New York Episcopals: Money To Sue You into Foreclosure, Not Enough for Staff

This would be a good time to get a drive-by DMin from Fuller.
Better, yet - one from Our Lady of Sorrows Seminary, St. Louis.

DIOCESE OF CENTRAL NEW YORK: Dwindling Finances Force Staff Layoffs

By David W. Virtue

www.virtueonline.org

10/17/2008

Citing declining income, the Bishop of the Diocese of Central New York, Gladstone "Skip" Adams has announced staff layoffs in a letter to his clergy, wardens and standing.

"It is clear that the financial realities of today's economy are creating challenges for our congregations in terms of assessment and investment revenue. Increased energy costs place additional pressures on already stretched budgets. These challenges obviously impact the financial resources available on the Diocesan level for staff, programming, and ministry," he wrote.

The diocese recently filed a lawsuit against the Church of the Good Shepherd in Binghamton, New York, in an effort to seize the church building, the parish hall, and the rectory. This is the third church Adams has moved to seize since 2006, and the second church he has actually sued.

One other church, St. Andrew's Church in nearby Vestal, New York, surrendered its property to the bishop rather than face a lawsuit. That church building was taken over by the Episcopal diocese shortly before Christmas of 2007 and is now vacant and for sale. The congregation is worshiping elsewhere and thriving.

For the bishop's full statement click here:

http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/content/dcny_staff_reorganization_memo.pdf

***

GJ - The Episcopalians have lost 1/3 of their members since 1978. The foolish vindictiveness of filing suit against a congregation is apparent. The well-heeled members can find their own property. The confiscated property has little value, especially in today's market.

The Episcopalian bishops refused to stop illegal ordinations of women, supposedly to draw the line at women becoming bishops. Women's ordination was normalized. Next a thoroughly unqualified woman became a suffragan (assistant) bishop. They called her Bishop Babs. Still no action. Next women became bishops. The same rationale for ordaining women priests allowed for electing women bishops. Soon after, a woman bishop with very little pastoral or administrative experience, Katharine Jefferts-Schori, was elected Presiding Bishop. The lawsuits have multiplied since that time, not only at the national level, but also at the diocese (district) level.

Meanwhile, the new PB is seeing a vast exodus of Episcopalians from her organization. They are leaving by congregation, even by diocese. Her answer is to step up the lawsuits and deny there is any crisis.

Mutatis mutandis, the conservative Lutherans have pursued the same foolish course. Most pastors limited their criticism of blatant apostasy to a few quiet quips during the coffee break, assuming the position after the break was over. Now after 30 years of damage, they are willing to say a few mild things as a group. How brave of them. Maybe Church Growth is wrong after all. Sniffle, whimper (WELS). Save the radio station. Boo hoo (LCMS). After years of intense pressure and unlimited flattery from Paul McCain, DP Benke is willing to say Allah is not the true God. Who says diplomacy, greased with a book contract from CPH, does not work? Barry-McCain could have disciplined Benke instead of rewarding him with benign neglect. See footnote below.

The main difference is that the Episcopalian bishops are willing to face down the national leader and take their flocks out of her toxic shadow. These bishops have the option of joining with conservative Anglican confessions. They ask foreign bishops to come over and provide the leadership so lacking in America. Priests are taking their congregations out, often absent the property, and doing well, free of the baggage and issues of the apostate group.

FOOTNOTE: Howard Festerling (WELS) was making a brave stand for the efficacy of the Word. Bruce Becker, who recently called Kelm back to The Love Shack, got rid of Festerling. No one backed Festerling up. One WELS pastor answered, "Look what happened to you." Festerling had his mission taken away from him. He lived in the Toledo area later, but the ELS congregation he attended did not commune him. The ELS has no problem with Fuller doctrine, but affirming the efficacy of God's Word? That must be punished by excommunication.

The same dynamics were at work in Missouri. McCain-Barry did nothing about Benke, but Wally Schulz did, a few years later. McCain has a sinecure at CPH, promoting books. Schulz was fired from The Lutheran Hour. Missouri replaced Schulz with Ken Klaus (no relation to Santa), a man with a fake doctorate from the basement of a Methodist church.

UOJ Stormtroopers Without Armor

LutherQuest (sic) prides itself on defending Universal Objective Justification - justification without faith, without the Means of Grace, without the Word. Now the denizens of that skunk patch are bickering among themselves about how the whole world is absolved (UOJ), which words work, and other confusions.

The UOJ line of reasoning comes from 1850 and later - for a good reason. All the major Lutheran groups in America came from the Pietistic era of the 19th century, except for the Muhlenberg tradition (General Synod, General Council, the ULCA, finally the LCA of 1962). The Muhlenberg tradition began in the earlier era of Pietism. His Ministerium of Pennsylvania began in 1748, while the Midwestern Lutherans came over about 100 years later.

The Augustana Synod was just merged into the LCA when I was confirmed. The Augustana Synod began in 1860. One of my jobs at the Augustana College Library was putting away bound copies of The Pietist, the journal which motivated Swedish Pietists to find freedom from persecution in America. Once here they became influenced by the Confessions and Confessional Lutherans like the Passavant.

The language being tossed around on LutherQuest (sic) is from Pietism. That is why they dare not delve into the Book of Concord, Luther, Chemnitz, Gerhard, or the later orthodox Lutherans. Their distortions of Scripture come from their Pietistic assumptions.

I am working on this for a new book on justification. Sadly, Robert Preus repudiated UOJ in his last book but did not spell it out clearly enough for its addled followers. That is partly his fault. He was beating the drums for UOJ in the 1980s, repeating the Norwegian Pietistic arguments.

I know Augustana specifically argued against the Norwegians, even though both immigrant groups were equally influenced by Pietism. But Pietism had its varieties of expression. Norwegians and Swedes were used to opposing each other, too.

The Swedish Lutherans and Norwegian Lutherans modified their Pietism in America, grafting orthodoxy onto its earlier tradition, with limited success. Eventually the Pietistic side won out in both groups and threw aside orthodoxy. Pietism quickly morphs into Unitarianism, as we can see in the ELCA.

In a few words, UOJ is from the Pietism of the 19th century. The language and the doctrine can be traced to non-Lutheran sources. Walther was converted by a Pietist and never escaped Pietism, as he admitted. Walther is the chief source for UOJ, but his peculiar false doctrine took over the Missouri Synod and the old Synodical Conference rather fitfully. The false doctrine was not declared with Vatican-like certainty until the 1930 Brief Statement.

The Brief Statement is not in the Book of Concord.

As Mudslide used to say at Mequon, every anniversary of the Reformation is marred by some official anti-Lutheran act. Look at the date of the Brief Statement - 400 years after justification by faith was beautifully expressed by the Augsburg Confession, the clear phrases of Melanchthon were replaced by the Enthusiasm of Pietism.

The assault was repeated in 1987 with Theses on Justification, LCMS, blending justification by faith with UOJ. Supposedly Robert Preus had a hang in the 1987 assault. Preus had many fine qualities, but he was not an editor of the Book of Concord.

Cheep Home Entertainment System

Several shallow bowls with fresh water are ideal for birds.

Birds are endlessly entertaining. I asked for and received a solar powered bird bath for a present last year. In Minnesota I had a birdbath warmer, which kept the water from freezing all winter. I still have it.

This birdbath is not practical for most birds. The structure makes it difficult for larger birds. Only the smaller ones can take a sip from the main bowl. The advantage comes from the dribbling sound created when sun falls on the solar collector, running a water pump. Grooves on an upper plate allow the water to splash into the lower bowl.

Splashing water sounds will attract birds from far away. They appreciate food and need shelter, but they crave water to clean the grit off their wings. Feathers are "a miracle," as one evolutionist said in a moment of candor. Feathers require constant preening, so birds need to clean and preen constantly. In Phoenix they have plenty of splashing water spigots, lawn sprinklers, and fountains, but I like having birds in clear view of the kitchen bay-windows.

Two shallow bowls rest on a low table, enabling the birds to bathe safely. Their main competition is with each other. Sometimes a large bird will hog the baths and scare away his relatives. Smaller birds climb in together, splashing each other. The normal routine is to dip the head, drive the water toward the back, and shake it into the wings. Several dips create a complete wetting down. Group splashing speeds this up. Then more shaking leaves each bird looking completely disheveled. Afterwards they find a safe place in the trees and bushes to preen.

I hang a bag of thistle seed on the palo brea tree which shades the birdbaths. Thistle is the nickname for niger, an African seed loved by finches and other small birds. Doves eat fallen thistle from the ground. Finches eat it from the sock-bag I hang in the tree. A bag is expensive per ounce but lasts about 10 days. Sunflower seed attracts common pigeons, so I do not offer that anymore. I like the large pigeons, but the neighbors do not appreciate their messes and loutish behavior.

The best source of food for birds comes from planting. Trees are loaded with insects, pollinate, and set seed. Hummingbirds enjoy all flowers, both the nectar and the insects attracted. They know bird-lovers and show up for a gentle spray of water from the hose, hovering only a few feet away.

The plants are also shelter. Each level provides a home for different species. Our yard is noisy with bird choirs.

WELS Humor and Spelling: Glendale Conference Borrows Plot from The Sixth Sense

Resolving parish conflict? Ex-DP Janke created parish conflict and was asked to leave.

Ex-First Veep of WELS Wayne Mueller: "There is no Church Growth Movement in WELS, but if there is, it is A-OK." Translation: Mark and avoid (Romans 16) means register and attend at Fooler Seminary, or Willow Crick.

District Website

Arizona - California Pastors Conference


Dear Brothers in Christ,

The 2008 Arizona-California Pastors Conference is scheduled for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, October 21th - 23rd, 2008, at Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church , Glendale , Arizona ..

1:00 Afternoon Devotion: San Diego Circuit Pastor
Psalm 133:1, "How good and pleasent (sic) it is when brothers live
together in unity!" is the general theme for the devotions.
1:15 ESSAY: Practical / Pastoral: Resolving Conflict in the Parish,
Rev. Paul Janke

***

GJ - Missing from the conference agenda - Paul Kelm's Ministry of Copy and Paste--or--How I Turned My DMin from St. Louis and My Copying Skills into a New Job at The Love Shack.

For those like me who missed The Sixth Sense on purpose, here are famous quotes.

Liberal Michigan Episcopalians To Spend $350,000 To Study Why They Are Shrinking

Diocese of Michigan in Steep Decline. Sunday Attendance Down by 22%.

Plate Revenues Down $2 Million

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
10/16/2008

The Episcopal Diocese of Michigan is in free fall.

The liberal diocese is faced with declining church attendance, and dwindling income. The diocese is going to launch a plan aimed at revitalizing the "diocesan household."

A report at their website said the diocese must face stark realities. A task force says that "the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan is in steep decline." Charts included in the document reveal that average Sunday attendance has declined by 22% since 2000. During the same time period, "pledge and plate revenues" for all congregations combined has decreased by approximately $2 million, when adjusted for inflation.

"We are experiencing decline in members, attendance and revenues," the proposal says. "We are drawing down our assets and depleting some of our assets. The only faith-filled response is to make bold decisions to invest in places and congregations where signs of vitality are strong. It will require courage, prayer and faith. It will require a more deliberate commitment than we, as a household, have ever dared to make. And most of all, it will require God's blessing and divine guidance as we seek to do his will," says Bishop Wendell Gibbs.

Delegates to Michigan's 174th annual convention, meeting October 24-25 in Dearborn, will entertain a proposal from the Diocesan Council and the Extended Ministries Fund Task Force II that calls for spending up to $325,000 from the principal of Ruth Harvey who endowed nearly $9 million to the diocese. She was a life-long member of Christ Church, Detroit.

The EMF fund will be used to do a top to bottom study of the diocese. The project is designed to promote ministry and growth. A series of open forums leading up to convention got underway on October 8.

***

GJ - Some nice old lady left $9 million to the Episcopalians in Michigan. The apostates have done everything possible to drive away their members. Now they are going to shave that endowment to find out how they can rev things up again. They will try everything to get things going again - everything except the Word of God.

WELS spent far more money proportionately with all the Schwan funds and restricted funds - did not work. Synod officials Wayne Mueller and SP Gurgel decided not to be legalistic about the term restricted funds.

All the mainline groups have spent an ocean of money on methods, study at Fuller and Willow Creek, statistical analysis, computer networks. Not one is interested in being faithful to their own confessions, whatever they are.

ELCA had some fine theologians in the past. They could have a national study based on Lenski or Krauth, but they will not. The leaders have more in common with Bill Ayres and his lovely bomb-shell wife, Bernadette Dorn.

Missouri likes to use the name Concordia all the time. They should study the Formula of Concord. Some of the clergy would end up saying, "This sheds a lot of light of what we have been doing...or not doing." The LCMS leaders covet ELCA and the pastors covet Rome. They have a non-geographical Pentecostal wing (pun intended) that has more in common with the Assemblies of God than Martin Luther and Chemny or whatever-his-name-is.

The Wisconsin Synod has had such bad leadership that some have finally awakened before the hour of their doom. However, most clergy are almost numb to Luther and the Book of Concord. Besides, they cannot admit having false teachers. After finally ridding themselves of Wayne Mueller, who just about wrecked WELS, they invite him to be the main speaker in Glendale, Arizona. I was going to sit at his feet and drink in the wisdom of Fuller, Willow Creek, and ELCA, but I discovered something good on daytime TV for those days.

11:00 ELDER TRAINING WORKSHOP - Led by Rev. Wayne Mueller
12:00 Lunch: Prayer led by conference Vice-Chairman, Pastor Tim Westendorf.
1:00 Afternoon Devotion: San Diego Circuit pastor
1:15 ELDER TRAINING WORKSHOP - Led by Rev. Wayne Mueller
2:45 Afternoon Break
3:00 ELDER TRAINING WORKSHOP - Led by Rev. Wayne Mueller

The Little Sect on the Prairie has re-established the papacy.

The nano-sects cannot outrun the actuaries and morticians, who will put them out of business soon, but not soon enough.

Two Accidents at Arizona State Fair

Tom Owen, Human Speed Bump

Performer at State Fair injured during stunt

by Alyson Zepeda - Oct. 17, 2008 09:40 PM

The Arizona Republic

A man performing the act the "Human Speed Bump" was injured after being run over by a car during his act at the Arizona State Fair around 6:20 p.m. according to the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

Tom Owen was scheduled to be run over by eight cars weighing up to 30,000 pounds according to the Arizona State Fair attractions listings.

Owen holds the Guinness World Record for being run over by seven cars and was attempting to break that record Friday.

As the last vehicle, a box truck, passed over him the stunt equipment failed injuring his lower body and extremities said DPS.

Owen was taken to a nearby hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

Despite the equipment failure DPS officials say that the man did set a new world record.

Owen, who is known for feats such as picking up six people and pulling box cars with his teeth, has had over 1,000 vehicles run over him throughout his career according to his Web site.

Owen has previously used his stunts to raise money for youth homes.

***

GJ - Another accident occurred in the magician's tent, during the Woman Sawed in Half demonstration. The victim is at Banner Thunderbird Hospital, Rooms 401 and 402.