Biographies

LCMS National Convention   •   July 18–23, 2026   •   Phoenix, Ariz.

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The 69th Regular Convention of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod from July 18 to July 23 in Phonix will include daily worship services, four essay presentations, and four catechetical presentations.

Essayist bios are featured below. Bios for the preachers, catechists, and chaplains are coming soon.

 

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Essayists

 

Rev. Dr. Jon S. Bruss

Sunday, July 26

“Christ is the Truth” — 1 Cor. 15:1-19

The Rev. Dr. Jon S. Bruss (B.A., St. Olaf College, 1989; MDiv, Bethany Lutheran Theological Seminary, 1994; M.A. and Ph.D., University of Minnesota, 1996 and 2000) joined the faculty of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne (CTSFW), as an associate professor of systematic theology in 2022. In September 2024, he was installed as CTSFW’s 17th president.

From 1991 through 2002, Bruss served on the faculty of Bethany Lutheran College in Mankato, Minn., and thereafter at St. Olaf College, the University of the South and the University of Kansas. He colloquized into The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) in 2006 and took a pastoral call in 2013 to St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Topeka, Kan., where he served as assistant pastor (2013–2015) and then senior pastor (2015–2022) until his call to join the faculty at CTSFW.

Bruss has been a contributing translator to Concordia Publishing House’s series of Luther’s Works, most notably the Annotationes in Matthaeum, and has published and presented frequently on topics in theology and classics. He currently serves on the LCMS Commission on Theology and Church Relations, the Pastoral Formation Committee and the Colloquy Committee for the Pastoral Ministry.

 

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Rev. Dr. Thomas J. Egger

Monday, July 27

“Christ Changes Everything” — 1 Cor. 15:16-22

The Rev. Dr. Thomas Egger has served as president of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis (CSL), since 2021. He joined the seminary faculty in 2005, teaching mainly in the area of Old Testament. A native of Muscatine, Iowa, he served as pastor at Zion Lutheran Church in rural Storm Lake, Iowa, from 2000 to 2005.

His areas of interest include biblical Hebrew, the books of Genesis and Exodus, Christ typology, narrative and rhetorical analysis, and the nature and authority of Scripture. He has also made contributions in the area of American Lutheran history, especially the history of the LCMS and its first president, Dr. C. F. W. Walther.

Egger served on the LCMS Small Catechism Explanation Revision Committee (2015–2017), the board of directors for Providence Classical Christian Academy in St. Louis (2008–2019) and the board of regents for Concordia University Chicago (2019-2021). He has served on the LCMS Commission on Theology and Church Relations since 2010 and also currently serves on the LCMS Pastoral Formation Committee, the LCMS Pastoral Colloquy Committee and the board of the International Lutheran Society of Wittenberg. Tom and his wife Tori have six children and seven grandchildren.

 

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Dr. Michael A. Thomas

Tuesday, July 28

“Christ Conquers Death” — 1 Cor. 15:23–28

Dr. Michael A. Thomas (B.A., Concordia University Portland; M.A., University of Washington; Ph.D., University of Virginia) has served as president of Concordia University Irvine (CUI) since 2020, leading one of Southern California’s most dynamic private Christian universities through an era of strategic growth, institutional strengthening and deepened community impact. Under his leadership, CUI has expanded its footprint to three campuses and matured into a comprehensive university offering over 60 programs from the baccalaureate through Ph.D. levels, with an operating budget exceeding $100 million and an enrollment approaching 5,000 students across on-ground and online learning modalities.

Before arriving at CUI, Thomas held senior academic leadership roles at Concordia University Portland, including Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Director of the Honors Program, experiences that informed his commitment to the Lutheran intellectual tradition, academic excellence and institutional stewardship.

During Thomas’s tenure, CUI has solidified high-profile partnerships that connect academic preparation to real-world opportunity.

Thomas has stewarded significant capital investments and academic innovation, from the expansion of engineering and computer science programs to facility enhancements that support athletics, performing arts and holistic student formation. These initiatives align with his vision of a Lutheran university that integrates rigorous scholarship, vocational formation and community service.

 

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Rev. Dr. Kirk Clayton

Wednesday, July 22

“Christ's Resurrection for You” — 1 Cor. 5:20-24 with 1 Cor. 15:50-57

The Rev. Dr. Kirk Clayton, assistant professor of theology at Concordia University Chicago (CUC), specializes in the art of Christian apologetics, defending the Christian faith from challenges and giving answers to questions posed to the faith. He spent three summers studying at the International Academy of Apologetics, Evangelism & Human Rights, working with Dr. John Warwick Montgomery, Dr. Gene Edward Veith, Dr. Angus Menuge, Craig Parton and others.

He is a passionate defender of the truth of Scripture and the reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. He has been a frequent guest on KFUO Radio and on Issues, Etc., and has spoken regularly at Higher Things youth conferences. In the summer of 2025 he was able to spend three weeks teaching apologetics for the Creative Word Fellowship in Australia.

At CUC, Clayton teaches in the area of systematic theology, leads the planning team for CUC’s annual Apologetics Boot Camp and serves as the director of the pre-seminary program. Prior to serving at CUC, Clayton served for 24 years as a pastor at two congregations in Illinois. Clayton and his wife, Lori, have been married for 30 years and have been blessed with six children. His greatest joy is spending time with them as often as possible.

 

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