▁of ▁a ▁bishop ▁( see ▁Arch bishop ▁of ▁U pp s ala ). ▁Other ▁Luther an ▁bodies ▁and ▁syn ods ▁that ▁have ▁dioc eses ▁and ▁b ish ops ▁include ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁Den mark , ▁the ▁Evangel ical ▁Luther an ▁Church ▁of ▁Finland , ▁the ▁Evangel ical ▁Church ▁in ▁Germany ▁( partial ly ), ▁and ▁the ▁Church ▁of ▁Norway . ▁ ▁From ▁about ▁the ▁ 1 3 th ▁century ▁until ▁the ▁German ▁med iat ization ▁of ▁ 1 8 0 3 , ▁the ▁majority ▁of ▁the ▁b ish ops ▁of ▁the ▁Holy ▁Roman ▁Empire ▁were ▁prince - b ish ops , ▁and ▁as ▁such ▁exerc ised ▁political ▁authority ▁over ▁a ▁princip ality , ▁their ▁so - called ▁Hoch st ift , ▁which ▁was ▁distinct , ▁and ▁usually ▁consider ably ▁smaller ▁than ▁their ▁dioc ese , ▁over ▁which ▁they ▁only ▁exerc ised ▁the ▁usual ▁authority ▁of ▁a ▁bishop . ▁ ▁Some ▁American ▁Luther an ▁church ▁bodies ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁Evangel ical ▁Luther an ▁Church ▁in ▁America ▁have ▁a ▁bishop ▁acting ▁as ▁the ▁head ▁of ▁the ▁syn od , ▁but ▁the ▁syn od ▁does ▁not ▁have ▁dioc eses ▁and ▁arch di oc eses ▁as ▁the ▁churches ▁listed ▁above . ▁R ather , ▁it ▁is ▁divided ▁into ▁a ▁middle ▁jud ic atory . ▁ ▁The ▁Luther an ▁Church ▁- ▁International , ▁based ▁in ▁Spring field , ▁Illinois , ▁presently ▁uses ▁a ▁traditional ▁dioc es an ▁structure , ▁with ▁four ▁dioc eses ▁in ▁North ▁America . ▁Its ▁current ▁president ▁is ▁Arch bishop ▁Robert ▁W . ▁H otes