Bryan Penman Elected Bishop of the ELCA Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod

The Rev. Bryan J. Penham, Conshohocken, Pa., was elected May 4 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA). The election took place during the synod assembly, May 3-4 at Franconia Mennonite Church in Telford, Pa.

Penham was elected on the fifth ballot, with 203 votes. The Rev. Karl M. Richard, pastor of St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Springfield, Pa., received 122 votes.

The bishop-elect has served as pastor of St. Mark's Lutheran Church in Conshohocken since 2013 and also as co-director for evangelical mission in the synod since 2022.

Penman earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and religious studies from Lenoir-Rhyne University in Hickory, N.C., in 2004; his Master of Divinity from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (LTSP) in 2012; and a certificate in youth and family ministry from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (LTSG). Lenoir-Rhyne is one of 26 ELCA colleges and universities; LTSP and LTSG are now part of United Lutheran Seminary, one of seven ELCA seminaries.

He will be installed Sept. 14, time and venue to be announced.

The Rev. Patricia Davenport is retiring after serving as bishop since 2012.

Information about the Southeastern Pennsylvania Synod is available at ministrylink.org.