ELCA News Blog
May 8, 2007
CORRECTION
Please replace the story issued earlier today with this corrected version. We apologize for this error and thank you for your patience.
John R. Brooks Director, ELCA News Service Chicago
Edward Benoway re-elected bishop of ELCA Florida-Bahamas Synod by John R. Brooks, ELCA News Service*
The Rev. Edward R. Benoway was re-elected May 5 to a second six-year term as bishop of the Florida-Bahamas Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) at the synod assembly May 3-5 in Orlando. Benoway, 59, was elected 252-250 on the sixth ballot for bishop over the Rev. Eugene H. Kern, St. John Lutheran Church, Winter Park, Fla. Kern led on the fifth ballot with 220 votes to 196 for Benoway, and 94 votes for the Rev. Johan A.A. Bergh, People of Faith Lutheran Church, Winter Garden, Fla. There were 57 names on the first or nominating ballot. Benoway's new term begins July 1.
Born in Zanesville, Ohio, Benoway was first elected bishop of the synod in 2001. At the time of his election, he was assistant to the bishop of the ELCA Florida-Bahamas Synod. He served Lutheran congregations in Pompano Beach, Fla., Oak Ridge, Tenn., Tampa, Fla., and Winter Park. Benoway earned a bachelor's degree in mathematics from Newberry College, Newberry, S.C., and a master's degree in counseling from the University of South Carolina, Columbia. He earned a master of divinity degree at Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, and was ordained in 1973. Newberry is one of 28 ELCA colleges and universities; Southern Seminary is one eight ELCA seminaries.
The Florida-Bahamas Synod has 81,421 baptized members in 207 congregations. The synod office is in Tampa.
*Adam J. Bost, communications specialist, ELCA Florida-Bahamas Synod, provided information for this story.
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