Gerald Kieschnick

The Rev. Dr. Gerald B. (Jerry) Kieschnick served from 2001 to 2010 as president of the two-million-member Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod. Prior to becoming LCMS president, Kieschnick had been president of the Synod’s Texas District for 10 years.

Upon completion of his third three-year term as Synod president in 2010, Dr. Kieschnick and his wife, Terry, returned to Texas. There he served as Presidential Ambassador for Mission Advancement at Concordia University Texas from 2011 to 2015) and developed Concordia’s Christian Leadership Institute.

In 2016 he returned to the Lutheran Foundation of Texas, recently renamed Legacy Deo, where he had served from 1986 to 1991. In 2017 he was named Chief Executive Officer of Legacy Deo, which exists to help Christians use God's gifts to create a legacy for family and faith. Its mission is to inspire giving that impacts life forever.

He currently serves as founding member and pastoral advisor of Mission of Christ Network; founding member of Ministry Focus; founding member of Pastor 360; and board member of Driving Hope of Texas.

He has also served as elementary Lutheran school teacher; mission developer; parish pastor; chairman of the LCMS Commission on Theology and Church Relations; and chairman of The International Lutheran Council, comprising presidents and bishops of over 35 worldwide Lutheran church bodies.

During his tenure as national church president, Dr. Kieschnick led a national campaign, Fan into Flame, which resulted in gifts of $80,000,000 for national and international mission work.

A native of Houston, Dr. Kieschnick holds degrees from Texas A&M University (Animal Science), where he was a Corps of Cadets Company Commander and member of the Ross Volunteers; Concordia Theological Seminary (Bachelor and Master of Divinity); and Concordia University Texas (Doctor of Laws).

He and Terry, his wife of 50-plus years, have two grown children, one son-in-law, and two grandchildren, all of whom live in Texas.