The Rev. Peter Rogness Appointed Interim Bishop of the South-Central Synod of Wisconsin

The South-Central Synod of Wisconsin Council is pleased to announce that they have affirmed the appointment by Presiding Bishop Eaton of Peter Rogness as the Interim Bishop.

Rogness is a graduate of Augustana College in Sioux Falls, SD, and Luther Seminary in St. Paul, MN. Upon graduation he served two Milwaukee parishes, the longest being ten years at Hephatha Lutheran Church. In 1985 he was elected bishop of the Southern Wisconsin District of the former America Lutheran Church, with offices in Madison. With the advent of the ELCA in 1988, he served as bishop of the Greater Milwaukee Synod for the maximum three terms, until 2002. That year he was elected bishop of the Saint Paul Area Synod, where he served until his retirement in 2014. Since that time, he has served two interim positions in international English-speaking congregations related to the ELCA, first in Oslo, Norway, and most recently in Bratislava, Slovakia. Peter and his wife Gerry have four adult children and four grandchildren. They reside in St. Paul, when they’re not at their lake cabin in northern Minnesota.

“I look forward to being a part of the life of this synod for the next 10 months. I don’t feel entirely a stranger, since I served this territory now over 30 years ago and served your neighboring synod for 14 years. But much has changed, and I’ve appreciated the conversations I’ve already had as we’ve talked about how my role here can help lay a good foundation for the next chapter in the life of this synod. I will meet many of you at the Bishop’s Convocation in October and will also seek to be in the conferences of this synod for further conversations. I am both hopeful and confident that these next months will bring good movement of the Spirit in our midst. Thank you for the invitation to serve.”

Bishop Rogness will begin on September 26th and will serve until July 31, 2020.