheim and his wife, Polly, are parents of three grown children.
     The ELCA Northern Illinois Synod has 98,160 baptized members in 164
congregations.	The synod office is in Rockford.
     ---
     Information about the ELCA Northern Illinois Synod is at
http://www.nisynod.org/ on the Web.

* Anne Bergren is director for synodical communications for the ELCA
Northern Illinois Synod.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news