ELCA News Blog
June 4, 2007
Dean Nelson re-elected bishop of ELCA Southwest California Synod
by Frank Imhoff,* ELCA News Service
The Rev. Dean W. Nelson, 63, was elected June 1 to a second six- year term as bishop of the Southwest California Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) during the synod assembly at California Lutheran University (CLU), Thousand Oaks, Calif. Nelson was re-elected on the second ballot for bishop with 231 votes; the Rev. David Berkedal, Faith Lutheran Church, San Dimas, Calif., received 72 votes. There were 16 names on the nominating ballot. Nelson was installed on June 2 at the assembly's closing worship.
Nelson was born in Chicago. He earned a bachelor's degree from Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn., attended Harvard Divinity School, Cambridge, Mass., and earned a master of divinity degree from Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn. After his ordination in 1970, Nelson served as pastor at Faith American Lutheran Church, Enid, Okla.; Park View Lutheran Church, Chicago; Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Milwaukee; and First Lutheran Church, Torrance, Calif. Nelson and his wife Marianne are parents of two adult children.
The ELCA Southwest California Synod has 41,080 baptized members in 136 congregations across five California counties. The synod office is in Glendale, Calif. CLU and Concordia are two of 28 colleges and universities of the ELCA. Luther is one of eight ELCA seminaries.
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*Marilyn Fursman, Southwest California Synod communication team, provided information.
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