The Rev. Cindy Halmarson, former bishop of Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada (ELCIC) Saskatchewan Synod, has accepted a position in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) Global Mission Unit. Her new position as Area Program Director for Europe, the Middle East and North Africa (Europe/MENA), based at the Lutheran Center in Chicago, will involve building and maintaining relationships with partner churches in order to strengthen Christ’s mission in the world. Mission accompaniment is focused on churches in Central Eastern Europe, including Siberia, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Jordan and the Holy Land (ELCJHL) as well as supporting ELCA-sponsored English language ministries in the typically Lutheran areas of Scandinavia, Germany and Western Europe.
ELCIC National Bishop Susan Johnson offered her congratulations to Halmarson. "I am delighted Bishop Cindy will be working for ELCA Global Mission," she said noting that the skills Halmarson brings to this new role will strengthen both the existing partnership the two churches maintain in the area of global mission and the relationship with the ELCA. "It’s another example of the way we are working out one of our strategic goals – Effective Partnership," said Johnson.
Speaking about this new opportunity for service, Halmarson said, “It’s exciting to think how my rich experience in the Canadian church, particularly as bishop of Saskatchewan Synod, can translate to the global call to make Christ known in partnership with churches doing the faithful mission work of peace-making, refugee settlement and leadership development.”
Halmarson and her husband Rev. Jim Halmarson, presently serving as parish priest at Christ Church Anglican in Saskatoon, will relocate to Chicago in March 2015. Halmarson will start her term on February 9, 2015.
(With files from ELCA.)
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The Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada is Canada’s largest Lutheran denomination with 145,376 baptized members in 594 congregations. It is a member of the Lutheran World Federation, the Canadian Council of Churches and the World Council of Churches.
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