Matthew Harrison entered the race with nearly three times Joel Biermann's nominations, yet the first ballot, reported June 10, cut that lead to 228 votes and left the incumbent short of a majority
I wonder if Joel didn’t get such strong support because some people want to set him up for the next election after Matt retires? Joel is getting up there in age however.
I left my previous LCMS congregation due to it turning into an obnoxious non-denominational congregation that preached and confessed everything pop-Evangelical. Small groups, praise bands, and even quirky outreach practices such as “drive thru prayer” were the norm. The pastor even based many of his sermons on the latest pop-Evangelical book the small groups were studying. Some fuzzy teaching about “real presence” during open communion and the occasional infant baptism were the only differences between my former LCMS congregation and the non-denominational megachurch across town.
I had thought that groups such as Gottesdienst and podcasts such as On the Line were the new mindset of synod. I still remember when Issues, Etc. was cancelled and many “traditionally-minded” LCMS people were persecuted and/or marginalized. With the election of Biermann, are we going to repeat the Kieschnick years?
“….so that a particular cultural and artistic tradition was endowed with a divinity it did not have.”
And with what kind of divinity is the cultural and artistic tradition of 21st century Baptist/non-denominational worship endowed?
LCMS congregations will either continue to move away from the hymnal and embrace contemporary worship, or they will slowly become more like a Gottestdienst-style church. There is no middle ground.
Wasn’t contemporary worship designed to attract the “young” demographic?
Young people are sensing the shallowness of non-denominational worship and are now seeking out churches viewed as traditional. The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox are reporting record numbers of new young people flocking to their congregations. Dr. Biermann and his associates can continue to ignore the trend, but said trend will continue no matter how much they double-down on Church Growth.
Weren’t many of the old Lutheran chorales abandoned with the release of the 1941 hymnal? Let’s bring those back.
There is a strong accelerationist ethic there that would welcome Biermann as the chaos candidate. Harrison will ultimately prevail, but to have to runoff against Biermann confirms that he should not have run again.
There's always been an opposition, and the margin of victory has been small before (e.g. in 2019). This is the the most Confessional candidate the opposition has ever coalesced around, so it might be a close year again. But I think most of the disillusioned Harrison supporters are the type to be even more leery of Biermann.
Very true. Once you sift all the items, the Harrison machine simply failed to dominate the information and attention space, and has had the wrong messaging, probably because there was complacency about having it locked in.
To his credit Biermann has been on OTL three times and also on Javier Perdomo. He does bring some good discussion on the 3rd use of the law and stuff. Biermann also has his own YouTube channel.
As far as name recognition that might go a long way.
Wolfmueller had Harrison on but Harrison didn’t bring much energy or zeal to the discussion.
I think it would be best to have someone with leadership experience as a DP be elected. It proves that you can function outside of the academic space. That’s my concern.
He has been a lot more energetic and engaged across the board. He appears younger and doesn't have the lecturing / hectoring mannerisms that seem to have displaced MCH's usual affability in public. It is also reported that the latter has projected a very disengaged aura lately, even during business meetings at the IC and other institutions. All those things will play a role because elections are 99% perception and 1% reality.
The Synod will get a shock if Biermann wins because he has no scaled administrative experience. Consequently, there will be a lot of delegation to, most likely, Synodocrat swamp creatures, especially from bygone eras.
I would like to understand where the momentum has come from. That is, apart from the internet presence, how did Dr. Biermann get thrown into this arena? Did he position himself a certain popular way relative to a matter of controversy, or do people just have fond memories of their professor?
My (very imperfect) understanding is that they were literally casting about for a candidate. He was not an obvious candidate by his own admission.
There are so many factors that have contributed to Biermann's margin inflation, but more than anything, it appears to be Harrison's tack to the center left blowing up because he's facing an actual left-centrist. The leak of votes from Ball and Finnern to Biermann is hard to interpret as anything but a protest vote.
The timing of the Jordan Cooper interview was interesting as well. Cooper is rightly well thought of by LCMS Confessional Lutherans. I wonder if this swayed some votes? Cooper said he wasn’t campaigning for Biermann, but Cooper was recently upset with an overture to the upcoming convention regarding the AALC’s relationship with the LCMS over calling pastors. There also was a FB text retracted by Harrison after communicating with Cooper. Was there a hint of revenge in Cooper’s interview timing?
Cooper is a striver and clout chaser who needs LCMS attention, so he will insert himself wherever he sees some gain. Without saying it in black and white, Cooper has declared for Biermann in several ways.
I realize Jordan Cooper doesn't have a ton of supporters on this side of Internet Lutheranism, but this seems rather inappropriate to say about someone who everyone says is the most gentlemanly and professional person they've ever met (in my anecdotal experience). Cooper said in the video that it had nothing to do with the election, and it seems unchristian to make him out to be an insincere attention seeker.
What I’ll say as someone relatively new to the politics of the LCMS is that it is a good eye opener for me. Helps me realize that, in fact, the contingency with which I’ve aligned isn’t as large a group as I expected (at least within the electorate this cycle). Rose tinted glasses, I suppose.
Several articles (including the official LCMS one), have noted the participation rate of 85.4%. Is this measured against the total possible voter(s) based on Synodical congregation membership, or is this the total number of voter(s) registered by their respective congregations to cast a vote? I can see where with vacant congregations, etc., only 85.4% of total possible votes in the Synod might be cast; it's harder to conceive how there would be nearly 15% of voters actually registered, and then not cast a vote.
Hopefully President Harrison will prevail. A dark cloud will hang over the Phoenix convention if he does not. It will certainly be a gut punch to those who care about doctrinal purity and faithful practice.
Though Biermann would not be Kieschnick 2.0, he would be a step backwards and the crowd that will have worked the hardest to get him elected (missional liberals) will likely be wanting reciprocated for their work, which would be a disaster.
Harrison will probably prevail and, hopefully, be a little chastened and humbled. Biermann will be a disaster because he has no serious administrative experience.
Why the sensationalist headline? There are five candidates on the first ballot -- designed almost intentionally to prevent a first ballot victory under most circumstances or a narrow one. The campaign did not collapse and he will probably prevail under the next ballot. Why fan the flames unless you want him to go down? The story did not really support the headline and even your comments on this thread seem to back away from the shock idea.
Losing a 3:1 lead is a collapse by any standard. I never said it has to end in a defeat, just pointed out that coasting to victory is no longer an option.
I write this as a friendly observer to the LCMS, so please take this charitably. As a WELS pastor who has taken graduate courses at CSL, I was initially very cautious and unsure what would be taught at St. Louis. While there were a few disappointments, it was Dr. Biermann's classes that reassured me the most about the content and focus of LCMS theology. Biermann has proven himself to be biblically grounded and a faithful student of Luther and the Confessions. It honestly shocks me to hear so many in the LCMS call him a liberal one. Is that coming from a biblically rooted theological critique, or instead political opinions imported to church discussions? His comments about self-defense and "Christian" nationalism (all the contemporary discussions I hear today are based on Calvinist or papist models) are drawn directly from Luther. His statements about having real church discipline give me hope for advancing the future of WELS-LCMS relations, since that has been a major obstacle for many decades. (Biermann's statements about how broad agreement can be for unity notwithstanding). All that said, Harrison was the first LCMS president whom WELS people have liked in generations, and I appreciate the support for him as well.
I wonder if Joel didn’t get such strong support because some people want to set him up for the next election after Matt retires? Joel is getting up there in age however.
I don’t see a reason for the other candidates to hold on for another round. Let Joel & Matt go he’d to head.
WOW.
I left my previous LCMS congregation due to it turning into an obnoxious non-denominational congregation that preached and confessed everything pop-Evangelical. Small groups, praise bands, and even quirky outreach practices such as “drive thru prayer” were the norm. The pastor even based many of his sermons on the latest pop-Evangelical book the small groups were studying. Some fuzzy teaching about “real presence” during open communion and the occasional infant baptism were the only differences between my former LCMS congregation and the non-denominational megachurch across town.
I had thought that groups such as Gottesdienst and podcasts such as On the Line were the new mindset of synod. I still remember when Issues, Etc. was cancelled and many “traditionally-minded” LCMS people were persecuted and/or marginalized. With the election of Biermann, are we going to repeat the Kieschnick years?
Fast forward to 7ish minutes for Dr. Biermann’s take on Gottesdienst.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D-LGNPtPOls&ra=m
His statements aren’t without merit, but there is also merit to unity in practice.
“….so that a particular cultural and artistic tradition was endowed with a divinity it did not have.”
And with what kind of divinity is the cultural and artistic tradition of 21st century Baptist/non-denominational worship endowed?
LCMS congregations will either continue to move away from the hymnal and embrace contemporary worship, or they will slowly become more like a Gottestdienst-style church. There is no middle ground.
Wasn’t contemporary worship designed to attract the “young” demographic?
Young people are sensing the shallowness of non-denominational worship and are now seeking out churches viewed as traditional. The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox are reporting record numbers of new young people flocking to their congregations. Dr. Biermann and his associates can continue to ignore the trend, but said trend will continue no matter how much they double-down on Church Growth.
Weren’t many of the old Lutheran chorales abandoned with the release of the 1941 hymnal? Let’s bring those back.
Sure would be ironic if the Lutherbros who relentlessly criticize Harrison end up enabling the election of Biermann.
There is a strong accelerationist ethic there that would welcome Biermann as the chaos candidate. Harrison will ultimately prevail, but to have to runoff against Biermann confirms that he should not have run again.
And likely guarantees that the next triennium electoral cycle will accelerate into 2029 being even more of a Chaos Convention…
There's always been an opposition, and the margin of victory has been small before (e.g. in 2019). This is the the most Confessional candidate the opposition has ever coalesced around, so it might be a close year again. But I think most of the disillusioned Harrison supporters are the type to be even more leery of Biermann.
Very true. Once you sift all the items, the Harrison machine simply failed to dominate the information and attention space, and has had the wrong messaging, probably because there was complacency about having it locked in.
To his credit Biermann has been on OTL three times and also on Javier Perdomo. He does bring some good discussion on the 3rd use of the law and stuff. Biermann also has his own YouTube channel.
As far as name recognition that might go a long way.
Wolfmueller had Harrison on but Harrison didn’t bring much energy or zeal to the discussion.
I think it would be best to have someone with leadership experience as a DP be elected. It proves that you can function outside of the academic space. That’s my concern.
He has been a lot more energetic and engaged across the board. He appears younger and doesn't have the lecturing / hectoring mannerisms that seem to have displaced MCH's usual affability in public. It is also reported that the latter has projected a very disengaged aura lately, even during business meetings at the IC and other institutions. All those things will play a role because elections are 99% perception and 1% reality.
The Synod will get a shock if Biermann wins because he has no scaled administrative experience. Consequently, there will be a lot of delegation to, most likely, Synodocrat swamp creatures, especially from bygone eras.
I would like to understand where the momentum has come from. That is, apart from the internet presence, how did Dr. Biermann get thrown into this arena? Did he position himself a certain popular way relative to a matter of controversy, or do people just have fond memories of their professor?
My (very imperfect) understanding is that they were literally casting about for a candidate. He was not an obvious candidate by his own admission.
There are so many factors that have contributed to Biermann's margin inflation, but more than anything, it appears to be Harrison's tack to the center left blowing up because he's facing an actual left-centrist. The leak of votes from Ball and Finnern to Biermann is hard to interpret as anything but a protest vote.
The timing of the Jordan Cooper interview was interesting as well. Cooper is rightly well thought of by LCMS Confessional Lutherans. I wonder if this swayed some votes? Cooper said he wasn’t campaigning for Biermann, but Cooper was recently upset with an overture to the upcoming convention regarding the AALC’s relationship with the LCMS over calling pastors. There also was a FB text retracted by Harrison after communicating with Cooper. Was there a hint of revenge in Cooper’s interview timing?
Cooper is a striver and clout chaser who needs LCMS attention, so he will insert himself wherever he sees some gain. Without saying it in black and white, Cooper has declared for Biermann in several ways.
I realize Jordan Cooper doesn't have a ton of supporters on this side of Internet Lutheranism, but this seems rather inappropriate to say about someone who everyone says is the most gentlemanly and professional person they've ever met (in my anecdotal experience). Cooper said in the video that it had nothing to do with the election, and it seems unchristian to make him out to be an insincere attention seeker.
(edit: changed wording)
I agree that most would consider the lessor of two evols.
LCACA candidate vs LCACA candidate.... Yawn
What I’ll say as someone relatively new to the politics of the LCMS is that it is a good eye opener for me. Helps me realize that, in fact, the contingency with which I’ve aligned isn’t as large a group as I expected (at least within the electorate this cycle). Rose tinted glasses, I suppose.
Praying about the vote this weekend.
Several articles (including the official LCMS one), have noted the participation rate of 85.4%. Is this measured against the total possible voter(s) based on Synodical congregation membership, or is this the total number of voter(s) registered by their respective congregations to cast a vote? I can see where with vacant congregations, etc., only 85.4% of total possible votes in the Synod might be cast; it's harder to conceive how there would be nearly 15% of voters actually registered, and then not cast a vote.
Bierman has an interesting new video on his YouTube channel, "Sleep Issues in the Church" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sNN5Kqzjf8o
Clearly his a call to action, and not a bad campaign ad, timing and content.
(Why does he constantly look from side to side, like a nervous bird?)
Hopefully President Harrison will prevail. A dark cloud will hang over the Phoenix convention if he does not. It will certainly be a gut punch to those who care about doctrinal purity and faithful practice.
Though Biermann would not be Kieschnick 2.0, he would be a step backwards and the crowd that will have worked the hardest to get him elected (missional liberals) will likely be wanting reciprocated for their work, which would be a disaster.
Harrison will probably prevail and, hopefully, be a little chastened and humbled. Biermann will be a disaster because he has no serious administrative experience.
Why the sensationalist headline? There are five candidates on the first ballot -- designed almost intentionally to prevent a first ballot victory under most circumstances or a narrow one. The campaign did not collapse and he will probably prevail under the next ballot. Why fan the flames unless you want him to go down? The story did not really support the headline and even your comments on this thread seem to back away from the shock idea.
Losing a 3:1 lead is a collapse by any standard. I never said it has to end in a defeat, just pointed out that coasting to victory is no longer an option.
I write this as a friendly observer to the LCMS, so please take this charitably. As a WELS pastor who has taken graduate courses at CSL, I was initially very cautious and unsure what would be taught at St. Louis. While there were a few disappointments, it was Dr. Biermann's classes that reassured me the most about the content and focus of LCMS theology. Biermann has proven himself to be biblically grounded and a faithful student of Luther and the Confessions. It honestly shocks me to hear so many in the LCMS call him a liberal one. Is that coming from a biblically rooted theological critique, or instead political opinions imported to church discussions? His comments about self-defense and "Christian" nationalism (all the contemporary discussions I hear today are based on Calvinist or papist models) are drawn directly from Luther. His statements about having real church discipline give me hope for advancing the future of WELS-LCMS relations, since that has been a major obstacle for many decades. (Biermann's statements about how broad agreement can be for unity notwithstanding). All that said, Harrison was the first LCMS president whom WELS people have liked in generations, and I appreciate the support for him as well.