Title: Strommen Elected Bishop, Northeastern Minnesota

News from the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

May 21, 1996

STROMMEN ELECTED BISHOP IN
NORTHEASTERN MINNESOTA

The Rev. E. Peter Strommen was elected bishop of the
Northeastern Minnesota Synod, Evangelical Lutheran
Church in America, at the synod's annual assembly April
28 near Brainerd, Minn.  Strommen, 49, has served as a
pastor at First Lutheran Church, Duluth, Minn., since
1983.  His term as bishop will begin on July 1.  With a
total of 414 votes cast on the fifth ballot, Strommen was
elected with 254 votes.  The Rev. Mark Anderson, First
Lutheran Church, Brainerd, received 160 votes.
Strommen said the greatest challenge facing the church
today is "to proclaim a clear mission focus and
commitment in an often confusing, rapidly-changing world
which reflects both a deep spiritual hunger and a
decreasing loyalty to and understanding of institutional
church."  Strommen is a graduate of Augsburg College,
Minneapolis, and Luther Seminary, St. Paul.  He attended
Yale Divinity School and San Francisco Theological
Seminary.  Strommen will be installed Sept. 14 at First
Lutheran Church, Duluth.  The assembly unanimously
voted to declare the Rev. Roger L. Munson, the synod's
founding bishop, bishop emeritus.  The Northeastern
Minnesota Synod is made up of about 150 congregations
with 200 pastors in a region bounded by Brainerd,
Princeton, International Falls and the North Shore of Lake
Superior.


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