Title: Thomas Aitken Elected Bishop of ELCA Northeastern Minnesota Synod ELCA NEWS SERVICE
May 6, 2008
Thomas Aitken Elected Bishop of ELCA Northeastern Minnesota Synod 08-056-FI
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Thomas M. Aitken, Bethany Lutheran Church, Loman, Minn., and First Lutheran Church, International Falls, Minn., was elected May 4 to a six-year term as bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Northeastern Minnesota Synod. He succeeds the Rev. E. Peter Strommen as bishop on Aug. 1. Strommen served 12 years as bishop and was ineligible for re-election.
Aitken was elected on the fifth ballot during the synod assembly May 2-4 in Duluth, Minn. He received 254 votes to 153 for the Rev. Lynn R. Ronsberg, Zion Lutheran Church, Grand Rapids, Minn.
On the fourth ballot for bishop, Aitken received 176 votes to 139 for Ronsberg and 105 for the Rev. Alan E. Loose, director of cooperative ministries, Lutheran Social Services of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minn. There were 18 names on the nominating ballot.
Aitken will be installed as bishop in a service Aug. 23 at Trinity Lutheran Church, Brainerd, Minn.
Aitken, 52, was born in Fargo, N.D. He graduated from Northwestern College and Luther Seminary, both in St. Paul. Luther is one of eight ELCA seminaries. While earning his degrees he served Boy Scouts of Minnesota as a summer program director, camp chaplain and camp director.
Ordained in 1985, Aitken was pastor for Immanuel Lutheran Church, Hillman, Minn., and First Lutheran Church, Brainerd, before moving to International Falls in 1992.
Aitken and his wife, Rebecca (Becky), are active in community theatre. They are the parents of two adult children.
The ELCA Northeastern Minnesota Synod is 75,000 Lutherans in 149 congregations across 13 Minnesota counties. The synod office is in Duluth. -- -- --
The home page for the ELCA Northeastern Minnesota Synod is at http://www.nemnsynod.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