Throughout the fall of 2025 and winter of 2026, the Bishop Election Committee (BEC) has been considering the best way to help individuals and congregations reflect on the work of the synod and discern what kind of leader we need to guide us into the future. We have benefited and learned from the good work of other synods, in particular the Southwestern Washington and St. Paul Area Synods.

A bishop election is a combination of both a rigorously defined synod constitutional election and a high stakes call process requiring prayerful reflection and discernment. The BEC will cautiously and deliberately hold these activities in tension as we seek to help the synod discern what kind of leader we need and who that might be. We will spend the winter months asking questions and listening to as many people as we can. In the spring we will lift up possible leaders and help the synod get to know them. And in the weeks prior to the assembly, we will prepare for the election by encouraging conversation and prayer.