Our People

Todd Wilken (@toddwilken) has hosted the radio program Issues, Etc. since 1998. Wilken serves as assistant Pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Millstadt, IL. He and his wife have two children and three grandchildren.

Wilken is a graduate of Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. Wilken has written articles and essays for Modern Reformation magazine, Higher Things magazine, For the Life of the World magazine, The Lutheran Witness and Teachers’ Interaction. He is author of the booklet, Same-Sex Marriage: Facing the Question, and is a  contributor to Where Christ Is Present:  A Theology for All Seasons on the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation and The Faith Once Delivered: Meditations on the Apostles’ Creed. He is formerly co-editor of the journal Doctrine and Practice, and editor of the Issues, Etc. Journal. 

Wilken also hosts a weekly radio podcast “Crossroads with Terry Mattingly,” focusing on media coverage of religion, produced jointly by Issues, Etc. and GetReligion.org.  He has spoken at numerous Lutheran conferences and served as a guest instructor for Christ Academy at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN and for the International Academy of Apologetics, Evangelism and Human Rights in Strasbourg, France.

Jeff Schwarz is General Manager of Lutheran Public Radio, Inc. and Executive Producer of Issues, Etc.

After graduating cum laude from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism, Schwarz worked on national radio talk shows: Costas Coast-to-Coast, John Madden’s Sports Quiz, John Madden’s Sports Calendar, Sports Flashback with Jack Buck, Offsides with Dan Dierdorf and Talkin’ Roundball with Dick Vitale.

Schwarz is a member and serves on the School Board at St. Paul Lutheran Church and School of Hamel, IL.  He was elected at the 2010 Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod Convention to serve on the Commission on Theology and Church Relations.  He currently serves on the Board of Regents at Concordia University Chicago.  Schwarz is the 2014 recipient of the Miles Christi (Solider of Christ) Award chosen by the faculty of Concordia Theological Seminary-Fort Wayne, IN.

Schwarz and his wife, Beth, have five children.