Title: Donald McCoid to Head ELCA Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations ELCA NEWS SERVICE
October 10, 2007
Donald McCoid to Head ELCA Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations 07-164-JB
CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), announced Oct. 6 that the Rev. Donald J. McCoid, former bishop of the ELCA Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod, Pittsburgh, will lead the church's Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations section for four years, effective Nov. 1.
McCoid, 63, completed his service Aug. 31 as a synod bishop, a role in which he served since 1988. He had previously announced he would not be available for re-election as bishop.
McCoid will succeed the Rev. Randall R. Lee, who will conclude his service as section executive on Oct. 31. Lee, 51, has led ELCA Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations since 2002.
"I am delighted that Pastor Donald McCoid has accepted the call to serve as executive for Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations in the ELCA," Hanson said. "In his 20 years as bishop of the Southwestern Pennsylvania Synod, Don exemplified leadership that was grounded in Lutheran confessional theology and consistently ecumenically minded."
"He is currently co-chair of the International Lutheran- Orthodox Dialogue. Pastor McCoid will enable the ELCA to build upon a strong foundation of ecumenical commitment and relationships. As the ecumenical landscape changes, the ELCA will be well served by the depth of Don's theological wisdom and the breadth of his ecumenical vision," Hanson said.
The presiding bishop said he was grateful for Lee's service during the past six years. "He is highly regarded throughout this church and amongst our global and ecumenical partners," he said. "With clarity, Randy has interpreted often complex ecumenical agreements. With consistency he has articulated the ELCA committed to ecumenism. We pray God's blessings as he discerns ways to continue to serve this church."
"I am really looking forward to this appointment," McCoid said in an interview with the ELCA News Service. "The ELCA has had a noble tradition in ecumenism, bilateral dialogues and full communion agreements. Those that have served in this role have lifted up the ELCA through our commitments and our statement on ecumenism."
The 1991 ELCA Churchwide Assembly adopted "A Declaration of Ecumenical Commitment: A Policy Statement of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America." The ELCA has full communion agreements with the Episcopal Church, Moravian Church in America, Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.), Reformed Church in America and the United Church of Christ.
In his new role, McCoid said the ELCA must be attentive to how its ecumenical agreements are being lived out, and he said the church must have discussions about how it will approach ecumenism in the future.
McCoid, who was born in Wheeling, W.Va., earned a bachelor's degree from West Liberty State College, West Liberty, W.Va., and a master of divinity degree from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, one of eight ELCA seminaries. In 1983 he was presented an honorary doctorate by Thiel College, Greenville, Pa., one of 28 ELCA colleges and universities.
Before he was bishop, McCoid served 10 years as senior pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church, Latrobe, Pa. He was area coordinator for Lutheran congregations in West Virginia and western Maryland in the former Lutheran Church in America. McCoid also served as pastor at Lutheran congregations in Pittsburgh and Monessen, Pa. He was ordained in 1968.
McCoid has worked in ecumenical circles for many years. He has served as co-chair of the Lutheran-Orthodox bilateral dialogue in the United States and is co-president of the international Lutheran-Orthodox dialogue, facilitated by the Lutheran World Federation (LWF). He also served on the Faith and Order Conference board and was a member of the North American Committee of the LWF.
McCoid served on the Religious Leadership Forum, Pittsburgh, an organization of Catholic, Jewish, Muslim and Protestant church leaders. He was chair of the Christian Associates of Southwestern Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh, and was a board member for the Christian Leadership Fellowship of Pittsburgh and Pennsylvania Council of Churches. McCoid served on the board of Lutheran Services in America and was chair of the board of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (Pa), an ELCA seminary.
McCoid served as chair of the Theological and Ethical Concerns Committee of the ELCA Conference of Bishops, and from 1999 to 2003 served as chair of the Conference. In 2001 he was the runner-up when Hanson was first elected presiding bishop at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly in Indianapolis.
McCoid and his wife Saundra are parents of two adult children.
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Information about ELCA Ecumenical and Inter-Religious Relations is at http://www.ELCA.org/ecumenical/ on the ELCA Web site.
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