ELCA News

Katherine Finegan reelected bishop of the ELCA Northern Great Lakes Synod

05/19/2023

CHICAGO — The Rev. Katherine A. Finegan, Marquette, Mich., was reelected May 19 to serve a second six-year term as bishop of the Northern Great Lakes Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election was held during the synod assembly May 18-20 at the Northern Center at Northern Michigan University in Marquette.

Finegan was reelected on the first ballot with 174 votes. A total of 151 votes were needed for election.

Finegan has served as bishop of the Northern Great Lakes Synod since 2017. Prior to becoming bishop, she served as an assistant to the bishop in the synod from 2012 to 2017 and as pastor of Bethany Lutheran Church in Republic, Mich., from 2002 to 2012.

Finegan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Valparaiso (Ind.) University in 1987 and her Master of Divinity from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., in 2002. Luther is one of seven ELCA seminaries.

Information about the Northern Great Lakes Synod is available at nglsynod.org/assembly.

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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 3 million members in more than 8,700 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.Buchbinder@ELCA.org

Donald Kreiss reelected bishop of the ELCA Southeast Michigan Synod

05/19/2023

CHICAGO — The Rev. Dr. Donald P. Kreiss, Detroit, was reelected May 19 to serve a third six-year term as bishop of the Southeast Michigan Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election was held during the synod assembly May 18-20 at the Blue Water Convention Center in Port Huron, Mich.

Kreiss was reelected on the first ballot with 162 votes. A total of 153 votes were needed for election.

Kreiss has served as bishop of the Southeast Michigan Synod since 2011. Prior to becoming bishop, he served as pastor of Antioch Lutheran Church in Farmington Hills, Mich., from 1999 to 2011, and King of Glory Lutheran Church in Flushing, Mich., from 1992 to 1997.

The bishop earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., in 1983 and a Master of Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago in 1992. The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago is one of seven ELCA seminaries.

Information about the Southeast Michigan Synod is available at semisynod.com.

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

Rebecca Middeke-Conlin elected bishop of the ELCA Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod

05/11/2023

CHICAGO — The Rev. Rebecca Middeke-Conlin, Tulsa, Okla., was elected May 7 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, May 5-7, at the Hyatt Place Tulsa–South in Tulsa.

Middeke-Conlin was elected on the fifth ballot, with 58 votes to 32 votes for the Rev. Peter Olson, senior pastor of the Shared Ministry of North Central Oklahoma.

The bishop-elect has served as director for evangelical mission and associate for youth and young adult ministry in the Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod since 2021. Prior to that, she served as pastor of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Easton, Pa., from 2016 to 2021; as pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran in Easton, Pa., from 2019 to 2021; as associate pastor of Lutheran Church of the Holy Spirit in Emmaus, Pa., from 2014 to 2015; and as pastor of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Georgetown, Conn., from 2009 to 2014.

Middeke-Conlin earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire in 2003 and her Master of Divinity degree from Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, now United Lutheran Seminary, in 2008. United is one of seven ELCA seminaries.

Middeke-Conlin will take office July 1. She will be installed Oct. 14 at Fellowship Lutheran Church in Tulsa.

Information about the Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod is available at Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod | ELCA | Tulsa (aokelca.org)[JJ1] .

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

Meggan Manlove elected bishop of the ELCA Northwest Intermountain Synod

05/02/2023

CHICAGO — The Rev. Meggan H. Manlove, Nampa, Idaho, was elected April 29 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Northwest Intermountain Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, April 28-30, at the Red Lion Airport Hotel and Conference Center in Pasco, Wash.

Manlove was elected on the fourth ballot, with 141 votes to 68 votes for the Rev. Kristen Kuempel, current bishop of the synod. Kuempel, who was elected in 2017, served one term as bishop.

The bishop-elect has served as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in Nampa since 2010. Prior to that, she was pastor of Soldier Lutheran Church in Soldier, Iowa, from 2004 to 2010.

Manlove earned her Bachelor of Arts degree from Concordia College in Moorhead, Minn., in 1998 and her Master of Divinity degree from the University of Chicago Divinity School in 2002. She earned her Doctor of Ministry degree from San Francisco Theological Seminary in 2021.

Manlove will take office July 1. She will be installed Oct. 7 at Cathedral of the Rockies, Boise First United Methodist Church in Boise, Idaho.

Information about the Northwest Intermountain Synod is available at Northwest Intermountain Synod, ELCA (nwimsynod.org).

ELCA Church Council appoints members to the Commission on a Renewed Lutheran Church

04/26/2023

CHICAGO — The Church Council of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) met electronically April 20. The council serves as the ELCA churchwide organization's board of directors and interim legislative authority between meetings of a churchwide assembly.

The council took the following actions:

Appointed members to the Commission on a Renewed Lutheran Church (CRLC), which will hold its first meeting in July. The 2022 Churchwide Assembly called for the council to establish the CRLC to reconsider statements of purpose for the church and its organizational structure. The commission will present its findings and recommendations to the 2025 Churchwide Assembly in preparation for a possible reconstituting convention. A summary of the nomination process and the names of the appointed members is available here.
Adopted "Earth's Climate Crisis" as an official social message of the ELCA.
Authorized development of a social message on the epidemic of gun-related trauma in the U.S. in consideration of existing social teaching and in accordance with "Policies and Procedure of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America for Addressing Social Concerns" (2018).
Maintained the pending status of requests for development of a social message on child abuse and child protection and a revision of the 1990 "Message on Homelessness." These requests will be assessed by the Theological Discernment team in the Office of the Presiding Bishop for possible recommendation to the council following the 2023-24 social message development cycle.
Received the report and recommendations from the Task Force on the ELCA Discipline Process for Rostered Ministers of Color; referred recommendations concerning the discipline process to the Office of the Secretary and the Conference of Bishops for a report in November 2023; referred a recommendation for the creation of an ombudsperson position or office in the churchwide organization to the Administrative Team, in consultation with the Conference of Bishops; and referred recommendations regarding revisions to the roster manual to the Task Force on Specialized Ministry and On-Leave-from-Call Status.
Formally received a proposal for exchangeability of the diaconate between The Episcopal Church and the ELCA. Through the proposal, endorsed by the Lutheran Episcopal Coordinating Committee, the ELCA and The Episcopal Church recognize each other's deacons as authentic. It also provides for the possibility of interchangeability for occasional ministry or extended service.
Increased the spending authorization for ELCA World Hunger from $25,250,000 to $26,770,000.
Added $1.7 million to the Budgeted Operations Support designated fund to provide support for future budgetary needs.
Approved a $300,000 designated fund for the work of the CLRC that will be used to cover the costs of meetings and other resources.
Received a progress report on the "Salary Equity in the ELCA" resolution and affirmed commissioning of a survey concerning inequitable gaps in compensation for rostered ministers in the ELCA.
Received a response on the "Gun Violence Advocacy" resolution from the Witness in Society team in the Service and Justice home area and commended the continued advocacy efforts being implemented across this church related to gun violence and universal background checks.
Received a response on the "LGBTQ+ Programming for Events" resolution from the ELCA Christian Community and Leadership home area and encouraged consideration of the development of LGBTQ+-focused sessions for churchwide events whenever gatherings include such sessions for other communities.
Referred the "LGBTQIA+ Presence Among ELCA Governing Bodies" resolution to the Office of the Secretary for a report at the November 2023 Church Council meeting.
Received a response on the "Council of Nicaea 1700^th Anniversary" resolution and commended the ELCA Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations team in its efforts to engage ELCA congregations and synods in observing the anniversary.
Approved changes to the churchwide organization personnel policies and to the Mission Investment Fund's supplemental executive retirement plan.
Approved recommendations for successor beneficiaries of various endowment funds.
Approved appointments to various seminary boards.

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

ELCA Launches Truth and Healing Movement

04/12/2023

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), has announced the launch of the ELCA's Truth and Healing Movement. The focus of the initiative is to increase the church's understanding of the impacts of colonization on Indigenous people in past generations and in the present.

"We must be in better, right, and healthy relationships with the Indigenous people of Turtle Island," said Eaton. "As we know, the truth and our knowing and embracing it, is the first step toward healing for all of us."

In 2016, the ELCA Churchwide Assembly adopted the Repudiation of the Doctrine of Discovery. Following this action, Eaton commissioned a task force to lead the work outlined in the repudiation. The task force also developed "A Declaration of the ELCA to American Indian and Alaska Native People," which confessed the church's complicity in the oppression and genocide of Indigenous people and recommitted the ELCA to the work of Repudiation.

The ELCA's Truth & Healing Movement will enlist and empower members to become involved in the areas of focus started by the task force: development of appropriate settler narrative from a Lutheran perspective; encouraging the ritual practice of land acknowledgement; understanding Lutheran participation in Indian Boarding Schools; and support for communities impacted by murdered and missing Indigenous women and girls. The movement will also offer ways to participate in the national Truth and Healing Movement.

Since the 1960s Lutherans have supported the American Indian Movement, working towards justice for and with Indigenous People. The ELCA's Truth & Healing Movement commits this church to building and strengthening right relationships with our Indigenous neighbors.

Learn more about the ELCA's Truth & Healing Movement.