by John R. Brooks, ELCA News Service
The Rev. Floyd M. Schoenhals, 65, was elected to a third six-year
term as bishop of the Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) at its assembly April 20-22 at
the Southern Hills Marriott Hotel, Tulsa, Okla. He received 112
votes of 133 votes April 21 on the first ballot. There were 11 names on the nominating ballot.
Schoenhals was born in Shattuck, Okla. In 1962 he graduated from Concordia Senior College, Ft. Wayne, Ind. In 1966 Schoenhals earned a master of divinity degree from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Following his ordination in 1966, Schoenhals was pastor of congregations in Louisiana and Oklahoma before he was first elected bishop in 1994, succeeding the Rev.Robert H. Studtmann. Schoenhals and his wife Betty are
parents of three grown children.
The synod has 14,479 baptized members in 58 congregations across
Arkansas and Oklahoma. The synod office is in Tulsa.
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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
