ELCA NEWS SERVICE
October 3, 2011
Jessica Crist elected chair of the ELCA Conference of Bishops
11-125-MRC
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Jessica R. Crist, bishop of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Montana Synod, Great Falls,
Mont., was elected Oct. 1 to serve as chair of the ELCA Conference of
Bishops. Crist, who will serve a four-year term, is the first female
synod bishop ever to hold this position.
In response to her election, Crist said she has "great hope for the
future of the church and respect for the many fine lay and clergy leaders
who serve us."
Crist succeeds the Rev. Allan C. Bjornberg, bishop of the ELCA Rocky
Mountain Synod, Denver. The Rev. Michael L. Burk, bishop of the ELCA
Southeastern Iowa Synod, Iowa City, Iowa, was elected vice chair.
The ELCA Conference of Bishops is an advisory body of this church
that includes the ELCA's 65 synod bishops, presiding bishop and
secretary. It is meeting here Sept. 29-Oct. 4.
"Bishop Crist's election as chair of the Conference of Bishops
reflects the great confidence the bishops have in her leadership," said
ELCA Presiding Bishop Mark S. Hanson.
"She is highly respected for her clear proclamation of the gospel,
her attentive listening to ELCA leaders and members, her collaborative
approach to leadership and her passion for being engaged in God's mission
for the life of the world," Hanson said. "She will lead the Conference of
Bishops with a commitment to all voices being heard and our contribution
to the life and work of the whole ELCA. It will be an honor to serve with
her."
Born in Harrisburg, Pa., Crist earned a bachelor of arts degree in
English literature from Yale University, New Haven, Conn., and a master
of divinity degree in parish ministry from Harvard University, Cambridge,
Mass. She was ordained in 1979 in the former Lutheran Church in America
and served as pastor of University Lutheran Church, Cambridge, and First
English Evangelical Lutheran Church, Great Falls.
Crist was elected bishop of the Montana Synod in 2007. Prior to that
role, she served as associate to the synod bishop for five years and
director of the Northern Rockies Institute of Theology for 18 years.
Crist served on the transition team that formed the Montana Synod from
the ELCA's predecessor churches and was elected secretary of the synod at
its constituting convention in 1987. She served as synod secretary for 12
years.
Crist currently serves on the board of directors for the Montana
Association of Churches, Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., and Lutheran
World Relief based in Baltimore. She writes a monthly column for Montana
Woman Magazine.
Crist is a member of the ELCA Task Force on Communal Discernment,
the Conference of Bishops' Liaison Committee for Ecumenical and
Interfaith Relations and its Domestic Ready Bench. She is an ELCA
delegate to the National Council of Churches and represented the Lutheran
World Federation at the Global Christian Forum.
Crist and her husband, Turner C. Graybill, are parents of two adult
children.
The ELCA Montana Synod has 38,000 baptized members in 130
congregations, including five congregations in Wyoming. The synod office
is in Great Falls.
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Information about the ELCA Montana Synod is available at
http://www.montanasynod.org/ on the Web.
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United
States, with approximately 4.5 million members in more than 10,000
congregations 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.
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