“…My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior…” – Luke 1:46-47
By the power of the Holy Spirit,
The Reverend Constanze Hagmaier
Has been called to serve as the fourth Bishop of the South Dakota Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The public is invited to attend a celebratory installation service with Holy Communion held on:
Saturday, September 7, 2019
1:30 PM (Doors open at 12:30 PM)
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church
5500 East 57th Street
Sioux Falls, SD
A public reception to follow at Gloria Dei Lutheran Church.
Public RSVP
The public is invited to attend this celebratory service. No tickets are required for this event, however space is limited. Please RSVP below for planning purposes. Rostered Ministers: please RSVP here.
Livestream and Social Media
Can’t make it to the installation? The South Dakota Synod will be livestreaming the event online. Watch for a link to follow.
Use #SDBishop to join the conversation on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
About the Bishop Elect
The Reverend Constanze Hagmaier was elected to the Office of Bishop on Saturday, June 1 at the South Dakota Synod Assembly.
Bishop-Elect Constanze Hagmaier is married to The Rev. Dirk Hagmaier and they have two biological children: Paul, 20; Emma, 4; and one foster son, Lymann, 21. The Bishop-Elect Hagmaier and The Rev. Dirk have most recently been serving as Pastors of Trinity Lutheran Church in Madison, SD. Bishop-Elect Hagmaier’s previous positions are as follows:
- Co-pastor – Waubay Lutheran Parish, Waubay, SD
- Interim Co-pastor – Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Aberdeen, SD
- Co-pastor – Florence Lutheran Parish, Florence, SD
- Pastor – Salem Lutheran Church, Parkston, SD
Bishop-Elect Hagmaier’s first experience of South Dakota was in 1987 as a Rotary exchange student, where she lived in Sioux Falls and attended Brandon Valley High School and worshiped at Brandon Lutheran. Upon her return to Germany she continued her education at the Ruprecht Karl’s University in Heidelberg, Germany, where she graduated with her Master of Divinity degree in 1999. Upon the family’s immigration to the United States in September 1999, both the Rev. Dirk and Bishop-Elect Hagmaier affiliated with Luther Seminary, Saint Paul, MN. The couple was ordained while serving the Waubay Lutheran Parish at NeSoDak Bible Camp on February 10, 2001.
Bishop-Elect Hagmaier will succeed Bishop David Zellmer and take office on September 1, 2019 as bishop of the South Dakota Synod, ELCA following a month of overlap in August.
About the Presiding Bishop
About the Rev. Elizabeth Eaton, Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Elected as the ELCA’s fourth presiding bishop at the 2013 ELCA Churchwide Assembly, the Rev. Elizabeth Eaton earned a Master of Divinity degree from Harvard Divinity School and a Bachelor of Music Education from the College of Wooster.
Ordained in 1981, Eaton served three congregations in Ohio before being elected bishop of the ELCA Northeastern Ohio Synod in 2006 and re-elected in May 2013.
Eaton’s four emphases for the ELCA are: We are church. We are Lutheran. We are church together. We are church for the sake of the world. These four emphases are fundamental to identifying who the ELCA is.
In 2015, under Eaton’s leadership, the ELCA underwent an extensive vision process to help this church journey faithfully and effectively together in the years ahead. The process resulted in Future Directions 2025, a strategic framework that serves shared leadership across the ELCA to realize common aspirations and better face the challenges of this church.
In addition, with Eaton’s guidance, the ELCA launched Bishop Eaton’s Leadership Initiative, which encourages all ELCA members to seek out and inspire gifted people in our congregations and communities to consider a call to the ministry of the gospel.
As presiding bishop, Eaton travels extensively, representing the ELCA in a variety of capacities. This has included a visit to a Syrian refugee camp, commemorating the 500th anniversary of the Reformation with Lutherans from around the world in Namibia and participating in an ecumenical service commemorating the Reformation in the Lund, Sweden, cathedral with Pope Francis.
Eaton’s husband is the Rev. T. Conrad Selnick, an Episcopal priest. They are parents of two adult children, Rebeckah and Susannah.
About the South Dakota Synod and ELCA
The South Dakota Synod is one of the 65 Synods of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, a church so deeply and confidently rooted in the Gospel of God’s grace that we are free to give our lives joyfully in witness and service. Our vision is that all may be fed.
The South Dakota Synod consists of over 200 congregations, 320 rostered ministers, and 100,000 baptized members.
About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with nearly 3.5 million members in more than 9,100 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.
About the Location
Gloria Dei Lutheran Church was organized in 1984 and is located in the Southeast corner of Sioux Falls (near 57th Street and Highway 11). Gloria Dei ministers to nearly 3500 members and reaches beyond the walls of the church through ministries in the Sioux Falls community and globally.
Address: 5500 E 57th Street, Sioux Falls, SD 57108
Parking will be limited. Please carpool as you are able.
Lodging
If you are needing accommodations for the weekend, the South Dakota Synod has arranged two blocks of rooms at nearby hotels in Sioux Falls.
Homewood Suites by Hilton
3620 West Avera Drive
Sioux Falls, South Dakota, 57108
Phone: 605-338-8585
Room Rate: $133/night
Group Code: SDS
Book Online
Must book by August 17.
TownePlace Suites Sioux Falls South by Marriott
6400 S Connie Ave
Sioux Falls, SD 57108
Phone: 605 274-2480
Room Rates: $119 for 1 King Suite or $149 for Two Bedroom Queen Suite (with sofa sleeper).
Reserve your room by August 16 by calling 605-274-2480 and asking for the “South Dakota Synod” room block.
Processional
Rostered Ministers of the ELCA, ELCA Bishops, Ecumenical Clergy/Judicatory Leaders, and Full Communion Partners are invited to take part in the processional. You are invited to vest with the color of the day as red.
The vesting room will be located in the gym at Gloria Dei Lutheran. Please arrive at 12:30 PM to vest and line-up using the West entrance of the Church.
To help us with planning for this processional, please RSVP using this link.
