[Editors: Please substitute the following for the first three paragraphs
of the story previously issued under the same headline on May 18, 1999.]
CHICAGO (ELCA) The Florida-Bahamas Synod, one of 65 synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), will pay $250,000 in settlement to a Fort Lauderdale woman who was abused in counseling by a former pastor in the synod.
In her suit, Kerry Fitzgerald claimed that then-Rev. Conny Sjostrom initiated improper sexual contact with her in 1992, early in her counseling sessions with him. Fitzgerald reported the misconduct in 1994, and Sjostrom resigned immediately when confronted by the Rev. Lavern G. Franzen, who was then bishop of the Florida-Bahamas Synod.
Sjostrom's misconduct occurred in his capacity as spiritual director for St. Francis Mission, a drug and alcohol counseling center not affiliated with the ELCA or synod. During the same time period, Sjostrom also served as a pastor at St. Francis Chapel, an ELCA congregation that has since disbanded. During the trial, Fitzgerald's attorneys suggested the synod knew about Sjostrom's improper conduct, a point denied by the synod.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.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
