Thomas Aitken Elected Bishop of ELCA Northeastern Minnesota Synod

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Thomas M. Aitken, Bethany
Lutheran Church, Loman, Minn., and First Lutheran Church,
International Falls, Minn., was elected May 4 to a six-year
term as bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) Northeastern Minnesota Synod. He succeeds the Rev.
E. Peter Strommen as bishop on Aug. 1. Strommen served 12
years as bishop and was ineligible for re-election.
Aitken was elected on the fifth ballot during the synod
assembly May 2-4 in Duluth, Minn. He received 254 votes to
153 for the Rev. Lynn R. Ronsberg, Zion Lutheran Church,
Grand Rapids, Minn.
On the fourth ballot for bishop, Aitken received 176
votes to 139 for Ronsberg and 105 for the Rev. Alan E. Loose,
director of cooperative ministries, Lutheran Social Services
of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minn. There were 18 names on the
nominating ballot.
Aitken will be installed as bishop in a service Aug. 23
at Trinity Lutheran Church, Brainerd, Minn.
Aitken, 52, was born in Fargo, N.D. He graduated from
Northwestern College and Luther Seminary, both in St. Paul.
Luther is one of eight ELCA seminaries. While earning his
degrees he served Boy Scouts of Minnesota as a summer program
director, camp chaplain and camp director.
Ordained in 1985, Aitken was pastor for Immanuel Lutheran
Church, Hillman, Minn., and First Lutheran Church, Brainerd,
before moving to International Falls in 1992.
Aitken and his wife, Rebecca (Becky), are active in
community theatre. They are the parents of two adult children.
The ELCA Northeastern Minnesota Synod is 75,000 Lutherans
in 149 congregations across 13 Minnesota counties. The synod
office is in Duluth.
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The home page for the ELCA Northeastern Minnesota Synod
is at http://www.nemnsynod.org/ on the Web.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
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