I often think of Lutheran pastors who supposedly objected to the Church Growth Movement 15-20 years ago. They are really crypto-Lutherans because they hide their doctrinal position whenever it is threatened. For that reason they lose every time to closeted Calvinists, who hide what they believe.
The old Synodical Conference looked down on the Eastern Lutherans (Muhlenberg tradition, merged downhill into the LCA of 1960) for being weak on the Open Questions: Lodge membership, millennialism, open communion, and the Antichrist. Where are the ELS, LCMS, and WELS on these issues today?
Masonic Lodge membership? No problem. George Orvick became ELS president while taking in Lodge members. For Brug, it was a first step in becoming a Mequon professor. The same is true of Missouri, except for the difficulty in finding Lodge members under the age of 90 today. Millennialism could not be a problem since all Lutheran synods have sent their leaders to Fuller Seminary and Willow Creek or rewarded the slugs who went there on their own. Open communion is standard in all the synods. I remember Kuske and Mueller mocking those who wanted to practice closed communion. "They think someone has to qualify for colloquy before communing them." And of course, representatives of the Antichrist are always welcome at Lutheran functions, such as ELS chapel services (Bethany Lutheran College, bragged up in the local newspaper, covered up later), WLC public lectures (bragged up and then denied), and a special all-Rome all-apostate conference at The Surrendered Fort.
The mild Lutherans of the 19th century were more Lutheran than the degenerate heirs of the Synodical Conference are today.
This situation will change only when the discussions turn to doctrine rather than structure.
