Title: Michael Rinehart Elected Bishop of ELCA Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod ELCA NEWS SERVICE
June 6, 2007
Michael Rinehart Elected Bishop of ELCA Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod 07-097-JB
THE WOODLANDS, Texas (ELCA) -- The Rev. Michael W. Rinehart, Grace Lutheran Church, Conroe, Texas, was elected June 2 to a six- year term as bishop of the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Rinehart, 45, was elected here at the synod assembly on the fifth ballot for bishop, 219-117 over the Rev. Michael R. Button, Christ Lutheran Church, Brenham, Texas.
Rinehart will succeed the Rev. Paul J. Blom, 66, who previously announced he would not seek re-election. Blom has served as bishop of the synod since 1991.
Button led on the fourth ballot for bishop with 121 votes. Rinehart received 112 votes and the Rev. Michael R. Aus Jr., Living Word Lutheran Church, Katy, Texas, received 102 votes. There were 55 names on the first or nominating ballot.
Rinehart will assume the role of bishop on Sept. 1. He will be installed Sept. 29 at Grace Presbyterian Church, Houston.
Born in Columbus, Ohio, Rinehart received a bachelor of music in organ performance in 1983 at Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Ind. In 1988 he received a master of divinity degree from Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio. Valparaiso is an independent Lutheran university; Trinity is one of eight ELCA seminaries.
Following his ordination in 1988, Rinehart served as pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church, Davenport, Iowa. In 1994 he became pastor at Christ Lutheran Church, Charlotte, N.C. In 1997 he became pastor at Grace Lutheran Church.
Rinehart serves on the synod's stewardship committee and is mission interpreter coordinator. He also is a member of the internal review board at Conroe Regional Medical Center.
Rinehart and his wife Susan are parents of a son, John, and a daughter, Yuliana. The Rineharts reside in Montgomery, Texas.
The ELCA Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod has 47,436 baptized members in 122 congregations. The synod office is in Houston.
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Information about the ELCA Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod is at http://www.gulfcoastsynod.org/ 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