CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Luther Institute awarded four Wittenberg Awards "to honor outstanding Lutheran laity and clergy for their service to = church and society" Nov. 20 in Washington, D.C. The four honorees were Bishop April Ulring Larson, Willmar Thorkelson, Shirley D. Peterson Esq. and the Honorable Eckhard Naumarm.
Bishop April Ulring Larson is the first Lutheran woman bishop in North America and has provided outstanding leadership to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
Willmar Thorkelson, journalist, has enjoyed a long and illustrious career as a syndicated columnist.
Shirley D. Peterson Esq., president of Hood College, Frederick, Md., and former commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service, has served as Lutheran lay woman in the public sector and in higher education.
The Honorable Eckhard Naumann, Mayor of Lutherstadt-Wittenberg, Germany, is the first democratically elected mayor of Lutherstadt-Wittenber= g, since World War II and has played a pivotal role in Wittenberg's transition from communism to democracy.
The featured speaker for the award ceremony was the Rev. Martin E. Marty, who received the Wittenberg Award in 1991. He is director of the Center for Public Religion at the University of Chicago, where he is also professor emeritus. Marty is the author of numerous books about the role of religion in the public sphere and will discuss the topic "Circuits and Connections: A Lutheran Perspective on the Information Age."
The Luther Institute, founded in 1983, is an independent center for laity and clergy located in Washington, D.C. It fosters education and research on social, educational and ethical issues in the public sphere, and it encourages service to church and society. The Wittenberg Awards were established in 1990.
For information contact:
Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Director 1-773-380-2955 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
