KJV Acts 28:1 And when they were escaped, then they knew that the island was called Melita. 2 And the barbarous people shewed us no little kindness: for they kindled a fire, and received us every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. 3 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. 4 And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. 5 And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. 6 Howbeit they looked when he should have swollen, or fallen down dead suddenly: but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said that he was a god.
I decided to revert to the normal way of spelling Church and Change, see below.
I forgot the favorite WELS defense of false teachers: "He is not a false teacher. He is a nice guy." The most dangerous vipers are not the menacing ones but the ones with the winsome personalities, like Saruman, soft and soothing. Of course, they strike when one's back is turned, but very few realize that.
One pastor asked questions in the typical, inoffensive WELS way. Actual confrontation is not allowed since it suggests fallibility. The result of asking a few questions was the threat that he would be forced out of his call. Soon he was a nervous wreck because he could not land another job.
The genius of Church and Change is this: WELS offering money funded a group so blatant that they had to cancel a conference. WELS has telescopic orthodoxy, spotting error thousands of miles away but never in its own midst. The cancellation proved how horrid Church and Change is. Church and Change was not even next door - the last conference was booked off the WELS.net website.
All that happened after connected people assured me that C and C was deader than Hillary's best friends and her worst enemies.
How does C and C work? They have their UPS drivers and coveted list of WELS jugglers (Gurgel?), but the real work is guiding people back to WELS Pentecostal Services (aka WELS Parish Services).
If someone objects to C and C, he is told, "They are separate." But lo, C and C is the conjoined twin of Pentecostal Services, implying a royal blessing from the next SP, Wayne Mueller. Questioning C and C is tantamount to dissing Wayne, who always has the last word. Always. He is the only church officer known to be voted out of office and return, Lazarus-like, to reign again.
A cursory glance at the Church and Change website shows that they are apostates who loathe Lutheran doctrine.
The next time someone mentions pure doctrine or orthodoxy in the Wisconsin sect, try to suppress a wry smile.
