CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Raymond W. Wargelin, former president of the Finnish Lutheran Church of America (Suomi Synod), died Dec. 12 in Minneapolis. He was 92.
Wargelin was the last of four surviving presidents who led their Lutheran church bodies into a merger creating the Lutheran Church in America (LCA) in 1963. The LCA, the American Lutheran Church and the Association of Evangelical Lutheran Churches formed the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in 1988.
Born June 25, 1911, in Republic, Mich., Wargelin was raised in Finnish American communities there and in Waukegan, Ill., Hancock, Mich., Duluth and Mountain Iron, Minn.
Wargelin earned a bachelor's degree from Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio, in 1933. Wittenberg is one of 28 colleges and universities of the ELCA. He was among the first to receive a bachelor of divinity degree from the former Suomi Lutheran Theological Seminary, Hancock, Mich., in 1936. In 1940, he earned a master's degree in vocational guidance from the University of California, Berkeley, Calif., and in 1956 he received a doctorate of divinity from Luther Theological Seminary (now Luther Seminary), St. Paul, Minn. Luther is one of eight seminaries of the ELCA.
Wargelin was honored with a doctorate of theology from the University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland, and an Order of the Lion by the Government of Finland in 1963.
Wargelin was ordained in 1936. In 1939 he married Kaarina Rautalahti, who joined his ministry as "co-partner," serving Finnish American congregations in Berkeley from 1936 to 1943, and in Fairport Harbor, Ohio, from 1946 to 1955. From 1943 to 1946 Wargelin served as a professor of practical theology at Suomi Seminary. From 1947 to 1955 he served as president of the Suomi Synod's Lake Erie Conference, and as director of the synod's church advancement program from 1950 to 1952.
Wargelin was as member of the board of directors of Suomi College (which became Finlandia University on July 1, 2000) and seminary from 1948 to 1952, and was college president in 1959 and 1960. He was president of the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America (Suomi Synod) from 1955 to 1962.
Wargelin was the regional secretary of the LCA's Board of American Missions, Minneapolis, from 1963 to 1975. From 1962 to 1974 he served as president of the LCA's Suomi Free Conference (now known as the ELCA Finnish Suomi Special Interest Conference).
In the last forty years of his life, he defined a second career as a historian, particularly of the Finnish American Lutheran Church (Suomi Synod). He collected and functioned as archivist of the Suomi Synod records housed at the Finnish American Historical Library, Suomi College.
Wargelin was an editor and writer for a variety of publications, including his authorship of Finnish American Church history indexes and bibliographies. After 1975 he lived in retirement in Rio Rancho, N.M., and after 1992 in Minneapolis.
Wargelin is survived by his two children, Marianne Wargelin and James, and five grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife and their son, Raymond Alvar.
Funeral services will be held Jan. 17, 2004, at Christ Lutheran Church, Minneapolis.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
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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
