Skovgaard appointed to Praesidium

Rev. Eric Skovgaard

On Nov. 4, 2025, the Rev. Eric Skovgaard was appointed sixth vice-president and a member of the Praesidium of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), representing the Great Lakes Region.

He fills the role previously held by the Rev. Dr. John C. Wohlrabe Jr., who stepped down after he and his wife, Julie, made a long-planned move to Florida. The move, according to LCMS bylaws, prevents Wohlrabe from continuing to represent the Great Lakes Region.

Skovgaard is the administrative pastor at Elm Grove Evangelical Lutheran Church in Elm Grove, Wis., where he has served since late 2003. Prior to being called to Elm Grove, Skovgaard served as a missionary-at-large in the LCMS California-Nevada-Hawaii District, specifically in Vacaville, Calif., where he had been placed as a convertible (fourth-year) vicar.

Skovgaard was ordained in 2000 at Bethany Lutheran Church in Vacaville. He earned his Master of Divinity at Concordia Seminary, St Louis. He served the LCMS South Wisconsin District as circuit visitor for 10 years, as regional vice-president for two years, and as interim district president from June 2024 to July 2025. He is on the board of directors for Doxology: The Lutheran Center for Spiritual Care and Counsel, an LCMS Recognized Service Organization.

Born and raised outside of Washington, D.C., Skovgaard is a native Virginian. He and his wife of 28 years, Shelly, have two adult children.

Posted Jan. 27, 2026