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After consultation with the presiding bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and per the Sierra Pacific Synod Constitution (S8.54), the Sierra Pacific Synod Council has appointed the Rev. Claire S. Burkat as its interim bishop. She hopes to begin working in the synod the week of July 10.

Burkat joins the Sierra Pacific Synod from the Southeastern Pennsylvania (SEPA) Synod, where she served two terms as bishop (2006-2018). She is a 1978 graduate of the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia and has served as a congregational pastor, assistant to the bishop, and mission director with the SEPA Synod, New Jersey Synod, and the Episcopal Diocese of Pennsylvania.

Since her retirement as synod bishop in 2018, Burkat most recently served as interim chaplain of Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pa., and stepped in as acting bishop of the Delaware-Maryland Synod during Bishop William Gohl’s sabbatical.

The Sierra Pacific Synod Council and staff warmly welcome Burkat and thank the Office of the Presiding Bishop for its support in this time of transition.

Bishop Burkat will physically begin working in the synod on July 10th, and is looking to establish a residence in the Bay Area. 

Bishop Burkat discussed the possibility of not voting on a new bishop at the next synod assembly, but having a special synod assembly a few months after solely for the purpose of electing a bishop. The idea is to allow us to have one calm and joyous synod assembly to remember what it means to be the church together before we have another election. This is emblematic of what she hopes to achieve in her time as our interim bishop: not solving all our problems, but helping us build capacity as a synod by strengthening our relationships with each other.


Starting in September Bishop Burkat will begin a visiting tour of conferences. This will likely look like half day events in various regions which multiple congregations can attend. As we get closer to September, I will be reaching out to all of you to try and determine the most effective way for us to gather with our bishop in our large and rugged conference geography.

 

Please pray for Bishop Claire Burkat and our synod.

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