Synod Staff

Mark was born September 2, 1956 in Pomona, California, the third of four children born to Hal and Eleanor Holmerud. Mark is an eighth-generation native Californian, tracing his family’s history to early Hispanic settlers of the eighteenth century. He grew up in Solana Beach, a town located on the Pacific Ocean twenty miles north of San Diego. After graduating from San Dieguito High School in Encinitas, he served in the US Navy and went on to graduate from San Diego State University in 1980, with a degree in History and a minor in Classics.
He attended Luther Theological Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, and upon graduation in 1984, was called to serve as Associate Pastor at Zion Lutheran Church of Stockton. A year later he was called to serve as the Senior Pastor of Zion, and served that ministry until the fall of 2004. He was then called to serve as Pastor of Lutheran Church of the Incarnation, Davis, California, in September of 2004. Mark has been active in social justice and community organizing and in ecumenical and interfaith endeavors, including “Celebration of Abraham” events in both San Joaquin and Yolo counties. Bp. Mark was installed as the fourth bishop of the Sierra Pacific Synod on July 12, 2008.
Married to Debbi -- who serves as the principal of Lincoln High School in Stockton -- for 22 years, they have a blended family of four adult children: Alyssa, 30, Marshall, 28, Justin, 28, and Meaghann, 25. Mark’s interests include astronomy, several injury-plagued stints on church softball teams, canning award-winning pickles (the ribbons may be seen in his office) and the ongoing (and seemingly endless) restoration of a 1966 Mustang.

Bishop Mark has detailed daily journals and amazing photos from his Rwanda trip.
Read Full Rwanda Journal(PDF)
Download Rwanda Photo Movie(Windows Media File 9MB)

Email: bpmark@spselca.org
Office of the Bishop: 510.430.0500 or 800.275.3522 Extension 116

Nancy Feniuk Nelson was born in Chicago and raised in a near-by suburb. She attended Augustana College, Rock Island, majoring in psychology and religion and received her degree in 1975. She then attended LSTC (Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago), received her M.Div. in 1979, and was ordained at the synod convention that May.
She served parishes in Rockford, Elgin and Chicago, Illinois. She also served as Pastor/Evangelist, Teaching Parish Pastor, Adjunct Faculty at LSTC, and on the Metro Chicago Synod Council at the forming of the ELCA.
Moving to California in 1994, Nancy served as an Intentional Interim, called by the Sierra Pacific Synod Council. During that time, she served parishes in Scotts Valley, Santa Clara, and Berkeley. In 1999, the Synod Council called her to serve as a redevelopment pastor in Half Moon Bay, where she served for 9 years.
Nancy is married to Jim Nelson, Sr. Estimator for a construction sub-contracting company. They have a son Sam, who is a student at California Lutheran University. Nancy loves swimming, snorkeling and absolutely anything having to do with the ocean, including and especially Mavericks surfing, which she watches with amazement.

Email: nfn@spselca.org
Synod Office: 800.275.3522 Extension 113

James L. Goldsmith, Assistant to the Bishop/Director for Mission Support
Email: jgoldsmith@spselca.org
Synod Office: 800.275.3522 Extension 119
Harvey E. Blomberg, Director of Evangelical Mission
Pastor Blomberg was called to serve as ELCA Mission Director in the Sierra Pacific Synod on March 1, 1997. Prior to serving as Mission Director, he served as Senior Pastor at St. Andrew Lutheran Church, Beaverton, Oregon, and Central Lutheran Church, Yakima, Washington. Pastor Blomberg is responsible for the development of new congregations on the territory of the synod, nurture of mission congregations, identification of new pastor/developers and mission planning.
Email: blomberg@spselca.org
Synod Office: 800.275.3522 Extension 112
Laureen Sullivan, Director of Synod Operations
Email: Laureen@spselca.org
Synod Office: 800.275.3522 Extension 114
Karen Idler, Executive Assistant
Email: kidler@spselca.org
Synod Office: 800.275.3522 Extension 115