ELCA NEWS SERVICE

June 9, 2005

James Mauney Re-Elected Bishop of ELCA Virginia Synod
05-100-JB

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The Rev. James F. Mauney, 52, was re-
elected on the first ballot to a six-year term as bishop of the
Virginia Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America
(ELCA) on June 3.  He received 318 of 400 votes at the synod's
assembly at Roanoke College, Salem, Va.
         Mauney was re-elected over 20 other nominees on the
first ballot.  Runners up were the Rev. Paul G. "Chip" Gunsten,
assistant to the bishop, ELCA Virginia Synod, with 13 votes, and
the Rev. J. Christopher Price, Epiphany Lutheran Church,
Richmond, Va., with 8 votes.  Mauney's new term begins Sept. 1.
     Mauney was first elected bishop in 1999, succeeding the Rev.
Richard F. Bansemer.  Mauney had served since 1988 as an
assistant to Bansemer.
      Born in Lynchburg, Va., and raised in Norfolk, Va., Mauney
graduated from Lenoir-Rhyne College, Hickory, N.C., and Lutheran
Theological Southern Seminary (LTSS), Columbia, S.C.  Lenoir-
Rhyne is one of 28 ELCA colleges and universities; LTSS is one of
eight ELCA seminaries.  He was ordained in 1978 and served as
pastor of Christ Lutheran Church, San Diego, and Christ Lutheran
Church, Richmond.
          Mauney and his wife Lynda are the parents of an adult
daughter.  They are members of College Evangelical Lutheran
Church, Salem.
          The ELCA Virginia Synod includes 44,078 Lutherans in
164 congregations across the state of Virginia except the
Metropolitan Washington, D.C., area.  The synod office is at
Roanoke College.
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     Information about the ELCA Virginia Synod is at
http://vasynod.org on the Web.

For information contact:
John Brooks, Director (773) 380-2958 or [log in to unmask]
http://www.elca.org/news