Governance — 2023–2026
Nominations: President and Vice-Presidents
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Nominations for President, First Vice-President and the five regional vice-presidents of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (who are ranked by a series of convention votes as the second through sixth vice-presidents of the Synod after their election) are submitted exclusively by the member congregations of the Synod.
The Secretary of the Synod is responsible for providing a secure and verifiable method for submission and tabulation of these nominations (Bylaws 3.12.2, 3.12.2.7 [a]).
Beginning with nominations for the 2023 convention, member congregations have submitted their nominations exclusively through an electronic system, administered by Yes Elections (formerly known as Election America), the outside contractor that has supported the online process for election of the Synod President.
Bylaws provide for this nomination process to close five months prior to the opening of the convention; the Secretary has set the process to open nine months prior to the convention opening.
Each congregation may nominate up to two ministers from the Synod’s roster of ordained ministers, other than specific ministry pastors, for:
- President (nominate up to two)
- First Vice-President (nominate up to two)
- Regional Vice-President in the Congregation’s Region (nominate up to two; must be resident in the congregation’s region at the time of nomination and throughout service)
For relevant dates and details on the nomination process in the current triennium, see Step 4C in the Member Congregation’s Guide to Convention Participation.
Publication of Information on Nominees
At the conclusion of this nomination process and that for those to be elected to other officer, board, and commission positions, information on the candidates is published in the Biographical Synopses and Statements of Nominees, which is published at the same time as the Convention Workbook, no later than 12 weeks prior to the opening of the convention (Bylaw 3.1.8 [b]). LCMS Communications also typically facilitates publication of questions and answers of presidential nominees.
2026 convention documents will be posted when available in the spring of 2025. Until then, see representative 2023 convention documents:
President
A nominee for President must be a minister of religion—ordained, not a specific ministry pastor, on the roster of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and a member of a voting congregation of the Synod.
The President serves in a full-time executive position. He is the chief ecclesiastical officer of the Synod, supervises the doctrine taught and practiced in the Synod (Bylaw 3.3.1.1) and has ecclesiastical supervision of all officers and agencies of the Synod, its districts and their presidents (Bylaw 3.3.1.1.1).
As chief ecumenical officer, he represents the Synod in contacts with partner churches and other church bodies (Bylaw 3.3.1.1.2).
He exercises administrative oversight to see that officers, executives, and agencies act in accordance with the Constitution, Bylaws, and resolutions of the Synod (Bylaw 3.3.1.2) and performs other ecclesiastical and administrative responsibilities and duties related to the conventions, districts, district presidents, commissions, boards, agencies, entities, offices and officers of the Synod as specified in Bylaw 3.3.1.3.
The President serves as a voting member of the Board of Directors of the Synod.
The candidates for President, appearing on the ballot presented to the congregational voters six weeks prior to the national convention, are the five ordained ministers who received the highest number of votes in the nominating process and who consent to serve if elected (Bylaw 3.12.2.1).
For relevant dates and details on the nomination process in the current triennium, see Step 4C in the Member Congregation’s Guide to Convention Participation.
Details of the election process may be found in Step 4A in the Member Congregation’s Guide to Convention Participation.
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First Vice-President
A nominee for First Vice-President must be a minister of religion—ordained, not a specific ministry pastor, on the roster of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and a member of a voting congregation of the Synod.
The First Vice-President serves in a full-time executive position. He is an elected advisor and assistant to the President, assists the President in discharging his responsibilities and represents him. He assumes the presidency if the office is vacated, and performs the President’s duties in a time of temporary incapacity. He also chairs colloquy committees for pastoral and commissioned ministry and performs other duties as assigned.
The First Vice-President serves as a non-voting, advisory member of the Board of Directors of the Synod.
For relevant dates and details on the nomination process in the current triennium, see Step 4C in the Member Congregation’s Guide to Convention Participation.
The candidates for First Vice-President are the 20 ordained ministers receiving the highest number of votes in the nominating process (Bylaw 3.12.2.1) and consenting to serve if elected. No opportunity is provided for floor nominations.
Prior to all other elections, other than that of the President, which takes place before the convention, the convention elects the First Vice-President from a slate of five candidates selected by the President-elect from among these 20 ordained ministers, with two of the five required to have been among the top five nominees (Bylaw 3.12.2.6).
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Regional Vice-President (also ranked in line of succession)
A nominee for regional vice-president must be a minister of religion—ordained, not a specific ministry pastor, on the roster of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and a member of a voting congregation of the Synod. He must reside within the designated region to be eligible for nomination to that regional vice-presidency (Bylaw 3.12.2.7[a] and 3.12.2.8[c]).
The five regions of the Synod, based on underlying district boundaries, are as indicated in the following map:
Districts and Regions Map
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The candidates for regional vice-president in each region are the five eligible ordained ministers within that region who receive the most nominating votes and consent to serve if elected. No opportunity is provided for floor nominations.
For relevant dates and details on the nomination process in the current triennium, see Step 4C in the Member Congregation’s Guide to Convention Participation.
The election of the regional vice-presidents follows the election of the First Vice-President at the convention. (Bylaw 3.12.2.7 [c–f])
The five regional vice-presidents fulfill duties as assigned on a part-time basis and stand, as ordered by the convention after their election (Bylaw 3.12.2.7 [g]), in line of succession to the First Vice-Presidency and Presidency of the Synod.
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