Ad Crucem NewsLCMS 2026

Ad Crucem NewsLCMS 2026 ConventionElections · senior officers

The 2026 nomination slates.

51 nominees received 3,878 total nominations across the seven senior-officer offices the 2026 convention will fill. The Synod President is elected by internet ballot of all member congregations, June 6–30; the First Vice-President is elected by floor delegates from a slate the President-elect chooses; the five Regional Vice-Presidents are elected by floor delegates from the published top nominees.

Matthew C. Harrison leads the Synod-President slate with 900 nominations — nearly three times the second-place total.

Ad Crucem NewsLCMS 2026 ConventionInternet ballot

Synod President

Internet balloting June 6–30, 2026 (six weeks before convention). Multiple rounds allowed until a candidate receives a majority. Open to all eligible LCMS congregations.

Nominees (5) · 1,758 total nominations
  1. 1Matthew C. Harrison900
  2. 2Joel D. Biermann334
  3. 3Benjamin T. Ball311
  4. 4Brady L. Finnern148
  5. 5Peter K. Lange65

Ad Crucem NewsLCMS 2026 ConventionPresident-elect selects slate

First Vice-President

The President-elect selects five candidates from the nominating slate (with at least two from the top five nominees) for floor election at the convention.

Nominees (21) · 1,004 total nominations
  1. 1Peter K. Lange804
  2. 2Christopher S. Esget50
  3. 3Allan R. Buss36
  4. 4Jeffrey P. Cloeter21
  5. 5Jamison J. Hardy12
  6. 6Timothy P. Ahlman10
  7. 7Lawrence R. Rast Jr.9
  8. 8Dien A. Taylor9
  9. 9David A. Davis8
  10. 10Don R. Stuckwisch Jr.7
  11. 11Jeffrey J. Kloha5
  12. 12Alfonso O. Espinosa4
  13. 13Jeffrey E. Skopak4
  14. 14Deric A. Taylor4
  15. 15Victor J. Belton3
  16. 16Jacob S. Gillard3
  17. 17Byrene K. Haney3
  18. 18Mark R. Hoehner3
  19. 19Eric T. Lange3
  20. 20Scott C. Sailer3
  21. 21Sean A. Willman3

Ad Crucem NewsLCMS 2026 ConventionRegional Vice-Presidents

Five regional slates.

The five Regional Vice-Presidents are elected by all floor delegates (not only delegates from the region). Each slate comprises the top five nominees per region; no floor nominations are permitted.

Ad Crucem NewsLCMS 2026 ConventionAll elections

Every seat the convention will fill.

Beyond the senior-officer slates above, the convention elects members of every standing Synod board, every commission, every Concordia board of regents, and every synodwide entity board. Counts below are computed from the published Directory of Officers, Boards, and Commissions in the 2026 Convention Workbook.

  • Seats up114across 20 bodies
  • Total elected seats236staggered three triennia
  • Slates published1senior officers (above)
  • Pending19slates expected May–June

Senior officers

President, First Vice-President, the five Regional Vice-Presidents, and Secretary — eight seats up for election in 2026.

8 up

Synod boards

Board of Directors, Board for National Mission, and Board for International Mission — the corporate Synod's standing boards.

16 up

Sources. Senior-officer slates from lcms.org/convention/national/elections (slate published as of 2026-04-15). Inventory counts computed from the Directory of Officers, Boards, and Commissions in the 2026 Convention Workbook (pp. xxv–xxx). Detailed candidate slates for boards, commissions, and regents land in Today’s Business in May or June 2026; this page updates with them as they publish.