Strengthening the Witness and Service of the Whole Church

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Bishop
The Rev. Dr. Steven L. Ullestad

The Rev. Dr. Steven Ullestad has served as Bishop of the Northeastern Iowa Synod since 1992. His ministry priorities include strengthening and supporting rostered persons in their ministries, focusing congregations on mission, deepening spiritual renewal, strengthening youth ministry, increasing awareness of biblical principles of stewardship, and building ministry partnerships.

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Bishop Ullestad currently serves on the boards of Lutheran Services in Iowa, Lutheran Services in Iowa Charitable Foundation, Wartburg College, and Allen Hospital. He is chairperson of the Allen Hospital Board and Barnabas Uplift: an Interfaith Social Ministry Network.

His past roles have included serving as advisory bishop to the ELCA Church Council, the Augsburg Fortress Board, and the Board of the Division for Church in Society; chair of the Allen College Board, Region V Steering Committee, the Committee to Create Lutheran/Episcopal Educational Opportunities, and the ELCA’s Seventh Initiative: Developing Leaders for the Next Century; president of Ecumenical Ministries of Iowa; co-chair of Wartburg College’s Commission on Mission Faith Task Force and the ELCA/The Disciples of Christ dialogue; and member of the Partnership for a Drug Free Iowa/Face It Together Board of Directors, Cedar Valley Promise Board, Genetics Social Statement Task Force, the Steering Committee for the ELCA Commission for Women, the Representative Panel for Restructuring, the Renewing Worship Liturgical Music Development Panel, and the Committee for Theological and Ethical Concerns of the Conference of Bishops.

Prior to his election as bishop, Pastor Ullestad served as assistant to the Bishop of the Northeastern Iowa Synod from 1988-1992, and as pastor of St. Timothy Lutheran Church, Hudson, Iowa from 1979-1987.

Bishop Ullestad holds a Bachelor of Music Education degree from Wartburg College, Waverly, Iowa; a Master of Divinity Degree from Wartburg Theological Seminary, Dubuque, Iowa; a Master of Sacred Theology Degree from Wartburg Theological Seminary; and Doctor of Divinity honors from Wartburg College and Wartburg Theological Seminary. His internship was in Guttenberg, Garnavillo and Clayton Center, Iowa, with a Clinical Pastoral Education at Overlook Hospital in Summit, New Jersey.

Bishop Ullestad is married to Ruth Ullestad who is a retired music educator and church musician. They are the parents of Erik, Krista, and Kara. Erik is married to Allison and they have a daughter, Anna, and two sons, Isaac and Evan. Krista is married to Adam Kilgus and they have two sons, Martin and Arthur. Kara is married to Kyle Lechtenberg and they have a daughter, Sage. Family activities and music are among Bishop Ullestad’s favorite leisure activities.

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Assistant to the Bishop
The Rev. Stephen Brackett

The Rev. Stephen Brackett began his call to serve as an assistant to the Bishop for the Northeastern Iowa Synod in March 2015. His primary areas of responsibilities include representing the bishop in the call process and serving in ministries for leadership development, support and training for rostered leaders, including First Call and Candidacy.

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 Brackett earned his Master of Divinity degree from Wartburg Theological Seminary and served as pastor for St. Paul, Postville, from 2005 to 2015. During that time Brackett had an active role in nurturing partnerships and ministries to serve the broader community, such as the community food pantry, Helping Services for Northeast Iowa and Barnabas Uplift certified nurse aide training. Brackett has served on the Northeastern Iowa Synod Council and as chair of the synod’s First Call Theological Education Committee. In addition, he is a certified trainer for both the Safeguarding God’s Children and Safeguarding God’s People safe ministry courses.

Prior to entering seminary, Brackett served as a program director, then as a quality improvement coordinator for Hillcrest Family Services in Cedar Rapids and Dubuque for 11 years. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in psychology from Coe College in Cedar Rapids and his Master of Science degree in rehabilitation counseling from Boston University, Boston. Brackett and his wife, Susan, are the parents of three children.

Email Pastor Brackett

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Assistant to the Bishop
Linda J. Hudgins

Linda Hudgins’ primary responsibilities include oversight of the synod budget, call process, office management, support staff coordination, assembly manager, communications, congregational constitutional reviews, and endowment. She is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa with a Bachelor of Arts degree, College of Business Administration, Management: Personnel/Human Resources.

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Linda is a member of the Eastern Iowa Church Chapter of the National Association of Church Business Administration (NACBA), the Lutheran Church Business Administration Association (LCBAA), and NACBA. Prior to coming to the synod office she served as Director of Volunteer Services at Allen Hospital, Waterloo, Iowa, and Coordinator of Volunteer Services, Covenant Medical Center, Waterloo, Iowa.

Email Linda Hudgins

 

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Assistant to the Bishop
The Rev. Mark A. Anderson

The Rev. Mark A. Anderson welcomes the opportunity to work with congregations to study their context and develop mission plans. Pastor Anderson’s specific areas of responsibility: develop financial gifts to mission support from congregations and individuals; represent the Bishop in various network ministries; help coordinate youth and family ministries; coordinate the Companion Synod relationship with the Lutheran Church in Hungary; provide resources and serve as a liaison for the synod in partner ministries, and provide pastor care for the roster.

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Pastor Anderson is married to Beverly, an elementary teacher, and their daughter, Michelle, lives in Minneapolis. He serves as a member of the Iowa Council on Human Services (DHS), a member of the Bremer County Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), and Emergency Coordinator of the Bremer County ARES and president of the Saint Paul’s School Board.

Prior to joining the synod staff, Pastor Anderson has served as a parish pastor at St. John Evangelical Lutheran Church in Charles City and Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in La Crescent, Minn. Pastor Anderson has been trained in mediation at the Iowa Mediation Service (2006) and is a graduate of The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago (’89) and Luther College, Decorah, Iowa (Sociology/Religion ’85). He served an internship at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, ELCA in Baraboo, Wis., and his CPE alternative was a “Public Ministry Experience” through the Urban Academy in Chicago served at Chicago Uptown Ministries, a street mission on the near north side of Chicago.

Contact Pastor Anderson at the synod office or via Facebook, or follow him on Twitter.

 

Email Pastor Anderson

 

 

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ELCA Director for Evangelical Mission
The Rev. Dr. Joelle Colville-Hanson

The Rev. Dr. Joelle Colville-Hanson’s primary areas of responsibilities: use social media outreach as an evangelism tool to support congregations and conferences, including the synod blog, God’s Work. Our Blog; support mission developments and redevelopments; participate in ministry networks, conflict resolution as a ministry of renewal and responses to sexual misconduct; coordinate the synod’s participation in Barnabas Uplift, the ELCA Malaria Campaign and Book of Faith Initiative; and be available for preaching opportunities.

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Pastor Colville-Hanson has served in the Northeastern Iowa Synod since 2005 in parishes at Roland and Ridgeway, as well as in Western Iowa, East Central Wisconsin and South Central Wisconsin. She earned her master’s of divinity from Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, Calif., and doctor of ministry from Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.

Contact Pastor Colville-Hanson at the synod office or via Facebook, or follow her on Twitter.
  

Email Pastor Colville-Hanson

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Coordinator for Communications and Events
Marcia Hahn

Marcia Hahn maintains the synod website, coordinates events and publications, and is editor of the Star newsletter and Making a Difference publication. She is a graduate of the University of Northern Iowa with a bachelor’s degree in public relations, with journalism and marketing minors.

Email Marcia Hahn

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Secretary
Linda Sue Hamilton

Linda Sue Hamilton provides secretarial support for synod ministries related to the Roster, Call Process, and committees relating to the Synod Council.

Email Linda Sue Hamilton

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Bookkeeper
Karol A. Simmer

Karol Simmer’s responsibilities include maintaining the synod’s financial books, recording benevolence, payroll, registration for synod assembly, and documentation of congregation annual statistical reports.

Email Karol Simmer

Receptionist-Secretary
Kathy Liddle

Kathy Liddle welcomes and greets people who come into or call the synod office. She provides secretarial support for synod ministries related to Mission Support Development, Youth Ministry, Men’s Ministry, Companion Synods, Disaster Response and Synod Assembly.

Email Kathy Liddle

 

 

 

 

OUR MISSION

The Northeastern Iowa Synod makes Christ known by strengthening the witness and service of the whole church.

Synod ministries support and develop leaders, focus on mission, and network the effective ministries of our congregations.

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Find a congregation in the Northeastern Iowa Synod.

Northeastern Iowa Synod, ELCA

    201 20th St. SW, P.O. Box 804 Waverly, IA 50677-0804

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The Northeastern Iowa Synod
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