Valleskey and Commentary

Theses very close to Valleskey's Quarterly article (Spring, 1991, p. 117). Questionnaire mentions CG "underemphasizing the Means of Grace as the power of the Holy Spirit." David J. Valleskey, P.T. 418, The Church Growth Movement--An Evaluation, Summer Quarter, Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, June 23-July 11, 1986.

GJ – That is like saying that Lutherans underemphasize the Assumption of Mary. The attempt to disguise differences in doctrine is a sign of unionism.

Bob: "..I'd like to share with you a book I came across the other day. It's interesting, easy to read, and may be the answer to our problem..." [GJ - Could this be the Bible, The Book of Concord, What Luther Says?] "Its title is Your Church Can Grow, and it's filled with all sorts of practical hints that could help us turn things around here." Author: "Bob didn't realize it at the time, but in his browsing he had stumbled upon one of many similar books written from the perspective of the church growth movement, books with such titles as How to Grow a Church, Ten Steps for Church Growth, Church Growth: Strategies that Work, and Leading Your Church to Growth."
Prof. David Valleskey, "The Church Growth Movement, Just Gathering People or Building the Church?" The Northwestern Lutheran, May 5, 1991, p. 184.

GJ – Why would the future president of the WELS seminary want to introduce Church Growth books to the entire denomination?

"So, what should the members of St. John evangelism committee do with [C. Peter Wagner's] Your Church Can Grow?...They can probably pick up a few helpful hints. They might, for example, appreciate research which provides an insight into the way unchurched people think."
Prof. David Valleskey, "The Church Growth Movement, Just Gathering People or Building the Church?" The Northwestern Lutheran, May 5, 1991, p. 185.

GJ – Yes, a Pentecostal Baptist like C. Peter Wagner can teach Lutherans all about the Means of Grace.

"This downplaying of the importance of the means of grace on the part of many in the Church Growth Movement would seem to stem from several factors." David J. Valleskey, "The Church Growth Movement: An Evaluation," Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly, Spring, 1991 88, p. 105. Holidaysburg, 10-15-90

GJ - That is like saying that many Lutherans downplay the infallibility of the pope.

"There is a fourth option, which is the choice of this writer. It is the same kind of approach Lawrence Crabb, a Christian counselor, advocates over against the use of secular counseling resources. He calls it 'spoiling the Egyptians' (Exodus 12:36, KJV), after the action of Israel at the time they left Egypt, when they took from the Egyptians what would stand them in good stead on their journey."
David J. Valleskey, "The Church Growth Movement: An Evaluation," Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly, Spring, 1991 88, p. 115. Holidaysburg, Pa, 10-15-90. Exodus 12:36.

GJ – Crabb is a favorite author for the Fuller Seminary crowd, so Valleskey is using a Fuller disciple to promote Fuller seminary.

"Yet this writer is confident we won't go astray in adopting a 'spoiling the Egyptians' approach to the various Church Growth Movement sociological principles and the research that produced them."
David J. Valleskey, "The Church Growth Movement: An Evaluation," Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly, Spring, 1991 88, p. 116. Exodus 12:36.

GJ – When this was stated at the pastors’ conference, I questioned whether the Israelites stole the garbage from the Egyptians. Valleskey frowned. Later, I asked him about going to Fuller Seminary. He denied it, looking frightened.

"The instructor may find it best not to distribute the Spiritual Gifts Analysis (pp. 33-49) until the end of the course, when the time has come for class members to work through it."
David J. Valleskey, Gifted to Serve, Parish Services, WELS.

GJ – This was cloned from Fuller Seminary. So was Valleskey’s program called Encouragement.

"The term 'spiritual breathing' originated with Dr. William Bright in his booklet, 'Have You Made the Wonderful Discovery of the Spirit-filled Life?'"
David Valleskey, Forest Bivens, New Life in Christ, September, 1981 p. 1.

GJ – Is any comment needed here? This is Baptist/Pentecostal.

"Useful Ideas for My Ministry from the Church Growth Movement...The Church Growth Movement--Strengths and Weaknesses...The Church Growth Movement--An Evaluation...Church Growth Sounds Good, But...Dangers of the Church Growth Movement...Friendship Evangelism...Rationale for Friendship Evangelism..."
Prof. David J. Valleskey, Class Notes, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, PT 358A.

GJ – Valleskey tried to act as if Church Growth was new to him when he wrote the WLQ article. Later he said this class notes were bequeathed to him by another professor. However, he did not change them, which was his right.

"3. Establish your goals. a. definition: goals are those things that are required for an organization to carry out its objectives ('How') 1) short-range targets 2) SMART, Specific...Measureable...Acceptable...Realistic...Timed...."
Prof. David J. Valleskey, Class Notes, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, PT 358A p. 101.

GJ – More Fuller Seminary blather. They really love Drucker’s Management by Objective at Fuller. ELCA grooved on MBO, too. ELCA is losing members almost as fast as WELS.

"But a cold heart can beat close to a correct mind. There are too many churches with impeccable credentials for orthodox theology whose outreach is almost nil. They are 'sound,' but they are sound asleep." Leighton Ford, The Christian Persuader. Valleskey asks: "true to a certain degree of us?" Prof. David J. Valleskey, Class Notes, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, PT 358A p. 24.

GJ – This is typical Pietism, contradicting itself but very appealing to the Church Growth Pietists of WELS. Luther trusted that orthodox doctrine, the doctrine of the Bible, would always bring about God’s will in His time.
Ford is a Baptist.

"Assignments:...2. Prepare a term paper on the subject of evangelism and/or church growth."
Prof. David J. Valleskey, Class Notes, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, PT 358A, p. 3.

GJ – No one can escape Church Growth at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. The place drips Reformed/Pentecostal doctrine and a loathing of Lutheran doctrine.

"2. The distinction between a witness and an evangelist. a. Some are evangelists (Eph. 4:11-12) 1) C. Peter Wagner: 'The average church can realistically expect that approximately 10 per cent of its active adult members will have been given the gift of evangelist' ("Your Spiritual Gifts Can Help Your Church Grow," Glendale: Gospel Light, 1979, p. 176)...3) but don't expect everyone to have that gift - Wagner (op. cit.): 'It is a misunderstanding of biblical teaching, in my opinion, to try to convince every Christian that he or she has to be sharing the faith constantly as a part of their duty to the Master."
Prof. David J. Valleskey, Class Notes, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, PT 358A, p. 51.

GJ – Why is a Pentecostal Baptist so significant for Valleskey?

"David Hubbard, president Fuller Seminary: 'Not all of us have the gift of evangelism. I admire people who can lead others to Jesus Christ right on the spot...." Prof. David J. Valleskey, Class Notes, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, PT 358A, p. 52.

GJ – David Hubbard was the anti-inerrancy liberal who took Fuller to new heights of commercial success.

"a receptivity rating scale (adapted by Win and Charles Arn in 'The Master's Plan for Making Disciples,' p. 91...."
Prof. David J. Valleskey, Class Notes, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, PT 358A, p. 58.

GJ – This is too funny. Why trust the Gospel Promises when a Receptivity Rating Scale is so…effective?

"Introduction to the Church Growth Movement by Lutheran authors, Hunter, Kent R., Foundations for Church Growth (New Haven, MO: Leader Publishing Co., 1983) - the author, an LC-MS clergyman who has now set up his own church growth consulting service, performs the valuable service in this 204 page book of presenting an introduction to church growth goals and terminology. Werning, Waldo, Vision and Strategy for Church Growth, (Chicago: Moody Press, 1977) - Werning, active for years in LC-MS stewardship work, explains the foundations, presuppositions and principles of church growth and then shows how a congregation can benefit from making use of certain church growth principles - of the two books listed in this category, Werning's is the more practical."
Prof. David J. Valleskey, Class Notes, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, PT 358A, p. 6.

GJ – Hunter and Werning both studied at Fuller Seminary. Werning admitted it to me on the phone, then denied it. That is a familiar pattern among the Lutherans.

"In Christ, God has effected a universal justification, a universal reconciliation, a universal ransom, a universal atonement. Different terms, but all communicating the same message: God in Christ has declared the whole world to be not guilty."
David J. Valleskey, We Believe--Therefore We Speak, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1995, p. 71.

GJ – All the heathen are forgiven. All the pagans are forgiven. Everyone in Hell has the status of a saint. UOJ, Gospel reductionism, and Church Growth go hand-in-claw. ELCA calls it Gospel reductionism. The Universalists, a little more honest, just say everyone is saved.

"The King James Version, however, rendered it 'teach all nations.' This is a possible meaning of the word (cf. Matthew 13:52, where the same Greek word is used and is properly translated 'instructed')."
David J. Valleskey, We Believe--Therefore We Speak, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1995, p. 127 Matthew 28:18-20; Matthew 13:52.

GJ – Note the U-turn in the quotation below.

"Accordingly, when Christ says, Disciple (matheteusate) all nations by baptizing them, matheteusate can mean nothing other than to make disciples, to turn unbelievers into believers; for that is the Spirit-produced effect of baptism."
David J. Valleskey, We Believe--Therefore We Speak, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1995, p. 127. Matthew 28:18-20.

GJ – Since the verb means “disciple all nations,” we have to twist its meaning into “make disciples,” an entirely different concept, but one in harmony with Reformed doctrine and Fuller Seminary.

"Is the mission of the church to preach the gospel or to make disciples? The two—preaching the gospel and making disciples—are closely connected. Making disciples is the goal, or end result, our Lord had in mind. He does not want any to perish, but all to come to repentance and faith. He wants all to be saved, to come to a heart knowledge of the truth. Preaching the gospel (employing the means of grace) is the means by which the Lord will achieve his goal of making disciples and so of gathering in his elect before he returns."
David J. Valleskey, We Believe--Therefore We Speak, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1995, p. 134.

GJ – “Making disciples” is the goal. I thought the Parable of the Sower was about casting the seed, broadcasting the Word and letting God accomplish His will. “He wants all to be saved”? Valleskey said the world was already pronounced not guilty. And what is a “heart knowledge”? That is another key word for Pietists, not Lutherans.

"It is true that only God the Holy Spirit can effect the end result of making a disciple out of an unbeliever; all we can do is sow the seed. But it is also true that our Lord, by speaking specifically of making disciples in his commission to his church, is encouraging it to keep that intended goal in mind when it does its seed sowing."
David J. Valleskey, We Believe--Therefore We Speak, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1995, p. 135. Matthew 28:18-20.

GJ – “Yes, but..” means No! This is the U-turn practiced so often by Kelm and Olson. Perhaps they learned it from Valleskey. Jesus never said, “Manufacture disciples!” The Great Commission says:

Matthew 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. (KJV)

The King James was heavily influenced by Luther’s German Bible. “Make disciples” is from the Reformed.