CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Ivan G. Ives, chaplain (Col.), U.S. Army, Ret., was named interim assistant for federal chaplaincies of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Department for Synodical Relations. He will direct the ELCA Office for Federal Chaplaincies in Washington, D.C., until a successor is found for the Rev. Lloyd W. Lyngdal, who retired Nov. 30.
The office coordinates ELCA chaplaincy programs in the U.S. military, Veterans Affairs facilities and federal prisons. About 800 ELCA pastors serve in these programs -- 125 active duty armed forces, 185 reservists, 400 retired military, 45 with Veterans Affairs, 44 in the Civil Air Patrol and seven with the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Ives, 67, was born in Park Grove, Mont. A graduate of Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn., he earned degrees from Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minn., and the Presbyterian School for Christian Education, Richmond, Va.
Ordained in 1961, Ives was called by the former American Lutheran Church to serve as a chaplain in the Army. He served at Fort Huachuca, Ariz.; with the 3rd Infantry Division in Germany; the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, N.C., and the Dominican Republic; the 1st Infantry Division in Vietnam; Fort Campbell, Ky.; Fort Hamilton, N.Y.; the 1st U.S. Army at Fort Meade, Md.; Fort Knox, Ky.; the Military District of Washington, Washington, D.C.; the Directorate for Administration and Management, Office of the Chief of Chaplains, Washington, DC; and the Combined Field Army (ROK/U.S.) in Korea.
Following his retirement from the Army in 1982, Ives served as pastor of Bethlehem Lutheran Church, Fairfax, Va. He became an interim pastor with the former Eastern District of the American Lutheran Church and subsequently with the ELCA Metropolitan Washington, D.C., Synod, serving 11 congregations.
Ives and his wife Kathryn live in Springfield, Va. They are the parents of four grown daughters.
LYNGDAL RETIRES
Lyngdal, 72, had served as assistant for federal chaplaincies since Jan. 1, 1988, the date the ELCA came into existence. The ELCA Church Council honored Lyngdal for his service to the church at its November 2002 meeting in Chicago.
Lyngdal was born in Minneapolis. He earned a bachelor of arts degree in 1952 from Augsburg College, Minneapolis. In 1956, he earned a master of divinity from Luther Seminary.
Following his ordination in 1956, Lyngdal became a U.S. Air Force chaplain, and served on active duty nearly 30 years. He was a chaplain at Davis Monthan Air Force Base (AFB), Tucson, Ariz.; Ent AFB, Colorado Springs, Colo., Rhein Main AFB, near Frankfurt, Germany; Plattsburgh AFB, Plattsburgh, N.Y.; Peshawar, AFB, Peshawar, Pakistan; Goodfellow AFB, San Angelo, Texas; Nakhon Phanom AFB, Thailand; Forbes AFB, Topeka, Kan.; McChord AFB, Tacoma, Wash.; and Norton AFB, San Bernardino, Calif., where Lyngdal was chief of the Chaplain Inspection Team.
He served four years as command chaplain at the U.S. Air Force Academy, Colorado Springs, before he became chief of personnel, Manpower and Readiness Division, Office of the Chief of Chaplains, U.S. Air Force headquarters, Washington, D.C. Lyngdal retired from the Air Force in October 1986.
His military awards and decorations include the Bronze Star, Meritorious Service Medal with oak leaf clusters, Air Force Commendation Medal and the Legion of Merit. Lyngdal was promoted the rank of Colonel in 1973.
While serving at the Air Force Academy, Lyngdal was honored by his alma mater when Augsburg College named him a distinguished alumnus. He and his wife, Colette, live in Woodbridge, Va.
Concordia College and Augsburg College are two of 28 ELCA colleges and universities; Luther Seminary is one of eight ELCA seminaries. -- -- --
The Office for Federal Chaplaincies has a home page at http://www.elca.org/sr/fedchap/ on the ELCA Web site.
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
