From left to right: President Jack R. Ohle, Bishop Jon V. Anderson, Gustavus Board of Trustees Chair Mark Bernhardson, Gustavus Director of Church Relations Grady St. Dennis (Photo by Stacia Vogel).
Pastor Jon V. Anderson, Bishop of the Southwestern Minnesota Synod of the ELCA, received the 2011 Covenant Award at the annual convention of the Gustavus Adolphus College Association of Congregations on Saturday, April 9.
Since 1991, the Covenant Award has been bestowed annually in recognition and celebration of the efforts of individuals who have made distinctive contributions toward strengthening the partnership between Gustavus Adolphus College and member congregations of the Association of Congregations. Alumni, pastors, association delegates, faculty, staff, and students of the College are eligible for the award.
Bishop Anderson was recognized for his active collaboration with the College as Bishop of the Southwestern Minnesota Synod and for his strong leadership as chairperson of the Faith Task Force during Commission Gustavus 150. As leader of that task force, Anderson worked to create the foundation for the future direction and priorities of the College in the area of faith. Questions of how Gustavus can be both authentically rooted in its Christian Lutheran tradition and authentically inclusive of other faiths and traditions were at the heart of the conversations. Anderson has also served as a member of the College’s Board of Trustees since 2003.
According to the person who nominated him for the Covenant Award, “Bishop Jon has been living out the core values of Gustavus (excellence, community, service, justice, faith) in his daily work and in the initiatives he supports, including his participation in the dialog around environmental issues and poverty, providing nurturing and safe environments for children, discussing how to support issues relating to immigration, and how congregations can be a part of disaster recovery efforts.”
Born in Glenwood, Minn., Anderson’s faith was deepened at his home congregation, Crow River Lutheran Church. He earned his B.A. at St. Olaf College and then went on to earn his M.Div. at Luther Northwestern Theological Seminary in St. Paul. He served an internship at Faith Lutheran Church in Dickinson, Texas, and following ordination was installed as Associate Pastor of Kinsmen Lutheran Church in Houston, Texas. In 1991, he returned to Minnesota as Pastor at Atonement Lutheran Church in St. Cloud (1991-96), then took the position of Lead Pastor at Christ the King Lutheran Church in New Ulm (1996-2003). He was elected Bishop of the Southwestern Minnesota Synod in Sept. 2003 and again in 2009.
Bishop Anderson and his wife Robyn reside in New Ulm. They have three children: Laura, Sean, and Caity.
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Media Contact: Director of Media Relations and Internal Communication Luc Hatlestad
luch@gustavus.edu
507-933-7510