In October 2025, Concordia’s Senior Pastor, Rev. Steve Bongard, shared his plans for retirement at the end of 2027. The calling a new LCMS pastor is often a lengthy process, and we are grateful to have this time to work with the Missouri District, our Call Committee, and our church body to call a new Senior Pastor.

Concordia Call Committee Update (February, 2026): The Call Committee has been working diligently with the LCMS-Missouri District on the next step in the process of calling a new Senior Pastor, which is a congregational survey. The results of the survey will be used to write a position description that accurately reflects our congregation’s wants and needs in our next senior pastor. To do this well, the Committee needs your feedback. Please see below.

Concordia Call Committee Update (January, 2026): As was communicated to the congregation at the end of October, Church Council has begun the process of succession planning for Pastor Bongard, who has announced his plans for retirement at the end of 2027. We are thankful to update you now that the Call Committee for the next Senior Pastor of Concordia Lutheran Church has been finalized by Church Council. The Call Committee will be chaired, as outlined in our Bylaws, by Church Council Vice President, Jen Pawlitz. Members of the Call Committee are representative of the diversity of our church membership and are named below. The Call Committee will begin it's work in January, with guidance from LCMS - Missouri District through the process. We will keep the congregation updated on a regular basis the Committee’s work. We are thankful to have already seen God's hand at work in the process and ask for your continued prayers for His wisdom and discernment in this important chapter of His ministry at Concordia.

Concordia Call Committee Update (March, 2026): Thank you for taking time to share your feedback in the recent congregational Survey! We had a great response, with meaningful feedback and an excellent representation of membership. The Call Committee will use the responses from the survey to help create a position description for our next senior pastor. You can learn more about the survey results and next steps in the Call process here.