CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Allan C. Bjornberg was elected May 19 to a second six-year term as bishop of the Rocky Mountain Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) during the synod's assembly at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colo. On the first ballot, Bjornberg received 316 votes for re-election; the ballot included 52 nominees.
Bjornberg, 52, is a graduate of the University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, and Northwestern Lutheran Theological Seminary (now Luther Seminary), St. Paul, Minn. Ordained in 1973, he served as pastor of First Lutheran Church in Colorado Springs, Colo., and Holy Cross Lutheran, Albuquerque.
In November 1993 a special synod assembly elected Bjornberg to succeed the Rev. Wayne E. Weissenbuehler, who resigned as bishop to return to parish ministry. The Rev. Elwin Farwell served as interim bishop until Bjornberg took office in 1994.
Bjornberg was the first ELCA synod bishop to be elected to a six-year = term. =20 The ELCA's 1993 Churchwide Assembly approved extending the terms of bishops from four to six years.
The ELCA Rocky Mountain Synod is based in Denver. It includes 93,445 Lutherans in 180 congregations across Colorado, New Mexico, Utah, Wyoming and the El Paso area of Texas.
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
