Synod presidential election to require third ballot

The second round of voting in the election for president of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS) was not conclusive, and another runoff will be required. The candidates whose names will stand in the runoff election are:

Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison

Rev. Dr. Joel D. Biermann

Rev. Benjamin T. Ball

The election process for the position of Synod president began last fall with an online nominating process, conducted by YesElections, that concluded Feb. 18, or five months prior to the start of the Synod convention, with a report to the secretary of the Synod.

The resulting slate of candidates for the office of president were the five ordained ministers who received the highest number of votes in the nominations process and who consented to serve if elected. The voting began, according to Bylaw 3.12.2.4, starting June 6 (six weeks prior to the convention) via internet balloting provided by YesElections.

The 5,478 pastoral and lay voters validly registered by the congregations and parishes of the Synod (Bylaw 3.12.2.3) before the deadline (electronic registration by March 8) or their substitutes (as validly submitted before May 29) served as the voters for the first and second ballots. Of those, in the second round of voting, a total of 4,842 votes were cast, constituting a vote percentage of 88.4% of the electorate.

The results of the second ballot tallied and reported to the secretary of the Synod by YesElections are as follows:

Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, 2,243 votes (46.3%);

Rev. Dr. Joel D. Biermann, 2,229 votes (46.0%);

Rev. Benjamin T. Ball, 212 votes (4.4%); and

Rev. Brady L. Finnern, 158 votes (3.3%).

According to Bylaw 3.12.2.4, “if no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast, a second or succeeding ballots are required for a majority. In that case, the candidate receiving the fewest votes shall be dropped from the ballot and another vote shall be taken in the same manner.”

Therefore, Finnern is being removed from the ballot, and the other three candidates will remain.

The third round of voting for LCMS president will take place June 20–23. If it is not conclusive, a final round will take place June 27–30. Registered voters will use the same credentials they used to vote in the first and second rounds, which will again be provided by email when the next round of voting has opened.

Additional information about the election result will be published in the second issue of Today’s Business, available at the beginning of the convention. For more information about the presidential election or candidates, see lcms.org/convention/elections.

The 69th Regular Convention of the LCMS will take place July 18–23 at the Phoenix Convention Center under theme “Christ Is Risen Indeed.”
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Posted June 17, 2026