Tracie Bartholomew re-elected bishop of the ELCA New Jersey Synod

​CHICAGO – The Rev. Tracie L Bartholomew, Lawrenceville, N.J., was elected June 7 to serve a second six-year term as bishop of the New Jersey Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, held June 6-8 at the Hyatt Regency in New Brunswick, N.J.

Bartholomew was elected on the second ballot, with 298 votes. A total of 267 votes were needed for election. She was first elected in 2013.  

Prior to becoming bishop, Bartholomew served as assistant to the synod bishop from 1998 to 2013. She served as pastor of Abiding Presence Lutheran Church in Ewing, N.J., from 1993 to 1998, as pastor of Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Lexington, Va., from 1991 to 1993, and as associate pastor of St. Mark Lutheran Church in Roanoke, Va., from 1989 to 1991.

Bartholomew earned a Bachelor of Science degree in political science from James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va., in 1985, and a Master of Divinity degree from Lutheran Theological Southern Seminary, Columbia, S.C., in 1989. The seminary is one of seven ELCA seminaries.

Information about the ELCA New Jersey Synod is available at njsynod.org/.

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About the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America:
The ELCA is one of the largest Christian denominations in the United States, with nearly 3.5 million members in more than 9,100 worshiping communities 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:
Candice Hill Buchbinder
773-380-2877
Candice.HillBuchbinder@ELCA.org