CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Donald D. Parsons, 58, has announced his resignation as bishop of the Alaska Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) effective June 30. The synod council has appointed the Rev. Larry J. Jorgenson to serve as interim bishop effective Aug. 1.
Jorgenson is executive director of Lutheran Social Services of Alaska, Anchorage, Alaska. He will serve the synod in a 15-month contract. The synod's next assembly, around early October 1999, will elect a new bishop.
Parsons had announced his intention to return to parish ministry earlier. He will become pastor of St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Beaverton, Ore., on Aug. 1.
Born in Ellsworth, Kan., Parsons graduated from the University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, with a degree in forestry, and from Luther Theological Seminary, St. Paul, Minn. Prior to entering seminary, he worked as a range conservationist for the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
Parsons was ordained in 1968 and served as pastor of three Oregon congregations -- Zion Lutheran Church, Port Orford; Bethany Lutheran Church, Gold Beach; and Zion Lutheran Church, Redmond -- and of Amazing Grace Lutheran Church, Anchorage, before becoming bishop of the Alaska Synod in 1988.
Parsons married Claudia Anderson in 1963. They are the parents of one son and one daughter.
The ELCA's Alaska Synod is 10,750 Lutherans in 30 congregations across the state. Its office is in Anchorage.
For information contact:
Ann Hafften, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://www.elca.org/co/news/current.html
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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 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 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
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
