2026 Presenters

1. Wes Hromowyk (Zion, Columbus, OH), “Discipling, Discipline, and Corporal Chastisement: A Biblical Primer.” In a world of “gentle parenting”, be a parent of the Proverbs: “Whoever spares the rod hates their children, but the one who loves their children is careful to discipline them” (Pro 13:24). Along with proactive training, discipline and chastisement become the tools parents use to help raise the next godly generation. This presentation will offer encouragement and support for the kings and queens of the Christian home!

 

2. Terry Worst (New Hope, Grandville/Newark, OH), “Highlights of the 69th Synodical Convention, "Christ is Risen, INDEED!"  This presentation will be a brief overview and highlight of the Convention proceedings. Legislative areas will include (1) Missions & Ministry: priorities of church planting, mission outreach, and aiding small congregations toward God's harvest; (2) Formation & Ministry: the training and spiritual development of God's called workers; (3) Women & Ministry: their role in service to God and His Church; and (4) Supervision & Structure in Ministry: governing, dispute resolution, and administering God's house.

 

3. Eli Shaw (Bethany, Columbus, OH),  "Talking About Closed Communion.” The historic practice of "Closed Communion" is a loving practice, but it frequently comes across as unloving by those who visit our churches. Talking about "Closed Communion" can make people uncomfortable, including the pastor/greeter(s)/elder(s) responsible for sharing our doctrine and practice with others. Clearly, what we believe about the Lord's Supper matters, but it also matters how we talk about it (especially with visitors who don't know or understand the practice of "Closed Communion"). Experience shows that, when communicated faithfully and tactfully, outsiders are more receptive to "Closed Communion" than they otherwise would have been if the topic was handled with less care. "Closed Communion" demonstrates both love for God and love for neighbor, and it's our responsibility to confess this truth.

 

4. Adam Steinbrenner (St. John’s Dublin, OH), “The Two-Fold Vocational Task of the Church in Worship.” Personally, I find much of the discussion that surrounds worship practice quite unhelpful. The terms used along the roadwork of worship thought lead to odd dead-ends, incoherent with previously laid out pathing. While I find much of the discussion unhelpful—when it utilizes increasingly empty terms like ‘traditional’ & ‘contemporary’, or when it shifts to the cosmetic of what worship should look like, or when it sidles over to the ears that permit some noted instruments, not others—I attempt to redirect the discussion away from all of that and to the topic of vocation. At the least, the church has two vocational tasks when it comes to worship. Rarely, found are Christians who seek to practice both vocations simultaneously. I invite you to join with me to consider the church’s two-fold vocational task in worship.

 

5. Cody Schrepferman (Gethsemane, Marion, OH) “Even If You Must Kill Him”: Luther on Self-Defense and Christian Duty.” Martin Luther is often remembered for his teaching on suffering, bearing the cross, and non-retaliation for the sake of Christ. Yet in his 1539 Circular Disputation on Matthew 19:21, Luther argues that Christians not only may defend themselves against violent attack, but in certain circumstances are obligated to do so, even when lethal force is required. This lecture examines Luther’s distinction between persecution suffered for the sake of the First Table of the Law and criminal violence addressed by the Second Table, showing how his doctrine of vocation, civil authority, and the Three Estates shapes his understanding of self-defense. Particular attention will be given to Luther’s striking claim that a Christian confronted by a murderer “should resist, even if he must kill him,” not as an act of personal vengeance but as obedience to God’s ordering of temporal life. The presentation will explore how Luther’s framework challenges both pacifist and individualistic readings of Christian ethics while offering a coherent account of lethal self-defense grounded in vocation, neighbor-love, and civil order.

 

6. Noah Dunsmore (Zion, Mount Pleasant, MI), “The Genealogical Character of Salvation: What We Can Learn from Irenaeus of Lyons.” As Lutherans, if someone were to ask us to articulate the chief article of the Christian faith, we would all rightly respond that the chief article is that man is justified by grace through faith apart from works of the Law on account of Christ's perfect obedience to the Law of God and the shedding of his blood to bear the penalty of man's sin. While this is true and this article may never be compromised, Scripture paints a broader picture of the outcome of this justification, namely that all who believe not only receive the forgiveness of sins and eternal life, but also the adoption as sons. In this troubled age where many are questioning what it means to be human and seeking to find the ground of their very being, Irenaeus of Lyons is a helpful guide to articulating the genealogical character of man's salvation. This truth is such that it not only comforts and edifies the believer, but also invites the unbeliever into the abundant life that the Lord Jesus Christ came to procure for humanity.

 

7. Christopher McCarthy (St. Paul’s, Ashland, KY), “Table Fellowship with the King: Royal Favor Communicated in the Lord's Supper.” It seems that we can always dig deeper into the mystery of the Lord's Supper. We confess our unworthiness for such a gift and come because of our great need for the forgiveness of sins. But this grace is even more magnified when we remember that Christ is our King, Who gives gifts and shows favor to those who cannot repay Him. Truly, this is what it means for Him to be your God-King. As we dive into the Scriptures of Old and New Testaments, we will see a correlation between God's favor, His presence, eating and drinking in His presence, and the Lord's Supper. 

 

8. Keith Witte (Bethlehem, Fairborn), “Ministry to the Armed Forces: Observations from an LCMS Chaplain and Parish Pastor.” Chaplain Witte will share the blessings and challenges of ministry to the armed forces. What are the common issues that military members and their families face today? How are military members a blessing to the local congregation? How can congregations get involved in this ministry, or improve their existing ministry, through Operation Barnabas? 

9. Jacob Deal (St. Timothy, Huber Heights, OH), “The World Wants Your Church.” The world seeks to undermine the Church by first attacking the Christian household, the primary place where the faith is taught, confessed, and handed down to future generations. Drawing from the witness of Holy Scripture, the Lutheran Confessions, and the historic Church, this paper argues that faithfulness in marriage, catechesis, and family life is essential to preserving doctrinal fidelity within the congregation. By exploring the consequences of marriage between believers and unbelievers, compromised confession, and weakened discipline, it calls Christians to renew their commitment to the household as the nursery of the true faith and a chief pillar in the building up of faithful congregations.

 

10. Ross Gottschalk (St. Paul’s WELS, Columbus, OH), “A WELS Pastor's Perspective on the LCMS.” -The Dunning-Kruger effect is a psychological term used to describe the inability of individuals to accurately assess their own skills and abilities. It is like a cognitive tunnel vision. This can happen to us as individuals, it can happen to churches, and it can even happen to a synod. While we may not share in full fellowship, I believe the WELS and LCMS can still be a blessing to one another by offering an outside perspective. It is easy for churches to get used to things that may not be good. After seeing the same stain in the carpet 300 times, we become blind to it. A first-time visitor will be able to point it out right away. I hope to offer an outsider's perspective on what I see in the LCMS so that we can better serve Christ and His Kingdom! If you have any questions about what is going on with the WELS, I would be happy to answer them as well.

11. Andrew Twietmeyer (St. Paul’s, Hillsdale, MI), “The concepts of Death and Life in the Scriptures.”
    Adam, who later fathered Cain, Able, and Seth, died on the day he ate from the Tree of Knowledge (Genesis 2:17). Jairus’s daughter is not dead, but sleeping (Mark 5:21-43, Matthew 9:18-26, Luke 8:40-56). The dead bury their own dead (Luke 9:60, Matthew 8:22). God is the God of the living, including the long deceased Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Luke 20:38, Matthew 22:32, Mark 12:27). You have died, and your life is hidden with God (Colossians 3:2). To set the mind of the flesh is death (Romans 8:8). All of these passages have something in common. They challenge the notion that death is strictly related to heartbeats and brain activity. If death is something more than a heart that does not beat, then what is it? In asking this question, Christians will learn that, through the divine revelation of the Holy Scriptures, they can learn more about death (and also life) than what the senses and reason reveal.

12. Dan Golden (St. Paul’s, Parkersburg, WV), “Appalachian Preaching Stations.” How does a Preaching Station begin in the 21st century? What does it look like? Where do they go? The answer may surprise you.