“Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations ! Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” (Rev. 15:34) January 6 marks the 12th Day of Christmas and the beginning of the season that we call Epiphany. Epiphany marks the journey of the Magi, or Wise Men (almost certainly not Kings or only three), from the east to...

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 perspectives to...

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, leads Bethel...