CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Dennis J. Johnson was named interim president of Gustavus Adolphus College effective June 11. Gustavus Adolphus, St. Peter, Minn., is one of 28 colleges and universities of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
Johnson serves as the bishop's associate for the ELCA Minneapolis Area Synod. He will succeed Dr. Axel Steuer, the 13th president of Gustavus Adolphus, who announced his resignation Jan. 21. Steuer served as president of the college for the past 11 years and will finish his term at the end of the current academic year.
"Gustavus Adolphus College has been a significant part of my life since my student days," said Johnson. "The opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to Gustavus during the transition to a new president is a challenge that excites me, and I look forward to working closely with many of the wonderful people who value and support this exceptional institution," he said.
Johnson earned his bachelor's degree at Gustavus Adolphus in 1960. He received a master of divinity degree at the Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago (LSTC) and earned a master of sacred theology degree at the Andover Newton Theological Institute, Boston. He was a Farmington Fellow at Manchester College, Oxford University, England. LSTC is one of eight seminaries of the ELCA.
Ordained in 1965, Johnson served as a parish pastor until 1977. In 1985 he became vice president of church relations at Gustavus Adolphus College and was named vice president of college relations there in 1996. Johnson also served on the college's board of trustees and the Gustavus Alumni Association board. Johnson retired from Gustavus in 2000.
Johnson and his wife Carol have two children. - - -
Information about Gustavus Adolphus College is maintained at http://www.gac.edu on the Internet.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or NEWS@ELCA.ORG
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.html
- - -
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
