The election of a Synodical Bishop is more than just another election of an official in our lives. It is a call, a call guided by the Holy Spirit, made with discernment in the midst of the community of those who comprise the voting members of the Synod Assembly and conducted through an ecclesiastical ballot. The process of calling our Synodical Bishop should no way emulate how we elect our secular leaders.
In the weeks leading up the Synod Assembly, we recognize that there will be discussion, some informally and some more organized. These discussions must not replace the work of the Holy Spirit in the midst of the community of voting members at the Assembly. To that end, please be mindful of the following:
1. Those individuals who have been identified for consideration before the Assembly have not been nominated and should not be referred to as nominees. The nomination process for the Synodical Bishop occurs on the first ballot of the Synod Assembly, not before.
2. Those individuals who have been identified for consideration before the Assembly are not the only individuals who may be nominated. Any discussion of individuals for consideration before the first ballot of the Synod should include the possibility that some individuals will not be identified until the first ballot of the Synod Assembly. It is unfair to the ecclesiastical process for us to discuss some of the individuals who have been identified for consideration without discussing all and to have only those individuals who have been identified currently to participate in those pre-Assembly discussions.
3. The importance of the Holy Spirit in the midst of the community of voting members cannot be understated. Many lay voting members of the Synod Assembly still have not been selected by their congregations currently and have no ability to be part of any formal discussions before the Assembly. It is important that all voting members be part of the discernment process and all voting members should have access to the same information, which will occur at the Synod Assembly.
We ask for your prayers and God’s guidance in the call of Synodical Bishop.
Your Election Process Team
Southern Ohio Synod Council