Faces
Kid Bishop channels YouTube, Twitter R
obby Novak, better known to the online world as Kid President, caused a YouTube sensation by presenting simple, uplifting messages about how to help others.
One Kid President fan is Michael L. Burk, bishop of the Southeastern Iowa Synod, who during a conversation with his wife a couple of years ago wondered why the same idea couldn’t be used for spreading the good news. With help from Eric Carlson, an assistant to the synod
bishop, and young Braeden Wood, Kid Bishop was born. Wearing a clerical collar and black shirt, Braeden arrived
at the 2013 synod assembly and then to YouTube to deliver basic messages that anyone can understand. His message begins: “Here’s the deal. You know it and I know it. Jesus loves you. At least I hope you know it. It’s called the good news” (
www.youtube.com/watch?v=5T1lQwoYRvA). Thousands of hits later, Kid Bishop showed up again
at the 2014 synod assembly with more words of wisdom (
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQYAkVe0Mtw). This time he brought a special guest—ELCA Presiding Bishop Eliza- beth A. Eaton. For 10-year-old Braeden, the gig as Kid Bishop has been
fun, and it may have sparked his interest in becoming an actor. “It’s a fun way to share a message,” he said. His mom, Renee Wood, said Carlson cast her son
after spotting his funny expressions when he appeared in another video. “To see it all come together was such a surprise for all of
us,” said Wood, whose family has been members of Faith Lutheran Church, Clive, Iowa, for about seven years. “I was stunned to see how he was. He has great personality and a great sense of humor.” She said the Kid Bishop experience will certainly be a
point of reference that will be fun to remember as Braeden grows in his faith journey. Kid Bishop even has a Twitter account, though it’s the
thoughts of the synod rather than Braeden. A recent tweet from @KidBishop1 exclaims: “Worship ... doughnuts ... seeing my friends on a Sunday morning. These are a few of
100 + birthdays
Braeden Wood’s stint as Kid Bishop may have sparked an interest in becoming an actor. He recently appeared as “Mac the Knife Thrower” in “The Prodigal Clown,” his church’s annual musical.
my favorite things.” Only part of Braeden’s face is visible at the Kid Bishop
Twitter, Burk explained, because as he ages out of the role, the concept will remain. These tweets, along with the Twit- ter feeds @BishopBurk and @seiasynod, are part of a con- centrated effort to increase communication outlets to reach a larger and more diverse audience. “It’s not synod specific,” Burk said. “When we do the vid-
eos and the tweets it’s about the church and the gospel.” That’s not to say Kid Bishop isn’t about entertainment as
well. Burk hopes people find humor watching a pre-teen in an adult role, while also paying attention to the message. “We are a church that needs to look to the future, whether
it’s generationally, which is why kids matter, or just upbeat messages,” Burk said. “I think that’s what it’s about. In that sense what we’re doing is a future oriented concept.”
106: Rena Bagne, First English, Ortonville, Minn. 104: Edna Paasche, First English, Ortonville, Minn. 102: Dagmar Haeger, Bethlehem, Lansing, Mich.; Mildred Monke, St. John, Dickin-
son, N.D. 101: J.T. Fischer, Hope, Buckholts, Texas; Francis Torstenson, Trinity, Minneapolis. 100: Kathryn “Kit” Schoen- feld, Good Shepherd, Somerville, N.J.; Dorothy Van Loo, St. Timothy, Menasha, Wis.
Author bio: Favre is an assistant professor at Pierce College in Los Angeles and a freelance theater critic.
By Jeff Favre
Send stories Share your stories of ELCA Lutherans and your 100+ members in “Faces.” Send to
lutheran@thelutheran.org or “Faces,” The Lutheran, 8765 W. Hig gins Rd., Chicago, IL 60631.
August 2014 43
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