Bishops' Corner

Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton, ELCA presiding bishop 

The Rev. Elizabeth A. Eaton was reelected to serve a second six-year term as ELCA presiding bishop at the 2019 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. Eaton is the ELCA’s fourth presiding bishop and was first elected at the 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly.

Eaton earned a Master of Divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School and a Bachelor of Music Education degree from the College of Wooster.

Eaton was ordained in 1981 and served three different congregations in Ohio before being elected bishop of the ELCA Northeastern Ohio Synod in 2006. She was reelected synod bishop in May 2013, shortly before her election as ELCA presiding bishop.

Eaton’s four emphases for the ELCA are: We are church; We are Lutheran; We are church together; We are church for the sake of the world. These four emphases are fundamental to identifying who the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is. 

See more at https://www.elca.org/About/Leadership/Churchwide-Officers/Presiding-Bishop 

Reverend Kevin L. Strickland, Bishop of the Southeastern Synod, ELCA

Prior to being elected Bishop of the Southeastern Synod on June 2, 2019, Bishop Kevin L. Strickland served as the Assistant to the Presiding Bishop, Executive for Worship of the ELCA. He has been serving in the churchwide office since August of 2014.

Born and raised in Lexington, SC, Bishop Strickland is an honors graduate of Newberry College (Newberry, SC) with a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Philosophy and a minor in History.  He also obtained a Masters of Divinity from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary (Columbia, SC).  In December of 2019, Newberry College awarded him a doctorate of divinity.

Bishop Strickland has served as pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran, Nashville, TN , Lutheran Church of Redeemer (Newberry, SC), and Mt. Tabor Lutheran (West Columbia, SC), among others. He has also served on various local and national non-profit boards and has a heart for justice and advocacy ministry. Bishop Strickland has been published in a number of worship and preaching journals and books. 

Excerpt from ELCA Presiding Bishop Rev. Elizabeth Eaton's

Mental Health Awareness Statement 

Bear one another ’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ (Galatians 6:2 NRSV). 

Since the global pandemic was declared in March 2020, many of us have endured extended emotional and psychological anguish. Our anguish has taken the form of sadness in isolation, anxiety in uncertainty, grief over loss, stress over economic challenges and worry over events beyond our control — including the tremendous impact of the crisis on our children. For millions of us adults living in the United States, receiving the vaccine and the hope it brings has alleviated our unease, sorrow and grief.   

This past year has provided some of us with a deeper understanding of and empathy for the ongoing mental health challenges endured by our neighbors, friends and family. During Mental Health Awareness Month, especially, our church intentionally recognizes the anguish our siblings in Christ experience daily — pandemic or no — and the fear many of them feel about sharing their stories.  

Read the full statement here- https://www.elca-ses.org/newsdetail/mental-health-awareness-statement-presiding-bishop-elizabeth-eaton-15252483

Click the the below links for more information. 

The Body of Christ and Mental Illness 

Suicide Prevention

Lutheran Suicide Prevention Ministry

Spanish Translation