by Katherine R. Hinck*, ELCA News Service
The Rev. David L. deFreese, 51, was elected to a second six-year
term as bishop of the Nebraska Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) at the synod assembly June 1-3 in
Kearney, Neb. With 603 of 757 votes, deFreese was re-elected
June 2 on the first ballot for bishop. Runners-up were the Rev.
Gordon D. Peterson Jr., assistant to the bishop, ELCA Pacifica
Synod, Calif., with 50 votes, and the Rev. Wenda W. Fry, Bethany
Lutheran Church, Elkhorn, Neb., with 42 votes. There were 16
nominees on the first or nominating ballot.
Born in Hastings, Neb., deFreese graduated from Augustana
College, Sioux Falls, S.D., and earned a master of divinity
degree at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC).
Augustana is one of 28 colleges and universities of the ELCA;
LSTC is one of eight ELCA seminaries. Ordained in 1982, he
served as pastor of three Nebraska congregations: First Lutheran
Church, Kearney; Immanuel Lutheran Church, Bellevue; and Christ
Lutheran Church, Pierce. deFreese was first elected bishop in
2000, succeeding the Rev. Richard N. Jessen. deFreese and his
wife Anita are parents of three daughters and reside in Gretna,
Neb.
The Nebraska Synod includes 123,615 baptized members in 260
congregations throughout Nebraska. The synod office is in Omaha.
*Katherine R. Hinck is a senior journalism and religion major at
Augustana College, Sioux Falls, S.D. This summer she is an
intern with the ELCA News Service.
Information was provided by Linda Janssen Gjere, director for
communications, ELCA Nebraska Synod.
Links
The Rev. David L. deFreese:
http://www.nebraskasynod.org/bishopsmessages/index.html
Nebraska Synod: http://www.nebraskasynod.org/
Augustana College, Sioux Falls, S.D.: http://www.augie.edu
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago: http://www.lstc.edu/
Immanuel Lutheran Church, Bellevue:
http://www.neonramp.com/immanuel/
First Lutheran Church, Kearney:
http://www.firstlutherankearney.org/
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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
