Process for the Question-and-Answer Period (from the Standing Rules of the Assembly)
a. Prior to the fourth ballot for bishop, the three persons (plus ties) who received the greatest number of votes on the third ballot will be invited to participate in a question-and-answer period.
b. The period shall be moderated by the person designated to preside at the election.
c. The questions shall be asked in rotating order of the nominees, and the same questions will be asked to each nominee. Each nominee shall have a maximum of 90 seconds to respond to each question.
d. A time keeper shall indicate to the speaker when 30 seconds remain of the allotted time and when the allotted time has ended.
e. The time for the question-and-answer period shall be a maximum of 45 minutes.
f. The Synod Council shall prepare questions for this process. Any voting member of the assembly may submit additional questions in writing to the secretary, or the secretary’s designee, by 5:00 p.m. of the 15th day prior to the beginning of the synod assembly.
g. The list of potential questions to be used from Synod Council and voting members of the assembly will be compiled and distributed no fewer than seven days prior to the beginning of the synod assembly via the synod’s usual electronic communications.
h. The specific questions to be asked and sequence shall be determined by the vice president and presiding officer, in consultation with the Bishop’s Election Committee.
The questions below include submissions from voting members of the assembly and others adapted by the MNYS Bishop’s Election Committee for the 2025 Bishop’s Election from the work of RHW Consulting.
1. What is your vision for our synod? How would you approach its implementation?
2. How have you successfully balanced pastoral care and administrative responsibilities in your previous roles? Please provide an example.
3. What is your vision for addressing the challenges of declining membership and leadership within the synod?
4. Describe a situation where you helped a congregation or organization reclaim its identity or renew its evangelism efforts. What was the outcome, and what did you learn?
5. How have you supported and equipped a team, staff, and/or volunteers to handle complex organizational challenges? Please provide a specific example.
6. Have you led a project related to repurposing or managing underutilized property? If so, what creative solutions did you implement, and what was the result?
7. Describe your approach to team building and provide an example of how you have built a high-functioning, mission-focused team.
8. What strategies have you used to ensure clear, consistent, and responsive communication?
9. How have you demonstrated transparency in decision-making in your previous roles?
10. How are you actively celebrating and engaging diversity in your current role? What impact does it have? How are you continuing to learn and grow in this work?
11. Share an example of how you have demonstrated cultural competency and inclusivity in your leadership. What specific actions did you take, and what was the impact?
12. How would you balance the pastoral role of the bishop with the demands of administrative leadership?
13. Describe a time when you successfully navigated conflict within a congregation or organization. What steps did you take, and how did you support those involved?
14. How have you provided effective pastoral care in a leadership position? Share an example where your care strengthened individuals or a community.
15. How have you advocated for the church’s mission in a public or cultural space? What impact does your leadership have? What would this work look like in your service as bishop?
16. How have you guided a congregation or community in navigating diverse political and cultural views?
17. Describe a bold or innovative action you took to reimagine ministry or strengthen a community. What were the challenges, and what was the outcome?
18. How do you nurture your spiritual life and relationship with God amidst the demands of leadership? Share specific practices or disciplines that sustain you and provide an example of how your spiritual grounding has shaped your leadership.
19. How do you separate activism from your mission as an overseer and your mission to bring the word of God? What is your priority as an overseer in the difficult times we are living in? How will you work to ensure that our churches have pastors who fulfill their mission as pastors?
20. What are the limits of mercy with respect to maintaining ecclesiastical norms and discipline?
21. Becoming a bishop is akin to becoming a pastor of new congregation. You are going to be confronted with new situations. Where do you turn for advice and wise counsel?
22. The current call process is tedious, impractical and outdated. How would you bring it into the 21st century?
23. The MNYS has received tens of millions of dollars over the last several years from the sale of closed churches. How would you fairly share this money with churches in financial need?
24. What's your biggest weakness as a leader?
25. How should we respond to Donald Trump's attack on democracy especially as it relates to his invocation of our faith?
26. How will you uphold the bound-conscience statement in the ELCA Statement on Sexuality, page 29?
27. What is the most pressing problem of the MNYS and what practical steps would you take to address the problem?
28. If you had the capacity to provide additional support to rostered ministers, what would you do?
29. How you maintain accountability and evaluate the work of synod staff?
30. The description of a Dean’s duties in the constitution is very extensive. What do you believe are their two most important duties?
31. What will you do to ensure that marginalized communities know that they are welcome and valued?
32. What is your plan to address and support struggling congregations that might benefit from reimagining their space/vision/purpose?
33. During these times of cruelty and the mounting dehumanizing forces, how are you going to stand with the most vulnerable among us?
34. In terms of the long Gospel vision, how would you prioritize the exacting needs of our many churches and communities?
35. In these polarizing times, do you see yourself as a bridge, listening and being moved by that act, in accordance with the gospel imperatives?
36. As most members of congregations remain unaware of Synod policies, procedures, activities, and events, do you have any concrete plans to bridge the gulf between the synod and individual congregations and congregants?
37. Among the three core responsibilities of a Bishop‚ “leading and managing the synod's administration, offering pastoral care, and safeguarding the church's mission and theology‚” which area do you anticipate will present the greatest challenge or need? Do you have any specific plans or strategies in mind to address it?
38. What will the synod be like 10 years from now?
39. How do the candidates envision using their voice and the voice of the Synod to further social justice in our communities?
40. How do you define “public theology,” and what role do you believe a synod bishop should play in shaping the public witness of the church?
41. How do you understand the threat of Christian nationalism in our current context, and how would you equip our synod to actively resist it‚ pastorally, prophetically, and publicly?
42. When have you spoken or shown up publicly on a justice issue? What risks did you take‚ and what did you learn?
43. How will you navigate the balance between being a pastoral presence for the whole synod and a prophetic voice that may challenge members or congregations complicit in harmful ideologies?
44. How will you center the voices of communities most impacted by Christian nationalism‚ such as immigrants, BIPOC communities, and LGBTQIA+ people‚ in your leadership, decision-making, and vision casting?
45. If elected bishop, what is one public issue or injustice that you believe the church must engage in immediately‚ and what would you do in your first year to mobilize the synod around it?