Bishop Elaine Sauer received her Bachelor of Education after studies at the University of Victoria and University of Saskatchewan. She graduated with a Masters of Divinity from the Lutheran Theological Seminary in 1998. She served with Youth and Campus Ministry in the MNO Synod and then as Assistant to the Bishop for Synodical Relations. She was Bishop for the Manitoba and Northwestern Ontario Synod from 2006-18. She is married to Rev. Rick Sauer and lives in Winnipeg. The Sauers have three adult sons.