Some comments about WELS and the Mormons prompted me to find the Masonic distress signal, which the Mormons supposedly use. The hands are held up, like the authentic Masonic illustration above, and the victim says, "Is there no help for a widow's son?" That is said four times, facing the four cardinal points of the compass. There are many surviving Masons, so the signal must work, as it did once when a lodge brother was captured by pirates. (Some think the Knights Templar, known for their ships, became pirates when the evil King of France captured Demolay and liquidated the KTs. That would explain why the pirates set him free and gave his dog a biscuit. But then, the story is from Masons, whose stories are as credible as Jack Casione's.)
Is there any help for Confessional Lutherans? The extremes of Recessional Lutheranism may bring about its own demise. The crypto-Baptist-Pentecostals will eventually declare themselves, as a number of WELS Church Growth pastors have already done. They were lionized by the Love Shack at 2929 N. Mayfair Road, before they bolted for greener pastures and louder beehives. I can name many of them. They went from WELS bulletin insert to Pentecostal storefront church in short order.
The Eastern Orthodox Recessional Lutherans will probably do the same. A number of LCMS pastors have already joined the Church of Rome, moving from Universal Objective Justification to Universal Purgatorial Atonement. Who is sponsoring these defections? Could someone get seminarians to defect to the Concordia Triglotta?
The question is whether there will be a number of younger men who know the Scriptures, Luther, and the Book of Concord sufficiently well to re-establish the Lutheran Church on American soil. The Missouri Synod had some strong theological leaders at one time, but they have died. Apostates know that they only need to control a few key offices to run the seminaries and boards their way.
The conservatives never fought hard enough to keep this from happening. No, I do not mean fighting with elections. A doctrinal battle has to be fought with the Word and the Confessions, not with compromising candidates, deals, bylaws, and even more synod worship.
Find one example of synod worship or organizational concern in the entire Book of Concord.
Members and pastors can insist on liturgical services, Lutheran hymns, creeds, and sermons. The Episcopalians have shown that a whole region can vote to leave Holy Mother Church.
Ichabod Predicts
Here is my 21st Century prediction for WELS: both prep schools will close in time, due to high costs and diversion of funds to pet projects (like the new mission to Africa). When that happens, the college will close and the seminary will be threatened. As District Pope John Seifert said to his pastors, "We hope we can keep the seminary."
In the next 15 years, Andrew will carry away the bulk of the WELS members who now attend and give. WELS will merge with Missouri, perhaps as a non-geographical synod, to save face.
Many congregations are now merging. Schools are closing, too.
The Wisconsin sect tried to seize the future (and youth!) by abandoning its past principles. Instead, it institutionalized the dumbest and most anti-Christian ideas they could find. Apostasy is officially supported and promoted on the WELS.net site.
One prominent pastor said about the new but aging feminist hymnal, "We decided to alienate the older members to attract the younger ones." Brilliant strategy. How is it working?
Back to the Prairie Days
In times past, just as now, people did not have many orthodox pastors. There were many shams and frauds, and they didn't even have Fuller Seminary in the 19th century. Some people sat at home and read from sermon books. Luther was popular then. Others had churches but no pastor, so they had laymen read the liturgy and read from a trusted sermon book. Some pastors rode circuits and served many congregations.
Abundance came to American Lutherans and gratitude to God for His Word faded. More than one conservative Lutheran has asked me to approve adultery with the proper justification. Ministers have cared more about approval from man and their own personal security than about being faithful to the Scriptures and the Confessions. Instead of teaching, they are being taught, by the doctrinally indifferent.
