News

ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton has issued a letter to President Donald Trump and members of Congress expressing support of “our Jewish-American and Israeli siblings who have suffered because of the Oct. 7 attacks,” yet voicing “profound horror regarding the catastrophe in Gaza and the wider crisis in the Holy Land.”

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Augsburg Fortress Publishers announced a significant leadership transition. The Board of Trustees, with the approval of the Presiding Bishop of the ELCA, unanimously elected Andrew DeYoung to be the organization’s next President and Chief Executive Officer, effective September 1, 2026. DeYoung will succeed Tim Blevins, who will retire on August 31, 2026, after more than two decades of dedicated service.  

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The Rev. Lucille “CeCee” Mills was elected Aug. 1 to serve a six-year term as secretary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly being held July 28–Aug. 2 at the Phoenix (Ariz.) Convention Center.

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The Rev. Yehiel Curry was elected July 30 to serve a six-year term as presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly being held July 28–Aug. 2 at the Phoenix (Ariz.) Convention Center.

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ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton has issued a video message about the recent IRS ruling that suggests the agency may interpret the Johnson Amendment of 1954 in ways that would allow churches and other religious organizations to engage in partisan activity.

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Paul Sterling has been appointed chief operating officer (COO) of Portico Benefit Services, a separately incorporated ministry of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), effective July 14.

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Members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will gather for the 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, July 28–Aug. 2 at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Ariz. Meeting under the theme “For the Life of the World,” the assembly will participate in plenary discussions to make decisions about the work of this church. They will also spend time in worship and engage in various ways of theological reflection.

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Bishop Eaton responds to the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, calling the scope of the bill "generation-defining and life-altering for many, with provisions that will harm the well-being of local communities and the lives of many individuals for decades to come."

The Rev. Kristen Papson, Erie, Pa., was elected June 14 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Northwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, June 13-14 at Thiel College in Greenville, Pa.

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The Rev. Scott A. Dalen, Underwood, Iowa, was elected June 14 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Western Iowa Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, June 13-14 at the Nativity Parish Center in Sioux City, Iowa.

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The Rev. Keith A. Marshall, Enumclaw, Wash., was elected on June 14 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Southwestern Washington Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, June 13-14 at the Olson Auditorium at Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Wash.

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The Rev. Melissa L. Stoller, Pittsburgh, was elected on June 13 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, June 12-14 at La Roche University in Pittsburgh.

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The Rev. Stephen R. Herr, Gettysburg, Pa., was elected June 7 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Lower Susquehanna Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, June 5-7 at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in York, Pa.

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The Rev. Donna J. Simon, Kansas City, Mo., was elected June 7 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Central States Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, June 5-7 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in Olathe, Kan.

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The Rev. Philip C. Hirsch, Chicago, was elected June 7 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Metropolitan, D.C., Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, June 6-7 at the College Park Marriott Hotel & Convention Center in Hyattsville, Md.

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