Laurie Larson Caesar elected bishop of the ELCA Oregon Synod

CHICAGO – The Rev. Laurie A. Larson Caesar, Portland, was elected May 11 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Oregon Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the Synod Assembly, held May 10-12 at the Graduate Hotel in Eugene.

Larson Caesar was elected on the fifth ballot, with 164 votes. The Rev. David Brauer-Rieke, bishop of the ELCA Oregon Synod since 2007, received 118.

The bishop-elect has served as pastor of Spirit of Grace Lutheran Church in Beaverton since 1996.

Larson Caesar received a Bachelor of Arts from Stanford University, Stanford, Calif., in 1988 and a Master of Divinity from Harvard Divinity School in 1992.

Larson Caesar will be installed Dec. 14.

Information about the ELCA Oregon Synod is available at www.oregonsynod.org/.

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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with nearly 3.5 million members in more than 9,100 worshiping communities 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.

For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
773-380-2877
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org