Celebrating a new chapter for the church
During the first weekend in October, the Rev. Yehiel Curry was installed as the new presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) during a service at Central Lutheran Church in Minneapolis.
St. Olaf Associate Professor of Music James Bobb was the organist for the service, which included four of his arrangements for organ, brass, and percussion. He performed alongside Professor of Music Marty Hodel and student musicians Ian DiMundo ’26, trumpet; Kyan Carlson ’28, horn; Leo Barks ’27, trombone; Sage Kiritschenko ’29, tuba; and Alex McGohan ’28 and AJ Veninga ’25, percussion.
“I have never been at a Lutheran gathering that was so diverse and where the corporate prayer and music making were so unified in purpose,” Bobb says. “For me, the most moving aspect of the experience was sharing the hope and fervor of the day with long-time Lutherans, yes, but especially with our students.”
St. Olaf President Susan Rundell Singer served as a communion assistant, an homage to the way the college has been nourished by the Lutheran tradition since its founding.
Rundell Singer notes that she was honored to participate in the installation, and is inspired by the future of the church.
“The first Black presiding bishop of the ELCA, Bishop Curry offers a vision for the ELCA that encourages us to reflect on how contemporary Lutheran thought influences and strengthens our community,” she says. “The installation filled me with joy, optimism, and hope for global humanity and elevating the best in each of us.”
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.7 million members in more than 8,400 worshiping communities across every state. One of those worshipping communities is St. Olaf, which is a college of the ELCA that hosts daily chapel and worship on Sundays. The services often feature music played or planned by Bobb, who is the Elliot M. and Klara Stockdal Johnson Chair in Organ and Church Music.
