Laurie Jungling elected bishop of the ELCA Montana Synod

​CHICAGO – The Rev. Laurie A. Jungling, Butte, Mont., was elected June 1 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Montana Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, held May 31 – June 2 at the Heritage Inn in Great Falls, Mont.

Jungling was elected on the fifth ballot, with 143 votes. The Rev. Jason Asselstine, associate to the synod bishop, received 138.

The bishop-elect has served as interim pastor of Gold Hill Lutheran Church in Butte since 2018. As intentional interim pastor for the Montana Synod from 2016 to 2019, Jungling served at Hope Lutheran Church in Powell, Wyo.; St. Paul Lutheran Church in Cut Bank, Mont.; and Redeemer Lutheran Church in Great Falls. After serving as pastor of Buffalo (S.D.) Lutheran Parish from 1996-1999, she was professor of religion and ethics at Augustana University in Sioux Falls, S.D., from 2008-2016. Augustana is one of the ELCA's 26 colleges and universities.

Jungling received a Bachelor of Science degree from Montana State University in Bozeman in 1989. She received a Master of Divinity degree in 1996 and a Master of Theology degree in 2001 from Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn. The bishop-elect received a doctorate degree from Graduate Theological Union at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary of California Lutheran University in Berkeley, Calif., in 2007. Luther and Pacific are two of seven ELCA seminaries. California Lutheran University is one of 26 ELCA colleges and universities.

Jungling will be installed Sept. 21 at a location to be determined.

The Rev. Jessica R. Crist has served as bishop since 2007 and will retire Aug. 31.

Information about the ELCA Montana Synod is available at montanasynod.org/.

- - -

About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with nearly 3.5 million members in more than 9,100 worshiping communities 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.

For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
773-380-2877
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org