Stumme-Diers re-elected bishop of the ELCA Greater Milwaukee Synod

by Frank Imhoff, ELCA News Service

The Rev. Paul W. Stumme-Diers was elected to a second
six-year term as bishop of the Greater Milwaukee Synod
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
during the synod's assembly May 29-31 in Waukesha, Wis.
On the fourth and final ballot for bishop Stumme-Diers
received 246 votes, the Rev. John R. Horner-Ibler, Cross
of Life Lutheran Church, Brookfield, Wis., received 121
votes, and the Rev. Viviane Thomas-Breitfeld, Good
Shepherd Lutheran Church, Waukesha, Wis., received 15
votes. There were 33 names on the nominating ballot, and
all but three withdrew before the second ballot.

Stumme-Diers, 47, was born in Waverly, Iowa. He graduated
from Pacific Lutheran University (PLU), Tacoma, Wash., and
Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa. He served
as pastor of Resurrection Lutheran Church, New Berlin,
Wis., and All Saints Lutheran Church, Wales, Wis. The
ELCA Greater Milwaukee Synod elected him bishop in 2002.
Stumme-Diers serves on the Interfaith Conference of
Greater Milwaukee, and on the boards of Carthage College,
Kenosha, Wis., Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and
Upper Michigan, and Wartburg Theological Seminary. Carthage
and PLU are two of 28 colleges and universities of the ELCA;
Wartburg is one of eight ELCA seminaries. The bishop is
married to the Rev. Laurie K. Stumme-Diers, Cross Lutheran
Church, Ixonia, Wis. They are the parents of two children.

The ELCA Greater Milwaukee Synod includes approximately
93,000 Lutherans in 140 congregations across seven counties
in southeast Wisconsin. The synod office is in Milwaukee.