Nominees announced for Lutheran CORE, NALC

Nominees for leadership positions in Lutheran CORE and for the North American Lutheran Church have been announced.

The nominations were made by the Lutheran CORE Steering Committee. Additional nominations may be made at the Convocation. Biographical information on the candidates will be available on Lutheran CORE’s website.

The Rev. Paul Ulring of Columbus, Ohio, has been nominated for the position of Moderator of Lutheran CORE. Pastor Ulring is the senior pastor of Upper Arlington Lutheran Church in Columbus, Ohio.

The Rev. W. Stevens Shipman of Lock Haven, Pa., is nominated for secretary of Lutheran CORE. Pastor Shipman currently serves as secretary of the Lutheran CORE Steering Committee.

Ralph Whittenburg of South Bend, Ind., has been nominated as treasurer of Lutheran CORE.

Lutheran CORE’s moderator, treasurer and secretary will be elected for two-year terms.

There are 11 nominees for the eight two-year terms on the Lutheran CORE Steering Committee:

+ Challa Baro, Minneapolis, Minn.
+ The Rev. Wendy Berthelsen, Cedar Hill, Texas.
+ The Rev. Don Brandt, Salem, Ore.
+ Capt. Raymond Brown, Londonderry, N.H.
+ The Rev. Karl Johnsen, Edmonton, Alberta.
+ Lynn Kickingbird, Edmond, Okla.
+ The Rev. Dennis Nelson, West Covina, Calif.
+ The Rev. Eddy Perez, Miami, Fla.
+ John Pleuss, Madison, Wis.
+ The Rev. Donna Smith, Champaign, Ill.
+ Karen Stack, Stillwater, Minn.

North American Lutheran Church

The Rev. Paull Spring of State College, Pa., current chair of Lutheran CORE, has been nominated to serve as the first bishop of the North American Lutheran Church. Spring is the former bishop of the ELCA’s Northwestern Pennsylvania Synod. He will not be available for re-election to a full term.

The 2010 Lutheran CORE Convocation will elect a slate of provisional leaders to serve the North American Lutheran Church during its first year.

In addition to electing the NALC’s first bishop, the Lutheran CORE Convocation will elect an Executive Council and Court of Adjudication for one-year terms.

The NALC’s first Convocation will elect its bishop and Executive Council and a Court of Adjudication for staggered terms.

Four lay people and four clergy will be elected to the NALC Executive Council. Seven members of the Court of Adjudication will also be elected. Here are the nominees:

Executive Council - Lay

+ James Hansen, Charleston, W.Va.
+ Carol Lattier, Tyler, Texas
+ Ryan Schwarz, Washington, D.C.
+ Kay Weaver, Vale, N.C.

Executive Council - Clergy

+ The Rev. Donald Allman, Grove City, Ohio
+ The Rev. Amanda Grimmer, Abington, Pa.
+ The Rev. Victor Langford, Seattle, Wash.
+ The Rev. Jim Lehmann, Thomasboro, Ill.

Court of Adjudication

+ Richard Currey, Colorado Springs, Colo.
+ Jon Evans, Pittsburgh, Pa.
+ Jim Gale, Washington, D.C.
+ The Rev. Jeffray Greene, Rantoul, Ill.
+ The Rev. Ralph Kempski, Aiken, S.C.
+ Carolyn Nestingen, St. Paul, Minn., and Dallas, Ore.
+ The Rev. Ron Warren, Grove City, Ohio.