![[Click for larger image] The Rev. Warren D. Freiheit, bishop of the ELCA Central/Southern Illinois Synod](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/blogger_img_proxy/AEn0k_tMASNmGwMPWsVQfHQLEW0tLTkQArbHUciGgGeVb_N2OW0KRAgiBoGTnv6Dysn7Ipj1MFp8go0PQSYnmrsIHPRuCxSRPtuZeA3K_etrcHZjz_UhksDZ-tYhM6cD8e0IArHAMyZyRA=s0-d)
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Warren D. Freiheit, bishop of the Central/Southern Illinois Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), notified the synod this week that he will resign as bishop effective June 30. Freiheit, 63, will begin a new call July 1 as pastor of Christ Lutheran Church, Hot Springs Village, Ark.
"It has been my desire to someday return to parish ministry, and yet I did not expect that service to begin quite this quickly," Freiheit wrote in a March 30 letter to the synod. "As I have concluded ministries in three separate congregations, I did so knowing that there were incomplete ministry objectives. As I prepare to conclude my ministry as synodical bishop, I do so realizing that I again do so with incomplete ministry objectives. Each of the congregations I served continued faithfully in their missions after I left with new spirit-led leadership, and I am confident that the same will be true for the
Central/Southern Illinois Synod."
Serving as bishop of the synod "has been humbling as well as exhilarating," Freiheit wrote, adding that he accepted his new call "with mixed feelings and regret" that it came a year before concluding his second term as bishop.
Freiheit was first elected bishop in 2000. He had previously served as pastor of three ELCA congregations in Illinois.
Freiheit explained that while visiting his predecessor, the late Rev. Alton Zenker, he became interested in possibly serving the Hot Springs Village congregation after his term as bishop ended in 2012. Zenker and his wife had moved to the area after he left office.
"Bishop Freiheit's ministry as bishop has been centered in his proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ," said the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop. "He has clearly and consistently called us to our unity in Christ. He has challenged and encouraged us to be engaged together in God's mission for the life of the world."
Hanson said Freiheit's strong commitment to parish ministry is reflected in his decision to accept the call to Christ Lutheran Church.
"He and (his wife) Sandy share a love for the people of this church, praying daily for our lives of faith and witness. In each of his calls, Bishop Freiheit has modeled a life of stewardship, inviting us to imagine what we can do together for the sake of the gospel," Hanson said.
The synod intends to conduct an election for Freiheit's successor at the Central/Southern Illinois Synod Assembly June 2-4 in Springfield, Freiheit wrote. The synod council, in consultation with the ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop, will arrange for an interim bishop to serve from July 1 until the new bishop's term begins Sept. 1, he added.
The Central/Southern Illinois Synod has more than 54,000 baptized members in 153 congregations. The synod office is in Springfield.
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Information about the ELCA Central/Southern Illinois Synod is at http://www.csis-ELCA.orgon the Web.
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
"It has been my desire to someday return to parish ministry, and yet I did not expect that service to begin quite this quickly," Freiheit wrote in a March 30 letter to the synod. "As I have concluded ministries in three separate congregations, I did so knowing that there were incomplete ministry objectives. As I prepare to conclude my ministry as synodical bishop, I do so realizing that I again do so with incomplete ministry objectives. Each of the congregations I served continued faithfully in their missions after I left with new spirit-led leadership, and I am confident that the same will be true for the
Central/Southern Illinois Synod."
Serving as bishop of the synod "has been humbling as well as exhilarating," Freiheit wrote, adding that he accepted his new call "with mixed feelings and regret" that it came a year before concluding his second term as bishop.
Freiheit was first elected bishop in 2000. He had previously served as pastor of three ELCA congregations in Illinois.
Freiheit explained that while visiting his predecessor, the late Rev. Alton Zenker, he became interested in possibly serving the Hot Springs Village congregation after his term as bishop ended in 2012. Zenker and his wife had moved to the area after he left office.
"Bishop Freiheit's ministry as bishop has been centered in his proclamation of the good news of Jesus Christ," said the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop. "He has clearly and consistently called us to our unity in Christ. He has challenged and encouraged us to be engaged together in God's mission for the life of the world."
Hanson said Freiheit's strong commitment to parish ministry is reflected in his decision to accept the call to Christ Lutheran Church.
"He and (his wife) Sandy share a love for the people of this church, praying daily for our lives of faith and witness. In each of his calls, Bishop Freiheit has modeled a life of stewardship, inviting us to imagine what we can do together for the sake of the gospel," Hanson said.
The synod intends to conduct an election for Freiheit's successor at the Central/Southern Illinois Synod Assembly June 2-4 in Springfield, Freiheit wrote. The synod council, in consultation with the ELCA Office of the Presiding Bishop, will arrange for an interim bishop to serve from July 1 until the new bishop's term begins Sept. 1, he added.
The Central/Southern Illinois Synod has more than 54,000 baptized members in 153 congregations. The synod office is in Springfield.
---
Information about the ELCA Central/Southern Illinois Synod is at http://www.csis-ELCA.orgon the Web.
---
About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA)
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with approximately 4.5 million members in more than 10,000 congregations 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:
John Brooks, (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
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John Brooks, (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/elcanews
Twitter: http://twitter.com/elcanews
