Title: John Nunes Named President of Lutheran World Relief ELCA NEWS SERVICE
May 22, 2007
John Nunes Named President of Lutheran World Relief 07-088-MRC
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. John Arthur Nunes, 44, will become the fourth president of Lutheran World Relief (LWR) on July 1. LWR is a ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS), individuals and parish groups in international relief, development, advocacy and social responsibility.
Nunes succeeds Kathryn Wolford, who left LWR this past fall to become president of the McKnight Foundation, Minneapolis. LWR's board of directors elected Nunes on May 21.
"We are thrilled to announce the presidency of (the) Rev. John Nunes. His passion for the mission and ministry of Lutheran World Relief combined with his incredible ability to engage others in our quest to create a world where each person and every generation can live in justice, dignity and peace will serve our partners, friends and supporters well," said Kirk Betts, vice chair of the LWR board and chair of LWR's presidential search committee.
Born in Montego Bay, Jamaica, Nunes is assistant professor of theology at Concordia University, River Forest, Ill., pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church, Chicago, and staff associate for urban ministry research at Wheat Ridge Ministries, Itasca, Ill. Concordia is a university of the LCMS; Bethany is a congregation of the LCMS. Nunes also writes and presents on topics ranging from social theology to ministry among youth.
Nunes served as director for church resource development at Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, and he was a Research Fellow for the Action Institute, Grand Rapids, Mich. Nunes earned a bachelor's degree from Concordia University, Ann Arbor, Mich. He earned a master of theology degree from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago and a master of divinity from Concordia Seminary, St. Catharines, Ontario. He received an honorary doctorate from Concordia University and is a doctor of philosophy candidate at LSTC -- one of eight seminaries of the ELCA.
Author of the book "Voices from the City," Nunes is a contributing scholar for "Modern Reformation" magazine and a member of the American Academy of Religion. Nunes and his wife Monique, principal at St. John Lutheran School, Forest Park, Ill., have four daughters and one son. They are members of Bethany Lutheran Church. - - -
Information about Lutheran World Relief is available at http://www.lwr.org on the Web.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog