ELCA NEWS SERVICE November 22, 2005 John Schreiber Elected Bishop of ELCA Southeast Michigan Synod 05-230-JB CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Voting members attending a special synod assembly elected the Rev. John H. K. Schreiber to a six-year term as bishop of the Southeast Michigan Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). Schreiber, an assistant to the bishop in the synod, was elected Nov. 19 at the assembly held at Hope Lutheran Church, Farmington Hills, Mich. Schreiber was elected on the sixth ballot for bishop, 199- 171 over the Rev. Dennis E. Kenny, director of pastoral care, California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco. On the fifth ballot, Kenny received 144 votes, Schreiber, 116 and the Rev. Adolph "Skip" A. Wachsmann III, pastor of Genesis Lutheran Church, Detroit, 112. On the fourth ballot, Kenny led with 131 votes, and Schreiber and Wachsmann tied with 125 votes each. There were 72 names on the nominating ballot for bishop. The Rev. Mark S. Hanson, ELCA presiding bishop, chaired the election. Schreiber, 44, will succeed the Rev. Robert A. Rimbo, who resigned Aug. 31 to accept a call as pastor of Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, New York. The new bishop will be installed Jan. 21, 2006, at a site to be determined. The Rev. Kenneth R. Olsen, former bishop of the ELCA Metropolitan Chicago Synod, has been serving as interim bishop since Rimbo's departure, and will remain in that role until Jan. 21. Schreiber, an assistant to the bishop in the synod since 1993, served with Rimbo and the Rev. J. Philip Wahl, who returned to parish ministry in 1998 and later retired. Schreiber was born in Pittsburgh. In 1983 he earned a bachelor of science degree in accounting at Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. He earned a master of divinity degree in 1987 at Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio, one of eight ELCA seminaries. Following his ordination in 1987, Schreiber was pastor at St. Olaf Evangelical Lutheran Church, Detroit, until 1993. Schreiber is married to the Rev. Colleen F. S. Kamke, who serves as pastor of St. Thomas Lutheran Church, Sterling Heights, Mich. They are parents of two children, Claire and Paul. The family attends St. Thomas Lutheran Church and resides in Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich. The ELCA Southeast Michigan Synod has 66,220 members in 139 congregations. The synod office is in Detroit. --- Information about the ELCA Southeast Michigan Synod is at http://www.metrodetroitELCA.org on the Web. For information contact: John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask] http://www.elca.org/news