Kathy Sukke

Before elections begin in those synods where a bishop is being selected there is an introduction to the process by H. George Anderson or his representative. At the 2001 St.Paul Area Synod Assembly this introduction was done by Rev. Kathie Bender Schwich, Executive Assistant to H. George Anderson.

Rev. Schwich said, "electing of a bishop at its core is a spiritual decision not fundamentally a political process", and mentioned scripture twice: Acts 20 ("Keep watch over yourselves and over all the flock, over which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers...) and 1 Timothy ("Hold to the standard of sound teaching that you have heard from the word in the faith...").

Then she asked, "What is a bishop? What does a bishop do? The provision in the synod constitution that describes what a bishop is to do is a long one."

Her list of five was: 1) pastor, 2) servant, 3) sign of unity and protector of the faith, 4) leader, 5) missionary.

Regarding number 3, she mentioned, "Third, a bishop is both sign and protector. A sign of unity and a protector of the faith. Our unity is in Christ. We are also united as Lutherans, members, pastors, other rosted leaders, congregations, synods and churchwide ministries, all bound together in a shared confession of faith. We are one church united in witness and service. A bishop is to excercise this church's power to ordain all appropriately and properly approved and called candidates for ordained ministry. A bishop does not function only on behalf of this synod. This bishop's responsibility relates to the whole church. And the bishop serves as a symbol and a reminder of the God given unity of the church, a unity to which we are all called as brothers and sisters in Christ. A bishop must be the leader for interpreting the work of the whole church to all the congregations in the synod. Likewise the bishop must seek to undergird and foster support for the work that we do together through the synod and churchwide organization. So in a sense the bishop is the visible link that  underscores the partnership and interdependence of all the congregations of the synod and the whole church. A pastor serving in the office of bishop is an agent of unity within and beyond this synod. A pastor in the role of bishop cannot operate by whim or private will. Rather a bishop is wisely bound by the constitution of our church. This both represents protection from autocratic or whimsical behavior and also reflects the understanding defined in our governing documents of what a bishop is to be and to do."

Although Rev. Schwich indicated her five points were constitutional, the idea that the bishop is a sign of unity, a protector of the faith and a visible link is NOT in the current ELCA constitution concerning synod bishops.

Kathy Sukke