Convention 2016: The United List, a helpful guide for elections (by Pr. Charles Henrickson)

Last month, congregational electors re-elected Synod President Matt Harrison to another term. In a few days, convention delegates will begin electing a host of vice-presidents, officers, board members, and the like, to serve with him. Hopefully, those elected will want to take the Synod in the same positive, confessional direction as President Harrison. But how to choose which nominees are the most likely and best equipped to do so?

Delegates have received a copy of Biographical Synopses & Statements of Nominees. But that’s 144 pages of hundreds of names, most of which any delegate will not know. Is there any help or guidance available to delegates to assist them in making the best choices?

There is. It’s called The United List (theunitedlist.org), a voting guide that’s been around for every convention since 1992, with a proven track record of recommending good nominees for office. As a delegate myself, I will be giving The United List’s suggestions my “default mode” preference for casting my votes.

In some ways, elections are as important, if not more so, as resolutions. The people we elect to office are key to setting and implementing policy throughout their terms. And not all the nominees on the ballots–especially this year–are on the same page as far as the direction the Synod should go. Several of the critical elections could be very close this time. So this makes careful, unified voting all the more important.

With that in mind, then, here are The United List recommendations for this convention. Also, delegates can print out this handy pdf file, The United List for 2016, which is the latest updated version (v. 4, May 19, 2016).

The United List

The United List 2016

KEY: *= Incumbent; ( ) = District; Rev.= pastor or other ordained minister; Tchr.= commissioned professor, teacher or principal; Dcs.=deaconess; Dr.= Ph.D., M.D., or other doctoral degree; Atty.= attorney or judge.

PRESIDENT

Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison* (MO)

FIRST VICE-PRESIDENT

Rev. Dr. Herb C. Mueller, Jr.* (MO)

SECRETARY

Rev. Dr. John W. Sias (MT)

VICE-PRESIDENTS TWO TO SIX

Great Lakes: Rev. Dr. John C. Wohlrabe, Jr.* (SW)

Great Plains: Rev. Nabil S. Nour* (SD)

West-Southwest: Rev. Dr. Scott R. Murray* (TX)

East-Southeast: Rev. Christopher S. Esget* (SE)

Central: Rev. Dr. Daniel Preus* (MO)

LCMS BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ord: Rev. Dr. Michael L. Kumm* (SD)

Ord: Rev. M. Alan Taylor (TX)

Lay-At-Large: Ed H. Everts* (FG)

Lay-Great-Lakes: Atty. James W. Carter* (NI)

Lay-Great-Plains: Atty. Larry Harrington (WY)

Lay-East-Southeast: Keith Frndak* (EA)

BOARD FOR NATIONAL MISSION

Ord/Com – Great Lakes: Rev. Peter C. Bender (SW)

Ord/Com – Great Plains: Rev. Steven C. Briel* (MNS)

Ord/Com – West-Southwest: Rev. Dr. Alfonso O. Espinosa*(PSW)

Ord/Com – East-Southeast: Rev. Timothy J. Droegemueller* (FG)

Ord/Com – Central: Tchr. Martha J. Milas* (CI)

Lay – Great Lakes: Robert Knox (NI)

Lay – Great Plains: Carla M. Claussen* (MNS)

Lay – West-Southwest: Carol Hack Broome (CNH)

Lay – East-Southeast: Julia Habrecht* (SE)

Lay – Central: Ernest E. Garbe* (CI)

BOARD FOR INTERNATIONAL MISSION

Ord/Com – Great Lakes: Rev. David P. Stechholz (EN; cong. in MI district)

Ord/Com – Great Plains: Rev. Bernhard M. Seter* (ND)

Ord/Com – West-Southwest: Rev. Samuel Cosby (TX)

Ord/Com – East-Southeast: Rev. Roberto E. Rojas, Jr. (FG)

Ord/Com – Central: Rev. John F. Temple* (MO)

Lay – Great Lakes: Atty. K. Allan Voss* (SW)

Lay – Great Plains: Robert Van Gundy* (MNS)

Lay – West-Southwest: Terence Lung (CNH)

Lay – East-Southeast: James S. Wolf (EN; cong. in EA district)

Lay – Central: Dr. Kristine Bruss (KS)

COMMISSION ON THEOLOGY AND CHURCH RELATIONS

Ord (parish pastor): Rev. Arlo W. Pullmann* (MT)

Com (parish teacher): Tchr. Timothy D. Hardy* (MI)

Lay: Dr. Jack D. Kilcrease III (MI)

CONCORDIA HISTORICAL INSTITUTE, BOARD OF GOVERNORS

No positions in 2016

CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE, BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ord: Rev. Dr. Alvin J. Schmidt* (MO)

Com: Tchr. Dr. Mark L. Bender* (MO)

Lay: Natalie L. Oleshchuk* (MO)

Lay: Gretchen A. Roberts* (MDS)

Lay: Elaine Graff (RM)

LUTHERAN CHURCH EXTENSION FUND, BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ord/Com: Rev. Benjamin D. Haupt (MO)

Lay: Susan J. Elsholz* (EN; cong. in MI district)

Lay: Chris A. Anderson (KS)

LCMS FOUNDATION, BOARD OF TRUSTEES

No positions in 2016

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY SYSTEM, BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Ord: Rev. Dr. Byron Northwick* (IE)

Com: Tchr. Jonathon Giordano (SI) [FLOOR NOMINATION]

Lay: Dr. Gerhard H. Mundinger* (IN)

Lay: Ellen R. Lange (PSW)

AUSTIN REGENTS

Ord: Rev. M. Alan Taylor (TX) [FLOOR NOMINATION] (1ST choice)

Rev. G. Brent McGuire (TX) [FLOOR NOMINATION] (if Taylor elected to BOD)

Com: [no recommendation]

Lay: Mark K. DeYoung* (TX)

Lay: Noreen L. Linke* (TX)

BRONXVILLE REGENTS

Ord: Rev. Jon M. Ellingworth (AT)

Com: Tchr. Dr. Ross E. Stueber (SW)

Lay: Dr. David Wolf (NE)

Lay: [no recommendation]

IRVINE REGENTS

Ord: Rev. Scott C. Klemsz (CNH)

Com: Tchr. Dr. Jeffrey S. Beavers (PSW)

Lay: Sandra J. Ostapowich* (TX)

Lay: Richard P. Fielitz, Jr. (CNH)

MEQUON REGENTS

Ord: Rev. David C. Fleming* (MI)

Com: Dcs. Lynnette A. Fredericksen* (SI)

Lay: Atty. Kenneth B. Bowman* (EN; cong. in PSW district)

Lay: Dr. Deborah J. Davidson (SW)

PORTLAND REGENTS

Ord: Rev. Dr. Gregory N. Todd (SI)

Com: Tchr. Keith E. Brosz* (PSW)

Lay: Michael P. Borg (WY)

Lay: Dr. August C. Schwark (NOW)

RIVER FOREST REGENTS

Ord: Rev. Roger B. Gallup* (NI)

Com: Tchr. Mark P. Muehl* (IN)

Lay: Dr. Debra Grime* (IN)

Lay: Atty. Mark O. Stern* (NI)

SAINT PAUL REGENTS

Ord: Rev. David A. Kind* (MNS)

Com: Tchr. Dr. Mark J. L’Heureux (NEB)

Lay: Willis R. Myers (SO)

Lay: Marvin H. Schultheis (KS)

SELMA REGENTS

Ord: Rev. Dr. Carl L. Beckwith (SO)

Com: Dcs. Deborah L. Rockrohr (IN)

Lay: Dr. James E. Tallmon (WY)

Lay: Carol Schmidt (MO)

SEWARD REGENTS

Ord: Rev. James D. Woelmer (TX) [FLOOR NOMINATION]

Com: [no recommendation]

Lay (Seward Co.): Jill M. Johnson* (NEB)

Lay (non-Seward Co.): Dr. Timothy Hu (WY)

FORT WAYNE REGENTS

Ord: Rev. Dr. Ronald M. Garwood* (WY)

Lay: Dr. Leo S. Mackay, Jr.* (SE)

Lay: Dr. Bradd Stucky* (SW)

SAINT LOUIS REGENTS

Ord: Rev. Dr. Harold L. Senkbeil* (SW)

Lay: Dr. Paul Edmon (NE) [FLOOR NOMINATION]

Lay: Atty. Kurt E. Johnson (SI)

v. 4, May 19, 2016

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