On November 12, 2025, the Pastor Formation Committee of the LCMS released new Policy Requirements for the SMP (Specific Ministry Pastor) program. These new requirements have created a bit of a stir as the LCMS continues to address the challenges facing both a shortage of pastors and a variety of approaches on how to best move forward. Having gone through SMP myself, but also having completed both Masters and Doctor of Ministry degrees, I believe that I may offer some unique p

A Demographic Moment We Cannot Ignore Over the next one to two decades, the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod is likely to experience a significant, but temporary, surge in estate and bequest giving. The reason is straightforward: the LCMS is older than the U.S. population as a whole, with a large concentration of Baby Boomers entering the final chapters of life. When people age, estates are settled. Giving rises, and then inevitably, it falls. What matters most in this moment i

The New Year has a way of stirring something deep in us. There’s something about turning the calendar that invites reflection—sometimes hopeful, sometimes heavy. New workout plans, new healthy diet plans, new resolutions that this time  we will stick to!  We talk about fresh starts and clean slates, but for many, January also brings a quiet inventory. Goals we didn’t meet. Conversations we wish had gone differently. Decisions we second-guess. People we hoped to serve better.

Isaiah 9:6 6 For to us a child is born,     to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder,     and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,     Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Who is this child?  He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through hi

Leadership is hard. Problems are always present. People present problems. There are so many people, so many problems.  I sound a little fatalistic—a little nihilistic. Okay, maybe I’m being a bit hyperbolic to make a point. I am a preacher. We make hyperbolic statements sometimes for shock value. Nonetheless, I’m not wrong. People present problems. Leading people through problems is hard.  I was speaking with a long-time school leader who is nearing retirement. I asked, “Are

In the first release of this piece, I made a methodological error  by taking total institutional cost of education and treating it as if it were an annual per‑student cost . That was careless. I own that mistake without qualification, and I regret the confusion it created. I am grateful to those who challenged the data directly and forced a needed re‑examination. This revised version now relies strictly on ATS‑reported “Cost to Educate per Student” annual figures , which are

On September 28th, Bethel Lutheran Church in Dallas, Texas, experienced something very rare for a church—a double ordination. Two men—Walker Nery and Jonas Ntagawa—became pastors in the LCMS to serve at Bethel Lutheran Church in Dallas. Two ordinations in one day at the same service is rare enough, but there were other circumstances that made this day extra special. For one, the service was in three languages: English, Spanish, and Kinyarwanda. Walker, originally from Brazil,

On September 17-19, 2025, three of us from the ULC Team, Jack Kalleberg, Tim Ahlman, and myself, attended the Loved + Sent Summit at Christ Memorial Lutheran Church in St. Louis. I first found out about this gathering last May when I presented with Jeff Cloeter, the Sr. Pastor at Christ Memorial during the Multiethnic Symposium at Concordia Seminary. While there, Jeff and I realized that we have a common passion for a more culturally diverse church body. Both of our churches

Attention is slipping in our culture. We have increasingly short attention spans. Thanks, internet and social media. Thanks, cell phones and notifications. Thanks, sin. Sin steals our attention of what matters most. It shortens our attention span toward God. God’s gaze is fixed on us. His gaze of love fuels His delight in us. He’s wondering if we’ll return the gaze—become transfixed by His Word, His presence, His indwelling Spirit, His love.  Sin steals my attention toward Go

Pressed— Pressure mounting chest tightening overwhelmed unsure what to do some applaud others boo motives questioned God knows. Pressed Pressed— Feeling stuck wanting release. Feeling dark wanting light. Feeling alone wanting Him. Feeling seen wanting that to be enough. Pressed Pressed— Big dreams more need Him. Remove barriers all things all people. Release them to reach them. God’s mission. Pressed Pressed— A real tension no compromise. Truth unchanging clear proclamation.

Leading Like a Woman in the Church: If God Can Use a Donkey, He Can Use You

There is some discussion today in the LCMS on maintaining our “Lutheran Identity.” I believe there will be some resolutions calling for...

The LCMS currents are shifting related to the topic of theological education and pastoral formation. Here is the short(ish) story.  I’ve...

When it comes to leadership, most of us are familiar with Simon Sinek’s phrase Start with WHY.  We teach it in leadership courses, and...

One of the phrases I often use when working with church staff is: “The staff exists to equip volunteers to do ministry.”  This simple...

“The friend of my enemy makes my friend an enemy.” You may have to read that twice. Sadly, I’ve seen this kind of thinking play out in...

The late summer into early fall often means one thing in many parts of the USA: the beginning of the football season. Whether its NFL,...

We have all heard the phrase “spoiler alert.” Someone is about to give us information that we don’t want to have yet: the score of a...

Fear is a crippling emotion. Fear leads to an amygdala hijack. Fight—flee—freeze. Fear keeps us from listening.  This is my first blog...

From the hospital to the ministry, I’ve learned the same lesson: knowledge matters, but it won’t carry you when the weight hits. True...