In Part One of the Congregations Matter article about United Listers, the LCMS learned several things. First, the groups that form The United List are well-funded with hundreds of thousands of dollars in their war chests for political purposes. Looking through their IRS Form 990 filings one finds that in the year leading up to each Synod convention, the groups that create the United List spend $100K or more to elect their slate of candidates. United Listers control Synod.
Laypeople and pastors alike can hardly believe this happens in the LCMS. And many have asked Congregations Matter just how far the United Lister influence extends. They want proof. Congregations Matter provides it below.
Every Elected Board Has A United Lister Majority
As the reader will see from the list below, all but two elected boards have a majority of United Listers — and United Listers hold all elected offices. Sadly, their control reaches beyond their elected positions: with the Synod Presidency and a board majority goes the ability to choose United Listers for each position appointed by a board or elected office.
That means each appointed position — and all lists of candidates for positions — are controlled by United Listers.
Examples? Robert Zagore (United List 2007 and 2013) was just appointed to serve as the Executive Director of the Office of National Missions. Pastor Bill Weedon (United List 2010) was appointed to serve as Director of Worship for Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod and Chaplain of the International Center of the LCMS. There are many more.
Is This Level of Control by Fringe Groups Good for the LCMS?
Below are the results of our elections from the past two conventions. Behind each name in parenthesis is the latest year their name appeared on the United List and their elected position in Synod. You can also download a PDF copy of the list to share with others.
Read it carefully. As you contemplate nominating for the 2019 Convention in Tampa, you will have to consider if this level of control by a so-called “confessional” group who have departed from the historic congregation-based polity of our Synod and who use dollars to push their agenda is really good for our beloved Synod. Haven’t they centralized control enough? Hasn’t their control put Synod in enough financial straits? Is this the fulfillment of Matt Harrison’s manifesto “It’s Time”?
Mr. President, Time’s Up
We need new leadership. The United Listers have usurped local, congregational control and run the Synod out of money. We can’t afford their leadership anymore.
Congregations — and elections — matter.
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The United Listers Elected in 2013 and 2016
President: Matt Harrison (United List 2010, 2013 and 2016)
First Vice President: Herb Mueller, Jr. (2010, 2013 and 2016)
Regional Vice Presidents (5 of 5 members from the United List):
John Wohlrabe (2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016, Great Lakes Region); Nabil Nour (2013 and 2016, Great Plains Region); Scott Murray (2010, 2013 and 2016, West-Southwest Region); Christopher Esget (2007 and 2016, East-Southeast Region); Daniel Preus (2010, 2013 and 2016, Central Region)
Secretary of Synod: John Sias (2016)
Synod Board of Directors (7 of 10 members from the United List):
Michael Kumm (2016, Ordained At-Large); Ed Everts (2016, Lay At-Large); Christian Preus (2010 and 2013, Lay At-Large); Kathy Schulz (2007, 2010, 2013 and 2016, Lay Central Region); Keith Frndak (2010 and 2016, Lay East-Southeast Region); James Carter, Jr. (2010 and 2016, Lay Great Lakes Region); Larry Harrington (2016, Lay Great Plains Region)
Board for National Mission (9 of 10 members from the United List):
Martha Milas (2016, Ordained/Commissioned Central Region); Tim Droegemueller (2016, Ordained/Commissioned East-Southeast Region); Peter Bender (2016, Ordained/Commissioned Great Lakes Region); Steven Briel (2016, Ordained/Commissioned Great Plains Region); Alfonso Espinosa (2016, Ordained/Commissioned West-Southwest Region); Ernest Garbe (2016, Lay Central Region); Julia Habrecht (2016, Lay East-Southeast Region); Carla Claussen (2010 and 2016, Lay Great Plains Region); Carol Broome (2016, Lay West-Southwest Region)
Also: Robert Zagore (United List 2007 and 2013) was just appointed to serve as the Executive Director of the Office of National Missions
Board for International Mission (10 of 10 members from the United List):
Kristine Bruss (2016, Ordained/Commissioned Central Region [now vacant]); Roberto Rojas, Jr. (2016, Ordained/Commissioned East-Southeast Region); David Stechholz (2016, Ordained/Commissioned Great Lakes Region); Bernard Seter (2007 and 2016, Ordained/Commissioned Great Plains Region); Samuel Cosby (2016, Ordained/Commissioned West-Southwest Region [now vacant]); Kristine Bruss (2016, Lay Central Region); James Wolf (2016, Lay East-Southeast Region); Allan Voss (2007 and 2016, Lay Great Lakes Region); Robert Van Gundy (2016, Lay Great Plains Region); Terrence Lung (2016, Lay West-Southwest Region)
Commission on Theology and Church Relations (5 of 5 elected members from the United List):
Robert Dargatz (2013, Ordained Parish Pastor At-Large); Arlo Pullmann (2016, Ordained Parish Pastor At-Large); Timothy Hardy (2016, Commissioned Parish Teacher At-Large); Jack Kilcrease (2016, Lay At-Large); Andrea Pitkus (2013 Lay At-Large)
Concordia Historical Institute (2 of 3 elected members from the United List plus several appointed positions):
Frederic Baue (2013, Ordained At-Large); Cameron MacKenzie (2007 and 2013, Ordained At-Large)
Concordia Publishing House (8 of 9 elected members from the United List):
Alvin Schmidt (2016, Ordained At-Large); Mark Bender (2016, Commissioned At-Large); Stephanie Egger (2013 Lay At-Large); Elaine Graff (2007 and 2016, Lay At-Large); Angela Hill (2013, Lay At-Large); Natalie Oleshchuk (2016, Lay At-Large); Joseph Olson (2013, Lay At-Large); Gretchen Roberts (2016, Lay At-Large)
Lutheran Church Extension Fund (3 of 3 elected members from the United List):
Benjamin Haupt (2016, Ordained At-Large); Christopher Anderson (2016, Lay At-Large [Now Vacant?]); Susan Elsholz (2016, Lay At-Large)
LCMS Foundation BOD (1 of 2 elected members from the United List):
Gregory Miller (2013, Lay At-Large)
Concordia University System BOD (4 of 5 elected members from the United List):
Byron Northwick (2016, Ordained At-Large); Jonathon Giordano (2016, Commissioned At-Large); Ellen Lange (2016, Lay At-Large); Gerhard Mundinger, Jr. (2016, Lay At-Large)
Concordia St. Louis Board of Regents (5 of 7 elected members from the United List):
Shawn Kumm (2013, Ordained At-Large); Harold Senkbeil (2016, Ordained At-Large); Walter Dissen (2007 and 2013, Lay At-Large); Paul Edmon (2016, Lay At-Large); Paul Hegland (2010 Lay At-Large)
Concordia Fort Wayne Board of Regents (6 of 7 elected members from the United List):
Dean Bell (2007 and 2013, Ordained At-Large); William Cwirla (2013, Ordained At-Large); Ronald Garwood (2016, Ordained At-Large); David Held (2007 and 2013, Commissioned At-Large); Leo Mackay, Jr. (2016, Lay At-Large); Beverly Yahnke (2004, Lay At-Large)
Concordia New York Board of Regents (3 of 4 elected members from the United List):
Jon Ellingworth (2016, Ordained At-Large); Ross Stueber (2016, Commissioned At-Large); David Wolf (2016, Lay At-Large)
Concordia Chicago Board of Regents (4 of 4 elected members from the United List):
Roger Gallup (2013 and 2016, Ordained At-Large); Mark Muehl (2016, Commissioned At-Large); Debra Grime (2013 and 2016, Lay At-Large); Mark Stern (2007 and 2016, Lay At-Large)
Concordia Irvine Board of Regents (3 of 4 elected members from the United List):
Scott Klemsz (2016, Ordained At-Large); Jeffrey Beavers (2016, Commissioned At-Large); Sandra Ostapowich (2007 and 2016, Lay At-Large)
Concordia Seward Board of Regents (2 of 4 elected members from the United List):
Timothy Hu (2016, Lay At-Large); Jill Johnson (2016, Lay Seward County)
Concordia Portland Board of Regents (4 of 4 elected members from the United List):
Gregory Todd (2016, Ordained At-Large); Keith Brosz (2016, Commissioned At-Large); Michael Borg (2016, Lay At-Large); August Schwark (2016, Lay At-Large)
Concordia St. Paul Board of Regents (3 of 4 elected members from the United List):
David Kind (2016, Ordained At-Large); Mark L’Heureux (2016, Commissioned At-Large); W. Robert Myers (2016, Lay At-Large)
Concordia Texas Board of Regents (2 of 4 elected members from the United List):
Mark DeYoung (2013 and 2016, Lay At-Large); Noreen Linke (2016, Lay At-Large)
Concordia Wisconsin Board of Regents (4 of 4 elected members from the United List):
David Fleming (2007 and 2016, Ordained At-Large); Lynette Fredericksen (2007 and 2016, Commissioned At-Large); Kenneth Bowman (2016, Lay At-Large); Deborah Davidson (2016, Lay At-Large)