“God is calling through the whisper of the Spirit’s deepest sighs,…” (GTG 410)

God, through those gathered in assembly and under the Holy Spirit’s guidance, has called by the same process a congregation uses to call a pastor, a new bishop for the NC Synod.

Each round of voting opened with prayer offered by Deacon Liz Dinkins and the singing of a verse of the hymn “God is Calling Through the Whisper” (Glory to God , the Presbyterian Hymnal, #410) accompanied via video by various choirs in the synod to invoke God’s blessing and guidance during each step of the call process.

The first round was an open call for nominations of candidates. Eighty-one individuals were nominated, whereupon the elections committee verified that each nominee was eligible to continue in the process, and all nominees were given the opportunity to withdraw.

After vetting the candidates and the withdrawal of most nominees, 11 candidates proceeded to the second vote.

The results of the second vote winnowed the slate down to the top seven candidates:
The Rev. Eric Childers
The Rev. Keith Copeland
The Rev. Emily Hartner
The Rev. David Keck Jr.
The Rev. Adrienne Martin
The Rev. Lucille “CeCee” Mills
The Rev. Cassie Overcash

Candidates Copeland, Hartner, Mills, Martin, and Overcash (Childers & Keck did not speak) then addressed the assembly to answer four questions with prepared answers:
1. What is your vision for the NC Synod?
2. How do you discern the will of God?
3. How do you foster unity, mutual respect, and inclusivity among and within congregations with diverse perspectives and experiences? (youth-submitted question)
4. Any other pertinent information you’d like to talk about to help the assembly get to know you better.

After the third round, the top three nominees, Pastor Hartner, Pastor Mills, and Pastor Overcash, answered another set of questions off the cuff:

1. How will you foster and utilize the gifts of lay leaders, lay preachers, and Synod Authorized Ministers to support the mission of the church?
2. How would you, as bishop, ensure effective communication and administration while maintaining a focus on mission and ministry?
3. Jesus calls us to a liberating love that lifts up voices the world tries to silence. So, as bishop, how will you lead our synod in living out justice as gospel truth, ensuring that LGBTQIA+ people, people of color, people with disabilities, and those in under-resourced communities are not just welcomed, but truly seen, heard, and empowered in every part of the church?
4. Smaller congregations often carry deep faith stories and critical community connections, even as they face serious financial challenges. As bishop, how will you dream big, be innovative, and walk alongside these congregations to nurture their call and ensure their impact continues?

After the fourth round, Pastor Hartner and Pastor Mills remained as candidates. Both were then asked to answer one last question off the cuff:

1. As you look to the future, what are the greatest opportunities and threats facing the NC Synod and the church?

They were also given five minutes to lay out their vision for the synod and any other items they believed were important for them to do if they were called as bishop.

Finally, with the fifth round of voting, the assembly called the Rev. Emily Hartner to be our bishop-elect. History was made as Pastor Hartner will be the first woman to serve as the NC Synod bishop.

Pastor Hartner will be installed as our new bishop on Saturday, November 15, at 2:00 p.m. at Christ Lutheran Church, Charlotte. Check the synod’s website calendar as the time draws near for additional details, including livestreaming information.

For those who would like to view the candidates speaking to the assembly, check out the buttons below: Sessions 5, 7, and 9.