wfn.org | ELCA Delaware-Maryland Synod Reschedules Election for New Bishop

[<NEWS@ELCA.ORG>]

Title: ELCA Delaware-Maryland Synod Reschedules Election for New Bishop
ELCA NEWS SERVICE

>December 28, 2009  

ELCA Delaware-Maryland Synod Reschedules Election for New Bishop
09-284-JB

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Delaware-Maryland Synod of the Evangelical
Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) will elect a new bishop for the synod
at its regularly scheduled assembly, June 10-12, 2010.

The synod had previously announced it would hold a special assembly
Jan. 15-16, 2010, to elect a successor to the Rev. H. Gerard Knoche, who
retired Oct. 31, citing health concerns.  But provisions of the synod's
Articles of Incorporation caused the Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding
bishop, in consultation with the Delaware-Maryland Synod Council, to
cancel the special assembly, according to information on the synod's Web
site.

The change in the election schedule means that the Rev. Theodore F.
Schneider, who is serving as interim bishop, will continue in that role
through Sept. 1, 2010.  Schneider retired in 2007 after serving as bishop
of the Metropolitan Washington, D.C., Synod.

In a Dec. 8 letter to the Delaware-Maryland Synod, Secretary Nancy
Gordon, Jefferson, Md., said the decision to cancel "was not made lightly
or easily," but after prayerful deliberation and input from synod staff,
as well as officers and staff of the ELCA churchwide organization.

"Within the past two weeks, it was learned that a provision in the
synod's Articles of Incorporation authorizes only those persons who were
seated at the May 2009 regular meeting of the synod assembly to serve as
voting members at a January special meeting of the synod assembly,"
Gordon wrote. "This provision takes precedence over the constitution and
bylaws of the synod, and no assembly rule or vote would allow us to seat
additional voting members."

Gordon also explained that at least 22 professional leaders in the
synod could not serve as voting members at the special assembly,
including those ordained or who had joined the synod since May, and those
who did not attend the most recent assembly.  She also wrote that
congregations which did not fully participate in the May assembly would
not be able to send voting members or substitutes.

"Because our next bishop will serve the entire synod, it does not
seem wise to move forward with an election process in which some
congregations are unable to send voting members to the special meeting of
the synod assembly," Gordon added.

The 2010 Delaware-Maryland Synod Assembly will be held at the
Eisenhower Conference Center, Gettysburg, Pa.

>---

Information about the ELCA Delaware-Maryland Synod and the decision
to reschedule the election for its new bishop is at
http://www.demdsynod.org/ on the Web.

For information contact:

John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or news@elca.org
http://www.elca.org/news