Friday, March 28, 2008

The Mouse That Squeaked



Rev. Mouse, trying to get strong and brave.


A. Nony Mouse has left a new comment on your post "Bethany Lutheran Worship Will Be Weekly":

A degree in journalism? Don't you mean YELLOW journalism? I'm sure you could teach the class on that one, too.

***

GJ - I do not follow the communication standards of WELS, if that is what Rev. Mouse means.

Some WELS journalism highlights:

1. In Milwaukee, headquarters of Holy Mother WELS, Pastor Tabor murders his wife with the help of his mistress, moves to a new call in Escanaba, Wisconsin. Tabor was received into WELS in spite of general knowledge Cape Girardeau that he was an adulterer with a bastard child. WELS was silent.
2. District Pope Ed Werner routinely molested girls in his congregation for 20+ years. All the pastors knew. He was finally arrested. WELS lied about why. When he was convicted, WELS was silent.
3. Vicar Scott Zerbe had an affair with a minor child in Pastor Fred Adrian's congregation. Zerbe was convicted. WELS was silent.
4. WELS teacher Al Just murdered his wife in Phoenix, but claimed she rolled over a steak knife many times in her sleep. WELS defended him, sent people to support him, with DMLC President Huebner serving as a character witness. Just married his children's baby-sitter while in the slammer, got divorced from her, and now participates in WELS congregational life. He was seen with a youth group, but WELS was silent.
5. Floyd Stolzenburg was forced to resign from the LCMS ministry on a Saturday. The DP preached for him on Sunday. His wife divorced him - for cause. WELS embraced him and made him a Church Growth consultant in Columbus, Ohio. When he and divorced pastor Roger Zehms made a thorough mess of things, VP Paul Kuske wrote him a letter of recommendation to serve as pastor of Emmanuel, Columbus. So did WELS pastor Schumann. Stolzenburg never joined WELS but played the role of a WELS pastor - but WELS was silent.
6. A synodical VP propositioned a woman in the process of providing pastoral counselling. He was forced to resign from the ministry and lied about it. Why was his slot suddenly vacant. WELS was silent.
7. Vast amounts of money came to WELS via the Schwan Foundation, but WELS became insolvent. What happened to all the loot? WELS was silent.

We are all looking forward to honest journalism standards in WELS. Where would we find that? In FIC? The synod is too ashamed of the name Lutheran to have it in the magazine title. We are all ashamed together, Rev. Mouse. I am just as ashamed as you - that you are a Lutheran.