The Blind Leading the Blind - Abandoning the Role of Teacher and Preacher

Some Google searches will reveal the same WELS sermon being preached at various WELS congregations. A friend told me of attending a meeting where a Love Shack drone gave a meditation on a Biblical text. Later, at another meeting, a different staff-member gave the same meditation, verbatim.

Here is the basic concept - a minister studies the Word and give his interpretation based upon that effort. If he is in error or unclear, he can be corrected.

WELS has been plagiarizing the Reformed and Pentecostals for years. Valleskey and Kelm were famous for copying whatever they learned at Fuller. WELS even produced materials with the same title and similar content as Fuller programs. One was on spiritual gifts, rehashed by Valleskey. Werning (Who's Who in Church Growth) copied pages of materials into his books, and Werning books were heavily promoted by WELS mission (CG) counselors. They really helped. The more WELS relied on Fuller, the faster the sect shrank.

One WELS mission pastor gave Willow Creek sermons verbatim, with the same pauses and dramatic flourishes, week after week. He was supposed to stop but did not. He was let go, but the layman who objected was hounded out of the congregation. The Hybels-parrot was featured in Radloff's Mission Counselors Newsletter.

Do you remember how AnswerMan said the WELS Pentecostal praise bands should not rock and roll with the unwashed? Let's be honest. What's the difference between WELS singing Reformed lyrics and the Reformed singing Reformed lyrics? I know. The Reformed do it far better. I love the Assembly of God beehive hairdos and swirly gowns, too.

But, how much more toxic is a sermon preached and published on a Lutheran website, coming directly and almost verbatim from Baptists and Presbyterians? I would email AnswerMan, but I fear he is studying at Willow Creek again.

Claiming another's work as one's own is dishonest, grounds for firing in most businesses and academic institutions. If the WELS leaders were not such blatant plagiarists themselves, something might be done.