Title: ELCA Lutherans Elect Eight New Bishops ELCA NEWS SERVICE July 3, 1996 LUTHERANS ELECT EIGHT NEW BISHOPS (123 lines) 96-16-047-FI CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Eight of the 65 synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America elected new bishops during their annual assemblies this spring. Another seven synods re-elected their bishops to new six-year terms. The new bishops are: the Rev. Stephen P. Bouman, Metropolitan New York Synod; the Rev. Duane C. Danielson, Western North Dakota Synod; the Rev. David A. Donges, South Carolina Synod; the Rev. Callon W. Holloway Jr., Southern Ohio Synod; the Rev. Philip L. Hougen, Southeastern Iowa Synod; the Rev. Francisco L. Sosa, Caribbean Synod; the Rev. David R. Strobel, Northeastern Pennsylvania Synod; and the Rev. E. Peter Strommen, Northeastern Minnesota Synod. The re-elected bishops are: the Rev. Richard J. Foss, Eastern North Dakota Synod; the Rev. Robert L. Isaksen, New England Synod; the Rev. April Ulring Larson, La Crosse Area Synod; the Rev. Lee M. Miller, Upstate New York Synod; the Rev. Glenn W. Nycklemoe, Southeastern Minnesota Synod; the Rev. Peter Rogness, Greater Milwaukee Synod; and the Rev. Steven L. Ullestad, Northeastern Iowa Synod. The only incumbent who was not re-elected is Bishop James E. Sudbrock of the Metropolitan New York Synod. Bouman, 49, received 258 votes to 250 votes for Sudbrock, 61, on the fifth ballot taken June 14 during the synod's assembly in Tarrytown, N.Y. Bouman will take office Sept. 1. He has served as an assistant to Sudbrock since 1992. On the fourth ballot, Sudbrock led 256 to Bouman's 238 and the next highest vote getter was the Rev. Frederick J. Schumacher with 12. Schumacher, St. Matthew Lutheran Church, White Plains, N.Y., dropped out before the fifth ballot. There were 45 names on the nominating ballot. Bouman was pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Bogota, N.J., 1982-1992. He graduated from Concordia Senior College, Fort Wayne, Ind., in 1969 and Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, in 1973; and he earned his doctor of ministry degree from New York Theological Seminary, New York, in 1980. Danielson, 50, received 244 votes to 142 votes cast for the Rev. Rolf A. Nestigen, Bethany Lutheran Church, Minot, N.D., on the fifth ballot June 8 during the synod's assembly in Minot, N.D. Danielson currently serves as assistant to Bishop Robert D. Lynne, whom he succeeds when Lynne retires on Sept. 1. Donges, 55, received 270 votes to 212 votes cast for the Rev. Richard R. Campbell, St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Charleston, S.C., on the fifth ballot June 9 during the synod's assembly in Greenville, S.C. Donges currently serves as assistant to Bishop James S. Aull, whom he will succeed when Aull retires on Aug. 1. Holloway, 43, received 304 votes on the fifth ballot cast June 1 during the synod's assembly at Wittenberg University, Springfield, Ohio. The Rev. Walter F. Taylor Jr., professor of New Testament, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio, received 281 votes on that fifth ballot. Holloway is currently an assistant to Bishop Kenneth H. Sauer, whom he will succeed when Sauer retires on Sept. 1. He will be the church's only African American bishop. Hougen, 53, Grace Lutheran Church, Des Moines, will succeed Bishop Paul M. Werger who retires July 31. Hougen received 238 votes on the fifth ballot taken May 18 during the synod's assembly in Des Moines; the Rev. Roy C. Nilsen, Zion Lutheran Church, Iowa City, Iowa, received 208 votes. Sosa, 56, Reconciliation Lutheran Church, Levittown, Puerto Rico, became bishop on the day of his election -- May 25. He succeeded the Rev. Gregory J. Villal#n who resigned May 1 to become director for Hispanic ministries in the ELCA Commission for Multicultural Ministries in Chicago. Sosa was elected on the fifth ballot taken during the synod's assembly in Santurce (San Juan), Puerto Rico; he received 48 votes to 46 votes for the Rev. Margarita Martinez, San Marcos Lutheran Church, Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Strobel, 50, Trinity Lutheran Church, Reading, Pa., received 453 votes on the fifth ballot taken May 11 during the synod's assembly in Lake Harmony, Pa. The Rev. Gilbert B. Furst, executive assistant to Bishop Harold S. Weiss, Wescosville, Pa., received 237 votes on that ballot. Strobel will succeed Weiss on Aug. 1. Strommen, 49, has served as a pastor at First Lutheran Church, Duluth, Minn., since 1983. He succeeded Bishop Roger L. Munson on July 1. With a total of 414 votes cast on the fifth ballot April 28 in Brainerd, Minn., Strommen was elected with 254 votes. The Rev. Mark L. Anderson, First Lutheran Church, Brainerd, received 160 votes. Foss, 51, was re-elected with 467 of 545 votes cast on the first ballot taken April 20 during the synod's assembly in Fargo, N.D. There were 409 votes or 75 percent of the first ballot needed for election. Isaksen, 59, was re-elected with 273 votes on the fifth ballot cast June 7 during the synod's assembly in Sturbridge, Mass. The Rev. William G. Moldwin, First Lutheran Church of the Reformation, New Britain, Conn., received 250 votes on that ballot. Larson, 46, was re-elected with 224 of 235 ballots cast on the first ballot June 7 during the synod's annual assembly in La Crosse, Wis. The synod's nomination process prior to the assembly had named only Larson for election. Miller, 57, was re-elected with 333 of 424 votes to win re- election on the first ballot taken June 2 during the synod's assembly at the State University of New York at Oswego. The synod used a nominating process that placed four names on that ballot. Nycklemoe, 59, was re-elected with 461 of the 505 votes cast on the first ballot taken June 14 during the synod's assembly at St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minn. There were 27 other names on the nominating ballot, including ELCA Presiding Bishop H. George Anderson who received three votes. Rogness, 51, was re-elected with 270 of 318 votes cast on the first ballot May 31 during the synod's assembly at Carthage College, Kenosha, Wis. There were 26 other names on that ballot, including the Rev. Kenneth W. Wheeler, assistant to Bishop Rogness, who received ten votes. Ullestad, 43, was re-elected with 400 of the 503 votes cast on the first ballot June 8 during the synod's assembly at Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa. The Rev. Darell Gerrietts, assistant to Ullestad and formerly pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Tripoli, Iowa, received 11 votes. The church's 65 synod bishops make up the ELCA Conference of Bishops, with ELCA Presiding Bishop H. George Anderson and the Rev. Lowell G. Almen, ELCA secretary. Bishops oversee the work of their synod and serve as the "pastor of pastors" in their territory. For information contact: Ann Hafften, Dir., ELCA News Service, (312) 380-2958; Frank Imhoff, Assoc. Dir., (312) 380-2955; Lia Christiansen, Asst. Dir., (312) 380-2956