Revolution in the LCMS

I am thrilled at the election of Matt Harrison as the new president of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod. As I followed with great difficulty, being overseas, the convention, and saw that the incumbent’s restructuring proposals were passing, I had assumed that his re-election was a sure thing. Instead, Rev. Harrison won and won big.

This is a milestone for the LCMS and world Lutheranism. Rev. Harrison is confessional and conservative, yes. But he is also a gifted and (dare I say) charismatic leader. He is a pastor, a scholar, an author, and a proven administrator of a complex organization. As head of Lutheran World Relief and Human Care, he did a brilliant job bringing help to those in need, from the victims of Hurricane Katrina to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti. He has a heart. He upholds Mercy. In answer to questions on that open post, Rev. Harrison has been the pastor of a largely African-American congregation. He started innovative programs to help the people of his community and his neighborhood. He is also well-known and well-respected in global circles and will be a persuasive advocate for confessional teaching in world Lutheranism. I believe he will be unusually effective in his office.