Lead Time

Most Lutherans do not get excited about bylaws — but sometimes a bylaw change can have real consequences for local ministry.

In this episode of Lead Time, Tim Ahlman and Jack Kalleberg sit down with Jim Saalfeld, CEO of the Church Extension Fund, to discuss LCMS Overture 9-06 and proposed changes related to Bylaw 1.5. While part of the overture appears to create new structures for entities like LCEF and Concordia Plans to partner with for-profit entities, Jim raises concerns that the broader rewrite may be far more sweeping than many delegates realize.

Could this affect local ministries, RSOs, church-related organizations, CEFs, governance documents, property, audits, donations, and legal liability? And should delegates vote on something this complex if they do not fully understand what it means?

This conversation is not about assigning motive. It is about asking for clarity before the 2026 LCMS Convention in Phoenix.

If you are an LCMS pastor, lay delegate, congregational leader, school leader, RSO leader, or simply a Lutheran who cares about the future of the Synod, this is a conversation worth hearing.

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Care about the future of the LCMS?
Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)
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To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

What happens when public accusations of heresy are made without clear evidence?

In this urgent Lead Time conversation, Rev. Dr. Jim Voelz and Rev. Dr. Mark Hoehner join Tim Ahlman to discuss ethics, truth, the Eighth Commandment, public criticism, and the responsibility Christians have when making serious accusations inside the church.

The conversation centers on recent criticisms of Dr. Voelz’s work, including claims tied to Seminex 2.0, Christian News, and debates around biblical interpretation, postmodernism, and confessional Lutheran theology. But the deeper question is bigger than one person:

Can the LCMS recover a more faithful way to disagree?

References discussed in this episode include James W. Voelz’s What Does This Mean?, Principles of Biblical Interpretation for Everyone, Christian News, the Seminex 2.0 document, Matthew 18, Proverbs 6, Galatians 2, Acts 15, and Alan Kreider’s The Patient Ferment of the Early Church.

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Care about the future of the LCMS?
Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)
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To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod is heading into a significant season. With convention conversations ahead, questions around pastoral formation, membership decline, congregational vitality, and the future of Lutheran mission are all on the table.

Today, We sit down with presidential nominee Rev. Brady Finnern for a wide-ranging conversation about Lutheran identity, the heart of the Gospel, congregational decline, convention priorities, and what faithful leadership looks like in a changing church landscape.

If you care about the future of the LCMS, pastoral formation, Lutheran mission, or the health of local congregations, this is a conversation worth sharing.

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Care about the future of the LCMS?
Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)
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To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

In this episode of Lead Time, Tim Ahlman sits down with two longtime Concordia Seminary professors, Dr. Andy Bartelt and Dr. James Voelz, for a wide-ranging conversation on time, aging, biblical literacy, seminary history, SMP, distance education, churchmanship, and the future of pastoral formation in the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

Dr. Bartelt and Dr. Voelz bring decades of experience teaching future pastors, shaping theological education, and wrestling with the big questions facing the church. Together, they explore why the LCMS has historically operated with more than one formation track, how the Springfield/Fort Wayne story shaped today’s debates, why SMP and DELTO emerged, and why honest, humble conversation is needed now more than ever.

If you care about the future of the LCMS, pastoral formation, biblical literacy, theological education, or mission in North America, this is a conversation worth hearing.

Subscribe to Lead Time for conversations on Lutheran theology, church leadership, mission, pastoral formation, and the future of the LCMS.

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Care about the future of the LCMS?
Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)
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To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

What’s really happening inside the LCMS right now?

In this episode of Lead Time, Tim Ahlman and Jack sit down with Dr. Lyman Stone—demographer and creator of the Lutheran Religious Life Survey—to unpack the most surprising data trends in the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

What trends are you seeing in your church?

From church growth myths to preaching styles… from traditional worship to unexpected theological shifts… this conversation challenges assumptions and raises important questions about the future of the church.

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Care about the future of the LCMS?
Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)
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To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

What happens when Christians take each other to court… or when marriages fall apart long before anyone asks for help?

In this episode of Lead Time, Tim and Jack sit down with Christian attorney Colin Hoffman to unpack the reality of Christian family law, divorce, and what the Bible actually says about conflict between believers.

From 1 Corinthians 6 to real-life legal cases, this conversation dives into:

- Why Christians suing Christians is a serious issue
- What actually leads to divorce (and why it’s often “too late”)
- The role of pastors, counseling, and accountability
- Spiritual warfare in families (and how it shows up)
- How churches can better support struggling marriages
- A better path forward: reconciliation, repentance, and truth

This episode is both challenging and hopeful—a call for the Church to take marriage, conflict, and spiritual realities seriously again.

Do you think Christians should ever take each other to court?

Show Notes:

Song Colin referenced at the end: "This I Pray" by Nicky Gracious:
https://youtu.be/F5Q-Gw0PZZk

Connect with Colin:
[email protected]
www.sacredharbor.org

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Care about the future of the LCMS?
Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)
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To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

A special episode of Lead Time responding to a recent decision from LCMS leadership denying our request to host a booth at the upcoming LCMS Convention.

Want to stay up to date on LCMS Happenings? Sign up here:
https://www.uniteleadership.org/thelcmscurrent

We share the full context behind the decision, read the official response, and unpack what this moment reveals about conversation, trust, and unity within the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

See the letter we received here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1JXkyOFIs-1xqqtmSZDF88FBcL-Dos8gO/view?usp=drive_link

This is not about attacking leadership. It’s about asking an honest question:

How do we move forward together as one church body when disagreement exists?

Our hope is simple:
More conversation. More clarity. More unity in Christ.

If you're attending the LCMS Convention this summer, we’d love to connect and talk. Let us know what you think in the comments.

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Care about the future of the LCMS?
Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)
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To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

Today, We sit down with presidential nominee Dr. Joel Biermann to talk about the current state—and future—of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod (LCMS).

What are the real strengths of the LCMS? Where are we struggling?
And what must change if we want to see a thriving, unified church for the next generation?

We dive into:

- The growing divisions within the LCMS
- The debate around “Lutheran identity”
- The future of pastoral formation
- Why unity is harder—and more important—than ever
- How the church can re-engage mission and evangelism

If you care about the future of the LCMS, this is a must-listen.

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Care about the future of the LCMS?
Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)
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To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

In this episode of Lead Time, we respond to the “Giving Crescendo” conversation and break down what’s really happening beneath the surface: an aging church body, a historic wealth transfer, and a short window of opportunity that could either fuel mission—or accelerate decline.

Here’s the reality: money won’t save the church. In fact, it may expose just how unprepared we are.

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Stay up to date by Joining the LCMS Current!
(LCMS Current Events Newsletter)
https://www.uniteleadership.org/thelcmscurrent
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We explore:

- Why a surge in giving is coming—and why it won’t last
- The 3 paths churches will take (and why most lead to decline)
- How endowments can quietly kill mission
- Why reaching young families is no longer optional
- The leadership and pastoral pipeline crisis ahead
- What district and national leaders must do right now

This is not a financial conversation.
It’s a leadership test.

The future of the LCMS will not be decided by how much money comes in…
but by what we do with it.

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Care about the future of the LCMS?
Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)
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To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org

In this episode, we respond to a recent seminary podcast discussing residential training and pastoral formation.

WATCH THE PODCAST HERE

While we deeply respect our seminaries and their leaders, we ask the hard questions many pastors and church leaders are already thinking:

Why are pulpits still empty?
Why are churches closing?
And are we training pastors in a way that actually meets today’s mission?

Stay up to date by Joining the LCMS Current!
(LCMS Current Events Newsletter)
https://www.uniteleadership.org/thelcmscurrent

We'll break down:

The real strengths of residential seminary
Where the current model may be falling short
The rise of hybrid and local training approaches
Why EQ (not just theology) matters more than we admit
The urgent need for church planting and scalable leadership pipelines

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Care about the future of the LCMS?
Join the LCMS Current! (LCMS Current Events Newsletter)
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To learn more, visit uniteleadership.org