Duane C. Pederson
The Rev. Dr. Duane C. Pederson (born December 28, 1955) is a church official in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He is the Bishop of the Northwest Synod of Wisconsin of the Lutheran Church. Prior to assuming the role of Bishop on August 1, 2007, he served as pastor of congregations in Bozeman, Montana and Chicago, Illinois before he became senior pastor at First Lutheran Church in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.
Biography
Early life and career
Born in Kalispell, Montana on December 28, 1955, Pederson grew up on a farm and ranch. He attended Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, where he majored in English and religion. He graduated from Luther Seminary with a M.Div. in 1981 and was ordained the same year. While serving Hope Lutheran Church in Bozeman, Montana from 1981 to 1985, he received a M.Ed. in Counseling from Montana State University. He served Edison Park Lutheran Church in Chicago from 1985 to 1994 and earned a D.Min. at McCormick Theological Seminary in 1991. Pederson served First Lutheran Church in Eau Claire, Wisconsin from 1994 to 2007.