
ARE YOU READY TO PUT THE REFORMATION INTO PRACTICE?
July 24 - 26, 2023
St. John's Lutheran Church
510 Kewaunee St.
Racine, WI 53402
The Bugenhagen Conference is a three day conference for pastors on practical theology. Attendance and meals at the conference are free to registrants. The conference will feature three keynote speakers and forty workshops presented by over twenty pastors.
The Reformation held up the great truth of salvation by grace through faith. Faithful Lutheran pastors know that the gospel is to permeate the teaching and the life of the congregation. Our preaching, teaching, and all of our practices should be fully shaped by the Word of God. The Pastor ought to excel in his ministry whether it be in teaching, caring for the sick and dying, providing biblical counsel, or being an example in holy living.
The Bugenhagen Conference was created to help pastors hone their craft and excel in all facets of ministry. Pastors know that there is always room for improvement, whether it be in the routine tasks of administration, or in more particular matters of pastoral leadership in the parish. The pastor is to be competent, confident, and skilled in his ministry.
The Bugenhagen Conference is a gathering particularly designed for the parish pastor, providing a place for him to honestly evaluate himself against the biblical model of who a pastor is to be. Here he can critically assess among brothers what qualities, skills, and characteristics he has developed and, also, where he needs to develop. The workshops allow pastors to hear from brothers in the ministerium who can provide practical guidance in approaching specific tasks and challenging situations that one may face in the parish.
OUR SPEAKERS
Participants at the Bugenhagen Conference will hear three Keynote Addresses. Out of the forty Workshops offered, they will be able to attend eight. It has been said pastors of different ages and experience naturally bring particular gifts to the church: the young, zeal; the middle-aged, stability; and, the elders, wisdom. A healthy mix and balance of these qualities will be brought together at the conference in order to strengthen and build up our ministerium in the Missouri Synod.
Keynote Speakers
2022 Workshop Presentations
(Workshops for 2023 will be updated closer to the conference. Below are last year's workshops.)
I. Preaching and Teaching
Avoiding Ambiguity and Abstractions in Funeral Preaching—Pastor Stephen Preus
Dispensationalism: What It Is, Why It Matters, and How to Respond—Pastor Tyson Mastin
Equity—Pastor Andrew Preus
Getting Better at Bible Study:
Christ in the Creation Account (Genesis 1-3)—Pastor Fritz Eckardt
Getting Better at Bible Study: The Comfort of Christ and the Sacraments
in the Book of Judges—Pastor Karl Fabrizius
Getting Better at Preaching:
Easter with a view to Ascension and Pentecost—Pastor Sean Kilgo
Getting Better at Preaching: The Season of Easter—Pastor Mark Preus
Preaching the Oracles of God: Insights from Missouri's Past—Pastor Adam Koontz
Speaking with One Voice:
Catechesis for the Home, Congregation, and School—Pastor Greg Truwe
Upcoming Sunday Text Study: Trinity 7—Pastor David Ramirez
II. Liturgical Matters
CLOSED (with a D) Communion Conversations—Pastor Jack Gilbert
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Yuletide—Pastor Heath Curtis
How to Get along with Your Church Musician—Pastor Sean Daenzer
Metered Psalms in Lutheran Worship:
Singing the Bible’s Prayerbook as Hymns—Pastor Aaron Uphoff with Pastor Nathan Wille
Restoring the Great Easter Vigil—Pastor Brian Liermann
III. Care of Souls
A Church Diagnostic from Revelation 2-3:
Unto Repentance and Comfort—Pastor Michael Grieve
Dealing with Traitors: Lessons from the Donatist Controversy—Pastor Fritz Eckardt
The Faith of Unborn Infants According to Bugenhagen and Luther
and Implications for Pastoral Care—Pastor Karl Hess
Fighting Transgenderism in the Church and Home—Pastor Andrew Packer
How to Encourage Funerals by Making Them More Affordable:
A Discussion on Blended and Home Funerals—Pastor Tyson Mastin
Luther's Hierarchy of Earthly Authorities in the 4th Commandment of the LC:
What It Means for Us Now—Pastor Michael Grieve
Planning a Marriage & Family Conference—Pastor Greg Truwe
The Repeat Customer: Applying Proper Pastoral Patience—Pastor Jack Gilbert
Teaching Faithfulness and Loyalty in the midst of Conflicting Duties:
The Example of Jonathan—Pastor David Ramirez
What Hearers Owe Their Pastors:
A Closer Look at the Table of Duties—Pastor Wes Hromowyk
IV. Congregational Life and Parish Administration
Factual Numbers—Pastor Joshua Conradt
A College for Our Children: Luther Classical College—Pastor Christian Preus
Congregational Stewardship in a Time of High Inflation—Pastor Heath Curtis
The Necessity of Pushing Back—Pastor Benjamin Ball
The Role of Circuit Visitors: Proper Care for Pastors and Congregations—Pastor John Wille
V. Pastoral Leadership
Be Strong to Be Useful: Do You Even Lift, Bro?—Pastor J. J. Stefanic
Becoming an Antifragile Pastor—Pastor Andrew Packer
Blackpill Detox: Dealing with Sloth—Pastor Jason Braaten
Getting Stuff Done—Pastor James Roemke
Let the Dust Stay on Your Feet:
Having Pastoral Contentment in your Divine Call—Pastor Benjamin Ball
The Lily Sabbatical Program—Pastor David Petersen
Starting New Things—Pastor David Buchs
2023 Keynote Addresses
Monday, July 24: Winning the Lottery in Babylon -- Pastor Heath Curtis
Tuesday, July 25: Recognizing and Fighting the Peculiar Acedia that Threatens the Office of the Ministry -- Pastor David Petersen
Wednesday, July 26: A Psalm 18 Pastor -- Pastor Ryan Loeslie
SPONSORS
St. John's Lutheran Church
Racine, WI

St. Paul's Lutheran Church
Union Grove, WI

Messiah Lutheran Church
Kenosha, WI

Planning Committee
Rev. Jack Gilbert
St. John's Lutheran Church
Racine, WI
Rev. David P. Ramirez
St. Paul's Lutheran Church
Union Grove, WI
Rev. Aaron Uphoff
Calvary Lutheran Church
Watseka, IL
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