Donna Simon elected bishop of ELCA Central States Synod in Olathe, Kansas

Donna J. Simon of Kansas City, Mo., was elected June 7 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Central States Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, held June 5-7 at the Embassy Suites by Hilton in Olathe, Kan.

Simon was elected on the fifth ballot with 151 votes. Zachary Sturm, senior pastor of Atonement Lutheran Church in Overland Park, Kan., received 144 votes.

The bishop-elect has served as pastor of St. Mark and Peace Lutheran Church in Kansas City since 2000. She has also been director for evangelical mission with the Central States Synod since 2016.

The source material also notes that the Conference of Bishops of the ELCA met Sept. 22-26 at the Lutheran Center in Chicago. The conference, described as an advisory body of the ELCA, welcomed six new bishops elected this year, according to a summary on the Living Lutheran page. Details of those other elections are not included in the supplied text.

Separately, the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) reported that its leaders met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Oct. 1. According to the source, the discussion looked ahead to ways Lutherans and Catholics can commemorate a shared anniversary, though the supplied excerpt does not give further detail on those plans.

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