Sabre of Boldness

Rev. Aaron Moldenhouer Receives Sabre of Boldness for 2008

The Sabre of Boldness was awarded to Rev. Fr. Aaron Moldenhauer, pastor of Zion Lutheran Church in Beecher, Illinois, on Thursday night, January 17th, in Fort Wayne, Indiana, in the thirteenth annual Sabre ceremony, sponsored by the editors of Gottesdienst. Fr. Moldenhauer is a recent graduate of Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, who for reasons of conscience was compelled to leave the Wisconsin Synod during his vicarage year and colloquize into the Missouri Synod. For this he has endured considerable scorn by many who were close to him. Fr. Moldenhauer was unable to attend the ceremony, but his wife Tabitha was present to receive the award for him.

Bearers of the Sabre
1996 The Rev. Peter C. Bender
1997 The Rev. Jonathan G. Lange
1998 The Rev. Dr. Edwin S. Suelflow
1999 The Rev. Gary V. Gehlbach - Eastern Orthodox Mole
2000 The Rev. Peter M. Berg - Eastern Orthodox Mole
2001 The Rev. Dr. John C. Wohlrabe
2002 The Rev. Erich Fickel
2003 The Rev. Dr. Wallace Schulz
2004 The Rev. Charles M. Henrickson - UOJ
2005 The Rev. Edward J. Balfour
2006 The Rev. Bishop Walter Obare
2007 The Rev. Dr. Ronald Feuerhahn

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GJ - I admire Pastor Balfour and Dr. Feuerhahn, but this award is rather comical, especially since the judges think joining another synod is something akin to martyrdom. The battles during the Reformation and after the death of Luther meant: burning to death (Dr. Robert Barnes), dungeons, exile, and persecution by the government itself. Today Christians in China are gladly going to prison for the faith. Christians around the world are still being slaughtered, especially by Muslims.

I see no one on the list in prison. One man did risk his life.