2007 Oregon Synod Assembly
On the Road Together in Christ
May 18-20
Hilton, Eugene


Bishop's Election Task Force (BETF)

ELECTING A BISHOP FOR THE OREGON SYNOD
by Pastor Brian E. Brandt, Central Lutheran Church, Portland

Dear Members of Oregon Synod Congregations,

Soon we will elect a new bishop at the Oregon Synod Assembly. We have been preparing for this election with a process of public conversation and discernment.

That process has three phases. Last year, in Phases One and Two, people gathered to talk about the office of bishop and the unique challenges of ministry in the Pacific Northwest. Phase Three began this year with congregations lifting up names of pastors who might be considered for bishop.

Now we’re ready for the final step in Phase Three: discernment about the gifts and priorities some of those pastors might bring to the bishop’s office.

This document has been created by the Bishop’s Election Task Force to help you and your congregation in that discernment. It includes two main parts:

  • Suggestions on how to structure conversation for discernment; and
  • Biographical information about some pastors who might be nominated for bishop at the Synod Assembly.

It is important to remember that the pastors whose information appears in this document are not nominees for the office of bishop . Nominations will be made at the Synod Assembly. Any ELCA clergy person is eligible to be nominated.

This document is a resource to help sort through some of the values, priorities, aims, and aspirations that we might invest in our bishop. It is a tool to prepare participants for electing a bishop at the 2007 Synod Assembly. By gathering prior to the Assembly to discuss the gifts and priorities some pastors might bring to the office of bishop, we will be better prepared to evaluate those pastors who are nominated at the Assembly.

If voting members wish to use this document as a guide at the Assembly, they should print copies of this document and bring them to the Assembly.

We trust that the Holy Spirit is leading and guiding us in this process of public conversation, as well as in the election process that will unfold at the Assembly. May God bless us in our prayers, in our discernment, and in our faithful choices as we elect a new bishop for the Oregon Synod.

The Bishop’s Election Task Force

Ron Pittman (Chair), Brian Brandt, Laurie Larson Caesar, Dennis Douglass,
Bonny Groshong, Tim Herzfeld-Kamprath, Susan Kintner


Introduction
Electing a bishop is one of the most important decisions made by Synod Assemblies. The office of bishop is a position of great responsibility. Historically, the bishop’s main function is to keep congregations, ministries, pastors, and people connected with one another, with the whole Church on earth, and with the Communion of Saints throughout the ages.

As we look forward to electing a bishop, we face many challenges. We experience the upcoming bishop’s election as a crucial moment in the life of the Church, full of hope and expectation. Yet often it is difficult to describe our hopes for this ministry. We wonder how to prepare for the task, how to seek the counsel of the Holy Spirit, and how to discuss these issues with others.

One answer may be found in what Luther called “the mutual conversation and consolation of the faithful.” We gather in congregational meetings and cluster events for mutual support. When we join in conversation about the challenges, priorities, and possibilities in electing a new bishop, we are practicing life in the presence of God. Through faithful listening and honest speaking, through praying together and worshipping together, we become better prepared to serve God’s work in the world. We have a chance to think deeply about our synod’s mission in this blessed part of the Pacific Northwest. We are given a precious opportunity to understand more clearly how the office of bishop can strengthen our work together in God’s service.

The Oregon Synod Council has created the Bishop’s Election Task Force to support us in the work of choosing a bishop. This task force has structured a process of conversation and education to help us engage faithfully in the work of electing a new bishop for the Oregon Synod in May 2007. Here are the main points of that process.

Preparing to Choose a Bishop: A Three-Stage Process

Stage One: 2006 Synod Assembly – Lecture and Small Group Discussion
Stage Two: Fall 2006 Cluster Events
Stage Three: Winter-Spring 2007 – Congregational Discernment

Stage One: Synod Assembly 2006
Assembly participants heard a lecture by Dr. Samuel Torvend, Chair of the Religion Department at Pacific Lutheran University. He spoke about the basic duties of the bishop’s office, and about how our regional culture affects the bishop’s work. Assembly participants then discussed the lecture in small groups.

Stage Two: Fall 2006 Cluster Events
People gathered in cluster events to see a video of the lecture Dr. Torvend presented at the 2006 Synod Assembly. Small groups then discussed that lecture. This opened learning and conversation about the bishop’s office to a broader group. Insights from these cluster events inform the next stage of the discernment process.

Stage Three: Winter-Spring 2007 – Congregational Discernment
This stage has three steps:

1. In February 2007, congregations and individuals will be asked to submit names of pastors whom they believe might have the gifts and inclination to serve as bishop. Any pastor on the ELCA clergy roster is eligible to be named. This step does not constitute a nomination for the office of bishop. Nominations will be made at the Synod Assembly.
2. In April 2007, the Bishop’s Election Task force will publish a resource providing information on all pastors who were named, and who also consented to be considered in this discernment process.
3. In late April and early May 2007, congregations will be asked to consider the information in this resource in light of the conversations at the Fall 2006 cluster events. To “consider” might include analysis, conversation, prayer, and worship. That is, congregations will be asked to enter into spiritual discernment about the Oregon Synod’s mission and how the gifts God has given various pastors might best serve the synod’s mission.

Choosing a Bishop: 2007 Synod Assembly
At the Assembly in Eugene on May 18-20, 2007, a new bishop will be elected. The election will use an “ecclesiastical ballot.” The work done in cluster and congregational events leading up to the Assembly will help prepare us to participate faithfully and thoughtfully in this balloting process. A variety of opportunities will be provided during the Assembly for voting members to learn more about nominees.

The Ecclesiastical Ballot
The Oregon Synod uses an ecclesiastical ballot, for which procedural requirements are stipulated in Article S9.04 of the Synod Constitution. See that Article for details. Basically, this is how it works: On the first ballot, voting members write the name of any ordained person from the clergy roster of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. That ballot is the nominating ballot. Everyone who receives a vote is listed on the second ballot. On that and each subsequent ballot, the number of nominees is decreased until one receives the required majority of votes.

Prayer and Conversation: Part of the Process
The Oregon Synod Constitution mandates the election of a bishop. While there are parallels with other electoral processes, the Church is committed to value the guidance of the Holy Spirit above factors like popularity or platform. This commitment often is expressed as a desire to distinguish between conversation and campaigning in discussions about potential nominees.

We pray for the guidance of the Holy Spirit before and during the election process. Some people are more comfortable seeking that counsel individually, telling no one their thoughts and not speaking about the process. Some people discern the Spirit’s guidance in conversation with others. They feel comfortable telling others what they think and inviting others to join them in those convictions.

Regardless of how a bishop is elected, some discussion always occurs. All who engage in discussion should exercise care to do so as a practice of edifying, prayerful reflection and Spirit-led deliberation which avoids campaigning or political advocacy and the divisiveness they entail.

The Work of the Holy Spirit in Electing a Bishop
The Holy Spirit grants guidance to God’s people in many settings. We trust the Spirit to be active in our private deliberations and in our public conversations with others as we seek God’s wisdom. Indeed, we trust that the Holy Spirit is present and active in all the stages of education, conversation, and discernment that lead up to the Synod Assembly. We trust that the Spirit thus makes us better able to listen for God’s word and to discern God’s will as the nomination and election of the new bishop unfold at the 2007 Synod Assembly.

Bearing the Cross
The call to serve as bishop comes out of the life of the Church and its faith in Jesus Christ, crucified and risen. As we consider persons to serve in this ministry, many gifted leaders will be lifted up, any of whom could serve capably. This process can be difficult for potential nominees and their supporters. Some people hesitate to speak up for fear that their words will be interpreted as inappropriate and held against potential nominees. Some are concerned about future working relations, if a nomination challenges other nominees or an incumbent.

Some potential nominees are reluctant to disclose their willingness to serve for fear they will be perceived as unduly ambitious. Some potential nominees isolate themselves for fear that their presence at gatherings will be interpreted as self-promotion. Some have felt bruised by the process of nomination and election. Lifting up potential leaders can make them feel as if they are bearing a cross out of love for the church and commitment to the Lord Jesus. We would do well to approach the work of electing a new bishop with compassion for those who must bear the cross of leadership and endure the close scrutiny that comes with the electoral process.

Conclusion
In the end, one person will be elected to the office of bishop. We pray that the whole Synod will celebrate this election as a gift from God and a promise of God’s steadfast love for us all. By the same token, we pray that this Synod will honor all those who were open to sharing their gifts in this way, and will affirm their continuing ministry in this church.

 

 

-Oregon Synod