What did the 2026 LCMS presidential election actually reveal about the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod?
A few months after allowing his name to stand for president, Dr. Joel Biermann returns to The Red Letter Disciple to reflect on the experience, what surprised him, what encouraged him, and what he learned about the church along the way.
But this conversation quickly moves beyond the election itself.
Zach brings Joel new data from the 2026 State of the LCMS Survey, which received 3,070 responses from pastors, church workers, lay leaders, seminary students, and congregation members across all 35 LCMS districts. One of the most striking findings was how differently respondents answered major questions depending on which presidential candidate they said they preferred.
What does that tell us about the divisions inside the LCMS? Are we actually divided over doctrine, or are some of our sharpest disagreements about worship, pastoral formation, mission, and how the church should engage a changing world?
Joel pushes back on several common labels throughout the conversation. He rejects the idea that “confessional” and “missional” represent two competing visions of Lutheranism. He argues that faithful Lutheran theology doesn’t need to change, but that the church must continually think about how God’s unchanging truth speaks into a changing world. And when it comes to worship, he argues for theological unity alongside a greater generosity toward differing practices.
The conversation also gets into one of the most contentious issues in the LCMS: pastoral formation. Joel strongly affirms residential seminary education while also arguing that the church should keep asking how pastors can be faithfully formed through multiple pathways without sacrificing theological standards.
Perhaps the sharpest moment comes around church unity. When Zach shares that nearly one-third of survey respondents said the LCMS should be willing to divide if major disagreements cannot be resolved, Joel explains what he believes should—and should not—constitute a church-dividing issue.
They close by discussing young adults, the importance of community, why Joel remains deeply committed to the Lutheran Confessions, and what gives him hope about the future of the LCMS.
This isn’t an attempt to relitigate the presidential election. It’s an attempt to ask a more important question: What did the election—and the data surrounding it—teach us about ourselves?
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What was it actually like to run for LCMS president?
Joel reflects on the seven-month experience, how he and his wife approached it, and what life has looked like since the election ended.
The surprising “silence” Joel experienced
Joel talks about encouragement he received—and the hesitancy he sometimes sensed from people who didn’t seem sure how to engage the election publicly.
Were people supporting Joel or a different vision for the LCMS?
Zach asks whether the support Joel received was primarily about him personally or about what people believed his leadership might represent.
3,070 LCMS voices enter the conversation
Zach introduces the 2026 State of the LCMS Survey and explains why this year’s respondent pool was substantially broader than the previous survey.
Was the election about personalities or competing visions?
Joel responds to survey data showing large differences among respondents depending on their presidential preference.
How can the church adapt without changing its theology?
Joel explains the difference between unchanging Christian doctrine and the church’s ongoing task of applying that truth faithfully in a changing world.
Confessional vs. missional: a false choice?
Joel pushes back strongly against treating these as opposing camps and explains what he believes it actually means to be a confessional Lutheran.
The biggest survey divide: worship
Zach shares the dramatic differences among presidential preference groups on whether LCMS congregations should be encouraged toward a common order of service and hymnal.
What does faithful diversity in worship look like?
Joel explains why practice matters but argues that worship should be evaluated by how faithfully it delivers God’s gifts and forms people to follow Christ.
“Did I get dropped into the wrong Synod?”
Zach talks candidly about being wired toward innovation and the future while also learning to appreciate the history and tradition he naturally tends to overlook.
Are LCMS churches actually more similar than we think?
Zach shares survey findings about traditional and blended worship and the frequency of Communion across respondent congregations.
The pastoral formation divide
The conversation turns to residential seminary education, SMP, expanded formation pathways, theological standards, and why this issue remains so contentious.
Should we still be sounding the alarm about the pastoral shortage?
Joel encourages continued conversation about pastoral supply while cautioning against fear-driven rhetoric from either side.
A possible point of agreement on formation
Zach shares that roughly two-thirds of survey respondents supported expanded formation pathways if strong theological standards could be maintained.
Should the LCMS ever divide?
Zach shares survey results showing significant willingness among some respondents to consider division, and Joel gives one of his strongest answers of the episode.
What does a more generous Synod actually look like?
Joel talks about the Eighth Commandment, resisting tribalism, speaking directly with one another, and intentionally serving alongside people with whom we disagree.
One thing nearly everyone agrees on: young adults matter
Zach and Joel discuss why young adults are looking for truth, transcendence, meaningful community, and intergenerational relationships.
An encouraging finding in the middle of all the disagreement
Despite the divisions exposed throughout the survey, respondents across perspectives expressed strong commitment to remaining in the LCMS.
Will Joel Biermann run again in 2029?
Zach asks the question directly, and Joel explains how he approaches future calls and opportunities to serve.
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