Elizabeth Eaton

Photo used with permission of the ELCA.

 The finalists for Presiding Bishop of the ELCA during the 2013 election included the incumbent – Mark Hanson – and a record-breaking three women. Going into the conference Hanson was the presumed winner, but in the final vote, Elizabeth Eaton won with 600 votes against Hanson’s 287. Eaton’s election was an affirmation of the ELCA’s commitment to women’s leadership within the church, as she became the first woman to be elected to this senior leadership position. Prior to her election as Presiding Bishop, Eaton served as the bishop of the Northeastern Ohio Synod since 2006. 

Elected over twenty years after the election of the first female ELCA bishop, Eaton and others have attributed her election to multiple factors. First – as 2013 was the 25-year anniversary of the ELCA – members desired a change in leadership. April Larson, the first female ELCA bishop, described how many of the bishops acknowledged that it was time for change and hoped that the new Presiding Bishop would be a woman or a person of color. The election of a female Presiding Bishop demonstrated that the ELCA was continuing its commitment to social justice and equality. In that milestone year for the church, Eaton’s election represented efforts in modernizing and equalizing the church for all members.

Eaton’s position as a moderate within the church also made her a desirable candidate during the period of unrest in the ELCA following the 2009 decision to allow openly gay clergy within the church. Unhappy with this decision, many conservatives began to leave the church and moved to the North American Lutheran Church (NALC), which doesn’t allow gay clergy members. Eaton, who came out in support of the ELCA’s decision, also made comments in support of the ability of church members to dissent. Eaton was the only of the candidates for Presiding Bishop who addressed the concerns of conservative church members who had decided to remain in the ELCA and affirmed their position within the church, saying, “We can disagree on decisions as long as we agree on the cross.” As a centrist candidate, she represented an option for continued dialogue with more conservative members of the church instead of schism.

Looking towards the future, Eaton advocates for a future of the church that continues to improve itself and become the inclusive church that many members desire. Within the church, Eaton has spoken often about changing the image of the church to no longer identify with one particular cultural expression, saying, “We are a church that is overwhelmingly European in a culture that is increasingly pluralistic (…) We need to welcome the gifts of those who come from different places, that is a conversation we need to have as a church.” As the Presiding Bishop, she has endorsed inter-religious dialogues and initiatives to embrace diversity within the church. Through these measures, Eaton has shown herself to be the symbol of change within the church that she was elected to be. She uses her position of power to push for a changing image of the church that is more inclusive, diverse, and social justice-oriented.

References