Nominee orientation
Start Here with Nominees
A reading guide for using the nominee publication as a source-navigation aid.
This reader is built from the 2026 LCMS Biographical Synopses and Statements of Nominees. It is provided as a source-navigation and reading aid. Verify all elections, candidate eligibility, convention procedures, and official ballots against official LCMS convention materials.
Start with the Publication Sections
The easiest way to explore the nominee publication is by section. Browse candidates by office, board, commission, seminary, university, regional vice-president category, appendix, and index.
What this publication is
The LCMS nominee publication gathers biographical synopses, service summaries, candidate photos, and statements for convention-related elections and nomination pools.
How nominees are grouped
The reader follows the PDF structure: President, First Vice-President, regional vice-presidents, Secretary, boards, commissions, seminary regents, college/university regents, floor-nomination pool, appendix, and index.
How to read a biography
Read the office or board section first, then the candidate category, elect line, service abbreviations, statement, and also-candidate note when present.
What Also candidate for means
The same person may appear in more than one election context. The note points to another office, board, commission, or regent position where that person also appears.
Election contexts
Offices, boards, commissions, and regents
- President and First Vice-President are Synod officer elections with specific Handbook nomination and election rules.
- Regional Vice-Presidents are tied to regional representation and the candidate's region.
- The Secretary of the Synod is a full-time officer with corporate secretary and convention responsibilities.
- Boards, commissions, and regents govern or advise specific Synod entities, mission work, theology/church relations, publishing, finance, foundations, universities, and seminaries.
- The pool for floor nominations is a source list, not a final ballot. Verify floor-nomination eligibility and procedure against official convention materials.
Handbook Election Rules
Search the LCMS Handbook section for nominations, elections, officer duties, boards, commissions, and regents.
LCMS Handbook
Use the Handbook landing page for Constitution, Bylaws, Articles, convention process, and governance source text.
Convention Workbook
Use Workbook source-navigation material alongside nominee and ballot review.
Guidance
Open delegate preparation, issue guides, and charitable convention guidance.
Prayer
Pray for nominees, voters, delegates, floor committees, and the church's confession and mission.
Abbreviations
Look up abbreviations such as C, S, D, O, BOD, BNM, BIM, CTCR, CPH, LCEF, CUS, and BOR.
