Newly Elected Senior Pastor Call Committee

Central Lutheran Church is in the process of seeking a new Senior Pastor. A Call Committee has been working diligently to find the best qualified person to lead the congregation.

Greg Bancroft

Hometown: Stillwater, MN (now residing in Minneapolis)

Education: B.A., University of Minnesota; M.Div., Yale University; D.Min., Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary; Add’l study at Abbott Northwestern Pastoral Counseling Center

Work: Pastor, 15 years; Business, 10 years

Church: Radio Announcer; Voice Over for radio ads; Lector – morning, evening, compline; Preacher (7:00pm service); Chair, Mission Task Force; Member since 2000.

Hopes and Expectations: Central is blessed with so many resources – including a marvelous building in a fabulous location (which includes high visibility and ample parking!), outstanding music/liturgy/preaching, talented staff, and committed parishioners. The opportunity to be a central place for people, physically and spiritually, is limited only by our imaginations. We have a chance to be a model of urban Lutheran ministry that very few places in the world could copy. I see a great diversity of people worshipping together – at multiple services! I see people strengthening their faith journeys, engaging in outreach, supporting and encouraging all people with a love that comes from a strong relationship with the Living Lord, Jesus Christ.

I see a truly vibrant, healthy, happy place, growing by leaps and bounds because we are a people who say “yes” to Jesus and “no” to anything or anyone that would tear us asunder. I can imagine St. Paul speaking to us and encouraging us: “Glory be to God, whose power working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine. Glory be to God from generation to generation in the church and in Christ Jesus forever.”

Judy Bogard

Hometown: Oxford, Ohio

Education: B.A. from Miami University; M.Ed. and a J.D. from the University of Minnesota

Work: Organist; piano teacher; realtor

Church: Member of Central since 1988. Activities include membership in the Chamber and Cantorei choirs, teaching ESL, participating in Reading Partners, Accompanist for the Arts in the Heart of the City choir, and serving on the Stewardship Committee. I have also been a part of the lay lector/prayer program.

Hopes and Expectations: I hope that Central will retain its place as a model of all that is best in traditional Lutheran worship; that it will continue to minister to the urban community which surrounds it that it will attract new members from the ever growing city of which it is a part and at the same time will speak to the needs and desires of its suburban membership. I hope and expect that all who enter its doors will feel welcome.

Jeff Elavsky

Hometown: Minneapolis, MN

Education: B.A. Augsburg College, M.Ed. and Specialist degrees, University of Minnesota

Work: Public school administrator and teacher for 36 years before retiring in June of 2004.

Church: Member of Central since 1971. I was married at Central, my children were baptized and confirmed at Central, my daughter was married at Central, and the funeral for my wife was held at Central. I have served the congregation as a Communion Minister for 10 years. Member of Audit Committee and Task Force D.

Hopes and Expectations: I hope and pray the positive renewal of Central can continue to allow us to effectively minister to the needs of individuals as well as the community.

David C. Johnson

Hometown: Grand Rapids, MN

Education: B.A., Gustavus Adolphus; M.A., Ph.D., University of Iowa

Work: College faculty member and administrator, e.g., Chair, Department of Sociology, Luther College; Dean of Arts and Sciences, East Stroudsburg (PA) Univ.; Vice President for Academic Affairs St. Cloud State Univ. and Gustavus Adolphus Colleges; Chancellor, Univ. of MN, Morris; frequent consultant to universities in Norway, Sweden and Finland brokering exchange agreements with American Universities; leader of several hiking trips in Norwegian and Romanian mountains.

Church: Member of Central 6 years, member of Lifelong Learning Committee; member of Task Force C charged with developing Central's Mission and Vision statement; participant in and speaker at Men’s Group; Delegate to Minneapolis Synod 2003. I served on a call committee for Salem Lutheran Church in St. Cloud and for two terms as a member of ELCA's division of Higher Education and Schools.

Hopes and Expectations: My recent participation on Task Force C has solidified my thinking. I envision us to be a premier example of a successful urban church, to develop ministries quite different than one finds in residential neighborhoods, communities or suburbs. I believe we must be satisfied with nothing less than top-flight worship, outreach and education. Central is not in the heart of just any old city; it is in Minneapolis, a city distinctive for its high proportion of immigrants, single people, well-educated persons, shocking disparities between the life chances of minorities and the white middle class. Its immediate neighborhood is a contrast between luxury condos and sub-standard housing. Truly Central has an immense amount of food on its plate and I want to help cook, serve and eat it!

Muriel Olsen

Hometown: St. Peter, Twin Cities

Work: Augsburg College – Secretary to the Dean of Students; Stay-at-home Mom while raising two daughters; District Office – Richfield Public Schools, retired.

Church: Central Lutheran Membership for 40 years. Our daughters were baptized, confirmed and married at Central. Served on numerous committees and boards including Stewardship, Youth, Sunday School Superintendent, Communion Deacon Coordinator and New Member Ministry Team. Currently active in Clothes Closet, Central Friends and Chairperson of Funeral Reception Ministry Team.

Hopes and Expectations: I pray with the guidance of the Holy Spirit that we can embrace who we are, be willing to compromise while respecting our differences, work toward implementing the recommendations made by the task forces and strive to “welcome all people to celebrate, discover and share the love of Christ.”

Dick Shinofield

Hometown: Fort Dodge, Iowa

Education: Degree in Accounting, University of Iowa; Law Degree, University of Minnesota

Work: Lawyer in Private Practice 13 years and with The Carlson Companies, 23 years.

Church: A member of Central since 1966, served on the Board of Trustees, Church Council, Congregational Secretary, Four C’s corporation board member (an advisory organization which considered uses for CLC's real estate), Communion Ministry, New Hope Center Board of Directors, American Lutheran Church Board of Church and Society.

Hopes and Expectations: Central is a wonderful place and it is my hope and expectation that we will find a talented and energetic person who will lead us to thrive and become more energized.

Cheryl Smoot

Hometown: Underhill, WI; St. John’s Lutheran Church, Gillett, WI

Education: B.S. in Nursing, Univ. of Wisconsin Oshkosh, School of Nursing. Minnesota licensed RN; Public Health Nurse Certificate. Master of Public Health degree Univ. of Minnesota School of Public Health, Minneapolis, MN.

Work: State School Health Consultant at the Minnesota Department of Health.

Church: I have attended Central since moving to Minnesota in 1979 and transferred my church membership in 1993 from my hometown church. My family and I regularly attend the 8:30 am service at Central. Activities include 17 years Sunday School teacher; member of the Shalom Circle; presently serving my second year on the Nominating Committee; Ministry Team Task Force; Health Ministry team.

Hopes and Expectations: My hope for Central is that it is a living, welcoming, nurturing church that exemplifies the love of Jesus. Central has room for ALL who come to its doors. All people are important to the mission of Christ at Central. Central is congregation that accepts the challenge to share the gospel and serve others. Everyone who comes to Central, young and old, needs to know that Jesus loves them unconditionally, Central has a place for them, God wants them for God's Kingdom, that they have value and because of those things Central welcomes them to serve and be served.