wfn.org | ELCA Bishop Emeritus Nelson W. Trout Died

[ELCANEWS@ELCASCO.ELCA.ORG]

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

NEWSBRIEFS

September 30, 1996

NELSON W. TROUT DIED

The Rev. Nelson W. Trout, 75, a pastor of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America, died Sept. 20 at Inglewood, Calif.
Trout became the first African American bishop in the Lutheran
church in North America when he was elected in 1983 to serve the
South Pacific District of the former American Lutheran Church.
He was bishop emeritus of the ELCA's Southern California (West)
Synod.  Trout served as director for mission theology and
evangelism training in the ELCA's Division for Outreach. Prior to
his election as bishop Trout was a professor and director of
minority ministry studies at Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus,
Ohio.  He was a graduate of Trinity and of Capital University,
also in Columbus.  He was awarded a doctor of divinity degree
from Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa.  Trout served congregations
in Eau Claire, Wis., Montgomery, Ala., and Los Angeles.  He also
served twice on the ALC's national staff in the 1960s -- as
associate youth director and director of urban evangelism.  He
was executive director of Lutheran Social Services, Dayton, Ohio,
before accepting the faculty position at Trinity.  In 1991
Trinity Seminary established the Nelson W. Trout Lectureship in
Preaching.  Trout was married to Jennie Foster; their three
children are Cassie Ellis, Paula Crosby and Philip Trout.

For information contact: Ann Hafften, Dir., ELCA News Service,
(312) 380-2958 or AHAFFTEN@ELCA.ORG; Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Dir.,
(312) 380-2955 or FRANKI@ELCA.ORG