Pat Ferry

06/22/2023

Please join me in congratulating Matthew Harrison on his re-election to continue to serve as the president of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

May God continue to bless President Harrison and his family. We pray for the Lord of the Church to guide and help us as we share the love of Jesus in a world so desperate for the hope and promises of the Gospel.

—Pat

05/25/2023

What opportunities are there for our schools and the broader church to better partner together?

I'm thankful to have had a chance to hear from three wonderful people about something that is very special to each of us: Lutheran education.

Thank you to Angela Berg Schiller (Principal at Yuma Lutheran School), Mary Scott (Chief Executive Officer at Orange Lutheran High School), and Jonathan C. Laabs (Executive Director of LEA - Lutheran Education Association) for sharing your invaluable insight.

Listen here ➡ https://spoti.fi/3C0wvGA

Listen to this episode from Here I Listen on Spotify. With a decreasing number of Lutheran students in LCMS schools, how do our schools continue to advance the mission of the LCMS? And what opportunities are there for our schools and the broader church to better partner together? Pat hears from thre...

05/10/2023

A special thank you to President Davis and the Michigan District, LCMS for inviting each of the five nominees to an interview. It was a pleasure to speak with you.

05/04/2023

How does the church engage young people and their questions for the world?

This episode of the new “Here I Listen” podcast shares a peek into the campus culture at Concordia University Wisconsin, featuring a particularly distinguished panel including Dr. Alberto Garcia, Dr. Wayne M. Braun, Dr. John Oberdeck, Dr. Timothy Maschke, and Dr. Tom Feiertag.

Listen to this episode from Here I Listen on Spotify. How does the church engage young people and their questions for the world? This episode shares a peek into the campus culture at Concordia University Wisconsin, a Lutheran higher education institution in Mequon, Wisconsin. Pat listens to five The...

03/16/2023

Register your voters by Sunday, March 19! Does registering and voting really matter?

Yes! Some pastors don’t register to vote because synodical elections seem disconnected from local ministry. But voting for LCMS president does impact our congregations.

The LCMS president is responsible for things like:
- Approving how Synod’s collective resources are mobilized and utilized
- Guiding key personnel decisions, especially regarding district presidents and administrative officers, executives, and agencies of the national office
- Supervising the doctrine taught and practiced in Synod, including all synodwide corporate entities
- Serving as a voting member on Concordia Publishing House’s Board of Directors
- Maintaining relationships with all educational institutions of the Synod and partnering church bodies (Bylaws 3.3.1.3)

https://www.patferry.com/how-to-register

02/25/2023

A wonderful postscript to my Best Practices keynote. My brother-in-law, Tim Saleska, offers this poignant reflection…

Dr. Timothy E. Saleska is professor of Exegetical Theology and dean of Ministerial Formation at Concordia Seminary, St. Louis.‍

02/22/2023

My talk at Best Practices for Ministry Conference was personal and firmly anchored to the conference theme, “You Are Not Alone.” I risked being a bit vulnerable as I reflected on what was perhaps the loneliest and most difficult time in my life.

Full disclosure, I also fully recognize that the story I told is one that you might also hear from others during this political season, so I figured you might as well hear it from me. Read it here.

What a great joy and blessing to be back at Best Practices. I am grateful for the chance to speak this evening and also to share time with my old seminary dormmate, Bill Tucker. A privilege, to be sure.

02/21/2023

One week remains to submit nominations for the 2023 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod presidential election.

Nominations are an important part of our church polity as we make decisions for and help guide the future of Synod.

I love our church body and desire to walk together so we can strengthen and support our congregations for generations to come. Would you consider nominating me for LCMS president?

You can learn more about me as a pastor, leader, and churchman at www.patferry.com, and you can learn how to place a nomination at www.patferry.com/how-to-nominate.

02/18/2023

“God’s people, His Church, did what the Church does best—taking bruised and broken people and applying healing balm, taking lost and lonely people and showing them the love of the Lord.”

Thank you to the people of Best Practices for Ministry Conference for being His Church and allowing me the chance to share how “You Are Not Alone.” We don’t leave each other alone. We don’t leave anybody alone. We give each other Jesus. By His wounds we are healed. Give me Jesus. You can have all this world. Give me Jesus!

02/14/2023

Nominations are due on February 28—two weeks! Check with your pastor to see if your church has submitted a nomination yet.

Nominating for the 2023 The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod presidential election is an important part of our church polity as we make decisions for and help guide the future of Synod.

I love our church body and desire to walk together so we can strengthen and support our congregations for generations to come. Would you consider nominating me for LCMS president?

I’ve been happily retired after serving as president of Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor. But several people have asked me to run for president, and my care and concern for our church body compels me. I’d be happy to talk with you about what you see for the future of Synod and answer any questions you may have.

You can learn more about me as a pastor, leader, and churchman at www.patferry.com.

May the Lord bless and strengthen you as you serve Him!
—Pat Ferry

P.S. You can learn how to place a nomination at www.patferry.com/how-to-nominate.

02/09/2023

I asked two career missionaries — pastors with extraordinary experience on the front lines of the mission field, and in critical administrative roles — to explore a few questions with me.

Between now and this summer we have a lot to discuss and consider. I am hopeful our dialogue gives us many opportunities and occasions to ask hard questions even if there are not easy answers. These conversations will push us forward.

Imagine an alternate reality. Sometimes I find myself musing about how different my life would be had I followed a path other than the one I chose. Of course, I trust that the Lord has guided me along the way, and, in retrospect, there are few regrets. Still, there are those occasional moments when....