Report of the Nominating Committee (Part 1)

WV-WMD Synod Assembly 2025
Report of the Nominating Committee

The Nominations Committee would like to thank everyone who is willing to run for office this year. It is your willingness to serve that witnesses to the gospel. These positions are a witness, and all are important parts of the whole Body of Christ.

The Nominations Committee had an easier job this year than last. With the aid of the Upper Ohio Conference clergy (especially the new clergy), open nominations yielded several nominees. The youth seat on Synod Council was still difficult to fill, but thankfully a youth has been found. Nominations to Synod Council were also difficult to obtain. In the future, please consider serving your synod and, please, keep your eyes and ears open for those who have the gifts to faithfully serve the church. Do not be afraid to nominate yourself for positions, even if the required nominees for the position have been fulfilled. As we found this year in the vetting process, sometimes a nominee does not meet the minimum criteria to run for the position to which he/she has been nominated.

Positions under the purview of the Nominating Committee

Per B9.04 of the Synod Bylaws, the Nominating Committee submits the following nominations:

• for Synod Council – Ohio Kanawha Conference – Clergy: Tom Darr and Patrice Weirick;
• for Synod Council – Potomac Conference – Clergy: Daniel Collins and John Unger;
• for Synod Council – Upper Ohio Valley Conference – Clergy: Devin Ames and Timothy Crummit;
• for Synod Council — Mon Valley Mountain Conference — Laity: David Finney and John Knoll;
• for Synod Council — Youth: Gavin Bell;
• for Consultation Committee — Clergy: Devin Ames and Timothy Crummit;
• for Consultation Committee — Laity: Mary Antonik and Patricia Anzalone;
• for Discipline Committee — Clergy: Ralph Dunkin and Carrie Hoff;
• for Discipline Committee — Laity: Rick Crummit and Nancy Weeks;

The candidate information required under B9.05 of the Synod Bylaws follows in the Pre-Assembly Bulletin of Reports as Nominee Information, Report of Nominating Committee, Part 2.

Positions not under the purview of the Nominating Committee

It is reported to the Nominating Committee that the Synod Council has nominated Abigail Spray Hull for secretary of the synod. Though the nomination of a secretary is outside the purview of the Nominating Committee, we provide Spray’s information in Part 2 as we do for other candidates.

Floor nominations

Per our rules, for all positions to be elected except bishop, there must be a call for nominations from the floor. The Nominating Committee is required to provide instructions for making nominations from the floor. Those instructions are found in Floor Nominations, Report of the Nominating Committee, Part 3 of our report.

The Rev. Ruth Bullwinkle, Chair