CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Harold L. Usgaard was elected June 9 to
a six-year term as bishop of the Southeastern Minnesota Synod of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) June 9. Usgaard, 53,
currently serves as senior pastor at St. Olaf Lutheran Church, Austin,
Minn.
Usgaard was elected at the synod assembly at the Mayo Civic
Center, Rochester, Minn., and will assume the bishop's role Sept. 1. He
will succeed the Rev. Glenn W. Nycklemoe who had been serving as bishop
since 1987 and announced earlier he would not seek re-election. Usgaard
will be installed as bishop Oct. 21 at St. John Lutheran Church,
Owatonna, Minn.
Usgaard was elected on the fifth ballot, 312-250 over the Rev.
James A. Arends, Trinity Lutheran Church, Spring Grove, Minn. Usgaard
led on the fourth ballot with 246 votes, over Arends, who received 142
votes, and the Rev. Norman W. Wahl, Bethel Lutheran Church, Rochester,
who received 135 votes. There were 53 nominees on the first ballot.
Usgaard serves on the synod's mission planning team, synod council
and the council's executive committee. He has also served on the Luther
College Board of Regents, Southeastern Minnesota Synod endowment
committee, and the synod council and executive committee of the ELCA
Greater Milwaukee Synod.
Usgaard, who was born in Decorah, Iowa, earned a bachelor's degree
at Luther College, Decorah, Iowa, an ELCA higher education institution.
He earned a master of divinity degree from Luther Seminary, St. Paul,
Minn., an ELCA seminary. He was ordained in 1973.
Before he was pastor at St. Olaf Lutheran Church, Usgaard served
at Mount Hope Lutheran Church, West Allis, Wis.; and Zumbro Lutheran
Church, Rochester.
Usgaard and his wife Lynette are parents of three grown children.
The Southeastern Minnesota Synod includes 132,705 Lutherans in 184
congregations. Its offices are in Rochester, Minn.
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[*Julie Baska is communication director for the ELCA Southeastern
Minnesota 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
