The LCMS Is About to Make Big Decisions. Here’s What’s at Stake

https://www.skool.com/leadtimeplus/about Join the Lead Time Plus Community! Want to learn more first? https://www.uniteleadership.org/suppo... The LCMS Convention is almost here—and the decisions being made are about more than resolutions, bylaws, and floor committees. They reveal a deeper question facing our church body: Are we building the Kingdom, or are we building the castle? In this special Lead Time episode, Tim Ahlman is joined by Rev. Rob Bailey and Pastor Joe Beran for a practical, honest, and hopeful conversation about the resolutions delegates will face at the 2026 LCMS Convention. They discuss church planting, pastoral formation, worship, open communion questions, the role of floor committees, convention procedure, and whether the Synod is becoming more centralized—or more mission-focused. Whether you are a voting delegate, a pastor, a lay leader, or simply a Lutheran who cares about the future of the LCMS, this conversation will help you think clearly, pray faithfully, and engage wisely. We are also officially launching Lead Time+ with this episode. If you believe conversations like this matter—and you want to help Lead Time keep creating candid, constructive, Christ-centered conversations for the future of the church—you can become a Lead Time+ supporter here: https://www.uniteleadership.org/suppo... Thank you for helping us encourage faithful leadership, healthy dialogue, and mission-focused renewal in the LCMS. Subscribe to Lead Time for more conversations on Lutheran leadership, mission, theology, church planting, pastoral formation, and the future of the church. Chapters 00:00 — Introduction 02:29 — What Gives Us Hope Heading Into Convention 03:37 — Kingdom Over Castle: A Lens for the Resolutions 05:04 — Why Church Planting Matters Right Now 07:37 — Resolution 9-11 and Creative Mission Partnerships 10:06 — Public Reading of Scripture and Worship Tensions 11:45 — Open Communion and Pastoral Exceptions 13:44 — Should the LCMS Reinstate a Commission on Worship? 23:13 — Pastoral Formation and the Future Pastor Shortage 24:14 — The Debate Over Online MDiv Training 29:42 — Is the LCMS Moving Top-Down or Bottom-Up? 33:30 — What Works—and What Doesn’t—in LCMS Convention Process 38:30 — Consent Calendars, Steamrolling, and Delegate Awareness 43:44 — Practical Advice for Delegates Before Convention 45:01 — Final Hopes for a Faithful, Churchly Convention