October 12, 2010

CHICAGO – The search for 31-year old James Nelson will be suspended at midnight Oct. 12. Nelson, an employee of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) churchwide organization, was reported missing Oct. 8 when he did not return from a five-day, 25-mile solo hike on Colorado's Mount Holy Cross.

"We are deeply saddened that James Nelson has not been found, yet we are grateful for the search and rescue personnel who worked for days to try to locate James," said the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop.

"Many described James as a well-liked and dedicated employee," said Hanson. As an experienced hiker and backpacker, "he shared with many of us his excitement about hiking on Mount Holy Cross. In our sadness during these days of searching for him, we know that he was doing what he loved."

"As people of hope we entrust James to God's baptismal promise – that God will love James steadfastly and raise him up to new life in Christ. We hold in prayer James' fiancé, his family and his many friends who have been affected," said Hanson.

According to a media release from the Eagle County Sheriff's Office, Eagle, Colo., Nelson was last seen Oct. 3 by two hikers.

"The decision to suspend the search for James was extremely difficult," said Joe Hoy, Eagle Country Sheriff. "Search and rescue teams have scoured all of the terrain that could safely be searched on foot, some of it searched several times, in addition to the extensive aerial search with no results," he said.

Search and rescue teams worked an excess of 1,000 hours in four days, according to the sheriff's office. Searchers will continue to look for clues on Nelson's whereabouts when called to the Holy Cross Wilderness area on other missions.

Nelson is an experienced backpacker and member of the Chicago Backpackers Meetup Group. He has worked for the ELCA churchwide organization since 2005. Nelson currently is director for official roster records in the ELCA Office of the Secretary.

ELCA News Service