Another Paul Kuske Boy Gone Bad:POPLUTHERAN, Columbus, Ohio

Prince of Peace was built by WELS with loads of mission subsidies.

Now the congregation's website brags about its LCMS membership.

Pastor Marc Schroeder should not be confused with SP Mark Schroeder. No relation.

No, this Schroeder is the son of the DMLC professor, Morton Schroeder, nicknamed Salty Schroeder. Mark's lovely second wife is the daughter of a former WELS missionary to Japan.

District VP Paul Kuske embraced the Church Growth methods of Mark Schroeder, Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Roger Zehms, and that missionary to the unwashed barbarians in the Ukraine - Roger Kovaciny. Wally Oelhaven thought the doctrine of Columbus congregations was not corrupt enough yet, so he excitedly brought in Schumann, who apostatized to Thrivent.

POPLUTHERAN is Kuske's greatest achievement, after Pilgrim Community Church. All that WELS mission money went down the drain when they lost POPLUTHERAN. District Pope John Seifert extended the Left Foot of Fellowship to Mark Schroeder, who had once undermined Barb Seifert's teaching novitiate. POPLUTHERAN followed Mark out of WELS and into the perfumed bosom of Missouri. The perfidy! We all know that the Wisconsin Synod's mission is to save people from the Missouri Synod.

Not all is lost. WELS kicked the congregation out for sticking with Schroeder, but they kept the money. Check out the Sausage Factory's website. George Skestos is still funding the smokey-links as they are processed, each one identical as they roll out, prepared to do battle against Missouri. The Salem Foundation, funded by Skestos, provides a subsidy for them. How many LCMS members are named and honored at the WLS website?

Just one.

"In a typical school year a strong majority of our student body (about 90%) receives financial assistance from school funds. In addition to this, students are eligible to apply for grants from the Salem Lutheran Foundation."

Cross Talk about CrossWalk

We have answered your question on WELS Topical Q&A but decided not to post it to the system for others to view it. This may be on account of the topic being too private and sensitive, or perhaps this questioned (sic) has already been asked. Your question and our response follows.

You asked:

I see in the current Call listing that someone is called to serve the Crosswalk Ministries. What is that? Is Crosswalk Ministries affiliated with the Willow Creek Association?

This is our reply:



Crosswalk Ministries is a mission outreach venture of WELS congregations in the Phoenix, AZ, area. The congregation has grown to over 350 in a few years. Most of their new members are transfers from other WELS congregations in the area. WELS Home Missions has provided counsel for the start-up and may have provided some seed money.

Crosswalk, a new mission start, is petitioning the Arizona-California District of the WELS for regular congregational membership. It is in no way affiliated with Willow Creek or any other non-WELS entity. They have recently teamed up with Wisconsin Lutheran Child and Family Services of Milwaukee to start another outreach effort in the Phoenix area that will be focused on Christian counseling.




Thanks for asking your question and let us know if you have any more questions.

Sincerely,
WELS Topical Q&A Staff


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GJ - WELS members - looking for a good place to hide? Try CrossWalk. No one will know you are a Lutheran.