The Rev. Dr. Frank J. Beard, Bishop of the Illinois Great Rivers Conference of the United Methodist Church, will bring ecumenical greetings; greetings will also be shared via letter by the Rev. Shana Johnson of the Illinois South Conference of the United Church of Christ.
Music will be provided by: Mr. Carlo Van Ulft, organist at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Springfield; the St. John’s Lutheran Church worship band; a choir made up of members from around the Central/Southern Illinois Synod directed by Mr. Nathan Waterson, choir director at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, Urbana; “From the Galilee to the Illinois,” written and sung by the Rev. Patrick Jenkins, pastor at American Lutheran Church, Bourbonnais. Liturgical dancers from Decatur Community Dance will also perform as part of the service.
The installation marks the start of Busboom’s six-year term as bishop. He was elected at the 36th Annual Synod Assembly in June and took office on September 1. He succeeds the Rev. Dr. S. John Roth, who served two terms as bishop starting in 2011 and retired on August 31.
A reception will follow the service at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 2477 West Washington Street, Springfield.
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About the Central/Southern Illinois Synod and Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The Central/Southern Illinois Synod is one of 65 synods of the ELCA, one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States. The synod has 111 worshipping communities with 32,000 members across the southern 76 counties of Illinois.
The ELCA has 3 million members in more than 8,700 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of “God’s work. Our hands.,” the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA’s roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.