Anderson, 49, was born in Glenwood, Minn. He earned a bachelor's degree in religion from St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn., in 1981. Anderson earned a master of divinity degree from Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., in 1985. Anderson served as a pastor of Lutheran congregations in New Ulm, Minn., St. Cloud, Minn., and as an associate pastor in Houston before being elected bishop in 2003.

Anderson and his wife Robyn are parents of three children and live in New Ulm, Minn. The Southwestern Minnesota Synod has 133,094 baptized members in 269 congregations. The synod office is in Redwood Falls, Minn.

Posted By

Frank Imhoff

Download a .pdf of "The Religious Beliefs and Practices of Lutheran Lay Leaders in the ELCA" report at the ELCA Web site.

Dunkin, 58, was born in Pittsburgh. He earned a bachelor's degree in history from Thiel College, Greenville, Pa. in 1972. In 1976 Dunkin earned a master of divinity degree from the Lutheran Seminary at Gettysburg (LTSG), Gettysburg, Pa.

Dunkin served as the pastor of Lutheran congregations in Grafton and Wheeling, both in West Virginia, before being elected bishop in 1997.

Dunkin and his wife Teresa are the parents of two adult children and live in Wheeling, W.Va. The West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod has 15,810 baptized members in 65 congregations in West Virginia, and one county in Maryland. The synod office is in Fairmont, W.Va.

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John Brooks

Pile, 60, was born in Somerset, Pa. In 1971 he earned a bachelor's degree from Gettysburg [Pa.] College. In 1975 Pile earned a master of divinity degree at the Lutheran Seminary at Gettysburg (LTSG). Pile served as pastor of Lutheran congregations in New Centerville and Davidsville, both in Pennsylvania, before he was elected bishop.

Pile and his wife Barbara are parents of three adult children. They reside in Davidsville, Pa. The Allegheny Synod has 40,514 baptized members in 127 congregations across seven counties in southwestern Pennsylvania. The synod office is in Altoona, Pa.

Leonard H. Bolick was elected to his third term as bishop of the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America June 5 during the synod assembly June 4-6 in Hickory, N.C. Bolick was re-elected on the second ballot, receiving 442 of the 544 votes cast. There we 58 names on the nominating ballot. The next highest vote-getters were Larry J. Yoder with 37 votes, and S. Craig Bollinger with 14 votes.

Yoder is a professor of religion at Lenoir-Rhyne University and Bollinger is a pastor at Christ the King Lutheran Church in Charlotte, N.C.

Bolick, 62, was born in Lenoir, N.C. He earned a bachelor's degree in history from Appalachian State University in Boone, N.C. in 1968. In 1972 Bolick earned a master of divinity degree from Lutheran Southern Seminary, Columbia, S.C.

Bolick holds doctor of ministry degrees from McCormick Seminary, Chicago, and from the Graduate Theological Foundation, Donaldson, Ind.

Bolick and his wife Rita are the parents of two grown children and live in Salisbury, N.C. The North Carolina Synod has 83,083 baptized members in 234 congregations. The synod office is in Salisbury.

Posted By

Frank Imhoff

Read "On the shooting of George Tiller," a statement by ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson at the ELCA Web site ...

Posted By

Julie B. Sevig

George Tiller, 67, one of few doctors who perform late term abortions in this country, was shot and killed while ushering on Pentecost Sunday at Reformation Lutheran Church, Wichita, Kan.
    
Tiller’s wife, Jeanne, was sitting in the church basement with the choir when a gunman entered the narthex and shot Tiller. Worshipers told the "Wichita Eagle" they heard a “pop” but thought it might be a balloon bursting or special effects from the percussionist. The church was packed partly because it was new member Sunday and a baptism was scheduled.

The suspect, identified as Scott P. Roeder, 51, was apprehended later Sunday afternoon and was expected to be charged today with murder and aggravated assault toward two ushers who tried to apprehend him.

Tiller’s family issued this statement through lawyers: “Today we mourn the loss of our husband, father and grandfather. Today’s event is an unspeakable tragedy for all of us an for George’s family and patients. This is particularly heart wrenching because George was shot down in his house of worship, a place of peace.”

Family and friends gathered at Reformation Lutheran Sunday evening. Lowell Michelson, a pastor of Reformation, told the local newspaper that part of the message was “love is stronger than hate.”

“I think the way that folks gathered around Jeanne tonight in large numbers speaks volumes not only about the support and encouragement we get from Jesus Christ, but also the way the Holy Spirit works,” Michelson said.

Both Tiller and Women’s Health Care Services, where he worked, have long been the focus of protests by abortion opponents. He was shot and wounded in both arms in 1993, the clinic was bombed in 1986 and vandalized just last month.  

“I am shocked and outraged by the murder of Dr. George Tiller as he attended church service this morning,” said President Obama in a statement. “However profound our differences as Americans over difficult issues such as abortion, they cannot be resolved by heinous acts of violence.”

In at media statement on the church's Web site, Pastors Michelson and Kristen Neitzel, said, "... Our congregation strives to be a safe place for all people. We deplore the violence that took place within the walls of our church. Further, we reject any notion that violence against another human being is an acceptable way to resolve differences over any issue. We must always strive to engage in peaceful discussion. Our faith calls us to this. Our humanity demands it.

"In the wake of this tragic event, our deepest concern is for the family of George Tiller. We ask the community to join us in prayer for them as they face the difficult days ahead. Our hearts ache with them. We also ask that the family’s privacy be respected.

Members of Reformation Lutheran Church have been deeply affected by this tragedy. To address their needs, we are assembling a team of crisis intervention specialists."

"It is unconscionable that Dr. Tiller, who was serving as an usher and welcoming people to worship, should be brutally murdered," said Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, in a statement released Monday afternoon. "In the wake of his death we pray that the Holy Spirit will comfort his family and all who mourn. We pray for the courage to be peacemakers, rejecting violence as a means of resolving differences. We trust God's promise that neither death nor life nor anything in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38-39)"

 

Posted By

Frank Imhoff

Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa, is one of more than 25 U.S. colleges and universities the German embassy awarded "Freedom Without Walls" grants to help pay for campus activities that celebrate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Wartburg is planning activities Nov. 9-13 that will include a charity run, a speech competition and a graffiti contest.

The Berlin Wall accumulated 28 years of graffiti that symbolized artistic dissatisfaction with the seclusion it caused. The week of festivities at Wartburg is to conclude with a gala celebration.

"This is a great way to showcase the talent of our students and also to recognize our school's rich German heritage," said Dr. Daniel J. Walther, Wartburg 's Gerald R. Kleinfeld distinguished professor in German history.

Georg M. Grossman, a Lutheran missionary from Germany, founded Wartburg as a teacher training school in 1852. Wartburg is one of 28 colleges and universities of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

At the end of World War II the conquering allies — France, Great Britain, the Soviet Union and the United States — divided Germany into four zones. The capital, Berlin, was partitioned into four sectors. The British, French and U.S. zones formed the Federal Republic of Germany. The Soviet Union established the German Democratic Republic (GDR) in the eastern zone, isolating all sectors of Berlin within its territory. Tensions between the powers mounted until the GDR constructed a wall around Berlin's Western sectors in August 1961. The Berlin Wall stood as a symbol of the Cold War between the Soviet Union and the Western world until Nov. 9, 1989.

Most students at Wartburg College were born in the years around the fall of the Berlin Wall. "We are proud to support a new generation of future leaders in their effort to discover and to share what the fall of the wall means to them," said Klaus Scharioth, Germany's ambassador to the United States.

Posted By

Julie B. Sevig

The Lutheran magazine and other ELCA publications received “Best of the Christian Press” awards on May 7 at the Associated Church Press convention held in Indianapolis, Ind.

The Lutheran received four awards—two awards of excellence (first place): Michael D. Watson for Magazine Design, entire issue, four-color (July), and for “Advent Waiting” by Peter W. Marty in the Seasonal Article category (December); and two honorable mentions (third place): Watson’s Humor Graphic that accompanied “Hugger, Shaker... Peacemaker?” (April), and “A feast for All?” by Julie B. Sevig in the Professionally Useful category (March).

Lutheran Woman Today won the Award of Merit (second place) for “Buried Windows” by Heidi Neumark (March) in Feature Article, long format, and honorable mention for “Called to Service” by Diane Marten (July/August) for Devotional/Inspirational, long format. Cafe—Stirring the Spirit Within received the award of excellence in Best in Class: Independent Website or E-zine. Elizabeth McBride and Deborah Bogaert are the editors.

The ELCA News Service received honorable mention for Best in Class: News Service. John Brooks, Melissa Ramirez Cooper, Frank Imhoff and Luke Tatge, authors and editors.

Lutheran Partners received award of excellence in the Department category for “Written on the Heart” by Stephanie K. Frey and Marcus R. Kunz, editors (January/February, May/June, July, August). It also was awarded honorable mention for Publication Redesign, Ann Rezny, designer.

Forum Letter received the award of excellence in the Feature Article, News Service, Newsletter, Web site category, for “An Unexpected Journey” by Richard O. Johnson (February).

Reporter (LCMS) received honorable mention in News Story: Newspaper for "Second Wave of Immigrants Become Pastors" by Paula Schlueter Ross (February).

The Wartburg College Board of Regents announced May 4 that Colson has been elected president following an extensive search. He will begin his duties at Wartburg, which is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, on July 1.

Colson will succeed Jack R. Ohle, who resigned in April 2008 after 10 years at Wartburg to become president of Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn. Dr. William E. Hamm, a Wartburg alumnus and former president of the Foundation for Independent Higher Education, has served as interim president.

"I have long been drawn to the values and character of Lutheran higher education, and I have long held a very high opinion of Wartburg College," Colson said. "As I became more deeply involved in this search process, learning more and more about Wartburg's specific mission to educate students whose leadership and service express their learning and faith, I knew that our values — mine and Wartburg's — were a perfect match."

Colson, who will turn 54 later this month, has a doctorate in philosophy and has distinguished himself in and out of the classroom.

"Dr. Colson's academic qualities are without question," said Fred Hagemann, chair of the Wartburg Board of Regents. "The Board of Regents looks for different qualities in a president at different times, and we felt that an emphasis on improving our exposure, both regionally and nationally, as a fine academic institution meshed well with his qualities and his vision for Wartburg. We look forward to another period of continued progress and success for Wartburg College."

Colson's administrative responsibilities at Centenary include overseeing all academic programs, institutional research, information technology, admissions, financial aid, the registrar's office, Intercultural/International study, service learning, the Christian Leadership Center and the Academic Support Center. Even as an administrator, he continued to teach a philosophy class every year.

"We are fortunate to have found Dr. Colson," said Ray McCaskey, recently retired chief executive officer for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois, a Wartburg regent and chair of the search committee. "He not only brings a tremendous base of knowledge and experience to the Wartburg presidency, but also a deep understanding of and passion for Wartburg's mission."

"Dr. Colson is a wonderful fit for Wartburg College," said Dr. Edith Waldstein, vice president for enrollment management and a member of the search committee. "He comes with an extensive background in liberal arts education and administration, and he has a particular affinity for and understanding of Lutheran higher education."

Colson met with faculty, staff and students during a campus visit, April 22-23.

"I relished my time on campus," he said, "hearing the pride that people take in Wartburg and listening to their concerns, hopes, and dreams for the future. I can't wait to assume my role as president so that we can continue those conversations and together build that future."

Waldstein said, "The search committee was enthusiastic in its support of him, which was further affirmed by faculty, staff and students through his campus visit."

Colson will bring a strong liberal arts background to Wartburg, which will celebrate "The Year of Liberal Arts" in 2009-2010. He has written extensively and given numerous presentations on philosophical issues and great books.

He is a 1977 graduate of Louisiana State University, where he was immersed in studying English, history, philosophy and political science. He became a college professor, Colson said, "so that I could help young people have the same life-changing experiences I had had in college."

Colson earned his master's degree at Vanderbilt University in Nashville in 1981 and his doctorate there six years later while teaching at Western Carolina University.

In 1987, he returned to his home state to become one of the founding faculty at the Louisiana Scholars' College, an experimental honors college in the liberal arts and sciences established by the state Board of Regents. He taught there for nine years.

Colson accepted a position in 1996 at Pepperdine University in Malibu, Calif., as the Fletcher Jones Chair of Great Books.

He returned again to Louisiana in 2002 to take his current position at Centenary.

Colson and his wife, Christy, were high school sweethearts who wed while at LSU. She has a degree in education and is a preschool administrator.

"I could not be more delighted to have this opportunity to serve as president of Wartburg College, a wonderful school with a committed board, an engaged student body, a strong faculty, a dedicated staff, and a bright, almost boundless future," Colson said. "Christy and I are eager to join the vibrant communities of Wartburg and Waverly.

The couple has two children. Rachel is a graduate of St. Olaf College in Northfield, Minn., which also is affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. She practices law in Washington, D.C. Jacob runs an environmental consulting firm in Honolulu, a branch of a larger company based in Shreveport.

Posted By

Frank Imhoff

The Waldorf Lutheran College Association unanimously approved a series of resolutions April 23 that move Waldorf College, Forest City, Iowa, closer to a possible sale to Columbia Southern University. CSU is a for-profit institution and one of the nation's first online universities.

The move was prompted by a financial crisis at Waldorf. A new for-profit status for Waldorf would require changes in the relationship between the institution and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. It would no longer be affiliated with the ELCA. The Waldorf Lutheran College Association, the college's historical governing body, is comprised of 190 Lutheran congregations.

The association's consent gives the Waldorf College Board of Regents and Richard Hanson, president, the authority to go ahead with negotiations with CSU. The board could resume that work at its May 2 meeting.

Waldorf and CSU signed a letter of intent in February to establish a formal relationship between the two institutions.

Current planning would keep Waldorf College as a separate entity from CSU, according to a Waldorf news release. CSU, headquartered in Orange Beach, Ala., does not plan to relocate Waldorf nor modify its identity as a residential, liberal arts college, but would offer new programs and majors, the release said.

Stanley N. Olson, executive director, ELCA Vocation and Education, serves as an advisor to the Waldorf College board. He said Hanson and other Waldorf officials have stayed in close communication with the ELCA and Michael A. Last, bishop, ELCA Western Iowa Synod, Storm Lake, while exploring the possibility of acquisition by CSU.

"The ELCA has indicated to Waldorf its desire to stay in conversation about the future of this longstanding relationship," Olson said. "Of course, we are on unfamiliar ground, but that will bring new opportunities."

"Though the relationship would certainly not be the same as in past decades, this church remains committed to key values in higher education and to helping college and university students explore their vocations as people of faith. There is a good future for the Waldorf-ELCA partnership," he said.

Waldorf is one of 28 colleges and universities related to the ELCA. In addition to that relationship, "this church supports or relates to campus ministries at several hundred public and private colleges and universities across the country. With Waldorf leaders, we are looking at a variety of options and staying open," Olson said.

James M. Magelssen, Trinity Lutheran Church, Mason City, Iowa, is president of the Waldorf Lutheran College Association. In an e-mail announcement to Waldorf College faculty and staff, Magelssen said he was "pleased and relieved" that the association's vote was unanimous. Members who attended were "positive and hopeful," while feeling some loss about the likelihood the school won't have an official ELCA affiliation, he said in an interview.

If plans proceed as intended, Waldorf's new status as a for-profit institution will be official sometime this fall, Magelssen said.

In his e-mail, Magelssen referred to remarks by Last, who began the association meeting with devotions. "I've come to believe that it's in Waldorf College's DNA to have this special gift to reach in and mold the lives of students who come here," Last said. "Waldorf College has a way of taking students who achieve academic excellence and moving them forward. It also moves forward those who underachieve and helps them become self-actualized."

Waldorf College was founded in 1903 by C.S. Salveson, pastor of what is now Immanuel Lutheran Church, Forest City, a congregation of the ELCA.

Joy Newcom, director of brand discovery and launch for Waldorf College, contributed to this report.