Here Are the Facts—Laid Out with Evidence
I reported Erik Herrmann for sexual misconduct. Two weeks later, he resigned. This is the documented timeline.
Over the past few weeks, I’ve heard the same speculation repeated: that Erik Herrmann simply resigned from Concordia Seminary and the LCMS clergy roster for “personal reasons,” and that any connection to misconduct is just my interpretation.
Some have even accused me of fabricating the connection between my report and his resignation.
So let me walk you through the emails and messages. I don’t need to make assumptions. The facts speak for themselves.
May 18, 2023
I wrote to Missouri District President Lee Hagan, reporting sexual misconduct. I followed LCMS guidelines and cited the denomination’s own language.
Here’s an excerpt from that email:
“The nature of my complaint is sexual misconduct. I am using this term as a result of reading this content on the LCMS website: https://www.lcms.org/resources/church-and-school-administration/legal-resources.”
I also explained that I had already spoken at length with my pastor and that I had been counseled through the process. I made it clear that I was following the church’s structure in good faith.
May 25, 2023
President Hagan replied:
“Could you please sign your printed, written statement and either bring it by our office (in a sealed envelope addressed to me) or mail it to my attention? I was going over details of the procedure and noticed that was one thing that I overlooked.”
June 1, 2023
Hagan updated me:
“I contacted Erik so that we can meet. I will follow up with you on what steps follow after the meeting.”
June 5, 2023
Hagan added:
“I have agreed to give Erik time to discuss the matter with President Egger. That conversation will in no way change the outcome. The matter will be resolved by my action by the end of the week. The seminary will not have any say in that action.”
This is an important moment in the timeline. It confirms that Hagan was preparing to take formal action—something that doesn’t happen when someone simply resigns on their own for personal reasons. It also shows that Erik was given time to speak with Egger before that action occurred, likely to manage the optics and inform key figures.
To be clear: an investigation had not yet begun, but it was imminent. Erik knew it. Hagan knew it. And Erik chose to resign before that process could move forward.
June 12, 2023
The final email from Hagan:
“Erik Herrmann has resigned from the clergy roster of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and as a member of the faculty at Concordia Seminary… The Council of Presidents will be informed next Monday. His resignation from the clergy roster will appear in LCMS publications in the future… I would ask that you keep this information confidential, but I assure you that the process was followed as I discussed with you.”
Let’s pause right there.
I reported sexual misconduct.
Hagan opened a formal process and notified Erik.
Erik resigned from both the seminary and the clergy roster.
There was no public explanation.
Am I really supposed to believe this was all a coincidence?
Are you?
I never said Erik was fired. I never claimed he was removed by force. I said he resigned—because he did. I said he resigned after I formally reported sexual misconduct to the District President, because he did. And yes, I’ve also said that he resigned due to sexual misconduct, because that’s exactly what the timeline and the internal process indicate.
What the LCMS Officially Published
And in case anyone still wants to parse words, the September 2023 issue of The Reporter stated:
“REV. DR. ERIK H. HERRMANN [has] resigned from the ordained roster of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and [is], therefore, no longer eligible to receive a call.”
That’s pretty clear. It was clear then, and it’s clear now. We all know he resigned.
If that still feels unclear to you, it’s not because I haven’t told the truth. It’s because the institutions involved haven’t.
Clarification from President Egger
Someone at Concordia Seminary once messaged me via Reddit and said their president had assured the faculty that Erik’s resignation was “not due to any kind of ministry-invalidating moral failure.” I should have asked for a screenshot. I wasn’t thinking like a reporter at the time—I was just trying to figure out what the truth was.
Later, in an email to my husband dated April 13, 2025, President Egger offered this clarification:
“It is not true that the faculty were told that Dr. Herrmann’s resignation was ‘not related to a moral failing.’ At the time of his resignation, he indicated to me, in person and in writing, that the reasons were ‘personal and private,’ and he requested that they remain so.”
That may mean the original commenter was simply mistaken. I would have had no way of knowing that unless we asked—which we did. And now we know.
The fact still remains: Erik Herrmann resigned after being informed that he was about to come under investigation for sexual misconduct, which is what I’ve been saying for six weeks.
In the meantime, because Erik never accepted accountability for the truth of what happened, he slipped right past Hagan, right past Egger, and right past the seminary and LCMS communities to begin teaching at the Institute of Lutheran Theology and to preach at Best Practices in Ministry in February 2025.
A Year After Erik Resigned, Egger Knew—Because I Told Him
Lastly, I know President Egger was aware of the affair, because I told him myself—directly and clearly—in a Facebook message on March 16, 2024:
Good evening, Dr. Egger,
As I assume you know, Erik Herrmann and I had a six-month emotional and physical affair which sparked a wildfire of destruction in my life and in the lives of those around us—a fire whose embers are still burning. In light of that truth—as can be corroborated by President Hagan—I find it egregious that Erik would be featured in Concordia Seminary’s most recent episode of your podcast, “Tangible.” Would you please have that episode removed?
Thank you,
Jill
President Egger responded on April 17, 2024:
Sorry about this, Jill. We will remove this. Might take a day or two. Peace to you in Christ.
He didn’t ask for clarification. He simply removed the episode. Maybe that’s when he began to connect the dots himself.
Consistency, Evidence, and What Comes Next
I’ve remained consistent throughout my writing because I’ve been working with the same set of documents, emails, and experiences for nearly two years. The details I’ve shared have come directly from that record—except for a few more recent pieces of information, which have emerged because I kept writing, kept asking questions, and stayed engaged in the process.
What would clear this up today—fully, finally, and with integrity—is simple: transparency and accountability.
Accountability is not public shaming. It’s about telling the truth so that healing is possible, care can be extended to those affected, past and present, and so that others can make informed, thoughtful decisions about how they engage going forward.
The LCMS could release a statement clarifying the reason for Erik Herrmann’s resignation. Concordia Seminary could acknowledge what it knew, and when. And those who remain in leadership could choose to stand for truth rather than manage perception.
Until then, I’ll keep telling the truth as I’ve lived it—clearly, consistently, and with evidence.