Church and Change Bio - Ron Ash
Chairman, Appleton, WI
Ron started his ministy by serving three congregations in Colorado. He has since served for 30 years at St. Peter Lutheran Church, Appleton, WI. During this time he has been Circuit Pastor, Chairman of the Board of Regents at FoxValleyLutheranHigh School, Secretary of the Fox River Valley Conference, on the Governing Board at LutherPreparatory School, and Circuit Chairman. He has been a promoter of creating innovative ministries for a changing world. His wife, Renate, and he have three children.
[GJ - The assistant pastor is Tim Glende, from St. Paul, Columbus, the congregation which took in Floyd Luther Stolzenburg when he was kicked out of the LCMS ministry. Floyd helped organize a Church Growth seminar, attended by the St. Paul's staff, and started "the first WELS Church Growth agency - Lutheran Parish Resources."]
Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "WELS Pastor Ron Ash, Chairman of Church and Change...":
The above-mentioned "congregation" that is being daughtered by St Peters is Solid Rock Ministries and Pastor Jim Skorewski has accepted the call to be its pastor....
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PS It's not Pastor Timothy Glende anymore. It's "Pastor Tim"
From their website, St. Peter Cares:
History
St. Peter congregation was founded by a group of Lutheran immigrants from [GJ- From? From? Please let us know.]. It was organized on October 5, 1868.
From Bailing Water:
Anonymous said...
A small clip from a WELS church bulletin in an area about 20 miles from St Mark Depere..... Is this the direction WELS wants to go???
"Some people from our church have approached our pastors about starting a daughter congregation in the Appleton area. These WELS people would fund the entire project for a certain number of years. It will not be financed by our congregation. This daughter congregation would have its own pastor and a part-time music director. The main feature of this church would be: 1) contemporary worship only; 2) small group ministry; 3) lay-driven; 4) Appleton area focused; 5) and will reach out to the unchurched. This congregation will be directed by a separate executive committee. It will have a different name than St. Peter and will worship in facilities outside our campus and not at FVL.
We will have two open hearings to discuss the concept of a
daughter congregation between the services on June 8 & 15, 2008, in church.
We will vote on this proposal at our June 23, 2008 voters’ meeting."
May 19, 2008 4:55 PM
Anonymous said...
Thanks for the laugh!
The 40+ WELS congregations in the Appleton area really need help getting the word out????
May 20, 2008 1:22 PM
miket said...
Anonymous (5/19 - 4:55 pm):
Your comment refers to a church growthy outreach proposal and asks whether this is the direction the WELS wants to go. Obviously, it is the direction that at least some in one congregation want to go. I trust that you are not ascribing the thinking of these few to the whole synod. I think most of the people in WELS would have concerns about starting the kind of mission described in that bulletin note.
The history of the WELS is full of cases of liberal pastors leading their congregations in directions not consistent with God's Word. Some of those pastors came to see the error of their ways; most are no longer WELS.
Seeing a bulletin note like this does not alarm me. What would alarm me is false doctrine that goes undisciplined. Do you know of anything along those lines that needs to be addressed?
May 20, 2008 1:35 PM
Anonymous said...
"The main feature of this church would be: 1) contemporary worship only; 2) small group ministry; 3) lay-driven; 4) Appleton area focused; 5) and will reach out to the unchurched."
Am I missing something? What is not consistent with God's Word in those four? The only false doctrine that needs to be addressed in this vain is elevating personal preferences to the level of Scripture and addressing those who are not in agreement with your opinions "false teachers'. That's called legalism and that is a sin -- period. That is also an issue that also needs to be addressed in the WELS.
I live in the Fox Valley, the number of people we are reaching in our 40+ congregations, the number sitting in His house regularly, and the number of adult confirmations are in most cases, not rising. The synod stats, which I have a copy of, indicates a need to at least look at different ways to gain an audience so that God's means can be shared.
Just shout'in
May 20, 2008 7:59 PM
Anonymous said...
Just shout'in,
Who promised that your congregations would grow?
May 21, 2008 6:01 AM
Anonymous said...
Wow, even Wels is wandering to Rick Warren (and his ilk...ever notice, ilk is never a good thing)
So how does Wels measure success?
Nickels and Noses or faithful preaching of the Gospel and administering the Sacrements? Since numbers aren't going up, do you leave the Gospel for a marketing plan??
Just askin'
May 21, 2008 7:37 AM
rlschultz said...
"Who promised that your congregations would grow?"
Very good question which needs to be asked in a situation like this or any other which relies upon "M&M's" - marketing and methods. Furthermore, where is numerical growth even made a requirement of the so-called Great Commission? So much of this type of approach demonstrates a lack of discernment.
The final, default argument for all of this nonsense is that they are just trying to save souls.
May 21, 2008 12:07 PM
Anonymous said...
John,
Your blog has been quoted extensively over on Ichabod the past day or two. If you want people to take you even in the least bit seriously, you need to talk to Jackson and tell him to stop. The guy is a jerk of a pastor and a false prophet (denies objective justification). There's a reason why he's all by himself.
[GJ - Feel the love? This must be a Church and Change board member.]
May 21, 2008 3:42 PM
Anonymous said...
Rev. Jackson has many more supporters than this person knows. What makes him think he all alone?
May 22, 2008 12:27 PM
Norman Teigen said...
Some of us in the ELS are concerned about the confessional integrity of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. I believe that this will be discussed in the upcoming ELS convention. At least, I hope that it is.
Norman Teigen
ELS layman
May 23, 2008 4:29 PM
Anonymous said...
Norm, how is this going to be discussed? I can't see someone getting up on the floor and saying: "We better check out the WELS!" How will this happen?
May 23, 2008 6:47 PM
Anonymous said...
Norm, how is this going to be discussed? I can't see someone getting up on the floor and saying: "We better check out the WELS!" How will this happen?
May 23, 2008 6:47 PM
Norman Teigen said...
I accept the challenge. I will go to Mankato and ask for the floor and raise the question myself.
Norman Teigen
ELS layman
May 24, 2008 10:02 AM
Anonymous said...
Norm, this wasn't a challenge. You yourself wrote on this blog: "I believe that this will be discussed in the upcoming ELS convention." My only question was, "How?" I wasn't challenging you in any way.
May 24, 2008 5:05 PM
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Church and Change:
Women's Advent Candlelight Service
Pastor Ron Ash
Each lady decorates a table with a Christmas theme using their own decorations for a table of six. They provide a dessert and coffee for their table. The ladies draw up and conduct a worship service - all by candlelight.Cost is low - donated food; ladies provide decorations for their table; men volunteer to take down tables after event. It takes 60-70 ladies to put on this event.
Phone: (920) 733-7225
