Family and a Church through Six Generations"; at the American Society of
Church History, "The Problems of Denominational History." At the outset I
was also privileged to be simultaneously engaged in two projects related to
multicultural issues in the ELCA and found that activity informing my research
questions.

The opportunity to make this study came to me through the kindness of
Christa Ressmeyer Klein. This is not the book she would have written, but it is
informed by her fine scholarship. I have also been instructed by the work of
members of the Lutheran Historical Conference, in particular, by conversations
with Susan Wilds McArver. Other members suggested names of figures to be
included in the biographical dictionary. Not all of anyone's list (even mine)
made it in, but everyone's nominations were useful. Michael Aune, Bruce Ben-
son, Peter Dahlen, and Mark Granquist each read substantial sections of the
manuscript. Their responses and encouragement shaped the work in progress.

The two American Lutherans with whom I live, my husband, Richard Dun-
ning, and our son, Thomas Bjorn Lagerquist Dunning, have also lived with this
book. Thomas was born early in the project, and it took so long in part because
he didn't know I was writing a book. Wrick, on the other hand, has been very
aware and characteristically patient about it. I'm grateful to him for his support
and I hope that both he and. Thomas will find here something of their own story.

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