In this episode we sit down with former Marine Special Operations Officer and lifelong LCMS Lutheran, Jarryd Allison, to explore one of the most pressing questions facing the church today: who should be allowed to wear the collar? Drawing on his recent essays “Are Our LCMS Pastors Fit for Purpose and Duty?” and “Does the Man Wearing the Collar Matter?”, Jarryd argues that the pastoral office is not simply another vocation—but a spiritual battlefront—requiring men who are not only doctrinally sound but spiritually, mentally and even physically prepared.

How low attrition and high graduation rates in seminaries may mask deeper problems of pastoral formation and suitability. 

What standards Scripture (especially 1 Timothy & Titus) sets for the pastoral office—and why those standards still matter in our age.

Why pastoral calling is more than desire—you don’t simply ‘want’ the job of shepherding souls—it must be discerned, proven and tested.

How seminaries, congregations, and district leaders might rethink recruitment, formation, and accountability in order to raise up faithful shepherds rather than convenient job-fills. 

The culture of the church in decline, the risk of sentimentality in wired calls, and the urgent need for pastors who are ready to fight—not just preach.

Jarryd brings his unique vantage point—military rigor plus Lutheran theological tradition—to ask tough questions about the pastoral office and the church’s mission in a post-Christian culture. Whether you’re a pastor, aspiring pastor, church board member, or simply a congregation member wondering about the health of church leadership, this conversation promises to challenge, provoke and perhaps inspire renewed commitment to the gospel and the office that ministers it.

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Host: Fr. Jason Braaten

Guest: Mr. Jarryd Allison

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