Title: ELCA Youth Organization Elects Officers, Representatives
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

July 6, 2000

ELCA YOUTH ORGANIZATION ELECTS OFFICERS, REPRESENTATIVES
00-YG16-MH*

     EDWARDSVILLE, Ill. (ELCA) -- Members of the Lutheran Youth
Organization (LYO) -- the youth organization of the Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America (ELCA) -- elected a new president for the LYO board,
along with a new vice president, secretary and regional representatives,
here July 4.
     Leota Thomas-Breitfeld, 18, Brookfield, Wis., a member of Good
Shepherd Lutheran Church in Waukesha, Wis., was elected LYO board
president.
     "I want to reach ELCA youth in the pews that don't know about LYO
events and get them involved," she said.  "I feel inspired and ready to
get started."
     Thomas-Breitfeld succeeds Jay McDivitt, Loveland, Colo.  McDivitt,
former vice president for LYO, took office when Rebecca D. Lawrence,
Chicago, resigned as president in April 1999.  Lawrence was elected
president at the Fourth Triennial LYO Convention in 1997.
     To run for the board of the LYO, candidates must be members of
ELCA congregations and be age 15-18 and/or entering grades 10-12 at the
time of the convention.  Nominations are accepted from the floor of the
convention with written support from seven LYO delegates.
     Jon Vehar, 18, St. Luke Lutheran Church, Albuquerque, N.M., was
elected vice president for the LYO board.  "It's still settling in.  I'm
very excited.  It's something I've dreamed of and prayed about for many
months," Vehar said.  "I want to lead the LYO into the new millennium by
strengthening youth ministry and being an advocate for equal rights for
all people."  Vehar also said that he would like to see more youth in
leadership positions in the church.
     Rachel Preisinger, 17, Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Glenville,
N.Y., was elected secretary for LYO.  Representatives for the nine
geographical regions of the ELCA were also elected:
     + Region 1: Jonathan Oakman, University Congregation at Pacific
Lutheran University, Tacoma, Wash.
     + Region 2: Ima Ekong, Hope Lutheran Church, San Mateo, Calif.
     + Region 3: Liv Karin Sulerud, Family of Christ Lutheran Church,
Chanhassen, Minn.
     + Region 4: Jason Spores, Joy Lutheran Church, Tulsa, Okla.
     + Region 5: Benjamin Wagner, Prince of Peace Lutheran Church,
Schaumburg, Ill.
     + Region 6: Chris Morgan, Grace Lutheran Church, Cleveland
Heights, Ohio
     + Region 7: Gary Schaeffer, Zion United Lutheran Church,
Brodheadsville, Pa..
     + Region 8: Kiija Manty, Lutheran Church of the Reformation,
Washington, D.C.
     + Region 9: Stacey Nyitrai, Grace Lutheran Church, Hendersonville,
N.C.
     Leaders for the Multicultural Advisory Committee (MAC) of the LYO
board were elected at the Multicultural Youth Leadership Event, held
here June 25-28.  MAC advises the LYO board on the specific needs and
interests of young people from ethnic-specific communities of the
church:
     + African American and Black representatives: Simone Hylton and
Hank Rawlerson, both from Reformation Lutheran Church, Philadelphia
     + American Indian and Alaska Native representatives: Gail
Smithhisler, Our Saviors Lutheran Church, Nome, Alaska, and Lawrence
Leonard, Anchorage, Alaska
     + Asian and Pacific Islander representatives: David Foley, Our
Savior's Lutheran Church, Milwaukee, and Mai Her, Hmong Central Lutheran
Church, Minneapolis
     + Latino/Hispanic representatives: Aiyana Machado, Todos Los
Santos Mision Luterana, Minneapolis, and Guillermo Howell
     Leaders for the Definitely Abled Advisory Committee (DAC) were
elected at the 2000 Definitely Abled Youth Leadership Event held here
June 25-28.  Each young Lutheran with a disability was accompanied by a
parent or other caregiver.  DAC advises the LYO board on concerns of the
definitely abled community of the church.  Those elected were:
     + Sarah Flatt, St. Claire Shores, Mich., chair
     + Joanna Storm, Madison, Wis., liaison to the LYO board
     + Michael Davidson, New Orleans, secretary.
     Housed in the ELCA's Division for Congregational Ministries, LYO
represents more than 500,000 high-school-age people in the 11,000
congregations of the ELCA in the United States and Caribbean.  About 350
delegates conduct the business of the church's youth organization.  The
LYO board -- made up of 12 leaders -- acts as a "resource" and provides
leadership training to the Council of Synod LYO Presidents.  The council
-- made up of 63 leaders -- serves as the liaison between the LYO board
and ELCA's 65 synods.
     The Lutheran Youth Organization holds its triennial convention in
conjunction with the ELCA Youth Gathering -- a gathering of thousands of
young Lutherans from around the world.  The gathering met June 28-July
2, and is meeting again July 5-9 at the America's Center in St. Louis.
The two events bring together some 40,000 Lutheran young people and
adults who are engaging in worship, Bible study, community service and
fun under the theme "Dancing at the Cross Roads."
     [*Michael N. Hoffman is a junior at the University of Kansas, Lawrence.
This summer he is an intern with ELCA News and Information.]

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://listserv.elca.org/archives/elcanews.htmll