Lead Time

About Peggy - Peggy grew up in a small town in northern Indiana with 5 siblings, learning the importance of hard work, dedication, persistence, and thankfulness. Peggy is passionate about helping families advance God’s mission by transforming the family culture using effective relational equipping and communication-enhancing tools. She has coached many individuals, families, and organizations (including not-for-profits and small businesses) for improved leadership, relationships, well-being, and effectiveness. Peggy also serves as a coach with Full Strength Network, a growing national network of caregivers and service providers passionate about helping pastors and their families thrive in ministry life. Peggy attended Indiana University, studying education, business, and multicultural education and later received her teacher’s certification through Concordia University Wisconsin. She received her master’s degree in leadership coaching and consulting through the Townsend Institute at Concordia University Irvine and holds multiple certifications for assessments that enrich her coaching. Through Gallup, she is a certified CliftonStrengths Coach and an educational coach with a Certificate in Strengths-Based Education. Peggy also is certified with SYMBIS and Prepare/Enrich, assessments used for marriage enrichment. She has a coaching certification with Ministry Insights International and is a certified coach through the International Coaching Federation. Peggy has invested over 25 years in the fields of ministry & education, homeschooling her four children for a few years and serving almost 13 years in a traditional Lutheran school setting. She currently serves as a called and commissioned member of the Family Life Team at her church.Support the showVisit uniteleadership.org

Part 2 of a thorough conversation with Don Christian allowing response on behalf of CTX to many accusations or confusions heading into the Synod Convention. Don and CTX have issued a response to the report, but it is often best to hear what is said, not just what is written.Support the showVisit uniteleadership.org

About Christian:Professional Positions:Attorney. Over 35 years experience handling complex insurance coverage issues on a nationwide basis.Advised management and boards of directors on issues of company-wide significance.Assisted with significant and broad-impact claims-handling.Provided guidance on insurance policy drafting.Litigated insurance coverage cases in state and federal trial and appellate courts throughout the United States. Handled directors and officers liability insurance claims, sexual misconduct insurance claims, as well as multiple other lines of professional liability, property, and casualty insurance.Handled multiple matters involving First Amendment issues. Rated AV Preeminent® by Martindale-Hubbell®.Minnesota Super Lawyers list, Super Lawyers, 2014-present.Licensed and admitted to practice law in multiple state and federal courts.          Law Clerk, Chief Justice, North Dakota Supreme Court 1985-86. Administrative Assistant, Majority Leader, North Dakota House of Representatives, 1985. Civic Positions: Charter Commission, City Council, Planning Commission, Plymouth, Minnesota, 1994 - 2019. Synod:LCMS Board of Directors -- 2013 to present, and 1995 to 2007         Executive CommitteeChair Governance Committee         Chair CAO Search Committee         Past Chair Personnel CommitteeConcordia University - St. Paul, 1989-92         Chair         SecretaryConcordia University - Ann Arbor (2010 - 13)Several Task ForcesSynod Convention delegate multiple times and Floor Committee member Minnesota South District:Committee for Convention Nominations  -  2015, 2006, 2022District Convention Delegate (twice) Congregation:President, Elder, Council, Constitution Committee, Endowment Fund Committee, Youth Board, Trustees, various other committees, Sunday School teacher. Other:Assisted many organizations in drafting governing and incorporation documents and serving in board and officer positions. Visit uniteleadership.orgSupport the showVisit uniteleadership.org

About Bart:Bart is currently serving as President and CEO of Lutheran Church Extension Fund. He has served as a parish pastor, headmaster of an elementary school, executive to oversee domestic mission work, and now head of the church’s financial institution. Bart received his bachelor’s degree from Concordia University, Nebraska, a master’s degree from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis and an MBA from Washington University, St. Louis. He enjoys hiking, attending sports events, and concerts, and spending time with his wife, Julie and their six children and two dogs. He believes in the satisfaction that comes from hard work, the enjoyment of a job well done, and the beauty of joy and laughter in working alongside similarly motivated people. Bart serves on various nonprofit boards that serve the church and world.Support the showVisit uniteleadership.org

Download this episode at https://leadtime.buzzsprout.com/Learn more about Pat Ferry!Pat Ferry’s long and successful track record of executive leadership running a complex organization, forging numerous international partnerships, overseeing dozens of operational units and work functions, maintaining (and growing) a large budget, and dramatically increasing a university’s endowment speaks for itself. But such accomplishments are not his most important legacy nor were they his primary motivation. His own LCMS college experience was singularly formative. Pat’s successful tenure as a Lutheran university president is a testimony to the powerful, transformational experience of our Lutheran tradition. Pat is a thoughtful, trusted leader with a proven history of high-level problem solving and consensus building, inspiring more people to walk together for the sake of the Gospel.For More: https://www.patferry.com/Visit uniteleadership.orgSupport the showVisit uniteleadership.org

About Paul: I help ministry boards learn to govern effectively by deploying my God-given strengths and gifts; my experience in and knowledge of business, risk management, and governance; my deep understanding of LCMS culture; and my love for theology as it relates to the joy and power of living as a baptized called and commissioned vocational missionary for Jesus.My passion is helping ministries advance God’s mission and transform the culture by using a system of effective governance to accountably achieve strategic future-focused results.I grew up on the Concordia Senior College/Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne where my father served as professor and administrator from 1967-2001. Having graduated from Concordia Lutheran High School and Indiana University (Bachelor’s degree and MBA), I moved with my wife Peggy to Midland, TX where I served as financial analyst with Exxon USA (now ExxonMobil). We subsequently moved to Fort Wayne where I served in a mid-sized independent insurance agency before owning and growing an agency that now is a national agency leader in insuring Fire & EMS organizations.I became interested in Policy Governance® while serving as a leader of my congregation. After being selected to attend John and Miriam Carver’s Policy Governance® Academy in 2014, I joined in 2015 The Governance Coach, a foremost international Policy Governance® coaching and consulting firm. I have direct experience applying Policy Governance within a board context having served for nine years on the Lutheran Bible Translators board during its transition from “policy-based governance” to Policy Governance.Ministry boards are often preoccupied with prescribing operational details and managing one-step-up from the ministry leader instead of governing one-step-down from those on whose behalf they govern (“owners” for shorthand) to ensure real results are achieved for those served. Regrettably, too many ministries lack role clarity, leading to decision-making confusion and subsequent relational tension and a lack of proactive and strategic responses to meeting the urgent need of their communities to experience Jesus.Governing well requires board servant-leadership focused on accountably delegating to the ministry leader the achievement of results for targeted beneficiaries at a specified worth (“Ends” for shorthand) within board-established boundaries of ethics and prudence, both as reasonably interpreted by the ministry leader.If your ministry has the capacity for this type of governance system, you will be rewarded with the benefits of role clarity and accountability and the joy of knowing you are giving God glory by achieving through His Spirit real results for those you serve.Visit Uniteleadership.orgSupport the showVisit uniteleadership.org

See also - Interview with Concordia Texas' Campus Pastor Jake Boessling https://youtu.be/gZ17rHZABvoAbout Don - Dr. Donald Christian is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Concordia University Texas. He became Concordia's ninth executive leader on August 1, 2014, following selection by the Board of Regents. Today, he serves as the academic, spiritual and business head of Concordia, a role for which he is well prepared following a life of service to the Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod in various roles.Dr. Christian earned a doctorate in management and organizational leadership from the University of Phoenix (2007), where his research focused on the correlation of interagency collaboration efforts and leadership skills among school leaders. He was called to Concordia University Texas in August of 2005 to serve as the dean of the College of Business, a position he held for nine years.During those years, the College of Business grew from 100 students to just over 800 students, added the Concordia MBA to its list of programs, successfully incorporated the state-wide Accelerated Degree Programs into the college, and oversaw the creation of the Speaker Series, which brought well-known community leaders to campus each month. In addition to his work in the college, Christian also built and oversaw a university-wide required leadership course and became known for his fundraising abilities to support innovative programs within the college.Over the past five years, Dr. Christian has overseen the creation and execution of the current strategic plan entitled “Building a Strong Foundation,” expanded Concordia’s athletic facilities by adding a state-of-the-art softball field, created strong ties with the West Austin community through both formal and informal partnerships, and launched IncubatorCTX, which serves both Concordia students and community members.Prior to his time at Concordia, Dr. Christian served as the headmaster for the Houston private school Lutheran High North (2001-2005) and as the minister of young adults at a large urban Lutheran church in downtown Houston (1990-1997). His early career was in the area of conducting, having been a high school band director and earning a Master of Music in wind conducting from the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music in 1986. His undergraduate work was done at Concordia University Chicago where he received a Bachelor of Music Education in 1981.Committed to serving the community and the church, Dr. Christian is a member of the Austin Area Research Organization (AARO) and serves as a board member for both the Lutheran Summer Music (LSM) program and the Independent Colleges and Universities of Texas (ICUT). Dr. Christian’s focus on leadership has him speaking in multiple locations, most recently working with the Texas Health and Human Services Leadership Development Program, the Missouri Lutheran Educator’s Conference and the Best Practices in Ministry Conference. From 2008-2018, he wrote a weekly blog entitled Thinking About Leadership, which gained an international following. He continues to be a student of leadership through reading, writing and speaking on the topic.Don and his wife, Deborah, have been married since 1982. They have spent nearly all of their married life together in service to the church and Lutheran education. They enjoy reading, spending time with friends and traveling each summer to Maine.Support the showVisit uniteleadership.org

About Richard Snow - Rev. Richard Snow, District President — Serves as an advisor to the church workers of the District, as a visitor to congregations and church workers in times of celebration or difficulty, and as a leader in ministry to the members of the Nebraska District.Support the showVisit uniteleadership.org

About Andy:Rev. Dr. Andy Bartelt - bio - ordained in 1976…studied at Cambridge and Obererusal…three years in parish ministry at St. Louis…and as a grad student teaching Hebrew. Full time faculty in 1978 at Concordia Seminary. Retired in 2020. 42 years. Support the showVisit uniteleadership.org

About Mark:Perhaps it is because Mark Zehnder himself comes from a long line of pastors (his grandfather, father, and two uncles), that he is perfectly suited to serve pastors and churches as Founder and President of Always Forward Ministries. During his pastoral ministry, Dr. Zehnder has served at churches of all sizes…a small church right out of Seminary, a mission plant that was one of the fastest growing churches in his denomination, and for over 28 years at King of Kings, a large church in Omaha, Nebraska.  Mark celebrated 40 years of Pastoral Ministry the summer of 2021.In January of 2020 Mark passed the leadership baton to Pastor Greg Griffith.  While 70-80% of churches experience all sorts of negative results in pastoral leadership transition, King of Kings is thriving two years later. Mark’s life mission is “to inspire the church to reach the lost.”  One of his favorite ways to accomplish this is to bless and encourage pastors. Since Mark is a 7 on the Enneagram, you’re going to have a great time hanging out with him!Mark and his wife of 45 years, Sharon, have three children, two sons, Eric, and Zach (who is continuing in the Zehnder line of preachers), and a daughter, Charista.  Mark and Sharon are thrilled to have five grandchildren.  Mark is a sports nut and loves golf (he’s had 4 holes-in-one and a double eagle!) Mark is committed to coming alongside pastors, boards, staffs, and congregations to assist them in the difficult and complex process of pastoral leadership transition.  He is also available to preach or speak on many topics. You can contact him at mark@alwaysforwardministries.com.Support the showVisit uniteleadership.org