Now the SilenceWELS Convention Starting Monday

The WELS convention will start on Monday with nominations to replace Synod President Gurgel, who cannot deny he has the spiritual gift of leadership. That would be "false modesty," in his words. No one ever accused a WELS leader of false modesty.

On my own I will predict President-in-Waiting Wayne Mueller and seminary professor John Brenner leading the nominations.

I trawled as many websites as I could. The new material stopped with the Brug analysis. WELS AnswerMan stopped poking Michigan in the eye. The silent period happens when the parties are most active and unwilling to broadcast their plans.

Anti-Lutheran, Church Growth apostates want to close the schools. Unfortunately for MLS, their advocate is Paul Kuske, who bulldozed for Church Growth during his glory years in Columbus, Ohio. He also had one of the poorest giving records (per communicant) to the synod. Kuske was voted out of office. Unlike Wayne Mueller, Kuske was not voted back in.

Also, the leadership against the schools is fairly united and in charge of the synodical machinery. Dissent in WELS means various people ducking behind each other, afraid to take a position in the open, but lionousy brave during the coffee breaks at conferences.

The MLS faculty could lead the charge against closing the school, as Northwestern College failed to do. Why so reticent? Defeatism puts everyone in a defensive mode. Fear makes each one think, "They probably will close the school, so what will I do? Holy Mother WELS covers my medical, my paltry pension, my salary. If I stay quiet, Holy Mother WELS will find me a new job. I know how they get even with those who annoy their plans."