Is the LCMS truly facing a pastoral shortage — or do we have too many pastors and too few people in the pews? In this bold Lead Time episode, Tim Ahlman and Jack Kalleberg sit down with Tim Wood (Ad Crucem, CSL Regent) to confront the uncomfortable realities shaping the Missouri Synod’s future.

They tackle:
- Why Lutheran churches have lost half their membership in 25 years.
- Whether our law/gospel preaching model has fallen into a predictable rut.
- The shocking case for consolidating congregations and “right-sizing” the pastoral field.
- How biblical illiteracy is crippling the next generation of Lutherans.

This candid conversation isn’t about tearing down — it’s about telling the truth in love, so we can chart a faithful future. Whether you agree or disagree, these are the questions the LCMS can’t afford to ignore.

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