CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Michael W. Rinehart and the Rev. David H.
Brauer-Rieke were re-elected to serve second six-year terms as synod
bishops in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
Rinehart, bishop of the ELCA Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod, was
re-elected on the first ballot during the synod assembly May 16-18 in
Navasota, Texas. He was first elected in 2007. Prior to becoming bishop
he served as pastor of Grace Lutheran Church in Conroe, Texas, from 1997
to 2007; Christ Lutheran Church in Charlotte, N.C., from 1994 to 1997;
and St. Paul Lutheran Church in Davenport, Iowa, from 1988 to 1994.
Rinehart received a Bachelor of Music degree in organ performance
from Valparaiso University in 1983, and a Master of Divinity from Trinity
Lutheran Seminary in Columbus, Ohio, in 1988. Trinity is one of eight
ELCA seminaries.
Brauer-Rieke, bishop of the ELCA Oregon Synod, was re-elected on the
second ballot during the synod assembly May 17-19 in Eugene, Ore. Brauer-
Rieke, first elected bishop in 2007, served as pastor of Atonement
Lutheran Church in Newport, Ore., from 2005 to 2007, and Christ the King
Lutheran Church in Milton-Freewater, Ore., from 1987 to 2005. He received
a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Pacific Lutheran University in
Tacoma, Wash., in 1978, and a Master of Divinity from Luther Northwestern
Theological Seminaries (now Luther Seminary) in St. Paul, Minn. in 1982.
Luther is one of eight ELCA seminaries, and Pacific Lutheran is one of 26
ELCA colleges and universities.
Information about the ELCA Texas-Louisiana Synod is available at
http://gulfcoastsynod.org and information about the ELCA Oregon Synod is
available at http://www.oregonsynod.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
