Trending
The Rev. Kevin Shock was elected on Nov. 1 to serve a six-year term as bishop of the Allegheny Synod of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The election took place during the synod's annual assembly, held Oct. 31-Nov. 1 at the Blair County Convention Center. Shock was elected on the fifth ballot with 118 votes.
"The people of this synod have loved and shaped me since my family moved to Altoona when I was 10 years old," Shock said. "I am humbled and honored to be called to serve God's people as bishop and to proclaim the abundant love of God in Christ together with them."
The bishop-elect has served as assistant to the bishop for the Allegheny Synod since 2022, having concurrently served as director for Evangelical Mission from 2022-23.
Prior to this role, he was pastor at St. Mark Evangelical Lutheran Church, Pleasant Gap (2006-22) and intern pastor at St. Peter's Lutheran Church, Verona, N.Y. (2004-05). Before entering ordained ministry, Shock worked as ministry assistant at Zion Lutheran Church, Hollidaysburg (1998-2002) and as a counselor at Camp Sequanota, Jennerstown (1995).
Shock earned his Master of Divinity degree from the Lutheran Theological Seminary at Philadelphia (now United Lutheran Seminary) in 2006 and Bachelor of Arts in Secondary Education (English/German) from Juniata College in 1998.
Shock will begin the work of bishop on Feb. 1, 2026. He will be installed on Saturday, Feb. 7, at Mount Calvary Lutheran Church, 1000 Scalp Ave., Johnstown.
The Rev. Barbara J. Collins has served as interim bishop since September 2024. The Allegheny Synod, ELCA, consists of 97 congregations in seven counties in west-central PA.