Jessica Crist Elected Bishop of ELCA Montana Synod

      CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Jessica R. Crist was elected June
2 to a six-year term as bishop of the Montana Synod of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).  She was elected
on the third ballot for bishop during the synod assembly June 1-3
in Great Falls, Mont.  Crist, 54, is associate to the bishop of
the ELCA Montana Synod and director, Northern Rockies Institute
of Theology, Great Falls.
     On the third ballot, Crist received 252 votes to 48 for the
Rev. Douglas R. Vold, St John's Lutheran Church, Helena, Mont.,
and 29 for the Rev. Loren J. Gustafson, Our Redeemer Lutheran
Church, Helena.  Crist led on the second ballot with 217 votes to
40 for Gustafson and 29 for Vold.  There were 43 names on the
nominating ballot.
     Crist will succeed the Rev. Richard R. Omland, who has
served the synod as bishop since 2001.  Omland, 60, announced
previously he would not be available for re-election.
     Crist will assume her new role as bishop on Sept. 1.  She
will be installed as bishop on Sept. 8 at a location in Great
Falls.
     Born in Harrisburg, Pa., Crist earned a bachelor of arts
degree in English literature from Yale University, New Haven,
Conn., and a master of divinity degree in parish ministry from
Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass.
     Ordained in 1979 in the former Lutheran Church in America,
Crist was pastor of University Lutheran Church, Cambridge, and
First English Evangelical Lutheran Church, Great Falls.  She
served 1987-1999 as Montana Synod secretary, became director of
the Northern Rockies Institute of Theology in 1989, and joined
the synod staff in 2002 as associate to the bishop.  She was
president of the Montana Association of Churches.
     Crist and her husband, Turner C. Graybill, are parents of
two adult children -- Rhiannon Graybill and Raphael Graybill.
Crist is the daughter of Christine Myers Crist, who served 1988-
1990 as executive director of the ELCA Commission for Women.
     The ELCA Montana Synod has 49,576 baptized members in 144
congregations, including four congregations in Wyoming.  The
synod office is in Great Falls.
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     Information about the ELCA Montana Synod is at
http://www.montanasynod.org/ on the Web.

*Susan A. Hedahl, assembly coordinator and office manager, ELCA
Montana Synod, provided information.

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