Official Workbook PDF page source text

LCMS 2026 Convention Workbook: Reports and Overtures, PDF page 38

2026 Convention Workbook
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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 Con-
cord Lutherans, many of whom participate as non-voting members. 
Through our presence, our support, our church planting, our pub-
lishing (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 theol -
ogy, 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 sa-
cred 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 conven-
tion 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 theo-
logical 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 Univer -
sity 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 wheth-
er Concordia University Wisconsin (in Mequon) could assume re-
sponsibility 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 op-
erated 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 com-
ing. 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 evalu -
ate the situation. They did so, and the conclusion was stark: a criti-
cal situation. CUW had spent tens of millions to keep CUAA oper-
ating. Even record CUAA enrollment, which we all rejoiced over, 
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 leader -
ship at Concordia University, St. Paul, explore whether they might 
assist in some way. There was a conversation, but no workable out-
come was found. I also urged the regents at CUWAA to retain as 
many programs as possible at CUAA, and I urged leadership to pre-
serve 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 sig-
nificant 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 hous-
es 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 ap-
proved the creation of an entity that will provide property and ca-
sualty 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 fi-
nancial 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 smooth-
ly—from legal protection (often for your congregation or district) 
to ecclesiastical support, accounting and financial work, communi-
cations, 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 de-
liberation and conversation. The online world does not grant that. 
And it demands all information and all justification now. Some mat-
ters 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,