The convergence of the real papal conclave and the recent movie Conclave evokes significant speculation as well as shock and incredulity that the pontiff (literally, bridge builder) overseeing 1.4 billion Catholics is chosen in such a way. Popes are selected by the Holy Spirit working through the College of Cardinals, who alone may vote in the matter.

On a much smaller scale in our larger ELCA and in our NC Synod, ELCA, as we elect an ELCA presiding bishop in late July and a synod bishop by the end of this month, I am now asked at least daily, including several times this past weekend at Lutheridge, in Cherokee, and at a congregational worship service, “Who’s running?” “Has the slate been selected yet?” or “When will we meet the candidates?”

You may be surprised at how this works. It’s an ecclesiastical first ballot in the NC Synod, ELCA. Full-on. No pre-identification or pre-selection or (at least official) pre-campaigning of “candidates.” All 15,000-ish ELCA ministers of Word and Sacrament (pastors) are “on the ballot,” which to begin with is a blank piece of paper (okay, blank computer or phone screen). After prayerful deliberation, voting members—which includes lay people (each NC Synod congregation may send at least two according to a formula) and all NC Synod rostered ministers duly registered (by May 15!)—write a name. One name. Any name of one of those 15,000 ELCA pastors.

All the names (maybe 50 or 75 or more?) are contacted, and likely most will remove their names from consideration. This will happen right before dinner on Thursday night, May 29, at our Synod Assembly in Greensboro. Then, in a process of narrowing down through speeches, Q & A, lots of prayer and discernment, less than 48 hours later, from start to finish in this call process in front of 650 people present and hundreds more online, we will have elected a bishop by May 31. The new bishop begins August 1 and will officially be installed by the ELCA’s new presiding bishop at a service at Christ, Charlotte, on November 15. The single most common response to my describing this process regularly these days is stunned silence, and then, “…You’ve got to be kidding me…” Not kidding. Come, Holy Spirit!

An 11-minute video, How to Vote in a Bishop’s Election, describes this year’s bishop election process. For truly process-oriented or very curious persons, the pertinent NC Synod constitutional guidelines for the election of a bishop, as well as the specific responsibilities for the office of bishop, can be found in Chapters 8 and 9 of the current NC Synod Constitution.

I invite you, if you haven’t already begun, to pray for this process and the one to whom God may be leading us as our next NC Synod bishop. Also, I ask that you show support for all those willing to leave their names in for mutual discernment in this unique type of call process, and also an extra measure of grace for the one elected who will have significant transition and much to learn in a very short amount of time. And one more time, from the heart as we approach Pentecost that also follows closely after this election, “Come Holy Spirit!”