ELCA NEWS SERVICE
August 7, 2007
ELCA Assembly Receives First Ballot Results For Presiding Bishop 07-CWA-005-MRC
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), led the first ballot for presiding bishop of the ELCA with 765 out of 1,022 votes cast here at the 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly. Hanson fell two votes short of being re-elected on the first or nominating ballot.
The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 6-11 at Navy Pier's Festival Hall. About 2,000 people are participating, including 1,071 ELCA voting members. The theme for the biennial assembly is "Living in God's Amazing Grace: Thanks be to God!"
The presiding bishop is elected by ecclesiastical ballot. The election could require as many as five ballots, the maximum prescribed by the ELCA Constitution. Nominations are made on the first ballot; each ballot requires a nominee to receive a certain percentage of all ballots cast to be elected. A specified number of candidates receiving the most votes on a ballot have their names placed on the next ballot. The fifth ballot, which matches the two nominees with the most votes, plus ties, is decided by majority vote.
Following Hanson was the Rev. Karl P. Donfried, professor emeritus of religion and biblical literature, Smith College, Northampton, Mass., who received 42 votes. The Rev. Donald J. McCoid, bishop, ELCA Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod, Pittsburgh, received 17 votes, and the Rev. April C. Ulring Larson, bishop, ELCA La Crosse Area Synod, La Crosse, Wis., received 12 votes. The Rev. Richard J. Foss, bishop, ELCA Eastern North Dakota Synod, Fargo, received 10 votes, and the Rev. Stephen P. Bouman, bishop, ELCA Metropolitan New York Synod, received 9 votes.
On the first ballot, 75 percent of the votes cast were necessary for election. There were 101 clergy receiving votes. - - -
Information about the 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly can be found http://www.ELCA.org/assembly on the Web.
For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org http://www.elca.org/news ELCA News Blog: http://www.elca.org/news/blog