Andrew Taylor elected bishop of ELCA Pacifica Synod

          CHICAGO (ELCA) – The Rev. Andrew Taylor, San Diego, was elected May 6 to a six-year term as bishop of the Pacifica Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election was held during the Synod Assembly May 5-7 at the Irvine Marriott Hotel in Irvine, Calif.
          Taylor was elected on the fifth and final ballot with 174 votes to 165 votes for the Rev. David Nagler, pastor of Christ Lutheran in San Diego.
          "I am humbled and honored that the people of the Pacifica Synod have elected me as their next bishop," Taylor said. "I look forward to the challenge of walking with the congregations of Hawaii and Southern California as they reach out with God's love to each other, their neighborhoods and the world, and I pray that God will grant me all I need to be effective in this important role."
          Taylor has served as senior pastor of St. Andrew Lutheran Church in San Diego since 1997. He was pastor of First Lutheran Church in Tulare, Calif., from 1992 to 1997.
          The bishop-elect earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University in Long Beach in 1980 and a Master of Divinity degree from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., in 1986. Luther is one of eight ELCA seminaries.
          The Rev. Murray D. Finck, current bishop of the ELCA Pacifica Synod, has served three six-year terms and will retire July 31.
          Taylor will be installed as bishop Sunday, Oct. 23.
          Information about the Pacifica Synod is available at pacificasynod.org/.

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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with more than 3.7 million members in more than 9,300 congregations across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer, Martin Luther.

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