May 17, 2014

The Rev. Patricia Lull elected bishop of the Saint Paul Area Synod

SAINT PAUL, MINN.-The Rev. Patricia Lull, 61, was elected May 17, to a six-year term as bishop of the Saint Paul Area Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), succeeding the Rev. Peter Rogness, who will retire June 30. She was elected on the fifth and final ballot at the synod assembly, May 16-17, at Prince of Peace Lutheran, Burnsville, Minn.

Lull was elected with 226 votes to 215 votes for the Rev. Lamont Koerner, interim senior pastor, Our Savior's Lutheran Church, Stillwater. There were 441 ballots cast. Seven candidates were nominated on the first ballot and included, in addition to Lull, the Rev. Paul Erickson, the Rev. Hans Jorgensen, the Rev. Lamont Koerner, the Rev. Susan Miller, the Rev. Kathryn Tiede, and the Rev. Bonnie Wilcox.

Lull has served as executive director of the Saint Paul Area Council of Churches since 2011. Prior to that, she served on the campus ministry staff at Augsburg College, as dean of students at Luther Seminary for 10 years, and as director for campus ministry for the ELCA. She has also served congregations in Athens, Ohio, and Alpena, Mich.

Ordained in 1979, Lull is a graduate of Yale Divinity School, New Haven, Conn. She completed her undergraduate work at The College of Wooster, Wooster, Ohio.

Lull will assume office on July 1 and be installed at Roseville Lutheran Church, Roseville, Minn., on Sunday, Aug. 24, at 3:00 p.m.

The Saint Paul Area Synod is one of 65 synods--and the second largest in terms of baptized membership--in the ELCA. Comprising the eastern half of the metropolitan area of the Twin Cities of St. Paul and Minneapolis, it includes 107 congregations and eight mission starts with 132,000 baptized members.

For more information about the Saint Paul Area Synod, see www.spas-elca.org or contact:

Beth Helgen

Assistant to the Bishop for Administration

Saint Paul Area Synod

Office: 651.224.4313

Cell: 612.702.0706

Email: [email protected]