Anderson re-elected bishop of Southwestern Minnesota Synod Jon V. Anderson was elected June 12 to a second term as bishop of the Southwestern Minnesota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Anderson was re-elected on the first ballot for bishop, receiving 488 of the 623 votes cast at the synod assembly at Gustavus Adolphus College , St. Peter, Minn. The other 135 votes were cast for Scott M. Grorud, a pastor at Faith Lutheran Church, Hutchinson, Minn. Anderson and Grorud were the only nominees. 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. Comments (0) | Permalink |
Survey reveals influences on lay leaders A survey conducted by the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America revealed how the personal theological views of its lay leaders are influenced by contemporary religious thought in the United States. It evaluated the church's work in the Middle East and an initiative on reading the Bible. The tabulated responses showed how "a major popular focus of American religion" shapes the views of Lutheran leaders, said Dr. Kenneth W. Inskeep, executive for ELCA Research and Evaluation. The 16-book Left Behind series of Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins has made talk of "the end times," rapture, the Antichrist and the battle of Armageddon part of U.S. culture. "Lutherans don't talk about those issues very much," Inskeep said. "That leaves many of the members open to drawing their own conclusions." U.S. society has come to a "generic, conservative, evangelical, popular understanding of the Christian faith" that's different from Lutheran tradition, Inskeep said. "It's hard for our members to articulate (that difference) because we don't see ourselves as a distinctive kind of Christian, which isn't true at all." "Pastors have to take more of a proactive role from the pulpit and in other places where they get a chance to teach and deal with the distinctive aspects of what it means to be a Lutheran and contrast those to this generic American Christianity," he said. Answers to survey questions about "accepting Jesus as one's personal Savior" showed that many Lutheran leaders embraced salvation as the result of a personal decision. "It's important for Lutherans to challenge that perspective as a part of historical Lutheran theological thinking," Inskeep said. "Luther was fairly specific about God giving faith to people." Inskeep said he was not surprised that Lutheran leaders struggled with faith issues. Lutherans become leaders in their congregations for their organizational skills and their willingness to serve on committees, he said. That contrasts with many evangelical churches, in which leaders must demonstrate their piety or "a certain level of competence in the faith." The ELCA's Book of Faith initiative could help raise that competence among Lutheran leaders, Inskeep said. Reading the Bible, discussing it and pondering its meaning can only help, he said. "We should not be afraid to embrace Luther's perspective, which is seeing Scripture through the gift of Christ and using that as a framework to understand a gracious God." ELCA Research and Evaluation sent a survey on "The Religious Beliefs and Practices of Lutheran Lay Leaders in the ELCA" in June 2008 to 1,563 leaders of ELCA congregations. By the end of October, 841 usable surveys were returned for a 54 percent response rate. The survey included a series of questions on "the current faith practices of leaders," said the summary of results Inskeep prepared. To evaluate the church's "Peace, Not Walls" initiative, another series questioned ELCA leaders' views toward the Middle East. Other questions dealt with the congregation leaders' theological beliefs and views toward the Bible to evaluate the ELCA's Book of Faith initiative. A final series of questions probed views toward public figures and "a host of issues facing the ELCA and the country as a whole." Download a .pdf of "The Religious Beliefs and Practices of Lutheran Lay Leaders in the ELCA" report at the ELCA Web site. Comments (1) | Permalink |
Dunkin re-elected bishop of West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod Ralph W. Dunkin was elected June 5 to his third term as bishop of the West Virginia-Western Maryland Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Dunkin was re-elected on the first ballot, garnering 113 of the 137 votes cast at the synod assembly June 5-6 in McHenry, Maryland. There were nine names on the nominating ballot. 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. Comments (0) | Permalink |
Pile re-elected bishop of Allegheny Synod Gregory R. Pile was elected June 5 to a fourth term as bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Allegheny Synod during the synod assembly June 4-6 in Altoona, Pa. Pile was re-elected on the first ballot, receiving 217 votes of 258 cast. Eighteen nominees were on the first ballot. 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. Comments (0) | Permalink |
Bolick re-elected bishop of North Carolina Synod
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. Comments (0) | Permalink |
Kansas: Congregation grieves after member shot in church The funeral for Dr. George Tiller will be June 6 at College Hill United Methodist Church, Wichita, Kan. Tiller was shot and killed May 31 while serving as an usher for Sunday worship at nearby Reformation Lutheran Church, where he was a member. Tiller was 67. The funeral will begin at 10 a.m. Tiller's family requested College Hill because it offers more available seating than Reformation. "All the different stages and symptoms of grief are happening here," said Lowell R. Michelson, senior pastor for Reformation, a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He said many began their "journey of healing" by gathering the evening of the shooting for a vigil with Gerald L. Mansholt, bishop of the ELCA's Central States Synod. This week a team of crisis intervention specialists is meeting with members of Reformation in groups and individually, Michelson said. The specialists "helped us name some of those things that we haven't been able to put a name to in our anger, sadness, confusion and disbelief." They will continue counseling the congregation through weekend worship services. Kristin M. Neitzel, associate pastor, is working with parish nurses and lay ministers to care for "those folks who are noticeably absent," Michelson said. They will be mobilizing all congregation members to support each other in the days ahead. Michelson is preparing to preach the funeral sermon. He said the family selected verses from the Gospel of John, in which Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die, will live." Others at the funeral will reflect on Tiller's life, and Michelson said he plans to "talk about the promises of God and the hope that we have in the one who loved us first." Tiller was one of a few doctors in the United States who provided abortions after the 21st week of pregnancy. Scott P. Roeder, 51, was arrested and charged with murder in connection with the shooting. According to KAKE television, Wichita, the family's lawyer, Dan Monnat issued a statement: "While the funeral of Dr. George Tiller will be open to the public, Dr. Tiller's family has requested that no video or audio recording be allowed during any portion of the funeral service Saturday. The family respectfully asks that all media honor their wish to preserve the privacy of the occasion, both inside the church and in any overflow areas." The family's lawyers issued a statement earlier at the request of Jeanne Tiller, the Tillers' four children and 10 grandchildren: "We would like to express the family's thanks for the many messages of sympathy from our friends and from all across the nation. We also want to thank the law enforcement officers who are investigating this crime. "Our loss is also a loss for the city of Wichita and women across America. George dedicated his life to providing women with high-quality health care despite frequent threats and violence." Comments (0) | Permalink |
Doctor shot Sunday morning at ELCA church 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. “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. 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. "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)" Comments (1) | Permalink |
Wartburg College receives grant to celebrate 20 years without Berlin Wall
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. Comments (0) | Permalink |
Lutheran publications, authors, designers win awards for 2008 work 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). Comments (0) | Permalink |
Marsh elected bishop of Southeast Michigan Synod Stephen G. Marsh was elected May 2 to a six-year term as bishop of the Southeast Michigan Synod. Marsh was elected at the synod assembly at First English Lutheran Church, Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. He is the synod's assistant to the bishop for African American strategy and justice concerns. Marsh, 54, received 210 votes to 148 cast for Adolph A. "Skip" Wachsmann III, Genesis Lutheran Church, Detroit, on the fifth and final ballot. Cherlyne V. Beck, assistant to the bishop for Christian vocation, Southeast Michigan Synod, was also a candidate on the fourth ballot. There were 69 nominees on the first ballot for bishop. Born in Chicago, Marsh is a graduate of Northwestern University, Evanston, Ill., and Evangelical Lutheran Theological Seminary (now Trinity Lutheran Seminary), Columbus, Ohio. He also attended Makumira Theological College in Arusha, Tanzania, in 1981. Marsh was ordained in 1983 by the former Lutheran Church in America and served as pastor of three congregations — St. Peter Lutheran Church, Springfield Gardens (Queens), N.Y.; The Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit, Chicago; and The Church of the Holy Redeemer, Brooklyn, N.Y. -- before joining the staff of the Southeast Michigan Synod in 2004. Marsh wrote the monthly "Our Faith" column during 2007-2008 for The Lutheran, the magazine of the ELCA. Kenneth R. Olsen has been serving the Southeast Michigan Synod as interim bishop, following the Aug. 16, 2008, death of the bishop, John H. K. Schreiber. Marsh will be installed as the synod's bishop Sept. 26 in Detroit. He is the father of an adult daughter and is a member of Spirit of Hope Lutheran Church, Detroit. The Southeast Michigan Synod includes more than 59,000 baptized members in 131 congregations in 10 Michigan counties. The synod office is in Detroit. Comments (0) | Permalink |
Colson elected president of Wartburg College Dr. Darrel D. Colson, provost and dean at Centenary College in Shreveport, La., will become the 17th president of Wartburg College . 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. "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. Comments (0) | Permalink |
Waldorf College's for-profit venture would change its relationship with ELCA
Joy Newcom, director of brand discovery and launch for Waldorf College, contributed to this report. Comments (0) | Permalink |
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