You may find this video overview of the nomination procedures helpful. Otherwise, see below for step-by-step instructions.

Download a PDF of the below instructions for printing or to give to your pastor or congregation leadership.

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PART 1 — HOLD A CONGREGATIONAL MEETING

At the next meeting of voters’ assembly, church council, or other governing board authorized by your congregation’s constitution and bylaws to nominate individuals for Synod offices, accomplish 3 items of business.

• Make nominations for Synod President and Vice Presidents.

Bring the names you’d like your congregation to consider before the assembly and receive other names from the body. Your congregation may nominate up to two pastors for each position (President, First Vice President, and Regional Vice President). There needs to be a valid motion (with a second) and a vote for the slate of nominees. Have them vote to approve the nominations. 

• Designate a lay voter for Synod President.

It is possible this is the same layman your congregation sent to the district convention and circuit forum.  

• Designate a pastoral voter. If your congregation has more than one pastor, it needs to choose which one will be the pastoral voter. A vacancy pastor is not eligible to be a voter, nor is an SMP pastor. Note: You must register the lay and pastoral voter by March 19, 2023.

These actions can be done at a regularly scheduled meeting, before the February 28th deadline, or a specially called one, which could easily be completed briefly after a Sunday service.Record the date of the meeting and two congregational officers present at the meeting to attest to the action of the congregation.

PART 2 — REGISTER YOUR TWO CONGREGATIONAL VOTERS ONLINE by March 19, 2023

In October your congregation should have received a letter which included initial login credentials to your Synod voter registration portal. If you did NOT receive this letter, email LCMSPresidentVote@lcms.org, and they will send it to you electronically.

1. Enter the URL listed in the letter (https://pvr.lcms.org/) in your browser and then log on using the username and password provided. You will be prompted to choose a NEW username and password at your initial login for your congregation, and you will be asked to verify an email address for the account. Make sure you write down your new username and password somewhere secure.  
2. Add the two “Attesting Officers” from the congregational meeting to your account, such as your Congregational President, VP, Council Secretary, etc. Their purpose is to verify the process on the congregation’s behalf.  
3. Choose the “Registered Pastoral Voter” from the dropdown list. If you are the sole pastor, that’s you. If you are not the sole pastor, you will see your name and the other pastor’s name.  Pick the one selected by your congregation, as outlined in PART 1.
4. Enter the personal information for your congregation’s “Registered Lay Voter” (See PART 1).

PART 3 — SUBMIT YOUR CONGREGATION’S NOMINATIONS by February 28, 2023

You should have received login credentials in an October 15 letter from Election-America, Inc. or by email from Help@YesElections.com. (Election-America, Inc. has a new name, YesElections, so you might see both names used interchangeably.) If you have not received these credentials, email LCMSPresidentVote@lcms.org.

1. Click on the URL link in the email from “YesElections” or go to https://Vote.YesElections.com/LCMSNominations/ and enter the login information provided for you.  
2. Once logged into the “YesElections” portal, enter your congregation’s nominations, beginning with Synod President. For example, type “Harrison” in the last name search bar and click “search.” A dropdown list of all pastors with the last name Harrison will appear; select “Rev Dr Matthew Carl Harrison” so it is highlighted. Then, in the box labeled “President,” click on the “assign” button.  It will fill that slot with the name you’ve highlighted from the dropdown list above. 
   • Repeat this step for the SECOND person your congregation nominated for Synod President. 
   • Repeat this process for the First Vice President position and for your Regional Vice President position.
3. Enter your congregation’s attesting officers’ names, positions, and email addresses, covered in PART 2, Step 2 earlier.
4. Submit your congregation’s nominations.

If you have any difficulty completing this process, contact Election-America, Inc. at Help+LCMS@yeselections.com or (866) 384-9978.

If you have questions about the nomination or election process, contact the LCMS Office of the Secretary at lcmssecretary@lcms.org or (314) 996-1417.