CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Claire S. Burkat, mission
director for the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the
Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), and the Episcopal
Diocese of Pennsylvania, was elected May 6 to a six-year term as
the synod's bishop at the synod assembly in Franconia, Pa.
Burkat, 54, will assume her new role July 1 and will be installed
formally Oct. 14 at a site to be determined.
Burkat will succeed the Rev. Roy G. Almquist, who has served
as bishop of the synod since 1994. Almquist, 66, had announced
that he would not seek re-election.
Her priorities as bishop will be "to plant new
congregations, revitalize and renew existing congregations, raise
up mission-minded lay and clergy leaders, and to equip leaders
and congregations for the missional challenges of the 21st
century," Burkat told the ELCA News Service.
Burkat was elected on the fifth ballot for bishop 307-252
over the Rev. Cynthia L. Krommes, St. John Lutheran Church,
Phoenixville, Pa. On the fourth ballot for bishop, Burkat led
with 227 votes, Krommes had 208 votes; and the Rev. James K.
Echols, a Philadelphia native serving as president of the
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago -- one of eight ELCA
seminaries -- received 134 votes and did not advance to the final
ballot. Sixty percent of the total ballots cast, or 342 votes,
were required for election on the fourth ballot.
There were 101 names on the first or nominating ballot.
Born in Brooklyn, N.Y., Burkat graduated in 1973 with a
bachelor's degree in education from City University of New York.
In 1978 she earned a master of divinity degree from the Lutheran
Theological Seminary at Philadelphia, an ELCA seminary.
After her ordination in the former Lutheran Church in
America (LCA) in 1978, Burkat was assistant pastor of Holy
Trinity Lutheran Church, Abington, Pa. In 1983 she became
assistant to the bishop, LCA Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod.
In 1988 the ELCA was formed through a merger of the LCA,
American Lutheran Church and Association of Evangelical Lutheran
Churches. She remained on the staff of the ELCA Southeastern
Pennsylvania Synod, and in 1990 she assumed additional
responsibilities as mission director. In 2000 she joined the
ELCA Division for Outreach as mission director for the
Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod and ELCA New Jersey Synod. Since
2004 she has served in a dual role as mission director for the
ELCA Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod and as executive director
for congregational advancement for the Episcopal Diocese of
Pennsylvania. The synod and diocese serve congregations in the
same five counties in the Philadelphia area.
Burkat, who resides in Ambler, Pa., is the parent of a son,
Alex, a college student. She is a member of Holy Communion
Lutheran Church, Philadelphia.
The ELCA Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod has 95,486 baptized
members in 170 congregations. The synod office is in Norristown.
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Information about the ELCA Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod
is at http://www.ministrylink.org/ on the Web.
*Robert W. Fisher is director for communication and information,
ELCA Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod.
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
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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 2.8 million members in more than 8,500 worshiping communities across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands.," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer Martin Luther.
For information contact:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
Public Relations Manager
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org
