Lead Time

600+ Empty Pulpits—What Is the LCMS Plan? | Convention Day 2 and 3 Debrief

Join Lead Time+ Learn more about Lead Time+: https://www.uniteleadership.org/support/leadtimeplus Recorded across two days at the LCMS Convention in Phoenix, this 2 part special Lead Time episode captures the conversation both before and after one of the convention’s most consequential debates. Tim Ahlman and Joe Beran discuss the reaffirmation of residential seminary as the LCMS’s primary and preferred pathway for pastoral formation, the convention’s response to unauthorized formation partnerships, and the urgent reality of hundreds of empty pulpits. Can the church maintain rigorous, confessional formation while continuing to explore faithful ways of meeting the leadership needs already confronting local congregations? The conversation also moves beyond resolutions and institutional policy. Tim and Joe address labels, caricatures, communion practice, LCMS history, the future of SMP, and the “narcissism of small differences” that can cause Christians who agree on nearly everything to treat one another as enemies. How can the LCMS disagree honestly, guard its confession, raise up more workers, and continue walking together in love? Share your perspective in the comments—and remember that faithful reform should never produce unhealthy zeal, contempt, or division inside the local church. 5th Gospel Podcast What if Christianity’s hardest questions lead us closer to Jesus? Let’s explore Agapē. Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spotify Support the show ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ Care about the future of the LCMS? Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter) ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️ To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

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Is $20M at Risk? The Last-Minute LCMS Concordia Debate

Join Lead Time+: https://www.skool.com/leadtimeplus/about Learn more about Lead Time+: https://www.uniteleadership.org/support/leadtimeplus Just days before the 2026 LCMS Convention, the debate over the future of the Concordia University System has reopened. Concordia University, Nebraska President Dr. Bernard Bull joins Tim Ahlman to explain why he believes the Synod should preserve the current CUS structure while completing deeper financial, legal and governance due diligence. They examine the proposed $600,000-$1.2 million in savings, Bull's concern that as much as $20 million in designated gifts could become more complicated, and the responsibility of overseeing more than $1 billion in university assets. Beyond the numbers, this conversation asks a much larger question: Will the LCMS pursue an expansive vision for Lutheran higher education, or narrow the Concordia system to only one or two institutions? What should delegates do with Resolutions 7-01 and 7-08? Share your perspective respectfully below. Support the show ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ Care about the future of the LCMS? Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter) ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️ To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

The Plan That Could Have Saved Concordia Ann Arbor

Join Lead Time+: https://www.skool.com/leadtimeplus/about Learn more about Lead Time+: https://www.uniteleadership.org/support/leadtimeplus Could a Lutheran medical school have changed the future of Concordia University Ann Arbor—and strengthened the entire Concordia system? In this special 2026 LCMS Convention episode, Tim Ahlman sits down with Dr. Paul Fowler—physician, attorney, LCMS lay leader, and experienced medical-school developer—to hear the plan he believes could have created a Christ-centered College of Osteopathic Medicine, generated substantial long-term revenue, protected pre-seminary education, and expanded the LCMS's capacity for global mercy work. Dr. Fowler explains how medical schools helped rescue struggling Christian colleges in Kentucky and Mississippi, why he believes a fully enrolled program could generate roughly $64 million in annual gross tuition, and why he's concerned about Concordia's proposed partnership with the for-profit Idaho College of Osteopathic Medicine. This episode presents Dr. Fowler's perspective and concerns—Lead Time welcomes the leaders involved to continue the conversation and respond. Go deeper with Lead Time+, our private community for listeners who want to move beyond the headlines and engage directly with Tim, Jack, and other Lutheran leaders through private episodes, monthly live Zoom conversations, and a space for real discussion. Support the show ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ Care about the future of the LCMS? Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter) ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️ To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

LCMS Convention: Kingdom or Castle? What Every Lutheran Should Know

Join the Lead Time Plus! The LCMS Convention is almost here—and the decisions being made are about more than resolutions, bylaws, and floor committees. They reveal a deeper question facing our church body: Are we building the Kingdom, or are we building the castle? In this special Lead Time episode, Tim Ahlman is joined by Rev. Rob Bailey and Pastor Joe Beran for a practical, honest, and hopeful conversation about the resolutions delegates will face at the 2026 LCMS Convention. They discuss church planting, pastoral formation, worship, open communion questions, the role of floor committees, convention procedure, and whether the Synod is becoming more centralized—or more mission-focused. Whether you are a voting delegate, a pastor, a lay leader, or simply a Lutheran who cares about the future of the LCMS, this conversation will help you think clearly, pray faithfully, and engage wisely. We are also officially launching Lead Time+ with this episode. If you believe conversations like this matter—and you want to help Lead Time keep creating candid, constructive, Christ-centered conversations for the future of the church—you can become a Lead Time+ supporter here: https://www.uniteleadership.org/support/leadtimeplus Thank you for helping us encourage faithful leadership, healthy dialogue, and mission-focused renewal in the LCMS. Subscribe to Lead Time for more conversations on Lutheran leadership, mission, theology, church planting, pastoral formation, and the future of the church. Support the show ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ Care about the future of the LCMS? Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter) ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️ To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

Is the LCMS Too Strict? Closed Communion, Pastor Shortage & Confessional Courage

https://www.uniteleadership.org/thelcmscurrent Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter) Stay up to date. Is the LCMS too strict — or is it simply trying to be faithful? In this episode of Lead Time, Tim Ahlman and Jack Kalleberg sit down with Pastor Ben Hollingsead, a former LCMC pastor who colloquized into the LCMS, to talk about close communion, confessional Lutheran identity, pastoral formation, and the future of the church. This conversation gets honest about some of the biggest tensions in the LCMS today: declining membership, pastoral vacancies, alternative routes to ministry, SMP evolution, liturgy, hospitality, and what it really means to guard the altar with love. Can the LCMS raise up more pastors without lowering the bar? Can confessional Lutherans be deeply missional? Can churches practice close communion with both clarity and compassion? This is a charitable but direct conversation for anyone who cares about the future of faithful Word and Sacrament ministry. Support the show ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ Care about the future of the LCMS? Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter) ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️ To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

Should the LCMS Stop Selling Off Church Property?

https://www.uniteleadership.org/thelcmscurrent Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter) Stay up to date. Resolution 9.11 may sound like a technical bylaw issue — but it could have major implications for the future of mission, ministry, property, insurance, and institutional trust in the LCMS. In this special Lead Time episode, Tim Ahlman sits down with Bart Day, President and CEO of Lutheran Church Extension Fund; Kevin Herweck, President of Concordia Plan Services; and Rev. Dr. Mike Gibson, President of the Pacific Southwest District, to bring clarity to one of the most important resolutions heading into the 2026 Synod Convention. They discuss why Resolution 9.11 is being proposed, how it could help LCMS agencies respond more quickly to ministry opportunities, what it means for real estate development and closed church properties, why Concordia Plan Services needed more flexibility for insurance solutions, and whether this resolution impacts RSOs. If you are an LCMS delegate, pastor, church leader, or layperson who cares about the future of mission in the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, this conversation is worth your time. This is not just about bylaws. It is about whether the church can steward its resources creatively, responsibly, and missionally for the sake of the Gospel. ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ Care about the future of the LCMS? Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter) ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️ To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

The CMPL Controversy in the LCMS | Dr. Jeff Kloha Responds

https://www.uniteleadership.org/thelcmscurrent Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter) Stay up to date. Dr. Jeff Kloha joins Tim Ahlman for a timely Lead Time conversation in the middle of a heated LCMS convention season. They discuss the Center for Missional Pastoral Leadership, the accusations and misunderstandings surrounding CMPL, Floor Committee 6, SMP costs and pastoral formation, social media division in the LCMS, worship debates, and what it means for the church to follow the Holy Spirit rather than fracture from within. This episode is not about stirring up division. It is about clarity, trust, mission, and asking whether the LCMS can speak honestly about hard things while still treating one another as brothers and sisters in Christ. If you care about the future of pastoral formation, local congregations, church planting, LCMS convention conversations, or the witness of the church in a divided season, this is an important conversation. Share this with a pastor, delegate, lay leader, or anyone trying to understand what is really being debated right now. ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ Care about the future of the LCMS? Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter) ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️ To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

A Conversation with CUWAA Leadership About Concordia Ann Arbor

https://www.uniteleadership.org/thelcmscurrent Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter) Stay up to date. In this special Lead Time conversation, Tim Ahlman sits down with Rev. Dr. Erik Ankerberg, President of Concordia University Wisconsin and Ann Arbor, and Rev. Dr. Aaron Moldenhauer, Vice President for Mission and Church Relations, for a timely conversation about Concordia Ann Arbor. This episode gives CUWAA leadership an opportunity to respond to major questions and concerns surrounding the Ann Arbor campus, including financial challenges, communication breakdowns, the City on a Hill proposal, the sale of part of the campus to the University of Michigan, and the future of Lutheran higher education. This conversation is not presented as the final word on every disputed detail, but as one important perspective in a larger and painful story that continues to matter deeply to many across the LCMS. Our hope is that this episode contributes to greater clarity, charity, repentance where needed, forgiveness, and faithful conversation as the church continues to wrestle with institutional trust, stewardship, and mission. Please listen with discernment, grace, and a desire for truth spoken in love. ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ Care about the future of the LCMS? Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter) ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️ To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

Did the LCMS Give Up on Concordia Ann Arbor Too Soon?

https://www.uniteleadership.org/thelcmscurrent Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter) The Concordia Ann Arbor story continues to raise painful questions for many in and around the LCMS. In this episode, Tim Ahlman sits down with Paul Pollatz from Ann Arbor City on a Hill to talk about the group’s behind-the-scenes efforts to preserve a Christian presence on the Concordia Ann Arbor campus. Paul shares how the group formed, what they hoped to build, why they submitted a letter of intent, and why they believe multiple Christian alternatives were not seriously considered before the sale to the University of Michigan. This is a conversation about mission, money, transparency, forgiveness, leadership, and what the church must learn before the next institution reaches a crisis point. ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ Care about the future of the LCMS? Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter) ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️ To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

The LCMS Election Is Down to 14 Votes | Round 3 Could Change the LCMS

The LCMS presidential election has moved into historic territory. After two rounds of voting, President Harrison’s lead has narrowed from 228 votes to just 14 votes, while hundreds of eligible voters still have not cast a ballot. In this special timely edition of Lead Time, Tim Ahlman is joined by Tania Hilton and Pastor Jeremy Jacoby to talk about why Round 3 matters, what the numbers reveal, and why disengaged pastors and lay voters may now play a decisive role in the future direction of the LCMS. This conversation is not about attacking a person. It is about honest engagement, faithful leadership, pastoral formation, mission, unity, and the future of our church body. If you are a registered voter, please check your inbox — and your spam folder — when voting opens. Your vote matters. Round 3 voting: June 20–23 And if you want to stay up to date on all things Lutheran Church Missouri Synod from the perspective of our team and network of trusted leaders - Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter) https://www.uniteleadership.org/thelcmscurrent ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ Care about the future of the LCMS? Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter) ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️ To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

Is LCMS Bureaucracy Holding Back Ministry?

In this episode of Lead Time, Tim Ahlman welcomes back Jim Sanft, former President and CEO of Concordia Plans, for a wide-ranging conversation on leadership, trust, Lutheran education, lay leadership, LCMS bureaucracy, and what it means to steward faithfully in a changing church. This conversation is honest, hopeful, and deeply practical for pastors, school leaders, commissioned ministers, lay leaders, and anyone who loves the church enough to want her to flourish. ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ Care about the future of the LCMS? Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter) ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️ To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

LCMS Runoff Shock: Can Biermann Beat Harrison?

The LCMS presidential election is heading to a runoff — and the numbers are impossible to ignore. President Matthew Harrison received 43.8% on the first ballot. Dr. Joel Biermann received 39.0%. For the first time in this election cycle, the Synod is now moving into a second round of voting, and the future direction of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is very much in the balance. In this special joint episode of Lead Time and Red Letter Living, Tim Ahlman and Zach Zehnder unpack what this moment reveals about the LCMS: pastoral formation, vacant pulpits, trust, leadership, the Eighth Commandment, church growth, unity, and the urgent need for honest conversation. ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️ Care about the future of the LCMS? Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter) ⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️⬆️ To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org