December 29, 2010

CHICAGO – Fifteen members of the 112th U.S. Congress are members of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), including three in the U.S. Senate and 12 in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to staff with the Lutheran advocacy offices in Washington.

The ELCA members are among 26 Lutherans in the new Congress, which will convene Jan. 5, 2011, in Washington.

"We are looking forward to greeting both the new and returning Lutheran members," said the Rev. Andrew D. Genszler, director of advocacy, ELCA Washington Office. "Lutheran members bring a sense of the importance of public service and the vocation of public office. Our Lutheran perspective is that government is one place we find God active in our common life – preserving order, protecting creation, helping people struggling with hunger and poverty, and building peace."

Three returning senators are members of the ELCA:

+ Sherrod Brown, D-Ohio

+ Tim Johnson, D-S.D.

+ Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.

One current ELCA member in the Senate, Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., did not seek re-election this year and retired.

In the House, Rick Berg, R-N.D., who was elected in November, is the newest ELCA member in Congress. He joins 11 returning representatives who are ELCA members:

+ Lois Capps, D-Calif.

+ John Carter, R-Texas

+ Norman Dicks, D-Wash.

+ Martin Heinrich, D-N.M.

+ Tom Latham, R-Iowa

+ Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif.

+ Collin Peterson, D-Minn.

+ Thomas Petri, R-Wis.

+ Chellie Pingree, D-Maine

+ Bill Shuster, R-Pa.

+ Tim Walz, D-Minn.

Other Lutherans in Congress are members of The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.

ELCA News Service