Nelson Wesley Trout
Encyclopedia
Nelson Wesley Trout was the first African American bishop in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
. Trout was born in Columbus, Ohio
, USA.
Trout was elected bishop of the South Pacific District of the American Lutheran Church
(ALC) in 1983, a position he served through 1987. At the time of his election he was a professor and director of minority studies at Trinity Lutheran Seminary
, Columbus, Ohio. He was renowned as a moving and powerful preacher throughout the church. He served pastorates in Alabama (where he became a friend and colleague of Martin Luther King, Jr.
), California and Wisconsin, and as Executive Director of Lutheran Social Services, Dayton, Ohio. On two occasions he served the ALC in executive capacities: as Associate Youth Director (1962–67) and Director of Urban Evangelism (1968–70). He died in 1996 at the age of 76. He is commemorated in the Calendar of Saints
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
on September 20.
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
. Trout was born in Columbus, Ohio
Columbus, Ohio
Columbus is the capital of and the largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio. The broader metropolitan area encompasses several counties and is the third largest in Ohio behind those of Cleveland and Cincinnati. Columbus is the third largest city in the American Midwest, and the fifteenth largest city...
, USA.
Trout was elected bishop of the South Pacific District of the American Lutheran Church
American Lutheran Church
The American Lutheran Church was a Christian Protestant denomination in the United States that existed from 1960 to 1987. Its headquarters was in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Upon its formation in 1960, the ALC designated Augsburg Publishing House , also located in Minneapolis, as the church publisher...
(ALC) in 1983, a position he served through 1987. At the time of his election he was a professor and director of minority studies at Trinity Lutheran Seminary
Trinity Lutheran Seminary
Trinity Lutheran Seminary is an Evangelical Lutheran Church in America seminary located in Columbus, Ohio.-Background:In 1830, the German Theological Seminary of the Ohio Synod, later known as the Evangelical Lutheran Theological Seminary, was founded to meet the need for educating pastors in the...
, Columbus, Ohio. He was renowned as a moving and powerful preacher throughout the church. He served pastorates in Alabama (where he became a friend and colleague of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. was an American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African-American Civil Rights Movement. He is best known for being an iconic figure in the advancement of civil rights in the United States and around the world, using nonviolent methods following the...
), California and Wisconsin, and as Executive Director of Lutheran Social Services, Dayton, Ohio. On two occasions he served the ALC in executive capacities: as Associate Youth Director (1962–67) and Director of Urban Evangelism (1968–70). He died in 1996 at the age of 76. He is commemorated in the Calendar of Saints
Calendar of Saints (Lutheran)
The Lutheran Calendar of Saints is a listing which details the primary annual festivals and events that are celebrated liturgically by some Lutheran Churches in the United States. The calendars of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod are from the...
of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is a mainline Protestant denomination headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. The ELCA officially came into existence on January 1, 1988, by the merging of three churches. As of December 31, 2009, it had 4,543,037 baptized members, with 2,527,941 of them...
on September 20.