Bishop Paul Blom will retire this year after sixteen years of service and ministry as bishop of the Texas-Louisiana Gulf Coast Synod. A new bishop is to be elected at the annual Synod Assembly in the Woodlands, May 31 - June 2. The election process used is the Ecclesiastical Ballot.
An Ecclesiastical Ballot means that every called and ordained pastor who is on the roster of pastors within the ELCA is eligible to be elected bishop. There are no nominations ahead of the actual voting at the Assembly. Using a series of ballots, the list of candidates is gradually reduced from every pastor within the church to a handful of people who agree to serve as bishop if elected at the assembly. Each of these people then addresses the assembly with their vision for mission for the church and other pertinent information about themselves. There is also an opportunity for voting delegates to ask questions of these people.
According to the synod’s constitution, the voting will occur in the following manner:
The bishop shall be elected by the Synod Assembly by ecclesiastical ballot. Three-fourths of the legal votes cast shall be necessary for election on the first ballot. If no one is elected, the first ballot shall be considered the nominating ballot. Three-fourths of the legal votes cast on the second ballot shall be necessary for election. The third ballot shall be limited to the seven persons (plus ties) who received the greatest number of legal votes on the second ballot, and two thirds of the legal votes cast shall be necessary for election. The fourth ballot shall be limited to the three persons (plus ties) who receive the greatest number of legal votes on the third ballot, and 60 percent of the legal votes cast shall be necessary for election. On subsequent ballots a majority of the legal votes cast shall be necessary for election. These ballots shall be limited to the two persons (plus ties) who receive the greatest number of legal votes on the previous ballot.
All congregations are asked to include the clergy of the Texas Louisiana-Gulf Coast Synod in their prayers in this time of discernment and transition. For further information on the election process, visit the Synod Assembly page on the synod web site