After ten years of faithful leadership, the Rev. Dr. Timothy Smith decided to retire as bishop of the North Carolina Synod this summer and begin a new chapter of life and ministry. With his departure, the NC Synod Assembly had the good and holy work of electing a new bishop during our assembly in Greensboro, May 29-31, 2025.

The process to elect a new bishop is both an election and a call process. It is a time of discernment. A time to listen and prayerfully consider the candidates and the direction in which God is calling our synod.

Deacon MaryAnn Schwabe, Executive for Synod Relations, ELCA, joined the assembly as the representative from the churchwide office to shepherd us through the election process. She explained to the assembly that the role of bishop is a unique call. They are a public leader for both the church and the world. They are a pastor who preaches, teaches, and administers the sacraments; someone who provides leadership and pastoral care. And, “a bishop is more,” she explained. A bishop is a servant, a reminder of unity, and accountable to congregations. A bishop is the Chief Ecumenical Officer, fostering partnerships with other denominations. “And, a bishop is more.”

The process by which the NC Synod elects a new bishop begins with an ecclesiastical ballot. Before this vote, and every additional vote for bishop, the assembly paused to pray and sing, asking for God’s guidance, for the Spirit to be at work in that place.

All of the more than 500 voting members had the opportunity to submit the name of any ELCA Minister of Word and Sacrament (pastor) on the first ballot. The results of the Thursday evening ballot resulted in approximately 80 names.

By Friday morning, many pastors had removed their name from consideration, leaving 15 on the second ballot. From that list, seven moved forward and provided biographical information and had the opportunity to address the assembly. The results of the third ballot narrowed the candidates to three: Pastor CeeCee Mills, Pastor Cassie Overcash, and Pastor Emily Hartner.

By Friday evening, it became clear to me that God was doing a new thing through the people gathering in that ballroom in Greensboro.

Having grown up and served in a different denomination, one that rejects the ordination of women, I was sitting there, an ordained deacon myself, voting for a woman to be the bishop of my beloved church. No matter how the remainder of the election turned out, for the first time in its history, the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America would have a female bishop.

God was doing a new thing in and among us.

All three of the remaining candidates were profoundly formed in and by the North Carolina Synod. They have served in many and various ways at the congregational, synodical, and churchwide expressions of our church. All three baptized, beloved, and blessed by God with amazing gifts for ministry.

The remaining candidates were able to address the assembly again before the fourth ballot, answering questions about ministry, mission, and their vision for the future. The fifth and final ballot narrowed the candidates to two: Pastor CeeCee Mills and Pastor Emily Hartner. After one final opportunity to speak, one final prayer and song, the assembly voted one last time and elected Pastor Emily Hartner to serve as bishop of the NC Synod.

“I love you. And I love Jesus. And I have a lot of hope for our church,” Bishop-elect Emily Hartner proclaimed from the podium in her remarks following the election.

God is calling us to a new time as the Church together.

God is calling us to continue to share the Gospel of Jesus and the hope it proclaims.

God has called, and Emily Hartner has answered, to serve Christ and his church for the sake of the world.

May God bless Bishop-elect Emily Hartner and the North Carolina Synod as we move forward together into this new thing that God is doing.