Rev. Marcin Orawski Elected Bishop of the Wrocław Diocese
The session was held in Wrocław.
On March 22, 2025, a session of the Diocesan Synod of the Wrocław Diocese was held in Wrocław, during which a new diocesan leader was elected.
The session began with a communion service at the Church of Divine Providence. The sermon was delivered by Bishop Jerzy Samiec, the Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland, who also chaired the synod proceedings.
The election of the new bishop was prompted by the retirement of the current diocesan leader, Bishop Waldemar Pytel. In November 2024, the clergy conference nominated three candidates: Rev. Robert Sitarek, Rev. Marcin Orawski, and Rev. Sławomir Sikora. The lay members of the synod did not submit additional nominations. During the electoral synod, all three candidates presented their visions for future ministry and answered questions from the assembly.
In the first round of voting, Rev. Robert Sitarek received the most votes (20), followed by Rev. Marcin Orawski (17) and Rev. Sławomir Sikora (11). In the second round, Rev. Marcin Orawski received 26 votes, while Rev. Robert Sitarek received 19. Thus, the synod entrusted Rev. Orawski with the office of Bishop of the Wrocław Diocese for the 2025–2035 term.
The installation service will take place on September 13, 2025.
Rev. Marcin Orawski was born in Skoczów, in the Cieszyn Silesia region. He is a graduate of the Christian Theological Academy in Warsaw and completed postgraduate studies in religious studies at the University of Warsaw. After graduation, he served in the parishes of Skoczów and Bielsko. Following his ordination on February 1, 1998, he was assigned as vicar to the Parish of Divine Providence in Wrocław, where he became assistant pastor in 2003 and was appointed parish pastor in 2017.
Since 2000, he has served as prison chaplain for the Wrocław Diocese. In 2010, he was awarded the Bronze Medal for Merit in Penitentiary Work by the Minister of Justice. From 2011 to 2020, he was editor-in-chief of Faith and Uniform, a magazine published by the Evangelical Military Chaplaincy. Since 2015, he has served as the diocesan inspector of church education. In 2017, he became a counselor to the Wrocław Diocesan Council and a clergy delegate to the 13th, 14th, and 15th Synods of the Church. In 2022, he was elected to the Consistory of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Poland for the 2022–2026 term.
Rev. Marcin Orawski and his wife Iwona are raising two daughters.