CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. A. Donald Main was re-elected bishop of the Upper Susquehanna Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) June 8 when the synod met in assembly at Weber Chapel, Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, Pa. He received 241 of 296 votes cast on the first ballot for another six-year term as bishop.
There were 29 names placed in nomination, and 224 votes were needed for election on the first ballot. The Rev. Kenneth R. Elkin, St. Mark Lutheran Church, Williamsport, Pa., received nine votes. The Rev. Glenn E. Heasley, assistant to the bishop, ELCA Upper Susquehanna Synod, and the Rev. Ralph D. Sigler Jr., St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Bloomsburg, Pa., each received five votes.
Born in Frederick, Md., Main, 58, is a graduate of Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pa., and the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg. He has served as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, (Juniata) Altoona, Pa., and Zion Lutheran Church, Sunbury, Pa.
Main was first elected bishop of the Upper Susquehanna Synod in 1987, when a merger of three Lutheran church bodies formed the ELCA. He was re-elected bishop in 1991 and in 1995, when the term of a bishop was extended from four to six years.
Main and his wife Carol are the parents of three sons.
The ELCA Upper Susquehanna Synod has 47,361 baptized members in 143 congregations across 10 counties in north-central Pennsylvania. Synod offices are in Lewisburg, Pa.
Susquehanna University and Gettysburg College are two of 28 higher education institutions of the ELCA. The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg is one of eight ELCA seminaries. Susquehanna awarded Main an honorary doctor of divinity in 1987.
* Virginia Frantz is administrative assistant for the ELCA Upper
Susquehanna 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
