Herbert Chilstrom, ELCA's first presiding bishop, dies at 88
Herbert Chilstrom (photo courtesy of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America)
Herbert Chilstrom, the first presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, died on January 19 at the age of 88.
The Minnesota pastor and former dean at Lutheran College in Teaneck, New Jersey, was elected to head the new ELCA denomination in 1987. It’s widely believed that it was Chilstrom’s leadership, at least in part, that made the historic merger of three Lutheran church bodies a success.
In a statement posted to the ELCA website, the current presiding bishop, Elizabeth Eaton, praised Chilstrom’s dedication to the fledgling denomination.
