Time to Vote for Matthew Harrison

Now that a second ballot for LCMS Synodical President has been cast, it looks as though we may have some earth quaking beneath us, ladies and gentlemen.

The race between incumbent President Rev. Dr. Matthew Harrison and challenger Rev. Dr. Joel Biermann has become a nail-biter, much to virtually everyone’s surprise. When the nominations first came in back in February, there was barely a shrug becuase Harrison had 51.2% of the nominations and Biermann only 19%. Then the first ballot was cast and for the first time since his election in 2010, he did not receive a majority of votes. That turned some heads, though he maintained a lead of 43.8% of actual votes cast against Biermann’s 39%. Now that the second ballot’s votes have been tabulated, we have a surprisingly razor-thin race on our hands, as Harrison’s leads has shrunk to 46.3% to Biermann’s 46.0%, a difference of only 14 votes. The next ballot is set for June 20-23. A full and helpful analysis has been offered by Ad Crucem News.

We notice that of the four remaining candidates, Rev. Ben Ball received 212 votes while Rev. Brady Finnern, who now is dropped off the ballot, received 158.

We at Gottesdienst have been grateful to God for the leadership Matthew Harrison has given to our Synod over the past 16 years, especially in the promotion of liturgical, confessional Lutheran worship, and it is our earnest prayer and hope that this leadership continue, by the grace of God. Although Ben Ball is a personal friend and colleague, and support for him is gratifying to see, we also strongly feel that a continuation of the Harrison administration would be most beneficial to the Synod at this time. In any event, we shall pray and expect that the good and gracious will of God will be done, but we are constrained to say that Dr. Harrison has earned our full support, and we wholeheartedly offer it for his re-election, and the continuation of the liturgical and confessional renaissance our Synod has been witnessing of late, both at home and in our sister church bodies; it has been a beautiful sight to behold. May it continue, under the mighty hand of God.