CHICAGO – The Rev. Paul D. Erickson, Milwaukee, was reelected May 21 to a six-year term as bishop of the Greater Milwaukee Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election was held during the synod assembly, May 20-21 at the Italian Community Center in Milwaukee. The assembly was also available online.
The bishop was reelected on the fifth ballot, with 215 votes to 100 votes for the Rev. Michelle Townsend de Lopez, pastor of Cross Lutheran Church in Milwaukee. A total of 158 votes was needed for election.
Prior to becoming bishop, Erickson served as director of Agora, a ministry helping to develop lay leaders for immigrant and multicultural congregations in Minnesota and South Dakota, in St. Paul, Minn., from 2014 to 2016. He served as assistant to the bishop for evangelical mission in the Saint Paul Area Synod from 2008 to 2014.
Erickson earned a Bachelor of Arts from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., in 1983, a Master of Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago in 1989 and a Doctor of Ministry in congregational mission and leadership from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn. in 2012. Gustavus Adolphus is one of 26 ELCA colleges and universities. The Lutheran School of Theology and Luther are two of seven ELCA seminaries.
Information about the Greater Milwaukee Synod is available at milwaukeesynod.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 3 million members in more than 8,700 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
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
