Lutherans for Loot

From Norm Teigen's Blog:

Saturday, September 29, 2007
Christian Life Resources

Christian Life Resources is endorsed by the WELS and the ELS although there is no administrative controls from these church bodies that I can see.

The organization seems to be in business to perpetuate itself. Income is $1.4 million. The leader of the group, Robert Fleischmann, pulls down $68,976 a year. That's a big salary in my book.

There is an upcoming convention. The program is designed to get the attendees to promote the organization's Pro-Life Activities. The national director says that the message of the group is to advise people to vote in such a way that God's will comes first and that human interests come next.

Who is best qualified to tell people what God's will is in the political arena? The CLR would have one believe that that organization can educate people to make the right decisions.

Sounds like a political action group to me under the guise of religious sentiment.

***

GJ - This group began as WELS Lutherans for Life, pulling away from the original LCMS Lutherans for Life to "avoid fellowship issues." That is a hoot. Long ago WELS was active with Lutheran World Relief, a pan-Lutheran organization. WELS district popes sat on the LWR board (but did not pray with them). WELS has given money to the United Nations. WELS and Missouri work with ELCA all the time.

Pause to regain self-control after a laughing fit. OK. I am better now.

Ichabodians can look up the statistics on Guidestar. They can look up the Schwan Foundation, Lutheran News, etc. Guidestar provides a PDF of the non-profit's tax return. I had two national news organizations phone me about the Schwan Foundation's connections with gambling investments. They Googled the general topic and tracked me down.

I would post some of the information from Guidestar, but they are touchy about how it is used. If you want to find it, you can do the research.

Lutherans for Loot has plenty of money socked away. The way I figure, they take a pan-Christian posture now to attract more financial support. They can gather tax money too, under various guidelines. The leader of the group, Pastor Robert Fleischman, was in Columbus for a meeting many years ago. He came over to my church to keep me from mentioning his work in Christian News. I guess it was an intervention. I asked Fleischman if he was the minister who instantly fell in love with his future wife and married her a short time afterwards. He confessed and did not deny, he was the one. I trust they are still happily married and just as much in love.

Church and Change Has Its Own Website

WELS has its own agency of apostasy, linked on the official WELS.net website - Church and Change. Is this strange? Church and Change has its own website, but registration for its conference is direct from the WELS website.

People think that their church leaders enforce doctrinal fidelity. In fact, the church leaders make sure the Scriptures are seldom followed. WELS has gone one extra step in encouraging apostasy, by helping people sign up for the expensive Church and Change Wingding, to be held October 15th.

Linking Church and Change on the WELS website is like having Jesus First linked on the LCMS website. Some may recall that Missouri linked ELCA and AAL as Ministry Partners on their website, then got huffy when I exposed the page in Christian News.

The non-ELCA synods are famous for pretending to be conservative to the point of being hide-bound. They are little models of ELCA. The difference is that ELCA is honest about its non-beliefs.

The WELS AnswerMan fielded a question today on closed communion, saying it was the policy of WELS and Missouri. Everyone knows just the opposite is true. Most Missouri congregations have wide-open communion. Other LCMS congregation welcome ELCA drive-by communicants, as long as they say something to the pastor. WELS' position is, "Don't ask. Don't tell." The ELS is famous for communing ELCA members and all kinds of weirdness not associated with doctrinal orthodoxy. Mind-numbing hypocrisy is rewarded in The Little Sect on the Prairie. David Jay Webber, the Lion of Scottsdale, long ago advocated communing ELCA members and had no qualms about associating his ELS work with that of Floyd Luther Stolzenburg. In the ELS, that is considered principaled leadership. "If you have the principal, we have the interest."

Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant Printed and Arriving

Lulu tells me that the copies of CLP I ordered have shipped. When they get here I will send them out immediately.

I can imagine The Love Shack Curia saying, "Who is Lulu? Get all the information you can find out about her."

Ahem. Lulu.com is fabulous Internet site for publishing books, calendars, and all kinds of materials. Thanks to the tireless efforts of my editor, Mark Ochsankehl, I have more material being readied to post there. For instance, there will be a discussion or teaching guide for CLP. I have also published a short guide for college students, who keep telling me, "I wish I would have known this sooner!"

Martin Chemnitz Press Storefront at Lulu.com.

Michigan District - Giving Not Up

WELS Through August.

WELS is up over 2006 by $444,049 at $12,493,206.

Michigan District is down $73,679 at $1,208,772.

The Michigan District has trailed last year's contributions every month through August, except perhaps for January.

The State of Michigan is in a budgetary crisis. The Wall Street Journal ran an article on the vast shrinkage of GM jobs since 1994. Ditto Ford. The State of Michigan is a subsidiary of the auto business. One pastor said years ago, "If the auto is business is doing well, the congregational budget does well. If not, there is not much we can do."

Latest Excuse: From the Spin-doctors at The Love Shack

Michael Schottey has left a new comment on your post "Church and Change - Still on WELS Website":

The official word as it was passed down to me is that A decision was made in the prior administration that gave "sponsorship" on the WELS website to publicize events for parasynodical organizations.

This is no longer the case in the current administration. However the proposal is that anything there currently was "grandfathered" so the new officials did not have to break the word of the old.

We shall see if the next convention is posted on the WELS.net and I may eat my words.

***

GJ - My, my. The excuses grow in complexity.

False doctrine has been grandfathered.

St. Augustine said that doctrinal error has three stages:
1. You must tolerate us, for we are a persecuted minority.
2. Equal footing with sound doctrine. Hence, Mequon now has a "balanced" faculty. Brenner was added to "balance" the Vallesky Cell Group.
3. False doctrine persecutes those who prefer sound doctrine. This CGM is now so old in WELS that it is grandfatherly.

The NIV renders Romans 16:25 as "Mark and delay..."

No, I have the 21st Century Gay-friendly Feminist NIV. The new reading is:

Register and attend!

Ichabod on Business

I will be gone on a business trip, just for two days. Mrs. Ichabod will remain home, resting for our trip to see the grandchildren.

In the meantime, keep up with Bailing Water and Trouble in Paradise.

Trinity 17

The Seventeenth Sunday after Trinity

The Hymn #292
The Invocation p. 15
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual Ephesians 4:1-6
The Gospel Luke 14:1-11
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #207
The Sermon


The Offertory p. 22
The Hymn #287
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #288

KJV Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

KJV Luke 14:1 And it came to pass, as he went into the house of one of the chief Pharisees to eat bread on the sabbath day, that they watched him. 2 And, behold, there was a certain man before him which had the dropsy. 3 And Jesus answering spake unto the lawyers and Pharisees, saying, Is it lawful to heal on the sabbath day? 4 And they held their peace. And he took him, and healed him, and let him go; 5 And answered them, saying, Which of you shall have an ass or an ox fallen into a pit, and will not straightway pull him out on the sabbath day? 6 And they could not answer him again to these things. 7 And he put forth a parable to those which were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief rooms; saying unto them, 8 When thou art bidden of any man to a wedding, sit not down in the highest room; lest a more honourable man than thou be bidden of him; 9 And he that bade thee and him come and say to thee, Give this man place; and thou begin with shame to take the lowest room. 10 But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest room; that when he that bade thee cometh, he may say unto thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have worship in the presence of them that sit at meat with thee. 11 For whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

True Unity in the Invisible Church

Ephesians 4:1 I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, 2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love; 3 Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; 5 One Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

The Ephesians passage is brief, yet it is one of the most recognized of all the Pauline verses – concise, full of meaning, its message honored chiefly today in being ignored.

For instance, I know of church leaders who insist on being called the right name. Any variation on what they have chosen is quickly corrected, so often that it has become a synodical joke. Others are so haughty that someone would scarcely be able to speak to a minister so high above everyone else. This is common in the business world. If I send an email to someone in the educational world, I am surprised if I get an answer, if the message is even acknowledged. Getting through to someone and getting an answer has spawned an industry in how to do just that. People are just too important to do their jobs.

Lowliness, meekness, and longsuffering are all qualities of the Savior. The New Testament always urges us to take on the attributes of Jesus rather than those of the world. The Gospel promises provide the energy to do exactly that. Where does this break down?

The temptation is to lay down heavy doses of the Law, to cajole people to be humble, forebearing, and meek. That is like taking someone to a clinic for tests, then prescribing even more tests as a cure. An x-ray will diagnose a broken bone, but it will not heal a broken bone. When x-rays were considered magical, they were tried as a cure, but disastrous results.

Broken bones need healing. Pain requires medicine. We are in the peak cold season, when children return to school and share their germs. When the throat is raw, the ears aches, and the nose shuts down, any medicine sounds appealing. Is it cold and raining, traffic backed up? We will jump in the car to get that medicine.

Our greatest sin, according to Jesus, is unbelief. Jesus said, in parting with His disciples, “The Holy Spirit will convict of sin, because you do not believe.”

KJV John 16:8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;

How often do people hear they are sinners, that the solution is to do something more, to do that action better, or to stop doing something bad? Luther correctly observed that the Medieval Age, as we call it now, consisted of a thousand years of terrifying people with the Law. They were convinced of their sin, but knew little about the Gospel.

This haughtiness we find so commonly in the visible church is the direct result of people not trusting the Word of God, in fact, not trusting God. They think everything rests on their own shoulders. Hence, they put on an act which they think is consistent with success. They know it has worked with others.

When we attended the famous Church Growth congregations at Willow Creek and Community of Joy (Glendale), we never saw the senior minister, except on the stage. He was too important to mingle with the peasants after the service. When people mingle in the narthex after church and speak to the pastor, I wonder how many of them think about how pleasant that is, compared to looking at a celebrity who will not even greet the people who support him financially.

The old-fashioned pastors did in fact trust in God working through the Word. They did not think much of themselves. Luther said, “The older I get, the less confidence I have in myself, the more confidence I have in God.” Those traditional pastors thought that teaching and preaching the Word, visiting the sick and elderly, were all God’s work. God would bless it according to His will.

Simply put, the Word conveys Christ and all His benefits to us. The Word brings us together, Christ coming to us when we cling to the Means of Grace.

I just read an essay written by an atheist. She was encouraged by the news that Mother Theresa in India spent 50 years in despair, even as she grew in fame. Mother Theresa wrote to her confessor that she never felt peace in Christ. There we can see the impact of false doctrine. Someone who lived in the Law cannot find peace. A Catholic woman said she would never send her six children to a Catholic school because of the constant guilt forced on all the children. (Does that sound like your synod?) If Mother Theresa had been pointed to the sufficiency of Gospel instead of the need for works, she would have seen and experienced Christ in the true Means of Grace.

The Gospel of Christ creates faith in our hearts and sustains that faith through the Means of Grace.

I used to think a four-leafed clover was rare. Everyone said it was rare. They were so rare, no one ever looked for them. A gardening friend said, “They are all over the place.” He described how to find one. They are normally in patches of clover, especially where it grows tall. Once I knew where to look, I saw four-leafed clovers all over and picked them for others.

Complete and free forgiveness seems rare because people do not know where to look. They do not know because their guides are as blind as they are. They think, “We have the Gospel if the organization is prospering.” If the organization is not doing well, they begin flogging people with the Law. Nothing improves morale like a good flogging.

When Christ comes to us in the Word of God, in the hymns, liturgy, creed, lessons, and sermon, the blessings of the Gospel fill us with the working of God’s Word. God works. That is the essence of Christianity, the only faith where God gives to adherents rather than members working for Him.

Many times in the past, the Gospel seemed hidden from almost everyone. During the Age of Rationalism, preachers gave sermons on everything except the Gospel (sound familiar? – how to have friends, how to have more time, how to be successful). Nevertheless, the Gospel remained in the liturgy, creeds, and hymns. Over time a new generation of ministers began to believe again.

We use the term mysteries because so much is hidden from the unbeliever but revealed to believers. I knew two people from Hong Kong who laughed at the Gospel and scoffed at the Gospel. They heard the Word but did not understand. One day the Gospel converted them. From then on they were especially keen to hear God’s Word and to trust in its message. I recall so vividly one day when I gave one of my last sermons in the LCA. The couple from Hong Kong nodded in agreement when I spoke of the inerrancy and authority of the Scriptures. Two church council members frowned and shook their heads no.

That is one of the mysteries – how people can grow up with the Gospel and desert it while staying within the visible church, how people can grow up without the Gospel, betray their Asian families (from their perspective) by believing in the Word, and cling to its promises.

Church and Change - Still on WELS Website

The Church and Change convention registration is still on the WELS website.

Registration is a "WELSForm."

Church and Change was dissolved by Synodical Pope Gurgel. So they say. Several people insisted it was true because officials told them so.

One can only conclude that Church and Change, dedicated to apostasy and the destruction of all Lutheran doctrine, is officially supported by The Love Shack Curia.

WELS members - when your offerings go to support $1+ million for technology, that includes the promotion of Church and Change through the elaborate and expensive WELS website, WELS.nt.

I Told You So: UOJ Lurkers

Once the word got out, the poll on forgiveness went from 100% justification by faith to 60% justification by faith. Yes, 40% answered that "everyone is already forgiven."

I think there was a rush to stuff the ballot on the UOJ side, but that is good. The laity should know how many clergy Universalists are lurking in the Lutheran Church.
LutherQuest (sic) is full of them.

We Still Believe, II

Michael Schottey has left a new comment on your post "We Still Believe":

Rev. Jackson,

I would like to use this text (Is mission statement too GW?) on my new website.

http://theshepherdsvoice.blogspot.com/

I would use it en toto and not change the text in anyway. I would also cite you and link to your site (in the post)As a way of biographical introduction I would include the following.

'This is a sample from a brochure of a church pamphlet. It comes from Rev. Gregory Jackson of Bethany Lutheran Church an independent Lutheran congregation. I have not always agreed with everything he has said, but this is the most confessional statement I have found to be used in such a way.'

Thank you
Michael Schottey
Mschottey1985@yahoo.com

***

GJ - Permission granted. How pleasant, to get a comment like this. Signed, too. Nota bene, A. Nony Mouse.

I cannot determine how people use what I offer, so no one has to promise to use my words verbatim. I find it odd that people borrow something and water it down. Historical note - I composed this at Mequon, during a so-called evangelism training seminar for pastors and laity. The entire program was all Church Growth, featuring such luminaries as David Valleskey, Paul Kelm, Lawrence Otto Olson (all Fuller grads). The brochure is proof that the seminar had no ill effects on me, in spite of the best efforts of WELS' leading false teachers.

I am happy to have people debate with me. Blogs are great for obtaining information, sharing opinions, refining argumentation.

I appreciate Norm Teigen's willing to spar with me.

Information mavens complain that when they read a magazine or newspaper, there is no link taking them to more information.

One hobby of Lutherans is finding the rest of the story in Christian News. The remainder may be on the page listed, but then again, it may not.

Pastors Will Say We're in Love (Parody)

Pastors Will Say We’re in Love

(Apologies to Rogers and Hammerstein, and to musicians in general. Dedicated to the music director in _________.)

Why do they think up stories that link my name with yours?
Why do the pastors chatter all day, behind their doors?
I know a way to prove what they say is quite untrue.
Here is the gist, a practical list of "don'ts" for you.

Don't throw your smiles at me
Don't please my choirs too much
Don't laugh at my jokes too much
Pastors will say we're in love!
Don't sigh and gaze at me
Not in the sacristry
Your eyes mustn’t fix on me!
Pastors will say we're in love!

Don't start with those bulletin quotes
Smile when you look up above.
Sweetheart don’t pass me notes
Pastors will say we're in love.
Don't praise preludes too much
Don't look so proud with me
Don't laugh out so loud with me
Pastors will say we're in love!

Don't take my side too much
Don't keep your hands on mine
Your hand feels so grand in mine
Pastors will say we're in love!
Don't pray all night with me
Till the stars fade from above.
They'll see it's alright with me
Pastors will say we're in love.

On the Touchiness of WELS

Many people have noticed how touchy WELS members, pastors, and seminarians can be when Holy Mother WELS appears less than perfect. Our dear friend used that term about the LCA, long before I knew it was a serious term for Catholics, as in Holy Mother Church. One of the famous pastors in the LCA used to say, "Holy Mother Church is a whore!" He was speaking of the visible church, the organization.

Holy Mother WELS is especially thin-skinned about all crticism. For example, when a Milwaukee reporter asked SP Gurgel about a pastor living in adultery, the primate's response was to find out who told the reporter, not to fix the problem. The same District Pope who allows the adultery to continue has gone into a pastor's office to say, "You will resign voluntarily and get three month's salary, or I will fire you on the spot and you will get nothing." I am not talking about one time but many times.

By they way, some ousted pastors in the WELS/ELS are now talking about how demonic their fomer synod is. However, they said nothing at all when the same things happened to many of their fellow-pastors. And that is why, dear friends, it continues. The bullies are cowards, afraid of negative reactions. If conservative pastors ever showed some spine, things would be different. But that would require trusting the Word of God instead of Holy Mother Synod.