Our Staff

The staff of the Greater Milwaukee Synod seeks to accompany congregations and leaders as we engage in God’s mission of love and reconciliation.

Our Bishop

Bishop Paul D. Erickson

The Rev. Paul D. Erickson was first elected in June 2016 and was re-elected May 21, 2022 to a six-year term as bishop of the Greater Milwaukee Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

 

Erickson earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minn., in 1983 and a Master of Divinity from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago in 1989. He also earned a Doctor of Ministry degree in Congregational Mission and Leadership from Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minn., in 2012.He returned to the Greater Milwaukee Synod from St. Paul, where he served as the director of Agora, a ministry that works to develop lay leaders for immigrant and multicultural congregations in Minnesota and South Dakota.

 

Erickson grew up in the Greater Milwaukee Synod, where he was a member of St. Matthew’s in Wauwatosa and Bethel in Muskego. Before attending seminary, he served in the Lutheran Volunteer Corps in Baltimore, MD and studied Spanish in Mexico. He has served congregations in Chicago, Milwaukee, and West St. Paul, MN before serving as Assistant to the Bishop for Evangelical Mission in the Saint Paul Area Synod from 2008-2014.

 

Bishop Erickson has spent much of his ministry working in cross-cultural settings and has traveled extensively to visit global companions in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Tanzania. He feels called to lead the church as it explores ways to move forward with curiosity, courage, compassion, and collaboration.

 

Paul and his wife, Lynn (an ELCA pastor serving in Milwaukee), have two children: David and Sarah.

Our Staff

The Rev. Becky Erb Strang is a 1993 graduate of Eden Theological Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. She was raised in College Station, Texas and ordained in 1994 within the United Church of Christ. During the course of her parish ministry career, she served UCC congregations in Texas and Ohio. Most recently, she served as the part time Support Pastor for St. John Lutheran Church in Celina, Ohio.


Becky and Jim Strang have been married for 35 years. They have two adult sons who live in Great Falls, VA and Ft. Worth, Texas. In her spare time Becky loves to bake, read, garden, travel, and throw clay on her pottery wheel.

  • Rev. Afi Dobbins-Mays
    Assistant to the Bishop for Authentic Diversity and Leadership
  • afi@milwaukeesynod.org
  • 414.671.1212

Rev. Afi Dobbins Mays is an ordained Elder in the Wisconsin Conference of the United Methodist Church and currently serves as Assistant to the Bishop for Authentic Diversity and Leadership in the Greater Milwaukee Synod of the ELCA. She leads transformative work around racial equity, inclusive leadership, and systemic justice.

She has pastored multiple United Methodist congregations across Wisconsin, most recently, The New St James and Solomon Community Temple United Methodist Churches in Milwaukee.  She brings deep experience in community organizing, trauma-informed care, and spiritual formation. Her ministry is rooted in liberation, healing, and holy courage. Rev. Afi is known for her Spirit-led approach to justice, her commitment to dismantling systemic harm, and her ability to build bridges across denominations and communities. 

She holds a Master of Divinity from United Theological Seminary and is certified in Community Organizing through Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary. Her work includes facilitating anti-racism workshops, consulting on internalized racial oppression/racial justice, and has coordinated the Rising Sun Camp and now Camp Hero, a healing-centered program for children with incarcerated family members.

Contact Pr. Afi about…

  • Authentic Diversity

  • Facilitating congregational discussions about anti-racism and/or any other “isms”

  • Guidance and resources to address social injustices in your congregation or community

  • How to participate in or support the work of the GMS Anti-Racism and RIC teams

Rev. Chris Manke is the Executive Director for Outreach for Hope, a ministry of the Greater Milwaukee Synod which supports life-giving ministries that serve with people of low income communities through the Southeastern corner of Wisconsin.

Originally born and raised in Madison, Wisconsin, Chris attended Luther College in Decorah, Iowa, and then Luther Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. Chris is also a pro-amateur photographer and video producer, with a love for music, images, and technology and the ways they can declare God’s Spirit moving in this world. Chris came to the position of Executive Director for Outreach for Hope, having served as an Associate Pastor and then as Lead Pastor for one of the congregations in our Synod, St. Matthew’s Lutheran in Wauwatosa, for the entire 24 years of his time in ministry.

Contact Pr. Chris about…

  • Learning more about Outreach for Hope
  • Outreach for Hope events and fundraisers, including the Family Ride Run Walk
  • Partnership and service opportunities with others in our synod
  • Fundraising and stewardship conversations in your congregation
  • Pulpit supply and small group speaking
  • Photography, video and tech tips for your ministry

Rev. Kristin Nielsen is Assistant to the Bishop for Congregations in Mission in the Greater Milwaukee Synod. In this role, she is the primary contact for Rostered Ministers and congregations when they have questions about the various stages of a leadership transition. This includes working with outgoing Rostered Ministers, the Interim and Transition pastors, congregation councils and Leadership Teams, Mission Exploration Teams, call committees, and rostered ministers open for a new call.

Kristin has been on the GMS staff since April 2015. Prior to that, Kristin served as a called pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church (and then Good Shepherd Trinity Church – a combined ELCA/PC-USA ministry) in the Sherman Park neighborhood of Milwaukee. Kristin received her MDiv from the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, and her BA in Fine Arts & Studio Art from St Olaf College in Northfield, MN.

Contact Pr. Kristin about…

  • Call Process Logistics
  • Compensation & Benefits
  • Healthy Communication
  • Interim Ministry
  • Navigating Conflict
  • New Call Discernment

Mary Romskog works with candidacy, guides the planning of synod assembly with the planning team, functions as the call process administrator, and assists in managing Bishop Erickson’s calendar. She manages the team of support staff and the daily functions of the synod office. 

Mary and her husband, Jeff, have three adult children and enjoy spending time camping, skiing and tackling home improvement projects.

Phil Smith is the Administrative Assistant at the Synod Office. In addition to being the voice on the phone and the face at the front desk, Phil is your main contact for general questions about the synod and synod events, as well as Outreach for Hope. Phil is also the choir accompanist at Holy Cross Lutheran in Menomonee Falls. He lives in Milwaukee with his wife, Nanette and his dog, Tripp.

Miranda Hintze is the new Communications Specialist at the Synod Office. She joined our staff in January this year. Miranda is responsible for much of the digital and print communications coming out of the synod office. She has experience in digital and print graphics, videography, web design, photography, and educational training. She lives in Hales Corners with her two cats, Digit and Tango, and a plethora of house plants.

 

 

Contact Miranda about…

  • Problems with the Synod Website
  • Questions about the E-News
  • Requests for Multimedia Assets