ELCA NEWS SERVICE June 10, 2012 James Hazelwood elected bishop of ELCA New England Synod 12-39-MRC CHICAGO (ELCA) - The Rev. James E. Hazelwood was elected June 9 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the New England Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). He was elected on the fifth ballot at the synod's assembly June 8-10 in Springfield, Mass. Hazelwood is pastor of St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Charlestown, R.I. He succeeds the Rev. Margaret G. Payne, who is retiring. She served two terms as synod bishop. On the fifth ballot, Hazelwood received 325 votes and the Rev. Timothy R. Oslovich, Trinity Lutheran Church in Vernon, Conn., received 235. On the fourth ballot, Hazelwood received 271 votes, Oslovich received 202 and the Rev. Theodore W. Asta, assistant to the bishop at the synod, received 99 votes. Born in Concord, Mass., Hazelwood earned a bachelor's degree from California Lutheran College in Thousand Oaks, Calif. He attended Union Theological Seminary and earned a Master of Divinity degree at Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley, Calif. He earned a doctorate at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, Calif. California Lutheran is one of the ELCA's 26 colleges and universities; Pacific Lutheran is one of eight ELCA seminaries. After his ordination in 1987, Hazelwood was pastor at Bethany Lutheran Church in Brooklyn, N.Y. Prior to his ordination, he served as a program director for El Camino Pines Camp in Frazier Park, Calif; youth director at All Saint's Lutheran Church in Danville, Calif.; intern pastor at Burr Oak and Hesper Lutheran Church, Burr Oak, Iowa; and, he was superintendent at a school in Brooklyn. He also participated in a variety of ELCA churchwide ministries and synod activities. Information about the ELCA New England Synod is available at http://www.nesynod.org. --- About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America: The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with 4.2 million members in 10,000 congregations across the 50 states and in the Caribbean region. Known as the church of "God's work. Our hands," the ELCA emphasizes the saving grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ, unity among Christians and service in the world. The ELCA's roots are in the writings of the German church reformer, Martin Luther. For information contact: Melissa Ramirez Cooper 773-380-2956 or [log in to unmask] http://www.ELCA.org/news Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/Lutherans Living Lutheran: http://www.livinglutheran.com