ELCA NEWS SERVICE
June 7, 2007
David Zellmer Elected Bishop of the ELCA South Dakota Synod
07-099-JB
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. David B. Zellmer, Lutheran
Memorial Lutheran Church, Pierre, S.D. and Grace Lutheran Church,
Hayes, S.D., was elected June 1 to a six-year term as bishop of
the South Dakota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in
America (ELCA). Zellmer was elected on the second ballot for
bishop, 444-178 over the Rev. Lawrence Wohlrabe, Our Savior's
Lutheran Church, Moorhead, Minn. The Rev. Jeffrey B. Sorenson,
assistant to the bishop, ELCA South Dakota Synod, received 117
votes.
The synod assembly was June 1-2 at Augustana College, Sioux
Falls, S.D. Augustana is one of 28 ELCA colleges and
universities.
Zellmer, 53, will succeed the Rev. Andrea B. DeGroot-Nesdahl
who has served as bishop of the synod since 1995. DeGroot-
Nesdahl could not seek re-election because the synod's
constitution limits its bishop to two terms.
Zellmer led on the first ballot with 319 votes. Wohlrabe
received 123 votes and Sorenson had 109 votes. Two other first-
ballot nominees were the Rev. Paul D. Stjernholm, Peace Lutheran
Church, Sioux Falls, who received 104 votes, and the Rev. Olaf
Roynesdal, East Side Lutheran Church, Sioux Falls, who received
97 votes.
Zellmer will assume the role of bishop on Sept. 1. He will
be installed Sept. 15 at First Lutheran Church, Sioux Falls.
Born in Minneapolis, Zellmer received a bachelor's degree in
psychology at Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, in 1977. In
1981 he received a master of divinity degree from Luther
Theological Seminary (now Luther Seminary), St. Paul, Minn.
Luther is one of eight ELCA seminaries.
After he was ordained in 1981, Zellmer was pastor of
Scandinavia Lutheran Church, Aberdeen, S.D., Bethany Lutheran
Church, Mellette, S.D., and chaplain at Bethesda Home of
Aberdeen, Aberdeen, S.D. In 1985 he became pastor of Trinity
Lutheran Church, Mitchell, S.D., before he became senior pastor
at Lutheran Memorial in 1993.
Zellmer is a board member of Lutheran Social Services of
South Dakota, Sioux Falls, and is secretary and board member of
Lutheran Social Services of South Dakota Foundation.
Zellmer has been a voting member of the ELCA Churchwide
Assembly, member of the ELCA task force on First Call Theological
Education, an ELCA South Dakota Synod Council member, vice
president of the council and chair of the synod's Theological
Continuing Education Task Force.
Zellmer and his wife Ladonna are parents of four adult
children. The Zellmers reside in Pierre.
The ELCA South Dakota Synod has 122,296 baptized members in
252 congregations. The synod office is in Sioux Falls.
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Information about the ELCA South Dakota Synod is at
http://www.augie.edu/related/synod/ 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
