The names of nominees for Synod president, first vice-president, five regional vice-presidents and two regional Board of Directors members have been announced. The president will be elected prior to the church body’s 65th Regular Convention, and the others will be elected at the convention, July 20-25 in St. Louis.
The names on the ballots — released by Synod Secretary Rev. Dr. Raymond Hartwig — are of those who received the most nominations from LCMS congregations, and who have agreed to serve, if elected.
For Synod president, the nominees are the three who received the most votes. They are, in the order of nominations received:
- Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, 51, incumbent LCMS president, 1,111 nominations.
- Rev. Dr. Herbert C. Mueller Jr., 59, LCMS first vice-president, 140.
- Rev. Dr. David P.E. Maier, 56, president of the LCMS Michigan District, 126.
(To read bios of the three candidates, click here.)
Election of the Synod president will take place electronically (via the Internet only) during a four-day period — June 22-25 — by each LCMS congregation/parish’s two voting delegates to its 2012 district convention.
If no candidate receives a majority of votes, the candidate with the least number of votes will be dropped from the ballot and a second vote will be taken one week later. No other nominations will be accepted.
Two weeks before the start of the convention — on July 6 — the Synod secretary will share the results of the election first with the candidates, and afterward, with the public. The candidate receiving the majority of votes will become president-elect of the Synod. (For more about the new system for electing president, click here.)
On the ballot for first vice-president are the following, also in the order of nominations received:
- Rev. Dr. Herbert C. Mueller Jr., 828.
- Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, 98.
- Rev. Dr. John C. Wohlrabe Jr., 68.
- Rev. Daniel Preus, 64.
- Rev. Dr. Scott R. Murray, 40.
- Rev. Dr. Jeffery T. Schrank, 30.
- Rev. Dr. Robert D. Newton, 16.
- Rev. Dr. Jon T. Diefenthaler, 14.
- Rev. Dr. Larry A. Stoterau, 14.
- Rev. Dr. Kurtis D. Schultz, 9.
- Rev. Dr. Gerhard C. Michael, 8.
- Rev. Clint K. Poppe, 8.
- Rev. Dr. William R. Diekelman, 7.
- Rev. Paul A. Linnemann, 7.
- Rev. Dr. Dien A. Taylor, 6.
- Rev. Dr. Carl C. Fickenscher, 5.
- Rev. Brian S. Saunders, 5.
- Rev. Terry L. Cripe, 4.
- Rev. Brent W. Kuhlman, 2.
- Rev. Dan P. Gilbert, 2.
- Rev. Dr. Robert E. Kasper, 2.
- Rev. William R. Woolsey, 2.
The first vice-president will be elected by the Synod convention. Before the election takes place, the president-elect will select five candidates from the above list of nominees as the slate for the office of first vice-president. (At least two of those selected for the slate must be among the top five nominees, and no additional nominees may be added to the list.)
According to the Synod secretary’s office, a total of 43 men received enough votes to be listed on the ballot for LCMS first vice-president, but 21 declined to let their names stand. All nominees for the offices of president and vice-presidents must be ordained ministers, according to LCMS Bylaws.
Also available are the nominees for the offices of regional vice-presidents two through six, and for LCMS Board of Directors (BOD) members from two regions: Central and West-Southwest (the only two regional BOD positions to be filled at this convention, since BOD members who are still serving terms have been placed into the other three regions, according to where they live. LCMS Bylaws require one BOD lay member to reside in each of the five regions).
To see a complete list of nominees for all offices, click here.
For more information about the upcoming LCMS convention, visit lcms.org/convention.
Updated July 16, 2013
