Franklin Ishida

Chicago, Illinois

Franklin is a covenant agency director representing the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America – Global Mission.

He was ordained in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in 1990 and served parishes in Tinley Park and Elmhurst, Illinois. He worked at World Council of Churches in Geneva, Switzerland with the Communications Department from 1984-1986. For the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, he served for 12 years as Director for Leadership Development and currently is the Director for Asia and the Pacific.

Franklin is also a writer of devotional materials, Bible studies, Christian education curricula (youth and confirmation in particular), social ministry materials, and sermons. Recent professional involvements for Franklin include being a former board director at the Centre for New Beginnings, former board member for Love Christian Clearinghouse, and former Delegate to the General Assembly, National Council of Churches of Christ in the USA. He currently serves on the Asia Pacific Forum of Church World Service and is the ELCA representative to the Foundation for Theological Education in Southeast Asia.

Born in Kurume, Japan, Franklin grew up in Japan, Switzerland, and the United States. He has a B.A. in Human Rights from St. Olaf College in Minnesota; an M.A. in International Relations and Strategic Studies from the University of Lancaster, in the United Kingdom; a Masters of Divinity from Lutheran Northwestern Theological Seminary in Minnesota; and a Doctor of Ministry from the Catholic Theological Union in Chicago.