The Wisconsin Synod has many unwritten rules. No one knows who wrote them, but everyone knows what they are.
One is that the Synodical First VP becomes the Synodical President. In districts the First VP is supposed to become the District President.
No one is ever voted out of office.
Paul Kuske, now writing against the effects of the Church Growth Movement, which he took such pains to promote, was voted out of office as the Michigan District First VP. He was the principal actor in establishing Lutheran Parish Resources, "the first Church Growth agency of the Wisconsin Synod," as David Peters wrote so breathlessly in his seminary paper.
Mueller, who pronounces his name Miller, was voted out of office at the last synod convention. However, his replacement felt compelled to renounce his own election. The Mueller forces put the defenestrated one back into office. The official WELS magazine said Mueller was re-elected. More precisely, he was un-ejected.
Mueller had a chance at the bishop's hat when Gurgel won his first election, during that Galileean Springtime when WELS strutted with the fortunes of a living Marvin Schwan. Gaylin Schmeling, now the ELS Seminary President, said on the floot of the ELS convention that the Little Norwegians, as they are called, should break fellowship if Mueller were elected. George the Malleable, aka President Orvick, scowled at this suggestion. George could make peace with any faction, even with two opposing views, as he did with Church Growth, allowing opposition in the official but largely unread journal, but promoting a fawning Spoiling of the Egyptians paper at their official gathering.
Gurgel won the election, since he was known to oppose the merger of Northwestern College. At the same convention, after winning, Gurgel supported the merger, foreshadowing the closing of two colleges during his predestined rule, since the Anschluss known as Martin Luther Colelge (as its president just spelled it) is on its last legs.
Mueller is as buoyant as a cork. When he was teaching at the seminary, doubts arose about his doctrine, as a leading member of the synod told me. I will not disclose the name, but it is synonymous with Old Wisconsin. frugal Wisconsin, no fellowship with anyone Wisconsin. Soon Mueller was given a created post as the head of Fuller Parish Services. Dedicated to the Church Growth Movement and faith-less justification, Mueller quickly changed Adult Education to Adult Discipleship, Youth Education to Youth Discipleship. Worker Training became Ministerial Education. Dr. Martin Luther College, also known as Dumb Man's Last Chance, became the College of Ministry for the Wisconsin Synod, because male and female teachers were all ministers. Lawrence Otto Olson, D.Min., Fuller Seminary, was summoned from his non-growing congegation to teach Church Growth at MLC. Suddenly laity of both genders were Lay Ministers. Doubtless the Cradle Roll of every WELS parish is now full of Baby Ministers, the backyards of parsonages filled with the mewing of feline ministers and the barking of canine ministers. Everyone is a minister and everyone is forgiven.
Mueller was so suspect as a speaker in WELS that pastors demanded he give a written paper. When he spoke without a paper and pastors questioned his doctrine, he always said, "You misunderstood me." Thus they asked for written papers, not that this had any effect upon the leadership of WELS. Kelm has always published his Reformed doctrine without opposition more serious than a few murmurs here and there. Anti-Lutheran doctrine is not damaging to one's career.
Muller represents the new Baptist Universalist Wisconsin Synod, the denomination that has turned its back on its own schools. Look at what seven men did for WELS.
1970 - Harold Haggedorn, Paul Kelm, John Lawrenz, Wayne Mueller,
1971 - Frosty Bivens, Richard Stadler, A. D. Harstad.
- Haggedorn is head of American Missions, CG advocate;
- Kelm was head of Fuller Evangeglism, still a prolific FIC author;
- Lawrenz former head of Worker Training, president of MLC for one month, now somewhere in Asia but still in the Mequon seminary faculty photograph;
- Mueller was seminary prof, was head of Fuller Parish Services, currently VP and President-in-Waiting;
- Bivens is a seminary prof, Fuller student, CG and UOJ advocate;
- Stadler was head of feminist theology and is now ex-WELS;
- Harstad seconded Valleskey's Spoiling of the Egyptians in his ELS presentation.
