LCMS Convention Workbook St. Louis, Missouri — 2026, Page 3

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OFFICER, BOARD, AND COMMISSION REPORTS
World Theological Leadership: The LCMS is, by far, the most
heavily resourced Book of Concord church in the world. By God’s
grace, the church founded in 1847 by our forebears, through many
toils and snares, has remained faithful to its charter. We confess
the full authority of the inerrant Scriptures and the full truth of our
Book of Concord, just as those dozen original congregations did in
1847. That is a miracle. As President of the Synod, I serve on the
executive committee of the International Lutheran Council. This
body brings together representatives of churches with which we
are in fellowship, along with others who desire to be Book of Concord Lutherans, many of whom participate as non-voting members.
Through our presence, our support, our church planting, our publishing (Concordia Publishing House [CPH]), and our theology and
seminaries, we have an enormous global impact for good. Churches
around the globe are pressed by radical secularism, liberal theology, and bad theology, such as Pentecostalism and the prosperity
gospel. They seek our help—and most often, what they seek is not
financial aid but theological education and guidance. It is our sacred duty to join this mission of the Gospel, providing Lutheran
pastors and faithful teaching to millions.
Lutheran Leadership Development: Some years ago, CPH
sought to impact global Lutheranism as well as open new markets
for its stellar projects. I suggested an effort to train global leaders in
church leadership. The result was a partnership between the LCMS
President’s Office, CPH, and CTSFW. This has resulted in dozens
of men being trained to effectively and theologically lead in their
churches. The effort continues apace.
New Partner Churches: Conversations continue. The convention will be asked to ratify fellowship with the Lutheran Church of
Bolivia. Following the theological demise of the Lutheran Church
of Australia, a new church has emerged and is thriving: Lutheran
Mission—Australia. We are providing assistance, and our theological talks have been tremendous. Prospects for fellowship are
excellent.
Ann Arbor: Much to our chagrin, the regents of Concordia
University Wisconsin (CUW) opted to reduce operations in Ann
Arbor, effectively closing the south campus of Concordia University Ann Arbor (CUAA). This was a deep blow to many, especially
within the Michigan District. A decade ago, CUAA was threatened
with closure. At that time, the entire Concordia University System
Board of Directors—except for my appointee—voted to close it. I
had been told that the Rev. Dr. Patrick Ferry had been asked whether Concordia University Wisconsin (in Mequon) could assume responsibility for the CUAA school, but he had declined. Because
the situation was dire, I phoned Dr. Ferry directly. He told me that
he had not been asked, and he agreed to look into it. Eventually,
the Church Extension Fund in Michigan provided funds, the Synod
added several million dollars, and CUW contributed the bulk of
$10 million to save CUAA. As a result, the school continued to
operate for another decade as the Ann Arbor campus owned and operated by CUW. Thanks be to God. More recently, new leadership
took the helm at CUWAA, and finances were considerably tighter.
In February, prior to the announcement of a downsizing at the Ann
Arbor campus, I was informed that something significant was coming. I asked for the financials and requested that the Synod’s chief
financial officer assemble a small group of financial experts from
the other Concordia universities—excluding CUWAA—to evaluate the situation. They did so, and the conclusion was stark: a critical situation. CUW had spent tens of millions to keep CUAA operating. Even record CUAA enrollment, which we all rejoiced over,

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was costing more than tuition was generating, particularly because
athletic programs were expensive to maintain. The regents had not
previously seen the full cost to operate CUAA, as its finances were
not clearly separated on the balance sheet. I requested that leadership at Concordia University, St. Paul, explore whether they might
assist in some way. There was a conversation, but no workable outcome was found. I also urged the regents at CUWAA to retain as
many programs as possible at CUAA, and I urged leadership to preserve options for the CUAA south campus, knowing how important
the property was for the Michigan District. I requested a meeting
between Michigan District leadership and CUWAA leadership, and
for a time there was progress and even a tentative agreement on
next steps. Unfortunately, that effort soon fell apart. Ultimately, the
regents at CUWAA had the constitutional responsibility to make
a decision, and they did so out of concern that, without very significant cost reductions, the entire university would be placed in
jeopardy. There were also very significant reductions at CUW in
Mequon. We continue to pray for healing for all involved.
Concordia Publishing House: Remarkably, CPH continues to
buck the trend of decline among denominational publishing houses and has shown positive revenue for five years in a row. And
what remarkable products they continue to produce! The Concordia
Commentary series is gold. The President’s Office assisted, among
several others, in the translation and publication of A History of the
Dissolution of the Ancient Liturgical Forms in the Lutheran Church
of Germany by Paul Graff (1878–1955).
Concordia Plan Services (CPS): The LCMS BOD just approved the creation of an entity that will provide property and casualty liability insurance to corporate Synod, LCMS congregations
and their schools, agencies, and other entities. This is very exciting,
as costs to our people have exploded in this area. This will help to
make insurance more attainable for our congregations and schools,
and the savings will mean more resources for our work of witness
and mercy as God’s Church. There are also great things happening
at the LCMS Foundation and LCEF, but I’ll have to refer you to
their respective reports.
Financial Strength: The LCMS is probably in as strong a financial state as it has been in 40 years. Our cost of funds routinely
hovers around 10 cents on the dollar, and our program efficiency
ratio is 78 percent; that is, 78 percent of all income goes directly to
programs. This reflects the tremendous generosity of the Synod’s
people. Our expenditures are about $80 million per year. The BOD
has mandated that we should have a significant reserve as insurance
against catastrophic financial circumstances. About $12 million a
year comes from your congregational plate to Synod, Inc., in St.
Louis, through your districts. Those dollars assist especially in all
the nuts-and-bolts items that keep Synod, Inc. functioning smoothly—from legal protection (often for your congregation or district)
to ecclesiastical support, accounting and financial work, communications, rosters and statistics, and much more.
Ecclesiastical Supervision: I used to say, “Wow, my job is
nothing compared to what Rev. Dr. J.A.O. Preus II went through
in the 1970s.” That’s certainly true. But President Preus never had
the internet to deal with. Instant communication. Instant judgment.
Dealing with problems of doctrine and practice requires some deliberation and conversation. The online world does not grant that.
And it demands all information and all justification now. Some matters are black and white. Many are nuanced. Some are thoroughly
confused. But by the nature of the beast, dealing with individuals or
a congregation is not something that is done in front of the public,
2026 Convention Workbook