Norm Teigen on the Rolf Preus Defenestration

Norm Teigen:

Friday, October 26, 2007
More news from inside the ELS

I had to dash off to the Mill City Museum this morning before I had really finished my post. I even wrote 'Earl Harvey' when I meant 'Paul' Harvey. (GJ - Ichabod was the first blog to spot the Earl/Paul error.)

I also asked my source yesterday if there was any more fall-out from the Rolf Preus matter. The answer was no. I was asked what my take was on the subject. I said that I had written in my blog that the battle was fought for no good purpose. I said that the ELS had always tolerated the two variant ideas on church and ministry but some eager beavers had wanted the ELS to make a statement on the issue.

I also said that I thought that there were big personality issues involved. I said that I had thought that President Moldstad had come from the yeoman class and that Pastor Preus had come from the lords class, both temporal and spiritual.

My source nodded in agreement with this. He said that the pressure was intense to 'make a stand' and this did not help.

He said that the procedures in place within the Synod itself were probably not adequate to resolve the conflict. I asked if there was some internal movement within the ELS to overcome these past problems and he said that there was.

I had asked President John Moldstad to address these issues when I spoke with him last summer and he said that he would do so. I saw President Moldstad yesterday but did not have a chance to greet him. It would not have been a good time to speak in depth with him since there was a huge crowd at the Vespers service.

***

GJ - Missing in this summary is the list of other pastors kicked out of the ELS by Pope John the Malefactor. Were they lords? Other pastors left with their congregations rather than be given the yeoman Left Foot of Fellowship.

Some in the ELS have always resented the Preus brothers, Jack and Robert. (Remember that Holy Name of Preus comment?) Rolf is the son of Robert and has many sons in training for the ministry, I think.

The Little Sect on the Prairie made it impossible for Rolf to serve his own congregation and impossible for his sons to study at the Seminary-Built-on-a-Bluff. How the ELS can criticize his sons for studying at the satellite campus of Constantinople (Ft. Wayne)? That might be better than Fuller's satellite campuses (Mequon and St. Louis)

An essential part of the ELS/WELS spirit is driving people out of the synod and then criticizing them for "breaking fellowship." The logic of this argument escapes me. All I can say is, "Blessed are they who receive the Left Foot of Fellowship, for they will find the true Church is not confined to the Upper Midwest."

Norm Teigen is a very nice person. I do not see him as petty or mean. I do think the ELS leaders need to read more, get some sunshine, and take off their episcopal rings.

My anonymous source (Hush Puppy) questioned whether I really had Pope John's copy of Preus of Missouri. He said, "It was probably the older Moldstad's copy. Junior is not known for reading." HP was right! The copy belonged to John Moldstad Senior.

At least I didn't call him Earl.