I Predicted This Years Ago

The ELS and WELS have decided it is naughty for women to commune women "in certain circumstances."

I get the impression that some WELS women were acting out what Professor Brug endorsed about 15 years ago. He stated in their journal that there is nothing in the Bible against women being ordained. WELS was not ready for it...yet.

WELS and the ELS are very good at finding exceptions and subsequently making those exceptions normative.

If someone knows more about this, please post a comment.

ELS Losses

From The Plucked Chicken:

"This year there are five of each to add to the three churches and one pastor we lost last year. In addition, there are two pastors who resigned from the clergy roster this year, as well as others in recent years."

This means:

1. Eight pastors left the ELS, voluntarily or by defenestration.
   
2. Eight congregations left the ELS, voluntarily or by defenestration.
   
3. More may leave or be kicked out.
   

More bad news. The Public Ministry document has achieved canonical status in the ELS. They passed the ambiguous document by a mixed vote. Now they are debating what they mean or meant by this Public Ministry of the Word statement. How much more Talmudic can a synod become?

I suggest a quatenus subscription to the PMW, to be enforced throughout the synod. The good part is that the ELS will agree about something. The better part is that they can interpret their subscription to the new creed any way they wish. Best of all, much posing and posturing can be enjoyed by all as pastors tap dance around the meaning of the Confessions and the Scriptures, with an eye on replacing Pope John the Malefactor.

WELS Statistics Summarized

WELS has the most congregations and pastors ever.

WELS has steadily lost members in the last 20 years (the Church Growth years) while adding expensive administrators.

Since 1987, WELS has lost about 6,000 communicants, about 25,000 souls.

In 1970, WELS had only 10 administrators. In 2002, they had 57, who get the highest salaries in the structure, more than seminary professors. They lost a few since then, but they still have a huge number.

The percentage in attendance has gone down, too.

The good news is -

The number of administrators per communicant has doubled since 1987!

So who can doubt the efficacy of the Church Growth Movement in WELS? No wonder the Fuller-trained administrators love the Church Growth Movement.