CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. Michael L. Cooper-White,
president Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (Pa.),
was the highest vote-getter on the first ballot cast for
secretary of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA).
A total of 161 people received votes in what was a nominating
ballot for the ELCA post.
Cooper-White received 162 votes of the 1,004 votes cast in
the first ballot. The Rev. Andrea DeGroot-Nesdahl, bishop of the
ELCA South Dakota Synod, received 110 votes. To be elected, a
candidate must receive 75 percent of the votes cast on the first
ballot.
The churchwide assembly, the chief legislative authority of
the ELCA, is meeting here Aug. 6-11 at Navy Pier's Festival Hall.
About 2,000 people are participating, including 1,071 ELCA voting
members. The theme for the biennial assembly is "Living in God's
Amazing Grace: Thanks be to God!"
On the first ballot, the Rev. Kenneth M. Ruppar, pastor of
the Lutheran Church of the Savior, Richmond, Va., received 95
votes, and David Swartling, acting as parliamentarian for the
assembly, received 88 votes.
The Rev. Paul A. Schreck, an executive assistant to the
current ELCA secretary, received 69 votes, and Glendy L. Ose,
assistant to the bishop in the ELCA Minneapolis Area Synod,
received 42 votes.
The other two highest vote-getters were the Rev. William C.
"Wm. Chris" Boerger, bishop of the ELCA Northwest Washington
Synod, with 39 votes, and the Rev. Mark A. Grorud, Fremont, Neb.,
ELCA director of relationships with large member congregations,
with 36 votes.
The second ballot will include the names of all those
nominated on the first ballot. If there is no election, the top
seven vote-getters on that ballot will answer questions from
voting members of the assembly for 30 minutes before the third
ballot is cast. On the third ballot, a two-thirds majority is
required for election.
After the third ballot, the field is limited to the top
three candidates, who will be given the opportunity to address
the assembly. A 60 percent majority is required for election on
the fourth ballot.
If there is no election on the fourth ballot, the names of
the top two candidates will appear on the fifth ballot, where a
simple majority is required for election.
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Information about the 2007 ELCA Churchwide Assembly can be
found at http://www.ELCA.org/assembly/ 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
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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
