Region 4

Synods in this Region

4A - Nebraska Synod

Bishop David L. deFreese
4B - Central States Synod

Bishop Gerald L. Mansholt
4C - Arkansas-Oklahoma Synod

Bishop Floyd M. Schoenhals
4D - Northern Texas-Northern Louisiana Synod

Bishop Kevin S. Kanouse
4E - Southwestern Texas Synod

Bishop Ray Tiemann
4F - Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod

Bishop Michael W. Rinehart

People in this Region

Rev. J. Michael Parsh

American Lutheran Church

Cozad, NE
Rev. Katie Russell

Immanuel Lutheran Church

Coleridge, NE
Rev. Jonathan Wolf

Holy Cross Lutheran Church

Overland Park, KS
Rev. Charlene Barnes

Salem, Friedens and New Hope Lutheran

Axtell, KS
Rev. Harvey Johnson

Messiah Lutheran Church

Grand Island, NE
Rev. Juliet Rasi

Augustana Lutheran Church

Genoa, NE
Rev. Alena Lamirato

Alma Lutheran Church

Mead, NE
Rev. William Noble

St. John Lutheran Church

Lancaster, KS
Rev. Greg DeBoer

Christ Lutheran Church

Pickrell, NE
Rev. Naomi Olson Hartman

Christ Lutheran Church

Louisville, NE

What is this?

Every year, graduating seminary students in the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America enter the call process to become leaders in the church. After their paperwork is submitted and they are approved by their home synod candidacy committees, the first round of the call process begins.

Each student is assigned to one of nine geographical regions. This assignment is carried out by a group of Bishops meeting at ELCA Headquarters in Chicago. Each candidate is assigned a region based on their preferences and each region's need.

To learn more about the call process, take a look at this blog series from seminarian Jennie Chrien.

What's next?

What usually follows the candidates' regional assignments is a gathering of bishops from each region who meet and place the candidates into their synods. This meeting can take place as soon as a few days after regional assignment, or as far as a few weeks later.

After synod assignment, bishops work to place candidates in a call in their synod. This process involves discernment on the synodical, congregational and individual level.