The new bishop of the North Carolina Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of America, whose predecessor resigned because of sexual improprieties, says his church must change to remain vital.
The Rev. Leonard Bolick, 50, was installed as leader of 90,000 Lutherans last Sunday at St. John's Lutheran Church.He succeeds Bishop Mark Menees, who resigned last May after admitting to an extramarital affair with a single woman who was a church member. The sexual misconduct occurred before Menees' election as bishop in 1991.
Bolick, who worked as Menees' assistant for five years, did not mention his predecessor at the installation service, but spoke afterward of him.
"He was a very, very dear friend of mine and still is," Bolick said. "I must be aware of my pain and their (the synod's) pain. And yet, we must move on. . . . God is now inviting us into the future."
Bolick stressed in his remarks that Lutheran churches must change and be more creative if they hope to attract and keep new members.
"God's word never changes: Christ suffered, died and was raised. And we're set free by God's grace through faith," Bolick said. "But the way we tell that story must surely change. . . . We can add hundreds of people each year, numbers that represent souls saved, to live forever."