Mark Hanson

Mark S. Hanson (born December 2, 1946) is an American bishop and former Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. He served as the third Presiding Bishop and was also the 11th President of the Lutheran World Federation. Before his election as Presiding Bishop, Hanson held various positions including bishop of the Saint Paul Area Synod and pastor of three Minnesota congregations. Born and raised in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Hanson comes from a Lutheran family. He graduated from Minnehaha Academy in 1964, earned a bachelor's degree in sociology from Augsburg University in 1968, and later received a Master of Divinity degree from Union Theological Seminary in 1972.