News

The Conference of Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) met Sept. 26-30 at the Lutheran Center in Chicago. The conference, an advisory body of the ELCA, comprises 65 synod bishops, the presiding bishop and the secretary.

The Rev. Jeff R. Johnson, Berkeley, Calif., was elected Sept. 17 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, Sept. 15-17, at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco Airport in Burlingame, Calif.

The Rev. Jeff Thiemann, President and Chief Executive Officer of Portico Benefit Services, has announced that he will retire on Sept. 30 at the end of his third term with the organization.

Lutheran Disaster Response, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)'s ministry to provide short- and long-term recovery when disasters strike in the United States and around the world, is responding to urgent humanitarian needs and supporting agricultural livelihood recovery in Ukraine though a $1 million grant to Lutheran World Relief, a Corus International organization.

As presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, I join my colleague, the Rev. Dr. Sani Ibrahim Azar, bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land, in being "deeply dismayed at the ongoing Israeli military incursions into Palestinian communities, especially in the city and refugee camp of Jenin."

In a joint letter commemorating World Refugee Day, ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton and Global Refuge President and CEO Krish O'Mara Vignarajah remind us to "live out the calling of our faith by seeking justice, peace and protection for our refugee and migrant siblings."

The Rev. Dr. Phyllis Blair Milton, Portsmouth, Va., was elected June 11 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Virginia Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, June 9-11, at Roanoke College in Salem, Va.

The Rev. Greg Busboom,Springfield, Ill.,was elected June 3 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Central/Southern Illinois Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, March 25 via Zoom and June 1-3 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in East Peoria, Ill.

The Rev. Katherine A. Finegan, Marquette, Mich., was reelected May 19 to serve a second six-year term as bishop of the Northern Great Lakes Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election was held during the synod assembly May 18-20 at the Northern Center at Northern Michigan University in Marquette.

The Rev. Dr. Donald P. Kreiss, Detroit, was reelected May 19 to serve a third six-year term as bishop of the Southeast Michigan Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election was held during the synod assembly May 18-20 at the Blue Water Convention Center in Port Huron, Mich.

The Rev.Rebecca Middeke-Conlin,Tulsa, Okla.,was elected May 7 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, May 5-7, at the Hyatt Place Tulsa–South in Tulsa.

The Rev. Meggan H. Manlove,Nampa, Idaho,was elected April 29 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Northwest Intermountain Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, April 28-30, at the Red Lion Airport Hotel and Conference Center in Pasco, Wash.

As we approach March 31, many people are preparing to recognize Transgender Day of Visibility, an international day to celebrate the contributions of transgender people and raise awareness about the deadly injustices they face.As bishop of this church, I am concerned that the rights of transgender and nonbinary Americans have...

The Conference of Bishops of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) met Feb. 28–March 4 at the Eaglewood Resort in Itasca, Ill. The conference, an advisory body of the ELCA, comprises 65 synod bishops, the presiding bishop and the secretary.

Dear church,For many months we have seen an alarming spike in anti-Jewish, anti-Muslim and white supremacist hate. It has been reported that extremist groups are planning a national "Day of Hate" tomorrow, targeting Jews. This evening, as the sun sets and Shabbat begins, our Jewish neighbors are living in fear.As...

ELCA Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton has issued a statement on the killing of Tyre Nichols.

The ELCA Foundation is pleased to announce a new partnership with the investment consulting firm Fund Evaluation Group LLC (FEG).

Dear church, On Sunday the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) will for the first time ordain a woman into pastoral ministry, Sally Azar. I invite you to join in the celebration by watching this short documentary about what women's ordination means for the ELCJHL, and...

We stand together as Jewish, Christian and Muslim leaders in the United States to condemn the recent rise in anti-Christian hate in the Holy Land, including the vandalism of a Protestant cemetery on Jan. 1, and graffiti threatening "Death to Christians" that appeared last week both in and near the...

The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has received a $1 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to help establish the Formation Lab Project.