The Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, having received more than 50% of the votes cast in the third ballot for the election of the president of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), is the president-elect for the 2026–2029 triennium. It will be his sixth term in office.
The election for the position of Synod president began last fall with an online nominating process, conducted by YesElections, that concluded Feb. 18, or five months prior to the start of the Synod convention, with a report to the secretary of the Synod.
The resulting candidates for the office of president were the five ordained ministers who received the highest number of votes in the nominations process and who consented to serve if elected. The voting began, according to Bylaw 3.12.2.4, starting June 6 (six weeks prior to the convention) via Internet balloting provided by YesElections.
The 5,478 pastoral and lay voters validly registered by the congregations and parishes of the Synod (Bylaw 3.12.2.3) before the deadline (electronic registration by March 8) or their substitutes (as validly submitted before May 29) served as the voters for this election. Of those, a total of 5,038 votes were cast in the third round of voting, constituting a vote percentage of 92.0% of the electorate. (The voter percentage was 85.4% in the first round and 88.4% in the second round.)
The results of the third ballot tallied and reported to the secretary of the Synod by YesElections are as follows:
- Harrison was voted president-elect with 2,524 votes (50.1%);
- The Rev. Dr. Joel D. Biermann received 2,414 votes (47.9%); and
- The Rev. Benjamin T. Ball received 100 votes (2.0%).
Harrison responded to the news of his election:
“First, thank you to the candidates who were willing to be subjected to this grueling process of public scrutiny, and especially to Dr. Biermann. I had prepared a concession speech thanking Joel for standing, noting how blessed we are in the LCMS to have such a capable theologian as our new president, and vowing my support. Thanks, too, to First Vice-President Lange, Brady Finnern and Ben Ball. Any one of them would be a blessing.
“Thank you for this amazing opportunity to serve a final term. Please forgive me my many faults and sins. I plead for your prayers for fidelity to the Gospel of Christ’s blood-bought forgiveness, and prayers that I may serve all of you as Christ would have me do in these final three years.
“‘Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, equip you with everything good that you may do His will, working in us that which is pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.’” (Heb. 13:20–21)
The Bylaws of the LCMS instruct the secretary of the Synod to notify the candidates in the Synod’s presidential election of the results of the balloting at least two weeks prior to the convention. The candidates were informed earlier today, June 24, of the results of the June 20–23 ballot.
Additional information about the election result will be published in the second issue of Today’s Business, which will be available at the beginning of the convention. For more information about the election or candidates, see lcms.org/convention/elections.
The 69th Regular Convention of the LCMS will take place July 18–23 at the Phoenix Convention Center under theme “Christ Is Risen Indeed.”
(From the LCMS Reporter article which can be accessed here.)
