Jen Nagel Elected Bishop of the ELCA Minneapolis Area Synod

The Rev. Jen Nagel, Minneapolis, Minn., was elected May 4 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Minneapolis Area Synod. The election took place during the synod assembly, May 2-4 at Lord of Life Lutheran Church in Ramsey, Minn.

Nagel was elected on the fifth ballot, with 316 votes. The Rev. Natalia Terfa, associate pastor of Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, Brooklyn Park, Minn., received 146 votes.

The bishop-elect has served as lead pastor of University Lutheran Church of Hope in Minneapolis since 2015. Previously she served as pastor of Salem English Lutheran Church in Minneapolis (2003 to 2015) and as a teaching staff coordinator at Holden Village, Chelan, Wash. (2011).

Nagel earned her Bachelor of Arts in religion and classics from Concordia College, Moorhead, Minn., in 1994; a certificate of studies from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (LSTC) in 1999; and a Master of Divinity from the University of Chicago Divinity School in 1998. Concordia is one of 26 ELCA colleges and universities; LSTC is one of seven ELCA seminaries.

She will be installed Sept. 21 at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.

The Rev. Ann M. Svennungsen is retiring after serving as bishop since 2012. Her last day will be July 31.

Information about the Minneapolis Area Synod is available at mpls-synod.org.