ELCA NEWS SERVICE
May 21, 2007
David Brauer-Rieke Elected Bishop of ELCA Oregon Synod
07-086-JB
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. David H. Brauer-Rieke, Atonement
Lutheran Church, Newport, Ore., was elected to a six-year term as
bishop of the Oregon Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA) at the synod assembly in Eugene, Ore. Brauer-
Rieke, 51, was elected May 19 on the fifth ballot for bishop, 230-
132 over the Rev. Zane O. Wilson, assistant to the bishop, ELCA
Oregon Synod.
Brauer-Rieke will succeed the Rev. Paul R. Swanson, 64, who
announced previously he would not be available for re-election.
Swanson has served as bishop of the synod since the inception of
the ELCA in 1988.
Brauer-Rieke led on the fourth ballot with 176 votes.
Wilson received 122 votes and the Rev. James A. Nestingen, a
retired ELCA pastor, Dallas, Ore., received 82 votes. There were
54 names on the first or nominating ballot.
Brauer-Rieke will assume the role of bishop Aug. 1. He will
be installed as bishop Sept. 22 at the Chiles Center, University
of Portland, Portland, Ore.
Born in Seattle, Brauer-Rieke earned a bachelor's degree in
economics from Pacific Lutheran University, Tacoma, Wash., in
1978. In 1982 he earned a master of divinity degree from Luther
Theological Seminary (now Luther Seminary), St. Paul, Minn.
Pacific Lutheran is one of 28 ELCA colleges and universities;
Luther is one of eight ELCA seminaries.
Following his ordination in 1987 Brauer-Rieke served as
pastor of Christ the King Lutheran Church, Milton-Freewater, Ore.
In 2005 he became pastor of Atonement Lutheran Church.
Brauer-Rieke and his wife Gretchen are the parents of two
sons and one daughter. They reside in Newport.
The ELCA Oregon Synod has 44,031 baptized members in 118
congregations. The synod office is in Portland.
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Information about the ELCA Oregon Synod is at
http://www.oregonsynod.org/
on the Web.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news
ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog
