October 8-9, 2026
Fall ConferenceThe A.A. Pedersen Lectureship will explore how stories shape our lives and how the story of Jesus will change lives, and the Continuing Education sessions will explore how to faithfully do ministry in an AI-shaped world.
A.A. Pedersen Lectureship
Thursday, October 8
Preaching the Story of Jesus Among Rivals
Dr. Michael Zeigler
People donít just tell stories; stories shape our lives. We live in a world of rival stories that can shape our hopes and dreams. The story of Jesus gives lasting hope to people who live in a world that threatens us with evil. Dr. Michael Zeigleróthe current Lutheran Hour preacherówill help us understand the story of Jesus and how to preach it to shape our lives.
Dr. Michael Zeigler began serving with Lutheran Hour Ministries as Speaker of The Lutheran Hour in October 2018. Prior to that, he served as pastor of Epiphany Lutheran Church (2014-2018) and assistant pastor at Timothy Lutheran Church (2012-2014), both in St. Louis. Before becoming a pastor, he served as an aircraft maintenance officer in the Air Force. He graduated from the U. S. Air Force Academy in 2001.
He left active duty in 2006 to prepare to be a pastor at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, completing a Master of Divinity in 2010 and a Ph.D. in 2014. He continues to serve part-time as an Air Force Reserve officer at Scott Air Force Base, Illinois, and as a guest instructor at Concordia Seminary.
Michael and his wife, Amy, have four children.
Continuing Education
Friday, October 9
Faithful Ministry in an AI-Shaped World
Rev. Jonathan Conner
We are currently experiencing the largest and fastest religious shift in US history. Tens of millions of regular Christian worshipers have decided to stop attending church, leaving little explanation as to why. After commissioning the largest and most comprehensive study of dechurching in America, the authors of The Great Dechurching (Jim Davis and Michael Graham) investigated the insights gleaned from this study to discover why so many people are no longer attending church, what’s at stake if nothing is done about it, and why there is still tremendous hope in the midst of this crisis.
Rev. Jonathan Conner graduated from Concordia Seminary St. Louis in 2004. After spending 6 years in northwest Iowa, he was called to Zion Lutheran in Manning, Iowa, in 2010. He and his wife Rebecca have six children. Along with the vocations of husband, father, and pastor, Pastor Conner is a contributor and speaker for Lutheran Family Service in the areas of mental health, godly living, and parenting. He is a regular guest on the podcast Issues, Etc., currently in the multi-part series Kids Have Questions.