District President’s Report
Fall 2007
For some years now I’ve tried to read a book on Martin Luther or on Lutheranism during the month of October, prior to celebrating the Reformation. It seems that during this month I’ve got more than the usual amount of time on planes, time that can be devoted to reading. This year I picked up a copy of Why I Am a Lutheran: Jesus at the Center by LCMS Pastor Daniel Preus (CPH, 2004, also available from NPH). The book serves as a great reminder of the blessings God has given us through his Son, Jesus Christ, and the blessings he continues to bestow on us through the gospel in Word and Sacraments. The beautiful, soul-saving truth of the gospel—salvation by God’s grace alone, through faith in Jesus Christ alone—which was so badly obscured by a theology of works in the years leading up to the Reformation, is confessed and taught in the Evangelical Lutheran Church as nowhere else. In the course of his book, Pastor Preus also points out how the errors of mainstream American Protestantism, namely Arminianism and Pelagianism, obscure the gospel and rob Jesus of his glory by giving man a share of the credit for his salvation. One caveat is that like the book by Klemet Preus, The Fire and the Staff, the chapter on “The Office of the Holy Ministry” reflects a different doctrine of the Ministry.
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GJ - I wonder how many WELS pastors and leaders have come to California to study at Fuller Seminary. I am curious about who or what entity paid for all that tuition. Oelhaven and Adrian (Michigan District Missions Board) said they were trained at Fuller. Fuller once bragged in a letter about all the WELS pastors they trained. Joel Gerlach, Norm Berg, David Valleskey, Frosty Bivens, and their LCMS mentor Waldo Werning - all studied at Fuller. So did the C. Peter Wagner Professor of Church Growth at Martin Luther College - Lawrence Otto Olson.
And to think he liked what Preus said about Arminian/Pelagian theology! Rev. Janke, are you trying to kid us?
But - hush - the DP warns us against Preus' false view of the ministry. Preus does not dance the Wawautosi.
Have the WELS leaders warned anyone against the doctrine of Fuller Seminary, which they are so eager to promote?
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Bonus: Even More Unintentional Reformation Humor
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Unintentional Reformation Humor Department":
I can't believe your commentary. It's typical of you. There's nothing in Pres. Janke's write-up that says anything about "Church Growth" or Fuller, but yet that's how you spin it. You're pathetic!
GJ - Rev. Mouse, it has been established that you cannot believe my commentary. A typical WELS statement warns the innocent against the errors of the LCMS but ignores the apostasy promoted by the Wisconsin sect. Janke said nothing about Fuller because he would then condemn himself for participating in the biggest rape of Christianity since the Sack of Rome.
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Unintentional Reformation Humor Department":
It gets even better. Toward the end of the report he writes:
"I attended the ELS-WELS Forum on September 28 as the COP’s representative. The main subject of the forum was “Women Communing Women.” Concerns about this practice arose in both the WELS and the ELS after one WELS congregation called MLC female staff ministry interns to administer communion to female shut-ins. After review of the practice by the COP, the congregation was asked not to continue having women commune women. The congregation complied with the request. The COP conceded in its January 2005 statement on this issue that the Bible doesn’t specifically address this matter, but concluded that for numerous reasons it was not wise to continue having women commune women."
It’s apparent now that the COP’s call to refrain because the practice is “not wise” is not as strong a statement as some in the Evangelical Lutheran Synod were hoping to hear. According the 2006 ELS Synod Report, the ELS has urged its Doctrine Committee, “To continue its discussions with the CICR on the matter of women communing women noting that we unanimously agree that Scripture clearly teaches that women are not to be in the pastoral office, because this presiding office includes the exercise of authority over men (1 Cor. 14:34-35, 1 Tim. 2:11-12). Also, when Scripture refers to one who officiates at the word and sacrament liturgy it speaks in male terms (1 Tim. 3:2, 1 Tim. 4:13). Therefore women shall not read the Scripture lessons in the divine service, preach the sermon, administer Baptism or distribute the Lord’s Supper, for these things are intimately related to the pastoral office.” (Underlining mine) WELS, through its Commission on Inter-Church Relations, clearly needs to continue talking with our brothers in the ELS on this matter, but I hope it’s also clear that we in the WELS—even if there were no concerns from the ELS—are not in a position to have women read Scripture lessons in worship or to have women commune women."
Is this what it sounds like when someone talks out of both sides of their mouth?
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GJ - "Error loves ambiguity," as Krauth said. No, kindly Anonymous (not to be confused with the rabid and seldom coherent Rev. A. Nony Mouse) there is nothing in the Bible against ordaining women, according to John Brug in the Wisconsin Synod Quarterly (aka The Pope Speaks). Once something has been infallibly published in The Pope Speaks, it cannot be undone. In time the ELS will come around. A few well-aimed cuffs will stop the growling.
Various WELS pastoral papers have also echoed "there is nothing in the Bible against women's ordination," reminding me of LCA pro-abortion advocates saying the same thing about abortion.
