by Luke Tatge*, ELCA News Service
The Rev. Steven L. Ullestad was re-elected June 28 to a six-year
term as bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) Northeastern Iowa Synod during the synod assembly in Cedar
Falls, Iowa, June 27-29. The assembly was rescheduled from June
13-15 at Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa, following flooding
along area rivers. Ullestad was re-elected on the third ballot
for bishop with 232 votes. The Rev. Gary G. Hatcher, St. Peter
Lutheran Church, Greene, Iowa, received 45 votes; the Rev.
Marshall E. Hahn, Norway Lutheran Church, St. Olaf, Iowa,
received 25 votes; and the Rev. Mark A. Anderson, assistant to
the bishop, ELCA Northeastern Iowa Synod, received one vote.
There were 40 candidates nominated on the first ballot.
Ullestad, 55, was born in Minneapolis. He earned a bachelor's
degree from Wartburg College and master of divinity and master of
sacred theology degrees from Wartburg Theological Seminary,
Dubuque, Iowa. Wartburg College is one of 28 colleges and
universities of the ELCA, and Wartburg Theological Seminary is
one of eight ELCA seminaries. Ullestad was pastor of St. Timothy
Lutheran Church, Hudson, Iowa, and served as assistant to the
bishop, ELCA Northeastern Iowa Synod. In 1992 the synod elected
Ullestad to succeed the Rev. L. David Brown as bishop. Ullestad
and his wife Ruth are the parents of three adult children.
The ELCA Northeastern Iowa Synod includes approximately 91,600
Lutherans in 181 congregations across 24 counties. The synod
office is in Waverly.
*Luke Tatge is a senior journalism major at Augustana College,
Sioux Falls, S.D. This summer he is an intern with the ELCA News
Service.
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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
