Formula of Concord Repudiates UOJ

J-545

"These treasures are offered us by the Holy Ghost in the promise of the holy Gospel; and faith alone is the only means by which we lay hold upon, accept, and apply, and appropriate them to ourselves. This faith is a gift of God, by which we truly learn to know Christ, our Redeemer, in the Word of the Gospel, and trust in Him, that for the sake of His obedience alone we have the forgiveness of sins by grace, are regarded as godly and righteous by God the Father, and are eternally saved."
Formula of Concord, Thorough Declaration, III. #10. Of the Righteousness of Faith before God. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 919. Tappert, p. 541. Heiser, p. 250.

J-546

"Accordingly, the word justify here means to declare righteous and free from sins, and to absolve one from eternal punishment for the sake of Christ's righteousness, which is imputed by God to faith, Philippians 3:9. For this use and understanding of this word is common in the Holy Scriptures of the Old and the New Testament. Proverbs 17:15: He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the Lord. Isaiah 5:23: Woe unto them which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him! Romans 8:33: Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth, that is, absolves from sins and acquits."
Formula of Concord, Thorough Declaration, III. #17. Of the Righteousness of Faith before God. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 921. Philippians 3:9; Proverbs 17:15; Isaiah 5:23; Romans 8:33. Tappert, p. 541f. Heiser, p. 251.

J-547

"For when man is justified through faith [which the Holy Ghost alone works], this is truly a regeneration, because from a child of wrath he becomes a child of God, and thus is transferred from death to life, as it is written; When we were dead in sins, He hath quickened us together with Christ, Ephesians 2:5. Likewise: The just shall live by faith, Romans 1:17; Habakkuk 2:4."
Formula of Concord, Thorough Declaration, III. #20. Of the Righteousness of Faith before God. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 921. Tappert, p. 542. Heiser, p. 251.

J-548

“But here very good attention must be given with especial diligence, if the article of justification is to remain pure, lest that which precedes faith, and that which follows after it, be mingled together or inserted into the article of justification as necessary and belonging to it, because it is not one or the same thing to speak of conversion and of justification. For not everything that belongs to conversion belongs likewise to the article of justification, in and to which belong and are necessary only the grace of God, the merit of Christ, and faith, which receives this in the promise of the Gospel, whereby the righteousness of Christ is imputed to us, whence we receive and have forgiveness of sins, reconciliation with God, sonship, and heirship of eternal life. Therefore true, saving faith is not in those who are without contrition and sorrow, and have a wicked purpose to remain and persevere in sins; but true contrition precedes, and genuine faith is in or with true repentance [justifying faith is in those who repent truly, not feignedly].”
Formula of Concord, Thorough Declaration, III. #24-26. Of the Righteousness of Faith Before God. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 921. Tappert, p. 543. Heiser, p. 251.

J-549

"Moreover, neither contrition nor love or any other virtue, but faith alone is the sole means and instrument by which and through which we can receive and accept the grace of God, the merit of Christ, and the forgiveness of sins, which are offered us in the promise of the Gospel."
Formula of Concord, Thorough Declaration, III. #31. Of the Righteous of Faith before God. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 925. Tappert, p. 544. Heiser, p. 252.

J-550

"Here belongs also what St. Paul writes Romans 4:3, that Abraham was justified before God by faith alone, for the sake of the Mediator, without the cooperation of his works, not only when he was first converted from idolatry and had no good works, but also afterwards, when he had been renewed by the Holy Ghost, and adorned with many excellent good works, Genesis 15:6; Hebrews 11:8. And Paul puts the following questions, Romans 4:1ff.: On what did Abraham's righteousness before God for everlasting life, by which he had a gracious God, and was pleasing and acceptable to Him, rest at that time?
Formula of Concord, Thorough Declaration, III. #33. Of the Righteousness of Faith before God. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 927. Romans 4:3; Romans 4:1ff; Genesis 15:6; Hebrews 11:8. Tappert, p. 545. Heiser, p. 252.

J-551

"For good works do not precede faith, neither does sanctification precede justification. But first faith is kindled in us in conversion by the Holy Ghost from the hearing of the Gospel. This lays hold of God's grace in Christ, by which the person is justified. Then, when the person is justified, he is also renewed and sanctified by the Holy Ghost, from which renewal and sanctification the fruits of good works then follow."
Formula of Concord, Thorough Declaration, III. #41, Of the Righteousness of Faith before God. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 929. Tappert, p. 546. Heiser, p. 253.

J-552

“...God in His purpose and counsel ordained [decreed]:

That the human race is truly redeemed and reconciled with God through Christ, who, by His faultless [innocency] obedience, suffering, and death, has merited for us the righteousness which avails before God, and eternal life.
That such merit and benefits of Christ shall be presented, offered, and distributed to us through His Word and Sacraments.
That by His Holy Ghost, through the Word, when it is preached, heard, and pondered, He will be efficacious and active in us, convert hearts to true repentance, and preserve them in the true faith.
That He will justify all those who in true repentance receive Christ by a true faith, and will receive them into grace, the adoption of sons, and the inheritance of eternal life."
Formula of Concord, Thorough Declaration, XI. #15. Of God's Eternal Election. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 1069. 2 Corinthians 5:19ff. Tappert, p. 619. Heiser, p. 288. [emphasis added]

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M Schottey has left a new comment on your post "Formula of Concord Repudiates UOJ":

In your last quote..without emphasis added

'That the human race is truly redeemed and reconciled with God through Christ'

If the human race (not only the faithful) is redeemed, how then are they not all justified?

GJ - I am glad these questions are asked (and signed). The citation makes it clear that justification does not take place apart from the Means of Grace, apart from faith. There is only one justification. You are confusing the Atonement/reconciliation with justification. Atonement/reconciliation is the act of God through Christ. Justification by faith is individual, taking place when the Gospel message of Atonement is preached.

Originally I thought that OJ was another word for the Atonement. That is not so. OJ or UOJ means: God declared the whole world innnocent, not guilty, when Christ died on the cross, or when He rose from the dead. They cannot get the Moment of Absolution straight. Some blend the two together.

KJV John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

The wrath of God does not abide on the forgiven. John 3:36 repudiates UOJ, more clearly than any other passage I know. Since the Bible is a unified truth, the Book of the Holy Spirit, as Luther called it, nothing can contradict this clear passage and be called "Christian doctrine," even if Uncle Fritz and Sig Becker taught it in all sincerity.

Church and Change - Its Own Jumpword

One WELS pastor told me, some time ago, "Church and Change is gone. It's over. Dissolved."

He believed it, and I believed he believed it. However, I did not believe it.

Sure enough, the dissolved, vanished, verboten Church and Change convention was being promoted on the WELS website.

While you were napping, Ichabod checked out the WELS.net jumpword list. Sure enough, Church and Change has its own jumpword on the official index. Type the right word into the jump index on the first page and you will have the Church and Change information which is part of the WELS.net website, not separate. Try it and check the link you get.

Jumpword................Result
churchChange..........Church and Change

I get this result:

https://www.wels.net/cgi-bin/WELSForms.pl?&dir=churchChange

I call that official recognition of heresy. How long will it continue?

Trinity 15 Sermon

The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For every man shall bear his own burden. 6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. 7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

KJV Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

TLH Hymns
321 O faithful God
436 The Lord’s My Shepherd I’ll Not Want
36 Now thank we all our God
339 All hail the power

To Serve One Master

Anyone can see the wisdom of the opening statement. That is true even when someone is trying to hold two jobs at once. We love one and resent the other. That is why companies do not like to have their employees work a second job.

Jesus uses this common sense wisdom to contrast our attitudes. If we love mammon, we will hate God. If we love God, we will hate mammon. But, people are wondering, what exactly is mammon? The word does not mean the possessions and income we need to sustain life. Mammon refers to the accumulation of wealth beyond anything we might need. As Luther says, If God died tomorrow, we would have a way out of the situation.

There are all kinds of situations among Christians. Some people fall into wealth or earn it through their cleverness. Others are poor, no matter what. In Africa, the Muslims persecute and murder the Christians. There a believer is fortunate to live, let along prosper.

The question is what we worship, what we place first. Coveting is an evil sin because someone can be outwardly righteous and still have an evil desire for what belongs to someone else. We can see that with ministers coveting the call of another pastor, hoping to get rid of him to enjoy the work done by another person. False teachers never break a sweat in labor – they always steal the work of another. Some covet the spouse of another person. Others have plenty but covet the money of others, even of those who cannot afford to lose anything. During the Fall of Jerusalem in 70 AD, the powerful stole food from the starving, even though they had enough food for themselves.

If we are anxious about what we will wear, what we will eat, what will house us, then we do not have faith in God, because God provides all those things, to believers and unbelievers alike. God’s will is to have us work for those things and enjoy the result of that work. We can see that the worst kind of life is having no purpose, no work to do. The children of the ultra-rich have to invent causes to pursue because they are born into such wealth. Many do not survive it, as we have already seen with Kennedy kids, born with a trust fund in each hand.

Luther observed that mammon was and will always be a weak god. Riches must be guarded or they will be stolen away. Johnny Cash’s famous home burn down to ashes in one night. Every home in America lost some value in the last year. For people who accumulate the metal gold, to provide for the future, special care must be taken to keep it safe. That is quite a god, that must be guarded with iron bars, locks, and appointed servants or guardians.

And this god mammon is very weak. Mammon cannot even cure a sniffle. When I read about the son of one Mayo brother, I was struck by his early death. He had great wealth and influence, the best doctors in the world to watch over him, but he died early.

The god mammon does not offer peace of mind – just the opposite. The more people have, the more anxious they are to keep what they own, far beyond their needs.

Serving mammon, worshiping mammon, is foolish. We can see that from Jesus’ comparison with clothing and food. Clothing serves us – we do not exist to venerate clothing. Food serves us. God provides both for us. Birds are a constant reminder of how God works. Every day they wake up without knowing where their next meal will come from. Nevertheless, they sing Matins first thing every morning. They go to sleep in the trees and bushes, not knowing how they will be fed the next day. Yet they sing Vespers as well. Their water sources are not dependable. One day a lawn is sprinkled. The next day a waterfall is left on, giving them drink and bathing. In Michigan I heated a birdbath all winter and watched the birds line up for their baths. They usually splashed a gallon of water or more out of the dish each day. They could get moisture from the snow, but they really loved a bath to wash the grit away. Word got out in the bird flocks. One day I arrived home to see birds lined up, two by two, to get into the bath. Two hopped in, splashed around, then two behind them jumped in to chase them off. The new pair splashed around. The line included about 20 birds, all the same species.

Thankfulness comes from our knowledge of God’s care for us. Without us asking, He provides all our needs. When we pray, “Give us this day our daily bread,” we are praying for thankful hearts to realize His generosity. Thankfulness is often our greatest shortcoming.

The human eye is the greatest thing in all of Creation. The evolutionists cannot explain it. God gives us two eyes. We should be thankful for only one, but we take two for granted. Every child is a gift from God. Here we can see how little people value God’s Creation. God gives them life, and parents take those lives for granted. The recent example is a husband and wife who drugged their children so they could go out alone, without paying a babysitter. The authorities think one child (Maddie) died from the drug, and her death was covered up. The case is not solved, but the callous nature of leaving children alone, medicated, to save a few dimes…we shake our heads in disbelief.

A UOP graduate (MBA), Shaq O’Neil is going through a divorce. At stake is his $500 million fortune. Of course it is a “bitter divorce” with a fight over the mammon, the money. Could they get along on $250 million each? No, it’s the principle that counts, the principle plus interest.

If we truly believe in a mighty and all-loving God, then we also realize that the difficulties that come our way are part of His wisdom. We are not always thankful for those trials, though we may be more thoughtful later. Our Old Adam screams against the trials we face, but the afflictions are good for us. Our Old Adam in turmoil is reason enough to think about our need for a Savior, the only Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

If I had not been in a personality cult church (First Christian, Disciples of Christ, Moline) I would not have crossed the street and joined Salem Lutheran. I probably would have attended Augustana Lutheran College anyway, because the college was nearby. But had I attended as a Disciples member, I would have made a bad impression on my future bride, Christina. I read Luther’s sermon on this text to her tonight before she fell asleep. We look back on 41 years of knowing each other, 38 years of marriage, 3 children, one wonderful daughter-in-law, 3 fabulous grandchildren. These memories mean so much, and they are all intertwined with each other. Luther’s doctrine means everything to us. All his sermons ring so true, so harmonious with the Gospel and the ancient testimonies.

Jesus says, “Do not be anxious” about daily needs, then shows us how God takes care of the most ordinary creatures. We should look at the astonishing harmony of Creation and see how God has provided for every kind of life form, all living together and balancing each other, mutual dependencies beyond human imagination. One sunflower is a center of life by itself. The roots reach down into the soil to bring up minerals, sending out chemicals to thwart plant competition. These roots serve as elevators for earthworms, drains to let rainwater down. The earthworms till the soil, add calcium to the soil, digest rougher parts of soil (grinding them down), and turn their food into worm-manure to fertilize the plant. Various insects feast upon the leaves, but they cannot chew a sunflower down to nothing. A grasshopper may make a feast, then serve as a feast for a bird who spots him. Ants and aphids may travel up and down. Bees pollinate the flower. Squirrels eat the sweet flowers. If they are patient, they can let the flowers turn into a Feeding of the Five Thousand banquet of sunflower seeds, loved by humans, squirrels, and 40 species of birds. The sunflower is the weediest of weeds, but the finest producer of protein and minerals in the garden, except for the uncommon amaranth and the unpopular broccoli. I used to leave my sunflower stalks up all winter, to give birds a roost. The description above does not touch on soil chemistry or soil creatures. One would need a book to describe all that goes on in an ordinary back yard. All of this works in an orderly fashion and quickly adjusts when man steps in to change it.

Given all that, which is just a hint of what God does daily in the world around us, how can we question God ordering the world for those in His Kingdom? He plans for the least important things (daily living) and in great abundance for the most important (the Means of Grace).

God has provided for our daily lives and our salvation so we can provide for others. We are not to be anxious about what God does, but we should be anxious about the needs of others. We do not worship mammon when we use our wealth to care for others. My neighbor has bought any number of new cars since we have known him. He has a California pension plan and Arizona taxes, an ideal life. When he wanted to employ a yard worker, he want to give the least amount possible. There is someone who would bend over in 110 degree heat (with humidity) and pull witch-grass, and this man would pay him a dog’s wages, taking advantage.

Everyone is helped by someone else in some way. We can seldom help out the giver in the same way we are helped, but we can help others, showing our thankfulness to God. This is how God multiplies the blessings of the Gospel, blessing us in return. The best giving is one-way. Knowing the Gospel means putting it into action as well. Luther’s term was “faith active in love.” He often expressed the teaching of the Bible as two-fold: faith toward God (no anxiety) and love toward our neighbor (anxious about his needs). If mammon is our servant instead of our master, we order mammon to go help our neighbor. The more we take charge of mammon, the less mammon can command us and make us hate God. Instead of selling old furniture, we can give it to those who need it. We could not give away a dishwasher or a gas dryer in Phoenix, but we found people who needed furniture and chairs. It is very satisfying to have someone say, “We could not all sit at family gatherings. Now everyone can sit down.” And our furniture becomes a part of their lives, too.

Books are fun to give away. Because people have donated to print the books, I freely give away hundreds of Martin Chemnitz Press books. They have been sent to people all over the US this way, but especially in Phoenix, Yuma, and Tucson. I also give away all my light reading books, so our house does not fill up completely with books. The light reading books are not religious, but they encourage reading and additional study.

The Christian faith does not teach that deeds merit salvation. The Gospel does not demand works added (fides formata, the Catholic formula). The Gospel energizes and motivates all kinds of giving. The time we give other is the most precious, since people can afford most of their necessities today. What we give to others will reflect what we think about God giving us His Son.

WELS Question on Community Churches

Someone asked AnswerMan about the number of WELS congregations without Lutheran in their title. The matter was not published. I recall that AnswerMan said something like this:

1. Ask the congregation about it. They pick the name.
2. Very few have left out the name Lutheran.

Number 1 is always the response when WELS leaders are dodging their responsibilities. Guess what happens when someone is direct with a false teacher?
A. Denial.
B. Cover-up.
C. Retaliation.

The Love Shack has been covering for false teachers since the famous Theodore Hartwig case. Nothing was ever done. Harwig was chosen to promote the feminist creeds in their ELCA-clone hymnal. So far, no other Lutheran sect has corrupted the creed to have Jesus "fully human," a denial of the Two Natures united in One Person.

Getting back to the fact of dropping the name Lutheran - The simple fact remains that eliminating the name Lutheran is a key component of the Means-of-Grace-hating Church Growth leaders. Lyle Schaller, a liberal Methodist, advocating the elimination of denominational names. Robert Schuller chimed in a long time ago. Dutch Reformed, he named his congregation Garden Grove Community Church, which is not far from Fuller Seminary.

Robert Mueller gave his blessing for Crossroads in Detroit, started as a WELS mission and no longer Lutheran at all. His Ed McMahon, Paul Kuske, started Pilgrim Community Church in Columbus, with the sage advice of Floyd Stolzenburg and Roger Zehms. Prince of Peace in Reynoldsburg, Ohio, semi-kicked out of WELS (the pastor and church, but not the money) dropped WELS from its church sign. Mueller had no problem with that.

WELS has a Church Growth congregation in Chicago: Crossroads Christian Church. The name itself is deceptive, because the Disciples of Christ churches (where McGavran came from) are always called Christian Church with the denomination in parentheses, as in First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

Finding out that Crossroads in Lutheran and affiliated with WELS is a chore. I found this:

In an age of anxiety, we believe that real peace comes from Jesus Christ.
In an age of confusion, we believe that the Bible is the word of God, without error.
In an age of doubt, we believe that Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary.
In an age of guilt, we believe that Jesus died on the cross to remove the power of sin from our lives.
In an age of hopelessness, we believe that Jesus rose physically from death -- and so will we rise.
In an age of skepticism, we believe that God is at work in the sacraments of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion.
In an age of despair, we believe God's promises to heal and transform us.
In an age of violence, we believe that God calls us to embody his love in the world.
In an age of constant change, we believe in the unchanging Holy Trinity -- Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
Crossroads is a Christian community with roots in the Lutheran tradition. We hold the three ecumenical creeds and the Lutheran Confessions to be faithful expressions of God's truth revealed to us in the Bible. Crossroads is affiliated with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.

The first part is adapted from my We Still Believe brochure, used all over Lutherandom, which amuses me no end. CLC congregations also use it. Too bad so few actually believe what they say.

CrossWalk in Phoenix does not offer Holy Communion, so how Lutheran are they? They are contagious, but not sacramental.

What AnswerMan avoided saying is this - WELS has increased its emphasis on stealth congregations in the hopes of fooling people into joining. They create third-rate Baptist congregations, denying their confessional heritage, in the hopes of making a splash.

PS - I missed Comedy Night at Crown of Life Church. Notice the web page does not call it a Lutheran church and the WELS affiliation is sublimated. You may recall the pastor is a big fan of Leonard Sweet, the hero of Church and Change. He was, until I pointed this out on Ichabod. Now his website and blog are unSweetened.

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M Schottey has left a new comment on your post "WELS Question on Community Churches":

My sister is a member of Crossroads in Chicago, and I myself have attended their services many times. In addition, I have sat down and talked to the pastor. Trust me when I say that the Gospel is preached there in its truth and purity and sacraments rightly administered.

GJ Question - So why are they ashamed of the name Lutheran?

Fuller Seminary - Short Version

People write me polite questions via email. They even sign their names. I have tried to explain to my opponents, "That's why I have so many sources." If I have information that would give away the source, I keep it to myself.

One WELS member asked about Fuller Seminary. Later today I will try to muster my Fuller quotations from Megatron, my database of verbatim quotations. For now I will give a brief summary of what I know.

Fuller Seminary is not quite the home of the Church Growth Movement. Fuller was started as a fairly conservative seminary, with a compromised statement on inerrancy, around 1948. At one point they decided to hire Donald McGavran to teach the Church Growth Movement, which he invented.

McGavran was a Disciples of Christ former missionary to India, someone who labored in obscurity for many years at a tiny college. His denomination was and is on the extreme Left of Protestantism. His doctorate was in sociology, so he had little training in theology, beyond seminary. He was long on statistics, but devoid of Biblical knowledge. Besides, he was ardently pro-abortion. He advocated participating in Planned Parenthood as a congregational activity. His circle even had a production called Planned Parenthood for Churches. WELS must have bought that concept, because they murder their infant churches all the time.

Fuller got a marketing genius president who got rid of the conservative traces of Fuller. Church Growth caught on at the same time. Fuller is against inerrancy now and will punish anyone oppose to women's ordination.

McGavran and his Pentecostal-Baptist disciple Peter Wagner cleverly promoted the school by getting the executives of all the denominations at their school for CG training, starting with world missions. Once they suckered all the world mission executives, they started on the American mission bosses. That is how Norm Berg got trained at Fuller.

I listed Fuller vets in another post. Click on the Fuller label for more information. Lawrence Otto Olson (D.Min. Fuller, Church and Change leader) bragged that more LCMS pastors went to Fuller than went to their own schools for extra education. That is why Al Barry would not open his mouth against CG, why Kieschnick followed him.

ELCA leaders went to Fuller too. So did ELS pastors. One ELS pastor wrote a gushing letter about CG and sent it around the Little Sect on the Prairie. I believe he is in ELCA now. He really should be teaching at Martin Luther College, with Lawrence Otto Olson.

The email was saying that WELS professors should not be corrupted by studying at a school that teaches another doctrine. At this point all the Lutheran professors could study at Fuller, no matter which synod. The synods are united in promoting the Church Growth Movement with its manifold false doctrines. The time has come for all of them to merge and let the dissenters leave with their congregations.

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Norman Teigen has left a new comment on your post "Fuller Seminary - Short Version":

Who was the ELS pastor, now in the ELCA, who was caught up in the Church Growth frenzy?

I had never heard that one before.

Norman Teigen
ELS Layman

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GJ - An ELS source sent me the letter. The ELS pastor had just finished studying at Fuller Seminary. He wanted everyone to "spoil the Egyptians," as Valleskey wrote and A. D. Harstad echoed in his ELS Amen conference paper/journal article.

I no longer remember the ELS CG pastor's name. A lot of pastors move through the ELS (Al Barry, Keith Olmanson, Ossie Hoffman, Jack Preus, Robert Preus, Rolf Preus and recent defenestrations). I recall one CG pastor was in Naples, Florida. I was told ELS President George Orvick visited the congregation and acted on it.

Ichabod International

Ichabod is being quoted in Germany at Blogsburg.

This is the second time Blogsburg has quoted this site.

New contacts continue to come in, via email, from all over.

A. Nony Mouse continues to rant. He stopped for a few days, so I thought his weekend pass was expired and he had to go back in.