Craig Satterlee elected bishop of ELCA North/West Lower Michigan Synod

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Craig Alan Satterlee was elected May 21
to serve a six-year term as bishop of the North/West Lower Michigan Synod
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). He was elected on
the fifth ballot during the synod assembly May 19-21 in Lansing, Mich.
“The church has done something bold by electing as bishop someone
who has a disability and is legally blind. The playbook hasn’t been
written yet, but the church and the world will take notice. This is the
Spirit’s doing,” said Satterlee in an interview.
Satterlee was elected on the fifth ballot with 157 votes to 143
votes for the Rev. Andreas Teich, pastor of Messiah Lutheran in Bay City,
Mich. The Rev. William Uetricht, pastor of First Lutheran Church in
Muskegon, Mich., was also a nominee on the fourth ballot with 78 votes to
107 for Teich and 122 for Satterlee.
Satterlee is the Axel Jacob and Gerda Maria (Swanson) Carlson
professor of homiletics and associate director for the advanced studies
program at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago. He is dean for the
doctor of ministry in preaching program at the Association of Chicago
Theological Schools and adjunct professor of theology at the University
of Notre Dame, South Bend, Ind. The Lutheran School of Theology at
Chicago is one of eight ELCA seminaries.
The bishop-elect served as interim and sabbatical pastor for several
ELCA congregations in Chicago from 2003 to 2011, and as interim pastor of
St. Timothy Lutheran in Sturgis, Mich., from 1995 to 2000. He served as
chaplain for the candidacy committee at the ELCA Upstate New York Synod
from 1996 to 1999, pastor of Holy Nativity Lutheran in Endicott, N.Y.,
from 1990 to 1995, and associate pastor of Bethlehem Lutheran in
Fairport, N.Y., from 1987 to 1990.
Satterlee earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and
persuasive communication and rhetoric from the University of Michigan in
1982. He received a Master of Divinity degree in 1986 and his Master of
Sacred Theology in 1993, both from Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus,
Ohio. The seminary is one of eight ELCA seminaries. He also earned a
Master of Arts degree in liturgical studies and homiletics in 1998, and
his doctorate degree in liturgical studies and homiletics in 2000, both
at the University of Notre Dame.
Satterlee is married to Cathy A. Satterlee and together they have
one daughter. He will be installed as bishop Sept. 22.
Information about the ELCA North/West Lower Michigan Synod is available at http://mittensynod.org/index.html.