CHICAGO — The Rev. Kevin T. Shock, Howard, Pa., was elected Nov. 1 to serve as bishop of the Allegheny Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, Oct. 31–Nov. 1 at the Blair County Convention Center in Altoona, Pa.
Shock was elected on the fifth ballot, with 118 votes. The Rev. Ralph Hamer, director of spiritual care and congregational relations at Allegheny Lutheran Social Ministries in Altoona, received 47 votes.
The bishop-elect has served the Allegheny Synod as assistant to the bishop since 2022 and as director for evangelical mission from 2022 to 2023. Previously he served as pastor of St. Mark Lutheran Church in Pleasant Gap, Pa., from 2006 to 2022.
Shock earned a Bachelor of Arts from Juniata College in Huntingdon, Pa., in 1998, and a Master of Divinity from Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (now United Lutheran Seminary) in 2006. United Lutheran is one of seven ELCA seminaries.
Shock will take office Feb. 1, 2026, and be installed Feb. 7 at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church in Johnstown, Pa.
The Rev. Barbara Collins has served as interim bishop since 2024.
Information about the Allegheny Synod is available here.
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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 2.7 million members in more than 8,400 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
