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?

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(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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In this episode of Lead Time, Tim Ahlman and Jack Kalleberg sit down with Texas District President Jon Braunersreuther to discuss:

• The growing pastor shortage in the LCMS
• The debate surrounding SMP pastoral formation
• Why the size of the harvest should change how we think about leadership
• How First Article Gifts (reason, leadership, strategy) can be faithfully used in the church
• Leadership lessons from Jim Collins’ Good to Great

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

With 30 million people in Texas and an estimated 22 million far from Jesus, the question becomes unavoidable:

Is the church preparing enough workers for the harvest?

This conversation challenges pastors, church leaders, and lay leaders to think bigger about mission, leadership, and the future of the church.

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The latest LCMS nomination results may reveal far more than just who might become the next president.

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

In this episode of LEAD TIME, Tim Ahlman and Jack Kalleberg break down what the vote totals could mean for the future trajectory of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Looking beyond the surface, they explore the deeper story behind the data: institutional stability, declining participation, leadership pipelines, and the growing pastoral shortage facing the church.

Is the LCMS signaling a desire to preserve the status quo? Or are deeper structural challenges forcing change in the decades ahead?

Tim and Jack discuss five major implications emerging from the nomination data—including why participation matters, why leadership networks may shape the future more than elections, and what this means for pastors, congregations, and mission in the years ahead.

This conversation is candid, thoughtful, and ultimately hopeful about how God continues to work through faithful congregations and leaders across the LCMS.

If you care about the future of the church, this is a conversation you don’t want to miss. And if you got something out of this, share It with a friend.

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