05/24/2026
LCMS conventions are remarkable events on many levels. I don’t know how many times delegates have approached me toward the end of the convention and said, “I was told these were horrible, but I gotta tell you, I’ve had an amazing time, and I can’t believe what our LCMS is doing all over the world.” Or, “Pastor, I was prepared to give up on the LCMS before I came this week. My mind has completely changed. I’m proud to be a member of our church body.” The LCMS went through terrible times, especially in the ’60s and ’70s, and our conventions reflected that. And it’s taken decades to move past the events of 1974 and the Seminex movement. My main goal as president all these years has been to finally move beyond the pain and confusion of those years past. And God has been merciful.
Are there problems and challenges? Yes. But if you’ve read 1 Corinthians, Galatians or the Book of Acts, you will notice that the church always has problems of doctrine and life, and always will. The pundits point out problems and allege that the swath of difficulties is out of control. The LCMS is large. With 5,800 congregations, 8,000 pastors and many institutions — every one a sinner or staffed by sinners — there is always something that can be addressed. In times of challenge, I always used to point out that no matter what I’ve had to deal with, J.A.O. Preus had it a hundred times worse in the ’70s. But then, Jack didn’t have the internet to magnify issues millions-fold. No one is above thoughtful critique. But you’ll be heartened by the faithfulness, unity and commitment to confessing the doctrine of the inerrant Scriptures that occurs at our conventions.
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