The Rev. Claire S. Burkat, a self-described "domestic missionary" and "midwife" "to a number of new church plants, was elected the next bishop of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America on May 6.

Pastor Burkat, who as the synod's mission director has nurtured the process of starting new congregations that reflect the region's racial and ethnic diversity, will take office July 1 as spiritual leader of the 95,000 Lutherans in 174 congregations in the five-county area. Pastor Burkat is the first woman elected to head the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod, which encompasses Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties. Read the complete article

As a new bishop and staff lead the synod starting this summer, the discernment task force reports that "the mission of the synod needs to be focused on mission and outreach." While "there needs to be a strong emphasis on understanding the mission of the synod and its congregations," the task force writes, "there is interest in doing things differently in the synod and holding everyone accountable." Read the complete article

  Report of the Bishop's Election Task Force
  2004 SEPA Synod Constitution And Bylaws

  Discernment Summaries [includes raw data]