Justin Grimm Elected Bishop of the ELCA Saint Paul Area Synod

CHICAGO — The Rev. Justin Grimm, St. Paul, Minn., was elected May 16 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Saint Paul Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, May 15-16 at St. Andrew’s Lutheran Church in Mahtomedi, Minn.

Grimm was elected on the third ballot, with 301 votes. The Rev. Jill Rode, pastor of St. Anthony Park Lutheran Church in St. Paul, received 52 votes.

The bishop-elect has served as the synod’s director for evangelical mission and assistant to the bishop for congregational vitality since 2015. He previously served as pastor of Advent Lutheran Church in Lake Ann, Mich., from 2007 to 2015 after first serving as mission developer from 2005 to 2007.

Grimm earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa, in 2001 and a Master of Divinity from Luther Seminary in 2005. Luther is one of seven ELCA seminaries.

Grimm will be installed at Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church, Apple Valley, Minn., on Sept. 13.

The Rev. Patricia Lull has served as synod bishop since 2014.

Learn more about the Saint Paul Area Synod.

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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 2.7 million members in more than 8,300 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean. 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
Public Relations Manager
Candice.Buchbinder@elca.org

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