Wane, Mueller

Rev. Wayne Mueller, first vice president of WELS, announced today that he will accept the call to be lead associate pastor at St. John Ev. Lutheran Church, Jefferson, Wis. His duties as first vice president will conclude Aug. 31; he has served in that position since 2001.


In a message to the Synodical Council, Mueller wrote, "As I weighed my two calls, I tried to consider where the greatest needs of the church are today and how I could best apply my talents to them." He wrote that he was led to believe the greatest need is in the parishes. "The best thing I can do at this point in life is to apply my talents directly to that pressing need."

In a message to staff members at the Synod Administration Building, Pres. Mark Schroder wrote, "We are truly thankful to God for the many years of faithful service and leadership that Pastor Mueller has provided. We will say our farewells to him, confident that God will continue to use this faithful servant in proclaiming the gospel and shepherding God's people in their lives of faith and service."

St. John will be the third congregation Mueller will serve as pastor in his ministry. He served Trinity in Crete, Ill., from 1970-77 and Trinity in Waukesha, Wis., from 1977-84. He served as a professor at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon, from 1984-90 and as administrator for the Board for Parish Services from 1990-2001.

Rev. James Huebner, second vice president of WELS, will assume some of the duties now carried out by the first vice president until an election for a replacement takes place at the synod convention next summer.

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GJ - At the Love Shack, Wayne Mueller was a key figure supporting the Church Growth network in WELS. James Huebner is another Church Growth fanatic. He was trained at Fuller Seminary (with Larry Olson and Paul Kelm) to be a church growth consultant in WELS.

The Love Shack is still knee-deep in Church Growth disciples and doctrine. Note that adult and youth education became adult discipleship and youth discipleship when Mueller was removed from the seminary faculty and given a new job at 2929. Yes, removed, according to Slick Brenner. So he got a new job and a raise, because administrators make more than seminary faculty members.

WELS is supposedly going to study the Means of Grace, as if it were something new in Biblical doctrine. Unfortunately, the same scornful attitude toward the Means of Grace is evident in their announcement of the study, as I mentioned before. A lot more will have to change for WELS to become Lutheran. Many more years will have to pass and many more heads to roll before anyone can say Amen to Mueller's published claim, "There is no Church Growth Movement in WELS."