Day One – June 16, 2026:

Lutheran School Culture

Description: In 2011, our seminary hosted a symposium dealing with the question of the very real potential of the dying Lutheran schools.  A decade and a half later, it is the opposite: there is enough demand for the Lutheran school and her Lutheran teaching ministers that we face the challenge of potentially unfettered school expansion.  How do we want to think about Lutheran culture in our Lutheran schools? What about the demand for so many Called teachers and the consideration of hiring teachers for our schools?  How does the one of the only national church bodies that owns  a terminal school for teaching ministers of the gospel want to work together in Jesus’ name for the good of the Church?  Is this a problem?  Is this an opportunity?

Presenters: Revs. Jonathan Hein & Philip Hirsch

Bios:

Jonathan Hein is the Coordinator for WELS Congregational Services, which includes the Commission on Lutheran Schools. His wife, mother and father, and two sisters all trained as teachers. While a parish pastor in a mission congregation in Charleston, SC he helped start first a Lutheran preschool and then a Lutheran homeschool cooperative, as both a discipleship and outreach strategy.  Part of his current calling is to oversee the gathering and analysis of statistical data within our congregations and schools so that, armed with solid information, we can together make good decisions regarding the stewardship of the resources God has entrusted to our church body.  

Philip Hirsch is the Nebraska District President. He writes, “I am the grandson of a Lutheran teacher.  A son of two Lutheran teachers.  My two sisters prepared for Lutheran teaching ministry.  So did one of my brothers.  With my bride, we raised our children in a new mission start and our children all went to public school for grade and middle school.  We did our best to “create” a Lutheran Elementary School out of a large stand-alone early learning center, not at all because we hated the public school experience but because I deeply appreciate the opportunities to deliver the goods of Christ and His promises on a daily basis with children and their families that can come with a genuinely Lutheran school or preschool.  I love that our church body is thinking together and working together on how to faithfully go forward.” 

Description: Many Lutheran schools are actively trying to expand. But Lutheran school leaders face a tension: growth is both necessary and risky. On one hand, schools need healthy enrollment to sustain ministry, support teachers, and provide a quality Christian education. On the other, unmanaged growth can weaken a school’s Lutheran identity and its connection to the congregation. Faculty are on the front line. How should our philosophy of ministry drive any growth? When Lutheran schools include large numbers of non-Lutheran students, how do you maintain a distinctly Lutheran culture while seeking to do both nurture and outreach? In short, how do schools honor the Great Commission by pursuing growth without losing what makes us Lutheran?

This session wrestles with those questions. We’ll discuss the importance of intentionalizing what is at the heart of Lutheran education—shaping and maintaining a distinctively Lutheran school culture in the context of changing student demographics. More than just a discussion of ministry philosophy, you’ll leave with examples of case studies, models of harvest strategies, and practical steps for developing plans that align with the Great Commission’s call to both outreach and nurture.

Presenters: Landon Zacharyasz & Dr. Ken Fischer

Bios:

Rev. Dr. Kenneth Fisher is the president of Wisconsin Lutheran High School in Milwaukee, where he has served since 2011. Without losing its Lutheran identity, the school’s enrollment has grown from 757 to more than 930 students under his leadership, a testament to a strategic approach to balancing nurture and outreach. He has extensive experience in building a school-church partnership for implementing harvest strategies. Before his tenure at the high school, he spent 12 years at Risen Savior in Milwaukee, where he shepherded the congregation’s growth and the launch of an outreach-focused school. He is a graduate of Northwestern College (1988) and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary (1993). He earned his doctor of ministry in pastoral leadership and ministry management from Trinity International University in Deerfield, Ill., in 2018. He also serves as a board member for Asia Lutheran Seminary and other organizations. He is married to Kimberly, who is a professional grandmother to Lucyana (12) and Ezekiel (10) Bravo. In their free time, they enjoy entertaining, cooking, and traveling the world.

Mr. Landon Zacharyasz is the principal of Wisconsin Lutheran High School in Milwaukee, where he has served since 2024. His passion for Great Commission growth emphasizes maintaining a distinctive Lutheran identity while strategically balancing nurture and outreach in a diverse student body. Before his call to the high school, he served at Mount Olive Lutheran School in Appleton as teacher and principal, guiding the school through enrollment growth, the expansion of seats in the Wisconsin Parental School Choice program, and the challenges of COVID. He is a graduate of Martin Luther College (2011) and earned a master’s degree in educational leadership from there in 2017. He is currently pursuing an MBA in educational leadership from the Milwaukee School of Engineering, with an anticipated graduation in May 2026. He has also served as president of FVL Schools in Appleton, as a WELS District Schools coordinator, and now as a captain for WELS School Accreditation. He and his wife, Emily, are blessed with four children and enjoy traveling, live music, and camping.

Description: How can we build a ministry culture that models and reflects the grace of Jesus? This session helps teachers and school leaders be amazed each day anew with God’s “kindness, tolerance, and patience” (Romans 2:4) toward us. As God renews us each day to serve joyfully, we give thanks to God for those he has given us to serve. Such renewal transforms school cultures into places that reflect Christ’s love in teachers, students, and parents, and enables schools to more fully fulfill their missions. 

Presenter: Bradley Gurgel

Bio: Brad Gurgel currently serves as Principal of Mt. Calvary Lutheran School in Waukesha, Wisconsin, where he has served since 2022. He graduated from Martin Luther College in 2008 and has served as a WELS principal and teacher for 18 years. Brad and his wife, Bethany, have six children ranging in age from a freshman in high school to a two-year-old. Brad’s passion is teaching God’s Word and working with adults, children, and families to see the vital importance of regularly being fed by the word of God in their homes.

Day Two – June 17, 2026

Teacher Burnout

Description: Ministry longevity doesn’t happen by accident. It’s the fruit of intentional habits that build a sturdy three-legged stool of spiritual, emotional, and physical health. In this session, we’ll explore how a proactive, grace-filled approach to daily life and ministry leads to sustainable, joyful service. Participants will gain greater self-awareness, learn practical tools to guard against burnout, and walk away with a personalized strategy for building a healthy rhythm into their ministry and life.

Bio: Shawn Herkstroeter has 28 years of school leadership ministry experience and currently serves as the Director of Coaching for Grace in Action. He is also an adjunct professor at WLC. He graduated from Martin Luther College in 1996, earned a Masters in Education from the University of Wisconsin-Stout in 2004, and became a Certified Christian Leadership Coach in 2025 through Coach Approach Ministries. He is committed to personal wellness and believes that spiritual, emotional, and physical health is the foundation for every effective leader. Outside of ministry, Shawn loves spending time with family, coaching basketball, working out, hiking, bow hunting, and pheasant hunting with his bird dog, Bella.

  1. Strengthening Wellness to Support Ministry: Insights on Burnout Among WELS Teachers
  2. Principals – An Endangered Species?

Description: In this session, WELS teachers and MLC master’s graduates, Dana Raasch and Ryan Jaeger will share the results of their empirical research on the topics of teacher and principal burnout. Each topic will cover half of the session.

(a) This presentation examines the role of wellness in teacher burnout within WELS schools, highlighting survey findings from called workers across grade levels. Participants will gain insight into how the six pillars of wellness shape the daily experiences of teachers and what steps schools can take to better support their physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Practical recommendations for strengthening retention and sustaining long-term ministry will be shared.  

(b) This presentation explores the growing issue of principal attrition within WELS schools—why principals are leaving, what factors contribute to burnout and turnover, and how schools can better support and retain their leaders. Using recent data and real-world examples, it highlights key challenges, identifies what keeps principals in ministry, and offers practical recommendations to strengthen principal sustainability across our schools.

Presenters: Dana Raasch & Ryan Jaeger

Bios: 

Dana Raasch earned her degree in Early Childhood Education from Martin Luther College in 2021 and completed her Master’s in Educational Administration in 2026. She has taught in Thiensville, WI, Green Bay, WI, and Jackson, WI. While she is now a domestic engineer, she is still learning more about teacher burnout and cares deeply about how the WELS can continue to retain and recruit teachers for years to come. She is a member of the Northwoods WELS Tri-Parish where her husband, Caleb, serves as pastor.

Ryan Jaeger has been in the public ministry for 22 years, with 17 years of being a principal. He is currently serving as the principal at St. John’s in Two Rivers, WI, and recently earned his Master’s Degree in Educational Administration with a Leadership emphasis. Over the course of 22 years, Ryan has developed a passion for leadership. Concern over the increasing number of principals leaving their positions inspired his research. Ryan enjoys the shores of Lake Michigan with his wife and 4 sons, hunting, fishing, being outdoors, and doing taxidermy work.

Description: Burnout among called workers and staff members continues to challenge Lutheran ministries in a variety of ways. While helping individuals learn strategies to prevent burnout can be helpful, there are often organizational challenges that contribute to the problem. Addressing these challenges helps everyone! This presentation will discuss the damage burnout causes to a ministry, organizational factors that contribute to burnout, and positive changes that ministries can make to help prevent burnout. 

Presenter: Dr. Robert Martens

Bio: Bob Martens currently serves at Martin Luther College as the Director of Information Technology and as an adjunct instructor at both the undergraduate and graduate level, primarily in educational technology leadership and infrastructure. He earned his MA in IT Leadership from The College of Saint Scholastica where he focused on technology decision making in higher education and his PhD in Leadership from the University of the Cumberlands where his dissertation studied servant leadership and burnout in WELS congregations. A lifelong member of St. Paul’s Lutheran Church & School, he resides in New Ulm, MN with his wife Laura of 19 years and their four children.

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