5.1. Report of the Nominating Committee (Part 1)

WV-WMD Synod Assembly 2026
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. This was due to the small number of open positions. 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. Sometimes a nominee does not meet the minimum criteria to run for the position to which he/she has been nominated.

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

• for Synod Council — At-Large — Laity, AJ Beckett and David Whitacre;
• for Synod Council — Youth, Jane Basile and Eli Reid;
• for Discipline Committee — Clergy, Deacon Mary Sanders and Pr. Sean Smith;

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

The Rev. Ruth Bullwinkle, Chair

*In addition to the nominees submitted by the Nominating Committee, the nominee for Synod Secretary is submitted by the Synod Council, that nominee being David Finney. The information for the nominee is included in Part 2 of the Report of the Nominating Committee.

!Nominations may be made from the floor for all positions to be elected by the Synod Assembly with the exception of the election of a bishop (which employs an ecclesiastical ballot). For rules and required forms related to making a nomination from the floor, review the information under Floor Nominations.