Candidates identified for convention elections

Delegates cast ballots at the 2008 LCC Convention in Winnipeg

The 2011 Lutheran Church–Canada Convention Workbook, published online Friday, March 25, outlines the nominees for elected positions for which convention delegates will cast ballots.

More than 100 congregations sent in nominations for President of Synod, meeting the January 31, 2011 deadline. After counting the ballots, Rev. Dennis Putzman, secretary of Synod reported 98 nominations for the current president, Rev. Dr. Robert Bugbee. Five other pastors received one nomination and all declined to run for the position.

In the vice-presidential nominations, 17 pastors received sufficient nominations to qualify for the ballot and eight agreed to run for election. Twenty-five others received single nominations which did not qualify them for the final slate.

The candidates are:

ABC: Rev. Karl Keller, Rev. Thomas Kruesel, Rev. Craig Tufts
Central: Rev. Arron Gust
East: Rev. Nolan Astley, Rev. Marvin Bublitz, Rev. Mark Hartburg; Rev. Timothy Teuscher

Delegates will elect a single candidate from each district. Following the vice-presidential election, a second ballot will determine placement for first, second and third vice-presidents.

Despite beginning its work early last year and soliciting names for nominations since June, the 2011 Nominations Committee still came up short to fill the 18 positions open for election.

The committee received a good response for potential candidates, however when asked, a number of people declined the request to allow their name to stand for election. Therefore, the committee will seek nominations from the convention floor for an East District representative for the Commission on Adjudication and Board of Regents member for Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary, St. Catharines, and an ABC District lay representative for the Board of Regents of Concordia Lutheran Seminary, Edmonton. In addition, the committee needs a lawyer nominee for the Commission on Adjudication. Nominations from the floor must be accompanied by the permission of the nominee and biographical information. As terms are staggered on the boards and commissions, not every district required a candidate, lay or clergy for each position.

A complete list of candidates is available at http://www.lutheranchurchcanada.ca/synod2011.php?s=candidates.