CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. David L. deFreese, First Lutheran Church, Kearney, Neb., was elected June 10 to a six-year term as bishop of the Nebraska Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) during the synod's assembly at the Sioux Land Conference Center, Marina Inn, South Sioux City, Neb. On the fifth and final ballot, he received 450 votes to 399 votes for the Rev. Gordon D. Peterson Jr., assistant to the bishop, ELCA Central States Synod, Shawnee Mission, Kan.
The Rev. Mark A. Grorud, First Lutheran Church, Fremont, Neb., was also considered on the assembly's fourth ballot. There were 33 names on the first and nominating ballot.
deFreese, 45, will succeed the Rev. Richard N. Jessen, 63, as bishop Sept. 1. Jessen was elected bishop in 1990 to succeed the Rev. Dennis A. Anderson, who became president of Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio. Jessen was re-elected in 1994 to a six-year term and plans to retire at the end of August.
"I am very humbled, very amazed," deFreese told the assembly after the declaration of his election. "I will trust God to help me serve the very best I can."
"I long for our church to be family. If God is our father and Christ is our brother, we need the family resemblance," he said. "We need to be joyful people, different people, whose hearts show on our sleeves for those so easy to forget."
Born in Hastings, Neb., deFreese is a graduate of Augustana College, Sioux Falls, S.D., and the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. Ordained in 1982, he has served as pastor of three Nebraska congregations -- First Lutheran Church, Kearney; Immanuel Lutheran Church, Bellevue; and Christ Lutheran Church, Pierce.
deFreese was chaplain for Martin Luther Home, Beatrice, Neb., and Bethphage Mission, Axtell, Neb. In 1999 he served as an exchange pastor with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Tanzania.
The bishop-elect is married to Anita Mihelic deFreese, a resource teacher at Sunrise Middle School, Kearney. They are the parents of three children.
The Rev. H. George Anderson, presiding bishop of the ELCA, will install deFreese in a ceremony Sept. 14 at First Lutheran Church, Kearney.
Special meetings were held at various locations across the state Feb. 26 and March 4 to nominate 24 candidates for bishop. Nominations were also accepted at the assembly.
The Nebraska Synod includes more than 128,000 Lutherans in 266 congregations across the state of Nebraska. Synod offices are in Omaha.
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
