wfn.org | Lutheran Synods Conduct Elections for 27 Bishops in 2001

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ELCA NEWS SERVICE

February 2, 2001

LUTHERAN SYNODS CONDUCT ELECTIONS FOR 27 BISHOPS IN 2001
01-020-FI

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Twenty-seven of the 65 synods of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) are set to elect bishops in 2001.  At
least 12 synods will be electing new bishops; 15 bishops may be
re-elected to subsequent six-year terms.
     When the ELCA was formed in 1987, each synod elected a bishop to a
four-year term.  Many synods held their second elections for bishop in
1991.
     In 1993 the ELCA Churchwide Assembly changed the terms of bishop
to six years.  When many synods held their third elections for bishop in
1995, they were for six-year terms, ending in 2001.  Many synods that
had voted to limit bishops to three four-year terms changed their
constitutions to allow only two six-year terms.
     The 38 synods not electing bishops this year encountered
circumstances, such as the retirement or resignation of the bishop,
which prompted an election for bishop after an incomplete term.
     Bishops serve as synods' chief pastors, exercising administrative
oversight of the synods' work.  They are also members of the ELCA
Conference of Bishops.
     Term limits will make the re-elections of four bishops impossible
this year (Miller, Nycklemoe, Olson and Wennes).  Three bishops plan to
retire at the end of their current term (Edmiston, Nycklemoe and Wold).
Nine will continue their ministries in other settings (Egertson,
Hermodson, Maahs, Miller, Olson, Ramseth, Spring, Trexler and Wennes).

LOWER SUSQUEHANNA SYNOD
     The Rev. Guy S. Edmiston Jr., 63, plans to retire as bishop of the
ELCA Lower Susquehanna Synod effective Aug. 31.  He was first elected
bishop in 1987, when three Lutheran church bodies formed the ELCA, and
was re-elected in 1991 and 1995.
     In a letter to the synod, Edmiston said his retirement "will mark
the end of my 14th year as bishop and my 24th year as a synodical
officer.  I look forward with excitement to the surprises God has in
store for our synod and for me personally in the coming years."
     Born in Elizabethtown, Pa., Edmiston is a graduate of Gettysburg
College, Gettysburg, Pa., and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at
Philadelphia.  He holds advanced degrees from the Lutheran Theological
Seminary at Gettysburg and Pennsylvania State University, University
Park, Pa.
     Ordained in 1962, Edmiston was pastor of Resurrection Lutheran
Church, Indianapolis; St. John Lutheran Church, Lancaster, Pa.; and
Lakeside Lutheran Church, Harrisburg, Pa.  He served ten years as
secretary for the Central Pennsylvania Synod of the former Lutheran
Church in America.
     Edmiston was the Lutheran co-chair of the Lutheran-Reformed
Coordinating Committee and has represented the ELCA in several
ecumenical discussions of full communion.
     He and his wife Barbara are the parents of a son and a daughter.
     The synod will elect a new bishop when it meets in assembly June
8-9 at Gettysburg College -- a college of the ELCA.  The new bishop will
take office Sept. 1 and be installed at a later date.
     The Lower Susquehanna Synod includes 136,000 baptized members --
470 of whom are pastors, associates in ministry, deaconesses and
diaconal ministers of the ELCA -- in 271 congregations in nine counties
in central southern Pennsylvania.  The synod office is in Harrisburg.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (WEST) SYNOD
     The Rev. Paul W. Egertson, 65, will not seek re-election as bishop
of the ELCA Southern California (West) Synod.  He plans to return to the
religion department of California Lutheran University, Thousand Oaks,
Calif., and teach this fall.
     Born in Litchville, N.D., Egertson is a graduate of Pepperdine
College, Los Angeles (now Pepperdine University, Malibu, Calif.), and
Luther Theological Seminary (now Luther Seminary), St. Paul, Minn.  He
has studied at the University of Minnesota Graduate School, Minneapolis,
and the Pepperdine University School of Law.  He earned a doctorate at
the School of Theology at Claremont, Calif.
     Ordained in 1960, Egertson served as pastor of Faith Lutheran
Church, South Gate, Calif.; Calvary Lutheran Church, Las Vegas; and St.
Timothy Lutheran Church, Lakewood, Calif.  At California Lutheran
University he was director of the Center for Theological Study, an
adjunct professor of religion, an assistant professor of religion and
pastor of St. Matthew Lutheran Church, North Hollywood, Calif.  Egertson
was elected to a six-year term as bishop in 1995.
     He and his wife Shirley are the parents of six sons.
     The synod will elect a new bishop when it meets in assembly May
31-June 2 at the Marriott Hotel, Woodland Hills, Calif.
     The Southern California (West) Synod includes 45,955 Lutherans in
140 congregations across five California counties.  The synod office is
in Glendale.  The ELCA Churchwide Assembly, meeting Aug. 8-14 in
Indianapolis, will consider changing the synod's name to "Southwest
California Synod."

NORTHWESTERN MINNESOTA SYNOD
     The Rev. Arlen D. Hermodson, 64, announced he will not seek 
re-election as bishop of the ELCA Northwestern Minnesota Synod.
He is considering several opportunities for the future of his ministry.
     Born in Crookston, Minn., Hermodson is a graduate of Concordia
College, Moorhead, Minn., and Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.
     Ordained in 1962, Hermodson was pastor of Gethsemane and Peace
Lutheran Churches, Baldwin, Wis.; Milltown and North Valley Lutheran
Churches, Milltown, Wis.; Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Superior, Wis.;
Hope and Zion Lutheran Churches, Fosston, Minn.; and Grace Lutheran
Church, Ada, Minn.  He was elected to a six-year term as bishop in 1995.
     Hermodson and his wife Marilyn are the parents of three daughters
and one son.
     The synod will elect a new bishop when it meets in assembly June
8-10 at Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn.  Concordia is a college of
the ELCA.
     The Northwestern Minnesota Synod includes 112,767 Lutherans in 285
congregations in 21 northwest Minnesota counties.  The synod office is
in Moorhead.

CENTRAL STATES SYNOD
     The Rev. Charles H. Maahs, 65, announced he will not seek
re-election as bishop of the ELCA Central States Synod.  He is considering
several opportunities for the future of his ministry and has accepted an
invitation from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg, Pa., to
teach a class in Spring 2002.
     Born in Homestead, Pa., Maahs' parents were missionaries for the
former American Lutheran Church, and he was raised in New Guinea,
Australia and India.
     Maahs is a graduate of Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa, and
Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa.  He received a doctorate
in New Testament theology from the University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen,
Germany.
     Ordained in 1965, Maahs was pastor of Our Savior Lutheran Church,
Topeka, Kan., and Atonement Lutheran Church, Overland Park, Kan.  He was
elected bishop of the ELCA Central States Synod in 1987.
     Maahs serves as Lutheran co-chair of the Lutheran-Roman Catholic
Dialogue in the United States, now in its 10th round of talks.
     Maahs and his wife Pauline are the parents of a son and a
daughter.
     The synod will elect a new bishop when it meets in assembly June
7-10 at the Marriott Downtown Hotel, Kansas City, Mo.
     The Central States Synod includes 71,670 Lutherans in 219
congregations across Kansas and Missouri.  The synod office is in
Shawnee Mission, Kan.

WESTERN IOWA SYNOD
     The Rev. Curtis H. Miller, 53, is not eligible for re-election to
another term as bishop of the ELCA Western Iowa Synod.  The synod
constitution allows for a bishop to serve two six-year terms, and he has
served two four-year terms and one six-year term.  Miller is considering
several opportunities for the future of his ministry.
     Born in LeMars, Iowa, Miller is a graduate of Wartburg College,
Waverly, Iowa, and Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa.
     Ordained in 1973, Miller was pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran
Church, Dubuque, and St. Paul Lutheran Church, Tama, Iowa.  He served
five years as coordinator for congregational life, Iowa District of the
former American Lutheran Church, before being elected bishop of the ELCA
Western Iowa Synod in 1987.
     Miller is a board member for Lutheran Social Services of Iowa, Des
Moines; Ecumenical Ministries of Iowa, Des Moines; and Waldorf College,
Forest City, Iowa.
     Miller and his wife Sharyl are the parents of three sons.
     The synod will elect a new bishop when it meets April 20-22 at the
Sioux City Convention Center, Sioux City, Iowa.
     The Western Iowa Synod includes 78,146 Lutherans -- with 226
pastors -- in 173 congregations in 43 Iowa counties and the township of
Sioux Valley, S.D.  The synod office is in Storm Lake, Iowa.

SOUTHEASTERN MINNESOTA SYNOD
     The Rev. Glenn W. Nycklemoe, 64, plans to retire Aug. 31 -- at the
end of his third term and 14 years as bishop of the ELCA Southeastern
Minnesota Synod.
     Born in Fergus Falls, Minn., Nycklemoe is a graduate of St. Olaf
College, Northfield, Minn., and Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.  He
studied adult education at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, and
received a doctorate from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.
     Ordained in 1962, Nycklemoe was pastor of Our Savior's Lutheran
Church, Valley City, N.D.; Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Milwaukee; Our
Savior's Lutheran Church, Beloit, Wis.; and St. Olaf Lutheran Church,
Austin, Minn.  He was elected bishop of the ELCA Southeastern Minnesota
Synod in 1987.  Since 1960, he has served as a member of the United
States Naval Reserve Chaplain Corps.
     Nycklemoe and his wife Ann are the parents of three sons.
     The synod will elect a new bishop when it meets in assembly June
8-9 at the Mayo Civic Center, Rochester, Minn.  The new bishop takes
office Sept. 1.
     The Southeastern Minnesota Synod includes 132,705 Lutherans in 185
congregations in 15 southeast Minnesota counties.  The synod office is
in Rochester.

MINNEAPOLIS AREA SYNOD
     The Rev. David W. Olson, 62, is not eligible to be re-elected as
bishop of the ELCA Minneapolis Area Synod.  The synod limits to two the
number of six-year terms a bishop may serve.  Olson is considering
several opportunities for the future of his ministry.
     Born in St. Paul, Minn., Olson is a graduate of St. Olaf College,
Northfield, Minn., and Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.  He has studied
at Union Theological Seminaries, Richmond, Va., and New York; and
Harvard Divinity School, Cambridge, Mass.
     Ordained in 1964, Olson was pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church,
Baltimore, and St. James Lutheran Church, Crystal, Minn.  He was
director for the North Minneapolis Lutheran Coalition.  He was associate
director for contextual education, director for cross cultural concerns
and associate dean of students at Luther Northwestern Theological
Seminary (now Luther Seminary), St. Paul, Minn.
     Olson served as assistant to the bishop of the Southeastern
Minnesota District of the former American Lutheran Church for three
years before being elected bishop of the ELCA West Metropolitan
Minnesota Synod (now Minneapolis Area Synod) in 1987.
     Olson and his wife Nancy are the parents of a daughter and two
sons.
     The synod will elect a new bishop when it meets in assembly May
31-June 2 at Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minn.
     The Minneapolis Area Synod includes 230,000 baptized members in
175 congregations in seven Minnesota counties.  The synod office is in
Minneapolis.

MONTANA SYNOD
     The Rev. Mark R. Ramseth, 56, former bishop of the Montana Synod,
will be installed this year as president of Trinity Lutheran Seminary,
Columbus, Ohio.  The Synod Council is expected to name an interim bishop
Feb. 16.
     The synod will elect a new bishop when it meets in assembly May
19-21 at the Heritage Inn, Great Falls, Mont.
     The Montana Synod includes 50,887 Lutherans in 148 congregations
across Montana and two Wyoming counties.  The synod office is in Great
Falls, Mont.

NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA SYNOD
     The Rev. Paull E. Spring Jr., 62, plans to return to parish
ministry after he completes his third term and 14 years as bishop of the
ELCA Northwestern Pennsylvania Synod.
     Born in Wheeling, W.Va., Spring is a graduate of Gettysburg
College, Gettysburg, Pa., and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at
Gettysburg.  He studied at the University of Goettigen, Goettigen,
Germany, and served as a diaconal worker for the Neuendettelsau
Deaconess Institute, Neuendettelsau, Germany.
     Ordained in 1965, Spring was pastor of Salem Lutheran Church,
Smicksburg, Pa.; St. Mark Lutheran Church, New Stanton, Pa.; and St.
John Lutheran Church, Warren, Pa.  He was elected bishop of the ELCA
Northwestern Pennsylvania Synod in 1987.
     Spring and his wife Barbara are the parents of three daughters.
     The synod will elect a new bishop when it meets in assembly June
7-9 at Thiel College, Greenville, Pa.  Thiel is a college of the ELCA.
     The Northwestern Pennsylvania Synod includes 31,871 Lutherans in
93 congregations in 14 northwest Pennsylvania counties.  The synod
office is in Seneca.

FLORIDA-BAHAMAS SYNOD
     The Rev. William B. Trexler, 57, resigned Dec. 31 as bishop of the
Florida-Bahamas Synod to become pastor at First Lutheran Church,
Norfolk, Va.  The synod council named the Rev. James A. Rave, 65, former
bishop of the ELCA Northwestern Ohio Synod, to serve as interim bishop.
     The synod will elect a new bishop when it meets in assembly May 3-5
at Lake Yale, Leesburg, Fla.
     The Florida-Bahamas Synod includes 93,000 baptized member -- 500
of whom are pastors, associates in ministry and diaconal ministers -- in
220 congregations across the state of Florida and the Bahama Islands.
The synod office is in Tampa, Fla.

GRAND CANYON SYNOD
     The Rev. Howard E. Wennes, 62,  is not eligible for re-election to
another term as bishop of the ELCA Grand Canyon Synod.  He is
considering several opportunities for the future of his ministry.
     Born in Austin, Minn., Wennes is a graduate of St. Olaf College,
Northfield, Minn., and Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.  He received a
doctorate from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary, Berkeley, Calif.
     Ordained in 1966, Wennes was pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church,
Dutton, Mont., and Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Phoenix.  He was
executive director of the Lutheran Bible Camp Association of Southern
California.
     Wennes served eight years as assistant to the bishop of the South
Pacific District of the former American Lutheran Church before being
elected bishop of the ELCA Grand Canyon Synod in 1987.  He chairs the
board of Lutheran World Relief, the overseas relief and development
ministry of the ELCA and The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod.
     Wennes and his wife Mary are the parents of a daughter and two
sons.
     The synod will elect a new bishop when it meets in assembly May
31-June 2 at the Sheraton-Crescent Hotel, Phoenix.
     The Grand Canyon Synod includes 76,587 Lutherans in 106
congregations across Arizona and four southern Nevada counties.  The
synod office is in Phoenix.

SOUTHWESTERN WASHINGTON SYNOD
     The Rev. David C. Wold, 65, will retire Aug. 31, after 14 years as
bishop of the Southwestern Washington Synod.  He will continue as chair
of the Good Samaritan Hospital Foundation, Puyallup, Wash.
     Born in Everett, Wash., Wold is a graduate of Pacific Lutheran
University, Tacoma, Wash., and Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn.
     Ordained in 1960, Wold was pastor of St. Timothy Lutheran Church,
Seattle; Mountain View Lutheran Church, Edgewood, Wash.; and Holy
Trinity Lutheran Church, Port Angeles, Wash.  He served two years in
Chicago as regional youth director for the former American Lutheran
Church.  Wold was elected bishop in 1987.
     He and his wife Elisabeth are the parents of four daughters.
     The synod elects a new bishop when it meets in assembly June 8-10
at the Sheraton Hotel, Tacoma, Wash.
     The Southwestern Washington Synod includes 43,757 Lutherans in 94
congregations across 14 Washington counties.  The synod office is in
Tacoma.

ELCA SYNOD ASSEMBLIES HOLDING ELECTIONS FOR BISHOP
> Incumbent bishop not seeking re-election

APRIL 2001
20-21          Saint Paul Area, Concordia College, St. Paul, Minn.
20-22     >    Western Iowa, Sioux City Convention Center, Sioux City, 
               Iowa

MAY 2001
3-5       >    Florida-Bahamas, Lake Yale, Leesburg, Fla.
4-6            Oregon, Lloyd Center Doubletree, Portland, Ore.
10-12          New Jersey, Hilton, New Brunswick, N.J.
17-19          Northeastern Ohio, John S. Knight Center, Akron, Ohio
19-21     >    Montana, Heritage Inn, Great Falls, Mont.
20-22          North/West Lower Michigan, Holiday Inn South, Lansing, Mich.
25-27          Southeastern
31-Jun 2  >    Grand Canyon, Sheraton-Crescent Hotel, Phoenix
31-Jun 2  >    Minneapolis, Gustavus Adolphus College, St. Peter, Minn.
31-Jun 2       Northwest Synod of Wisconsin, University of Wisconsin, Eau
               Claire, Wis.
31-Jun 2       South Dakota, Augustana College, Sioux Falls, S.D.
31-Jun 2  >    Southern California (West), Marriott Hotel, Woodland Hills,
               Calif.
31-Jun 2       South-Central Synod of Wisconsin, Abbey Resort, Lake Geneva,  
               Wis.

JUNE 2001
3-5            Metropolitan Chicago, Arthur Anderson Worldwide Center for
               Professional Training, St. Charles, Ill.
7-9            Metropolitan Washington, D.C., Gettysburg College,
               Gettysburg, Pa.
7-9       >    Northwestern Pennsylvania, Thiel College, Greenville, Pa.
7-9            Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast, Hilton Hotel, New Orleans
7-10      >    Central States, Marriott Downtown, Kansas City, Mo.
8-9       >    Southeastern Minnesota, Mayo Civic Center, Rochester, Minn.
8-9       >    Lower Susquehanna, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pa.
8-10      >    Northwestern Minnesota, Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn.
8-10      >    Southwestern Washington, Sheraton Hotel, Tacoma, Wash.
9-10           Upper Susquehanna, Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, Pa.
14-16          Southwestern Pennsylvania, Thiel College, Greenville, Pa.
15-17          Northwest Washington, Doubletree Hotel and Suites, Seattle

-- -- --
     The complete calendar of ELCA synod assemblies is located at
http://www.elca.org/scriptlib/calendar/search.asp?s=synods on the Web.

Related stories:

Lutheran Bishop of Montana to Become Trinity Seminary President
http://listserv.elca.org/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0011&L=elcanews&P=R114

Trexler Resigns as Lutheran Bishop of Florida-Bahamas Synod
http://listserv.elca.org/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0011&L=elcanews&P=R63

ELCA Florida-Bahamas Synod Council Names Rave Interim Bishop
http://listserv.elca.org/scripts/wa.exe?A2=ind0011&L=elcanews&P=R3479

EDITORS: "Paull E. Spring" is spelled correctly.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html