My candle burns at both ends;
It will not last the night;
But ah, my foes, and oh, my friends
It gives a lovely light!"
~ Edna St. Vincent Millay (1892-1950)
ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, to attack Objective Faithless Justification, Church Growth Clowns, and their ringmasters. The antidote to these poisons is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Left-wing, National Council of Churches denominations.
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Monday, December 15, 2008
The ELS Experiments with Sects:
Safe Sects OK with Pope John the Malefactor
devoured by Church and Change buddies
(free vicars for Patterson, grant for Doebler, etc).
The triangles leaving the fish's rear end
symbolize Church and Change pooping on the ELS
at every opportunity, fouling the water.
Church and Change Conference
502.... A Movie is Worth a Million Words
Pastor Nathan Krause
(nckrause1@verizon.net)
In this day and age of visual communication and entertainment there is no better way to leave a lasting impression with worshippers and group attendees than with the perfect movie clip. Learn how to find, manipulate and use video clips for worship and presentations. Nathan Krause has been honing his experience with the use of visual message delivery and movie clips for the past eight years, serving Abiding Shepherd in Cottage Grove, WI—an ELS mission congregation that has grown to almost 300 members.
Previous post on this topic.
Norm Teigen thanked God that the ELS did not have Church and Change, but he soon found out that Nathan Krause, ELS, was tight with Church and Chicanery, giving talks for them, and modeling his ELS congregation along the same lines. One photo featured a huge screen in the front.
Norm got the spin from the Little Vatican on the Prairie. "They are just experimenting."
That is one of the key points taught by Arn in how to get Church Growth established in the face of opposition. "Tell the rubes that you are just experimenting."
So the ELS is experimenting with sects and claiming they practice safe sects.
The ELS also practices telescopic orthodoxy. They see doctrinal error miles away but never in their own fellowship. Jay Webber was horrified that the Wisconsin Sect was allowing women to celebrate communion, but was he equally appalled at the ELS with its little Church and Change mission? Supposedly he was against all that years ago. Why not show some spine on the doctrinal board and shut down the Baptist missions in the ELS?
Nathan Krause - Church and Change presentation.
Krause's mission statement was borrowed from a Scottsdale plastic surgeon:
BRING THEM IN!
LIFT THEM UP!
SEND THEM OUT!
***
GJ - Norm Teigen has some cheerful, patient comments about this posting. By the way, Norm's name did not disappear from the template over some conflict. The template would not allow Advent services and his name, so the Means of Grace trumped blog friendship. He will return as proof-reader, except during Lent.
Norm, and ELS members, I think everyone should be alarmed about any connection with Church and Chicanery. The glue holding that group together is loathing for and ignorance of Lutheran doctrine.
Church and Change Launches New WELS Congregation

devoured by Church and Change buddies
(free vicars for Patterson, grant for Doebler, etc).
The triangles leaving the fish's rear end
symbolize Church and Change pooping on the synod
at every opportunity, fouling the water.
Land O'Lakes church's grand opening brings noble gesture
By Michelle Jones, Times Correspondent
In print: Saturday, December 13, 2008
LAND O'LAKES — The grand opening of a small but growing congregation will be celebrated by members donating its opening day offering to Christian Social Services.
At 11 a.m. Sunday, Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church will meet at the Land O'Lakes Senior Center, 6801 Wisteria Loop, just south of Land O'Lakes High School on U.S. 41.
"This offering will help provide food, clothing and utility costs for those in need," said the Rev. John Huebner, pastor.
Worship services began in March with an attendance of two. They have grown to 20 and about 100 are expected to attend this special Sunday.
Two more events are planned with Christmas for Kids from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Dec. 20 at the Senior Center. There will be activities including songs, crafts, a video story, puzzles, games, cookie decorating and a pizza lunch. This free event is limited to the first 50 children who register on the church Web site at www.shepherdoflakes.com.
A special candlelight service is planned for 7:30 p.m. Christmas Eve, also at the Senior Center. Both familiar and new Christmas songs will be featured.
This Lutheran group has an unusual style of worship. While preserving the basic Lutheran style, each service is written to a theme with both contemporary and traditional worship music used. Video clips and PowerPoint presentations are used and the hymn words are projected onto a screen.
"This style of worship is more thoughtful, less noisy with more joy than guilt," Huebner said.
Huebner, the pastor, has been diagnosed with spasmodic dystonia, a voice affliction that is shared by Robert Kennedy Jr. among others.
During his preaching the affliction seems to diminish.
"It's God," Huebner said. "We are happy doing what we are doing here and it is fun to watch people grow in Christ. It is a joy."
Huebner is originally from Michigan and attended Northwestern College in Wisconsin and Northwestern Lutheran Seminary.
He has led churches in Michigan and Sarasota as well as serving as a mission consultant for the Wisconsin Synod Lutheran Church for 13 years, where he did a lot of traveling.
"It was exciting watching small churches grow into large churches," he said.
Huebner, 64, has been married to Esther for 37 years. They have three children, all married, and three grandchildren. His wife works for a cancer surgeon.
One of the church's programs is the Moms and Tots Power Hour program which they will pick up again in February at the Land O'Lakes Community Center on U.S. 41.
Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church is planning to offer five subjects for small home groups, beginning in January, including basic truths of the Bible, a Financial Peace University course by Dave Ramsey, a marriage enrichment workshop by Dr. Kevin Leman and the Total Transformation course by James Lehman.
This congregation was begun as a mission church by Peace Lutheran in Holiday. Call (813) 401-9135.
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Shepherd of the Lakes Lutheran Church is planning to offer five subjects for small home groups, beginning in January, including basic truths of the Bible, a Financial Peace University course by Dave Ramsey, a marriage enrichment workshop by Dr. Kevin Leman and the Total Transformation course by James Lehman.
---
Peace Lutheran Site
Pastor Joel Schwartz
Is a graduate of Martin Luther College and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. He has been serving Peace Lutheran since July, 2008. He is married with 1 child. He is ready and willing to serve you any time. You can e-mail him at pastorofpeace@hotmail.com, or call 727-937-5893.
Pastor John Huebner
Our satellite location, WELS Ministry Center in Land O Lakes, has been together now for almost one year! As we've gone out into the neighborhoods around us, we see nothing but potential for a thriving growing ministry. Based on those signs, we put in a request for additional manpower and it was granted. We then called Pastor John Huebner to be our outreach pastor to assist Pastor Mike in all the follow up and training that will be necessary for a growing and vibrant ministry. Pastor Huebner accepted the call and is now here in Land O Lakes!
***
GJ - I went to my plagiarism folder to see how this new Church and Chicanery mission confesses its doctrine.
CrossWalk's Beliefs - in Laveen (Phoenix) - This is a model C and C congregation.
Shepherd of the Lakes statements - many of them are identical to CrossWalk's.
CrossRoads Evangelical Covenant Church - started by WELS, Rick Miller, Kelly Voigt, and Mark Freier. Like Doctrinal Pussycat Glaeske, Doctrinal Pussycat Robert Mueller had some harsh words about the Church Growth Movement. CrossRoads, CrossWalk, and Shepherd of the Lakes have the same statements. Plagiarism or doctrinal agreement?
After all, WELS works with and pays money to Trinity Divinity School, a fact trumpeted on the Trinity website. If they work and study together, they should have the same doctrinal agreements. And those WELS churches should join the Evangelical Covenant sect, too, just as Robert Mueller's CrossRoads did.
Wait! Trinity is E. Free, not E. Covenant! OK, skeptics, try to discern the difference. Both Pietistic sects are deeply but honestly involved with the Church Growth Movement. WELS is deeply but dishonestly involved with the same schools, leaders, books, ideas, doctrines, craft, and assaults.
PS - Huebner was known as Baptist and very unpopular when he was a Mission Counselor (Church Growth promoter) in New England. The missions pastors did not like him, but he remained an MC for a dozen years.
The MC I knew in Ohio never tried CG on me - I wonder why. Finally, after years of reading my articles, he said, "Now I know what you have been saying." Almost immediately he was gone to Thailand. The next one was Ellenberger, who talked with Mrs. Ichabod because Ellenberger was her maiden name. She got the impression he was genuinely critical of CG. Soon he was selling cars somewhere. Later he emerged with Issues in WELS and the tepid Tendrils paper.
Fellow-Lutherans, your synods have spent oodles of offering dollars destroying Lutheran doctrine wherever they could find it. MCs, Parish Assistants, District Mission Boards, Cicuit Pussycats and District Pussycats have all been valuable tools to making the progress we see. Most of that network is still active today.
Sunday, December 14, 2008
Democrat Fund-raiser Madoff Caught in $50 Billion Ponzi Scheme
now in default. He lost $50 billion of money entrusted to him.
---
NEWS ALERT
from The Wall Street Journal
Dec. 15, 2008
Investigators dug through financial records at Bernard Madoff's investment firm as the list of victims of his alleged Ponzi scheme widened to include real-estate magnate Mortimer Zuckerman, the foundation of Nobel laureate Elie Wiesel, Sen. Frank Lautenberg and a charity of movie director Steven Spielberg.
At Mr. Madoff's office in midtown Manhattan, guards have been positioned 24 hours a day. Investigators from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Securities and Exchange Commission and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority are trying to identify if any assets remain, a person familiar with the matter said.
---
In a Ponzi scheme, the initial suckers are paid generously in real money in order to create a flow of new money from additional suckers. Ponzi invented it and many others have perfected it. The Arizona Baptist Foundation went bust promising 15% returns and bilking Baptist individuals and congregations out of millions of dollars. That led to one teaching job for me, when a school went secular since it was bankrupt from the Baptist Foundation scheme.
Madoff was a founder of NASDAQ, but there were many obvious red flags about his scheme. One expert was trying to alarm people about Madoff ever since 1999. (I know the feeling.) No one did anything.
Foreign banks and many other institutions knew he could not give 12% on their money, year after year. The "smart" ones decided he was cheating with insider trading. Haha. He used the oldest con of all - join me in scamming the system, in breaking the law to make extra money.
Banks and hedge funds are going to tumble in the wake of this. Many socialites are going to discover they married for love, not for money. The Mets team owner and many players put an inordinate amount of cash in Madoff funds.
Many people suspect that the economy has not reached the bottom yet. My guess is that annuities, once scorned for being so staid, will become popular again.
Some church implications:
- More wealthy donors are going to be hit by the overall economic calamities.
- Endowment funds everywhere are going to be shrinking. Harvard lost $8 billion in value and the bleeding has not stopped.
- Seniors who give generously are hurting from their own losses. They will be unable to give even if they want to.
- Gifts of overpriced stock were a boon to charities. Now people are more likely to sell stock to decrease their tax burden.
---
WELS Financial News:
Our synod continues to wrestle with financial challenges. Through the month of November, synod spending has surpassed income by $1.3 million. Spending is in line with the budget, but a decline in support has resulted in the shortfall. It is expected that support will fall $3.7 million short of expenses by the end of the year. Cost containment measures will shrink the gap to $3.4 million.
CMO through November is $8.2 million, a decrease of $500,000 from the same time period last year. Individual gifts, Mission Partners gifts, Walking Together gifts and general support are all down from last year. Year of Jubilee offerings continue to be applied directly to the consolidated debt.
Brother Stetzer Helps the Assemblies of God Grow...Or Shrink
This sounds like like The Love Shack. Turnaround Churches.
The Assemblies of God calls them Comeback Churches.
The Mission Vision Statement of WELS was just like the Mission Vision Statement of the Assemblies of God.
What do they have in common besides Brother Stetzer? They all study at the same market-driven institutions: Fuller, Willow Creek. They adore business plans, starting with Drucker's Management by Objective. ELCA also promoted Management by Objective.
WELS Layman Previews Timotheus Verinus and The History of Pietism
From a WELS layman and regular reader:
I recently made a visit to NPH and bought a copy of The Complete Timotheus Verinus and The History of Pietism. I have begun reading the first one and the second one is still in the shrink wrap. I never attended any Lutheran parochial schools. I do not know any language, except English. Yet, I am amazed how much the laity is missing out on by not reading Luther, Chemnitz, and the others who either wrote in English or their works were translated. I am inclined to believe that there is some sort of conspiracy by the synod leaders to deliberately keep the laity in the dark.
After Luther, first it was the Crypto-Calvinists, then the Pietists who sowed the seeds of discord. Those who contend for the faith always seem to be treated harshly. I just wanted to thank you for recommending these two fine books on Ichabod. Yesterday, I told my wife and daughter (the one who is in 1st year German) about how one generation ago, every WELS pastor could read and speak German quite fluently. I still remember Pastor Mutterer telling us confirmands the importance of learning German as there was much at the seminary still in German that had not been translated. Apparently, they were studying all of that once upon a time at the sausage factory. As you recently noted on Ichabod, today's output from The Sausage Factory is surprised if any Lutheran pastor knows German.
***
GJ - I just received both books from Northwestern Publishing House. If you want to give your pastor a nifty Christmas gift, give him both books. Pastor Langebartels translated them, a real labor of love.
I will review the books soon.
Joe Krohn's Swan Song
Joe Krohn, Rock and Roll Church (WELS, Church and Chicanery Circuit) has left a new comment on your post "Jeske - Thank You for Hiding Your Lutheran Backgro...":
Brett,
If you want an explanation about what is on CTR's website, I encourage you to contact the church directly through the website. I doubt Pastor Matt Doebler would ever see your request on this blog as there are more constructive things to be doing in the body. I for one will be taking my own advice. I will leave you with this question.
You seem to know specifically about what heaven is not. Tell me, what specifically is heaven like? That should be pretty easy for you, right? Make sure you include scripture references.
Its (sic) been real and its (sic) been fun. But it hasn't been real fun.
All y'alls will be in my prayers.
JK
Bro Stetzer Adds to Global Warming
Dallas News Blog
Ten Tips for Missional Living
Ed Stetzer is a key official with the Southern Baptist Convention, and the co-author, with Philip Nation, of the new book "Compelled by Love: The Most Excellent Way to Missional Living." Here's Nation's "Ten Tips for Missional Living."...
Brother Stetzer is worred about the decline of the Southern Baptists.
The videos are here at Southern Baptist Voices.
Brother Stetzer knows how to fix the Southern Baptists.
Watch the Grinch look in the lens at the 25 second mark.
And Holy Baptism as "a cup or a tub" to laughter at 2:15.
Stetzer is a typical unionist so he is perfect for Church and Chicanery.
Worship Team at Tell It Not in Gath Church
The Reformed brag about how they make up jobs at their congregations to get people to come. If they have a pit band, every member has extended family members that might be encouraged to come to hear the group yell and pound their instruments. If Cousin Judy likes kids, she might be press-ganged into nursery duties. If Cousin Brunhilda thinks she can sing, she might be flattered into singing an upbeat Amazing Grace.
I went to a Church Growth seminar promoted by St. Paul's in Columbus. The leader kept saying, "If you do this, you will have happy campers."
Not faithful stewards of the mysteries of God, but Social Directors for Happy Campers.
---
"Shall we permit this to be done! in the name of Christian unity! and by a latitudinarianism that is our own heritage, which rises ever anew from the embers of the past to find such veiled support and strength in the citadel of Zion that Confessionalism is told to whisper low in Jerusalem lest she be heard on the streets of Gath."
Theodore E. Schmauk and C. Theodore Benze, The Confessional Principle and the Confessions, as Embodying the Evangelical Confession of the Christian Church, Philadelphia: 1911, p. 941.
"Is the Lord's Supper the place to display my toleration, my Christian sympathy, or my fellowship with another Christian, when that is the very point in which most of all we differ; and in which the difference means for me everything--means for me, the reception of the Savior's atonement? Is this the point to be selected for the display of Christian union, when in fact it is the very point in which Christian union does not exist?"
Theodore E. Schmauk and C. Theodore Benze, The Confessional Principle and the Confessions, as Embodying the Evangelical Confession of the Christian Church, Philadelphia: 1911, p. 905f.
"The modern radical spirit which would sweep away the Formula of Concord as a Confession of the Church, will not, in the end, be curbed, until it has swept away the Augsburg Confession, and the ancient Confessions of the Church--yea, not until it has crossed the borders of Scripture itself, and swept out of the Word whatsoever is not in accord with its own critical mode of thinking. The far-sighted rationalist theologian and Dresden court preacher, Ammon, grasped the logic of a mere spirit of progress, when he said: 'Experience teaches us that those who reject a Creed, will speedily reject the Scriptures themselves.'"
Theodore E. Schmauk and C. Theodore Benze, The Confessional Principle and the Confessions, as Embodying the Evangelical Confession of the Christian Church, Philadelphia: General Council Publication Board, 1911, p. 685. Trinity
"The real question is not what do you subscribe, but what do you believe and publicly teach, and what are you transmitting to those who come after? If it is the complete Lutheran faith and practice, the name and number of the standards is less important. If it is not, the burden of proof rests upon you to show that your more incomplete standard does not indicate an incomplete Lutheran faith."
Theodore E. Schmauk and C. Theodore Benze, The Confessional Principle and the Confessions, as Embodying the Evangelical Confession of the Christian Church, Philadelphia: 1911, p. 890.
[Selnecker, who wrote "Ach bleib bei uns" (TLH #292) was bitterly attacked and severely persecuted by the Reformed, deposed when Augustus died, reduced to poverty, and not allowed to remain in Leipzig as a private citizen.]
Theodore E. Schmauk and C. Theodore Benze, The Confessional Principle and the Confessions, as Embodying the Evangelical Confession of the Christian Church, Philadelphia: General Council Publication Board, 1911, p. 310ff.
"Lord Jesus Christ, With Us Abide"
by Nikolaus Selnecker, 1532-1592
1. Lord Jesus Christ, with us abide,
For round us falls the eventide;
Nor let Thy Word, that heavenly light,
For us be ever veiled in night.
2. In these last days of sore distress
Grant us, dear Lord, true steadfastness
That pure we keep, till life is spent,
Thy holy Word and Sacrament.
3. Lord Jesus, help, Thy Church uphold,
For we are sluggish, thoughtless, cold.
Oh, prosper well Thy Word of grace
And spread its truth in every place!
4. Oh, keep us in Thy Word, we pray;
The guile and rage of Satan stay!
Oh, may Thy mercy never cease!
Give concord, patience, courage, peace.
5. O God, how sin's dread works abound!
Throughout the earth no rest is found,
And falsehood's spirit wide has spread,
And error boldly rears its head.
6. The haughty spirits, Lord, restrain
Who o'er Thy Church with might would reign
And always set forth something new,
Devised to change Thy doctrine true.
7. And since the cause and glory, Lord,
Are Thine, not ours, to us afford
Thy help and strength and constancy.
With all our heart we trust in Thee.
8. A trusty weapon is Thy Word,
Thy Church's buckler, shield and sword.
Oh, let us in its power confide
That we may seek no other guide!
9. Oh, grant that in Thy holy Word
We here may live and die, dear Lord;
And when our journey endeth here,
Receive us into glory there.
The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #292
Text: Luke 24:29
Author: Nikolaus Selnecker et al., 1611
Translated by: composite
Titled: "Ach bleib bei uns, Herr Jesu Christ"
Tune: "Ach bleib bei uns"
1st Published in: Geistliche Lieder
Town: Leipzig,1589
Third Sunday in Advent
The Third Sunday in Advent
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship
Bethany Lutheran Worship, 8 AM Phoenix Time
The Hymn # 102 adeste fidelis
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual 1 Corinthians 4:1-5
The Gospel Matthew 11:2-10
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn # 109 Bethlehem
Stewards of the Mysteries of God
The Hymn #66 Chesterfield
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #87 Antioch
KJV 1 Corinthians 4:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. 3 But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. 4 For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but he that judgeth me is the Lord. 5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.
KJV Matthew 11:2 Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3 And said unto him, Art thou he that should come, or do we look for another? 4 Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John again those things which ye do hear and see: 5 The blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 And blessed is he, whosoever shall not be offended in me. 7 And as they departed, Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind? 8 But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. 9 But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet. 10 For this is he, of whom it is written, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.
Third Sunday In Advent
Lord God, heavenly Father, who didst suffer Thy Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to become man, and to come into the world, that He might destroy the works of the devil, deliver us poor offenders from sin and death, and give us everlasting life: We beseech Thee so to rule and govern our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may seek no other refuge than His word, and thus avoid all offense to which, by nature, we are inclined, in order that we may always be found among the faithful followers of Thy Son, Jesus Christ, and by faith in Him obtain eternal salvation, through the same, Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
Stewards of the Mysteries of God
KJV 1 Corinthians 4:1 Let a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. 2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
This advent epistle teaches us about the pastoral office in light of the coming of Christ. The season of Advent focuses on the birth of our Savior, but also our need to be always be ready for His return.
Someone may think, “Now he is only going to talk about pastors.” But let’s look at what the Holy Spirit is saying to us through Paul. He uses two parallel phrases, which help us, since one is equal to the other. The two phrases are “ministers of Christ” and “stewards of the mysteries of God.” We seldom use the term minister in the sense of the Scriptures. It did not mean “an ordained clergyperson” then, but a household servant. A minister of Christ is someone who serves Jesus the Lord and Savior. If someone comes to our home and US West is repairing a phone, no one thinks to say to the repairman, “Are you the head of the household?” The repairman does only what he is told to do. He may do a good job or a bad job, but he is not the owner of the house. He has a work order and fulfills what that order tells him to do.
God teaches us through Paul that the apostle himself had exactly the same role. He was a servant of Christ, not a tyrant over the believers. The phrase he used is the same we would use for accounting or an audit. “What am I?” says Paul. “Consider me a household servant of Jesus the Messiah.”
This is important, because the apostle’s role is defined as serving Christ. Paul had a responsibility toward all the congregations he served. Not everyone is called to serve in the role of preaching, as Luther wrote:
"All Christians serve God but all are not in office."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 65. 1 Corinthians 4:1-5.
The current trend among Lutheran synods would have us believe otherwise.
In the broadest sense, every Christian has AN office. If a man is married and has children, his calling is to serve his wife and children according to the Scriptures. His office is not the same as that of a wife and a mother. Then too, the children also have an office or place in life, one appointed by God. The duties are clearly taught in the Small Catechism.
Luther often called pastoral work: “the preaching office” or Predigtamt. The person called by the Holy Spirit through the congregation has the responsibility to preach the Word of God faithfully. Someone may substitute for him, but he still has the responsibility. The pastor may sign a check (generally not a good idea) or help with the books (also to be avoided) but he is not the treasurer. That is not his office.
This does not keep the members from learning about Christian doctrine, debating Christian doctrine (with the proper attitude toward the norms of the Word and the Confessions), or sharing in the teaching that takes place. But they do not have the office, that is, the responsibility. The responsibility of the preaching office means absolute subordination of pastor to Christ. The phrase we use from The Lutheran Liturgy is: “called and ordained servant of the Word.” It can be seen as a restricting burden or as a joy. Lutheran ministers know that every result of the Word is God’s will, whether apparently good or bad. (We cannot and should not judge.) If he sees preaching as preaching his own personal opinions, or whatever research has shown to be effective, then he is not a servant of the Word and will be damned for his error and for the souls he has destroyed.
"Thus this text also strongly opposes all human doctrine; for since the Word of God is the light in a dark and gloomy place, the conclusion follows that all besides it is darkness. For if there were another light besides the Word, Peter would not have spoken as he did. Therefore look not to how gifted with reason they are who teach any other doctrine--however grandly they set it forth. If you cannot trace God's Word in it, then doubt not that it is mere darkness. And let it not disturb you at all that they say they have the Holy Spirit. How can they have God's Spirit if they do not have His Word? Wherefore they do nothing else but call darkness light and make the light darkness, as the prophet Isaiah says, in Isaiah 5:20."
Martin Luther, Commentary on Peter and Jude, ed. John N. Lenker, Grand Rapids: Kregel Publications, 1990, p. 248. 2 Peter 1:19.
If the same man told a cleaning crew to clean his house and they painted it purple and pink instead, he would be furious. Yet God tells him to teach the truth and a mere man substitutes his own ideas.
"Paul does not speak of opposing or antagonistic doctrines, but of those placed beside the true doctrine; they are additions, making divisions. Paul calls it a rival doctrine, an addition, an occasion of stumbling, an offense and a byway, when on establishes the conscience upon his own goodness or deeds. Now the Gospel is sensitive, complete and pre-eminent: it must be intolerant of additions and rival teachings."
Martin Luther, Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 376. Romans 16:16-17.
The parallel phrase used by Paul is “stewards of the mysteries of God.” Once again, steward is a fine secular word never found in today’s English in the same way. A steward was a household manager.
KJV Luke 16:3 Then the steward said within himself, What shall I do? for my lord taketh away from me the stewardship: I cannot dig; to beg I am ashamed.
In that parable we can see that the household manager is supposed to do his job to benefit his lord, or he will be fired. He is being fired, in fact, so he makes friends with the men who owe his master money, so they will hire him. His master sees how clever he is and commends him. It is a strange parable, but we can see in the portrayal of the Lord/steward relationship that the steward is absolutely accountable to the master.
So the term “steward” is fairly obvious. But what are the “mysteries of God.” Some people have tried to create false parallels. This has nothing to do with the mystery religions of paganism. Also, the term mystery is not the same as sacrament. That is, the term is not limited to “sacrament.”
Mysteries apply to everything revealed by the Holy Spirit. The Trinity is a mystery revealed by God, not something we deduce by math or science or prove with logic. That is why we rely on the Word to convert people rather than reason and logic. A person without faith cannot see or understand the mysteries of God. That is why it is so important that the underling of Christ, the pastor, be a faithful household manager of these mysteries.
Can a pastor say to God, “While you were gone, I decided that evolution was better than Creation, a flow of ice better than the Flood. The 10 Commandments are a burden. I declared them obsolete. I am all Gospel. We are all Gospel. I will give Holy Communion, the sacrament you established through the death of Your Son, to anyone who strolls into my church, whether they believe it or not. God, I have a vision for my congregation. One day it will have 8,000 communicants. 8 THOUSAND. And our parking valet ministry will be known throughout the world.”
You are saying to yourselves, “He is making that up to prove a point.” No, I am stating the open and public confession of a WELS pastor who had the support of the district president, vice president, and the friendship of synodical leaders, even the mission board chairman. No effort was spared to protect his position and keep him in the pulpit. Finally, the members had to say, “You must retract your errors.” He said, “I will resign first.” The congregation responded, “Resignation accepted.” He was not a faithful steward. Nor were the synod officials. The members finally accepted their office, which is to discern the spirits, to judge between sound doctrine and evil doctrine.
Oh well, they got away with it for a long time. And everyone has forgotten. Except One.
"On that day every false teacher will wish that he had never been born and will curse the day when he was inducted into the sacred office of the ministry. On that day we shall see that false teaching is not the trifling and harmless matter that people in our day think it is."
C. F. W. Walther, The Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel, trans., W. H. T. Dau, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1928, p. 88.
So much is said by Paul about this very subject. He could not be judged by any man. He was not above it all. Ultimately what a minister has done can only be judged by God. Man looks at huge buildings, huge parking lots, and huge budgets, and says, “They are doing well.” God looks at the heart. We cannot do that. We can see certain outward characteristics. For instance, the most successful pastor, in the worldly sense, in Columbus, Ohio, was in the paper. A painter wanted the good reverend to pay for the painting of his mansion. The Pentecostal minister and his father held down the painter and beat him up, according to the news account. That suggests a lack of humility and honesty. But perhaps he will repent before he dies.
On the other hand, someone may be completely orthodox for many years and yet fall away from the faith before dying. Many temptations come along. Probably the obvious sins come after a loss of faith, but the obvious sins end the call. That is why we should not be hasty to judge. Liberals grow into the historic faith and we know many people trained properly fall away completely. I know a pastor who hated all the radical liberal tendencies of the Lutheran Church in America. He joined the LCMS. Then later he joined the United Church of Christ, a group that makes the LCA look staid and hidebound.
At the end, everyone will have his due praise from God. That is another unfair aspect of the Christian faith. The person who believes in Christ alone for his salvation does not have his sins held against him. They are wiped from the account books by the atoning death of Christ. The believers places all his trust in the great exchange made by Christ, who became sin (while without sin Himself) to give us His righteousness. The believer receives this blessing each and every day. His sins are forgiven and forgotten. God moves all believers to do good works to glorify His name. The motivation to follow God’s will and to do God’s will comes from God alone, yet God will praise believers for being His servants and doing His will, even though tainted by sin. The sin is set aside and the good works are rewarded. That is not fair. God is not fair. He is gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love.
The last verse is a great comfort for those believers who sacrifice a great deal, or endure great hardships, or patiently take on thankless jobs (such as being a mother). Nothing that belongs to God is highly regarded by the world. And yet God will praise these things in the end. He knows and he will reward people. And God will show how little He values what the world esteems. Many Christian paupers will suddenly find the treasure laid up in heaven, where moth and rust do not corrupt.
"When the time comes that the worldly shall gnash their teeth, they shall witness all the elect and angels saying to God: 'This man has been a faithful minister and teacher. He has proclaimed the saving Word of God to a world of castaways. On yonder earth he was despised, persecuted, and maligned, but he shines now as a star with imperishable luster.'"
C. F. W. Walther, The Proper Distinction between Law and Gospel, trans., W. H. T. Dau, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1928, p. 402. Daniel 12:3.
This does not apply to pastors alone, but to all believers who have endured hardships because of the Word and have faithfully served in whatever office God has given them.
Quotations
"The second charge raised by Calvinists and Synergists against the Formula of Concord is its failure to harmonize 'logically' what they term 'contradictory doctrines': sola gratia and universalis gratia,--a stricture which must be characterized as flowing from rationalistic premises, mistaking a divine mystery for a real contradiction, and in reality directed against the clear Word of God itself."
F. Bente, Concordia Triglotta, Historical Introductions to the Symbolical Books of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, 065 p. 205.
"Thus the Lutheran Church not only admits, but zealously guards, the mystery contained in the doctrine of grace and election. It distinguishes between God in as far as He is know and not known; in as far as He has revealed Himself, and in as far as He is still hidden to us, but as we shall learn to know Him hereafter. The truths which may be known concerning God are contained in the Gospel, revealed in the Bible. The things still hidden from us include the unsearchable judgments of God, His wonderful ways with men, and, in particular, the question why some are saved while others are lost. God has not seen fit to reveal these mysteries."
F. Bente, Concordia Triglotta, p. 206.
"For Scripture never calls either Baptism or the Lord's Supper mysteries or sacraments. Therefore this is an unwritten (agraphos) appellation."
Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent, trans., Fred Kramer, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1986, II, p. 29.
"The sins which militate against the Third Commandment are the profanation of the Sabbath through neglect and contempt of the ministry, through Judaic and superstitious observance of the Sabbath, or through a shifting of the ministry into the kingdom of this world. The faithfulness of those who teach is the virtue by which the ministers of the Church, aware of their modest skill in Christian doctrine, carefully and zealousy discharge and steadfastly protect all the duties of the faithful dispenser of the mysteries of God in teaching, debating, comforting and setting their hearers an example of true devotion and of all the virtues. The other extreme are faithlessness, heedless teaching or negligence in office, or deserting the ministry because of excessive anxiety or concern over one's own weakness."
David Chytraeus, A Summary of the Christian Faith (1568), trans., Richard Dinda, Decatur: Repristination Press, 1994. p. 71f.
"So when we see a bishop assuming more than this text gives him warrant for, we may safely regard him as a wolf, and an apostle of the devil, and avoid him as such. Unquestionably he must be Antichrist who in ecclesiastical government exceeds the authority here prescribed."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 65 1 Corinthians 4:1-5
"All Christians serve God but all are not in office."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 65. 1 Corinthians 4:1-5.
"To make himself clearly understood in this matter of service, or ministry, Paul carefully adds to the word 'ministers' the explanatory one 'stewards,' which can be understood in no other way than as referring to the office of the ministry."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholaus Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, VI, p. 66.
"Thus we arrive at the apostle's meaning in the assertion that a minister of Christ is a steward in the mysteries of God. He should regard himself and insist that others regard him as one who administers to the household of God nothing but Christ and the things of Christ. In other words, he should preach the pure Gospel, the true faith, that Christ alone is our life, our way, our wisdom, power, glory, salvation; and that all we can accomplish of ourselves is but death, error, foolishness, weakness, shame and condemnation. Whosoever preaches otherwise should be regarded by none as a servant of Christ or a steward of the divine treasurer; he should be avoided as a messenger of the devil."
Sermons of Martin Luther, VI, p. 73. 1 Corinthians 4:1-5,
"Christ, in the saying we have quoted from Matthew (24:45), tells us further, the servant of the household should be not only faithful, but also wise, able to discern between the mysteries of God and the mysteries of the devil, that he may safely guard and keep himself and those committed to his care. For, as Paul says in 2 Corinthians 11:13-14, false apostles sometimes fashion themselves into true apostles of Christ, even as the devil transforms himself into an angel of light."
Sermons of Martin Luther, VI, p. 77.
"Hollazius (992) thus sums up the doctrine: 'The Word of God is the most efficacious means of salvation, for its power and efficacy are not only objective, but also effective; not consisting in moral suasion, but in supernatural operation, not external and coming to it when used by men, but intrinsic in the Word; not accidental, but necessary, by a divinely ordained necessity, and therefore not separable, but perpetual, inherent in the Word itself extra usum, as the first act. This efficacy is truly divine, producing the same effect as the Holy Spirit, who is perpetually united with the Word, which (effect) the Spirit influences together with the Word, by the divine power which belongs to the Holy Spirit originally and independently, but to the divine Word communicatively and dependently, on account of its mysterious, intimate, and individual union with the Spirit.'"
Heinrich Schmid, Doctrinal Theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, Philadelphia: United Lutheran Publication House, 1899, p. 507.
Saturday, December 13, 2008
Very Bad Computer Viruses
I had a horrible virus attack my new computer. I tried to fix it manually but that failed. My browser was taken over, so I could not even look for solutions from that computer.
I bought Norton 360, and that began defeating the virus while it was being installed. I never heard from it again.
The newest source is Facebook, but I do not know which virus it is.
If you want to check out information about computer viruses, look up Norton Symantec on viruses. Here is the link:
http://www.symantec.com/business/security_response/threatexplorer/threats.jsp?src=symsug_us
Norton on Facebook problems:
http://searchg.symantec.com/search?q=facebook&charset=utf-8&proxystylesheet=symc_en_US&client=symc_en_US&hitsceil=100&site=symc_en_US&output=xml_no_dtd&context=ent
Words Anathema to Church and Chicanery: Schmauk's The Confessional Principle
From Bailing Water:
Freddy Finkelstein said...
Rev. Tomczak,
No problem -- I've been busy myself this week, on the road again for business. Catching a red-eye back home this evening, I'll mention and recommend a book that I have been reading here at the airport (which I mentioned on this blog some months ago): The Confessional Principle and the Confessions of the Lutheran Church, by Schmauk and Benze. Published in 1911 (and recently reprinted by CPH), it is a follow-on of C.P. Krauth's Conservative Reformation. Old, yet surprisingly contemporary in application, here are some quotes:
"Change in itself is not progress, and the right of every individual to think as he pleases is not, it itself, the attainment of [Christian] liberty...";
"the currents of knowledge are flowing away from a fixed faith, and are beating against a fixed Confession...";
"The enemies of the Church's doctrine and Confession are often her own most brilliant and thoughtful sons... the Mother sees her own offspring repudiate their material birthright, even when -- at times -- they are proud to bear her face and name...";
"...the Source of [our] Witness [is] the Word, and the standard of [our] Witness, the Confessions, are central...";
"...it is impossible to maintain uncritically the dogma of Biblical infallibility, in the same breath with a loose, critical and destructive dogma of confessional fallibility. The quill that bristles against the Confessions, cannot successfully spread its shelter over their Source." (from the Introduction and Preface).
Freddy Finkelstein
December 13, 2008 1:17 AM
Friday, December 12, 2008
Jeske - Thank You for Hiding Your Lutheran Background
Words of Wisdom, Reproduced by The Church From Scratch
Q: Will there be marriage in heaven?
Pastor Jeske: Jesus did say we would like angels in one respect: we will neither marry nor be given in marriage. This is both a thrilling and, to some, disappointing feature of life in heaven. God will have a new relationship design for us. I think it will be like one big family reunion. We'll just be in love with everybody. Nobody will ever again be a threat to us. You'll never to lock the doors of your house again. Nobody's going to rip you off. Everybody you meet will be your friend. I think that feeling of being surrounded by human love, in addition to being surrounded by God's love, will be a more than adequate replacement for the exclusive love that husbands and wives enjoy now.
Now- could two people WHO were extremely fond of each other on earth choose to live in close proximity, even in the same dwelling in heaven? Well, why not? But Jesus wants us to know that people who re-marry on earth will not have to torture themselves with to (sic) pick one or other to live with in heaven.
Q: I love to eat. Heaven to me will include food. What do you think?
Pastor Jeske: I've read all kinds of amazing stuff from otherwise clear-minded, sober commentators who somehow assume that we're not really going to eat anymore. That is just mind-boggling to me. Is there something inherently gross and disgusting about food? Of course not! The Bible is full of stories about the joy of eating together- the great feast, the wedding banquet. Why must we regard these wonderful prophecies as only figurative? Good Bible interpretation always means taking the words in their simplest possible meaning, unless the contact tells you that is has to be a more limited or metaphorical meaning. Jesus himself, in his resurrected body, ate food. Why could that food not have been digested in his divine, resurrected body? God may surprise us with something different, but am planning to eat food in heaven.
Q: What will we do there - sit on clouds and sing eternal praises?
Pastor Jeske: To me that's one of the most pathetic images of heavenly life, so injurious to our faith that it must haven been designed by Satan's P.R. team. Heaven will not be boring! I think we will have jobs. On your best days, you kind of like work, don't you? Wouldn't it be wonderful if every day were like that? That's what God is designing for you. There will be jobs of service, in which we will joyfully do things for each other. Those of you who are good organizers of people and events will keep doing that and you will love your work. You will find work that clicks with your ability and passion, and you will love it. We'll also have creativity. I fully anticipate Johann Sebastian Bach will be writing music again, telling of the great works of God. Great literature will continue to be produced. There will always be great storytellers and great musicians.
***
GJ - Helpful hint to Mark: Never leave the cap off the glue bottle when writing these things. The fumes are toxic and intoxicating.
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Jeske - Thank You for Hiding Your Lutheran Backgro...":
You idiots! He wasn't saying singing praises is boring! If you knew Mark Jeske at all, he LOVES to sing praises. His favorites would be anything by JSBach. He was talking about lounging around on the clouds. Get to know the man a little, rather than taking his words in the un-kindess (sic) possible manner.
***
GJ - I have noticed a lot of Lutheran blogs where their favorite musicians are Bach, ScreamNPuke, GangstaDude, and Bork. Which name does not belong?
From what I have read about the Muzak at St. Marcus, it is more like white boys trying to be cool Black dudes. Bach was creative but also faithful to the original music.
WELS Rock and Roller Busts a Whine,
Subsidized by WELS Offering Money:
$22,000! Thank you, Don Patterson
Doebler's Stealth Church


Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Radloff Preaching at Church From Scratch - Doebler...":
Greg, Jim Radloff retired earlier this year. He is no longer in Grenada. If Joyce were a pastor, it would have said 'pastors'. They are not implying anything. What better way to honor God and your help meet by including her in your ministry. In a way aren't we all 'ministers'? For a man with your intellect, education and talent as a writer it is a tragedy that you stoop to these antics continually on this blog. How is this building the body? You call WELS the church shrinkers and yet how big is your parish? Where is your parish? A virtual online church with just you? It looks like your church as already shrunk.I will continue to pray for your peace and I would encourage all who visit this blog to do the same. Have a very blessed Christmas.
Joe Krohn, former member of Gunn's stealth congregation, current member of Doebler's Rock and Roll Church, semi-stealthy blogger at:
http://randrchurch.blogspot.com/:
An Apology for a 'Rock and Roll' Lutheran Church.
Blogger Profile:
Joe Krohn
Gender: Male
Location: Cedar Park : Texas : United States
About Me
I am a member of Christ the Rock in Round Rock, Texas and part of the worship team. I started this blog to temper the legalistic opinion of some of our brothers and sisters in our Lutheran fellowship.
GJ - Denomination? Confession of faith? Buehler? Buehler? Anyone?
***
GJ - Joe is a regular poster to Ichabod. His grasp of English is equaled by his knowledge of Lutheran doctrine. Pastor and Mrs. Jim Radloff is the traditional caption. Joe probably knows how quickly WELS is moving toward women's ordination, which is just a confirmation that women are teaching men and in authority over men in WELS.
Aren't we all ministers? No.
A Lutheran minister is called to preach the Word and administer the Sacraments.
The Church and Chicanery crowd thinks a big apostate church is far better than a smaller faithful congregation. Just look at the crazed grins on the faces of the WELS pastors at Drive 08. Does it matter to them that their hero Andy Stanley is opposed to infant baptism, baptismal regeneration, and the efficacy of the Word? Not at all.
I don't have to hide my name on my blog or in my comments. I do appreciate the messages from Krohn. They are often wrong factually and consistently wrong doctrinally. No wonder they make his hide bristle.
I am surprised anyone reads this blog. I am shocked that a few people have survived the onslaught of false doctrine--from WELS/LMCS/ELS/CLCs--and still want to hear the Word of God.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
VP Don Patterson Network:
Church and Chicanery Gone Wild

Read - Texas Clone Wars for more details about this odious network.

No wonder WELS is broke!
Missionary Harold Johne, whose son-in-law Marc Schroeder was booted from WELS, also hunts with Patterson.
Marc is 100% Church Growth.



Pastor Don Patterson: "We reach out together with Christ the Rock, Round Rock, Texas. This new preaching station is an outreach of Holy Word, Austin. The group received Synod funding of $22,000 to assist in this outreach. Their hope and plan is to organize a congregation with an Early Childhood Development Center and a Lutheran elementary school. Presently the group numbers thirty-six communicants and forty-nine souls of whom five joined the group by Adult Confirmation. Presently there are four others enrolled in the BIC class. Average attendance has been 55 with an average of fifteen in Bible Class and eight in Sunday school. A Soccer Bible Camp in the target area of Round Rock had a regular attendance of 105 with 60% being non-members. A Parenting Seminar had thirty-five in attendance, 90% non-members."

Vicar Hall of FamePatterson's church is 30 years old, but he gets free vicars from a synodical grant aimed at needy congregations. Free vicars cover for him when he jets to Africa or to Church Growth conferences.




Helping You Keep The Main Thing The Main Thing




Other Connections






The four Church and Chicanery epicenters are:
- Mark Jeske,
- Don Patterson, and
- John Parlow.
- The Love Shack.
***
What Have We Learned Today?
VP Don Patterson keeps his name off the website of Church and Change, but he gave the Bible study at a previous conference. The connections above point to Church and Change and influential members of the synod.
Getting rid of Enthusiasm in WELS is possible, if the efficacious Word is used, but the network has grown so thoroughly under the watchful eyes of DPs like Glaeske and Seifert, that getting rid of it will be hard work, if it is even attempted.
When The Sausage Factory asks for papers from Paul Kelm and Don Patterson about how to improve seminary education, you know the fix is in. Did Kelm and Patterson suggest even more Church Growth idiocy? Is that possible after having two seminary presidents in a row with CGM tatoos?
No one at Mequon has done anything about this for decades. Why should they? Their deluded students treat joining the LCMS as a catastrophe. At the same time their noodles are filled with Fuller and Willow Creek doctrine - contrary to the Christian faith and the Lutheran Confessions. Read this paper, which treats a WELS/LCMS split in typical hysterical fashion without acknowledging that Church Growth has taken over the congregation.
---


Koine will sing at Rock and Roll on April 5th.
Koine is the Mormon Tabernacle Choir of Church and Change.
According to the BHM report..http://www.welssc.org/Reports/2007/2007-10%20DMB.pdf
Doebler's administrative assistant got a pay raise to 48k...(nice) with the syond cuts Rock and Roll gets a raise... As bad as AIG.
Another research report from Team Ichabod:
The COP met at Holy Word in January.. They love Patterson and Rock and Roll Doebler..
http://www.welssc.org/Reports/2009/2009-01%20DP%20Report.pdf
And look what layman, fellow Patterson Zebra hunter, Timmerman says about worship. "Are not most areas of worship adiaphora?"
http://www.welssc.org/Reports/2009/2009-01%20SC%20Report%20Page%202.pdf.
and DP Glaeske, Patterson, and now Gurgel nod their heads in approval..
Patterson still wants free vicars and he wants a free staff minister..
http://www.welssc.org/Reports/2009/2009-01%20DMB%20Report.pdf
Doebler has his hand out too.
---
Here is a report, modified from another team member:
VP Don Patterson has affluent members, so one must wonder why he has his hand out for more synod money.
Robert Timmerman owns a business called Fine Lumber (http://www.www.finelumber.com/). He was the congregational president but is probably an Elder now. He has served on the national WELS Synodical Council. He has funded safaris for Kudu Don Patterson and Missionary Johne (father-in-law of Marc Schroeder, who was booted from WELS and joined Missouri with his congregation).
Ron Stelljes is now the congregational president at Holy Word. They sold their luxurious house to Holy Word so Patterson could have it as his parsonage. Their son John is in Floria.
-Treasurer Lew Rabenberg is a professor at The University of Texas at Austin. His wife is an attorney.
-Financial Secretary Allan Gebert is a self-employed CPA. His oldest son, Zack, currently is studying to be a pastor.
-Elder Bill Starke works at IBM as an engineer.
-Elder Gary Franke works for the Round Rock Express, the local AAA baseball club.
-Elder Nathan Steinke works for Intel as an engineer.
-Property and Maintenance Committee member Tim Moll owns some kind of electrical/lighting company. He provided all of the lighting to the new church built around 2002.
-Property and Maintenance Committee member Clint Rogas has a son (Clint, Jr.) who used to be a highly-paid technical consultant. He gave it up to study for the ministry and now has a congregation in Michigan.
-Staff Minister Chad White used to work for Motorola, but he gave that
up to become a staff minister.
The Elders at Christ the Rock in Round Rock:
-Andy Alff is a geologist, and his wife has been a teacher at Holy Word School for years.
-Tony Previti and Mark Smith both work for Dell Computer. Mark's wife, Kelly, is the daughter of Staff Minister Bob Hill. Her brother, Ryan Hill, used to be the principal at Holy Word until he took a call up to Michigan.
-Joe Krohn, the Rock and Roll blogger, is a friend to Patterson (isn't everyone in Church and Chicanery?). Joe probably provided the anonymous and smug comment that the COP approved of Rock and Roll Church, that they got another grant.
***
GJ - I have to wonder why Holy Word in Austin needs to take away mission subsidy money from others when the members are well established in the professions and in business.
Even stranger is wasting all that money flying the Conference of Pussycats into Texas so they can agree to do nothing. I have already seen Patterson's network go into a series of denials and huff-huff emails. Doubtless even more happens when the subsidy money is threatened.
There is your offering money at work. Read the links and weep.
Kingdom Workers = Jeff Davis, Board Member, Church and Change on their board. Isn't that sweet? And no one knows who the secret supporters are. No wonder WELS has discussed a synodical split and who gets the loot.
PS - Corrections are always welcome, as long as they are signed with a real name.
---
A correction or addition just came in, but I forgot the researcher's name already:
Holy Word member Mr. Paul Mattek http://paulstherapeuticfurniture.com/pauls.htm , lay rep on the Board for Home Missions (BHM).
http://www.wels.net/cgi-bin/site.pl?2617&collectionID=1332&contentID=87291&shortcutID=29637
They are the ones who give out free vicars and staff ministers.
***
GJ - When the COP met with Rock and Roll at Holy Word in Austin, did anyone think they would drop-kick Patterson into Barton Springs Pool?
One observer cannot understand how Kudu Don went over to the dark side. His own congregation is "normal," and so are the ones he helped start in the area. But now he is behind Rock and Roll, Church and Chicanery.
In Columbus, Floyd Luther Stolzenburg got to the money man. I heard that businessman tell Marc Schroeder (son of Salty) to get rid of the liturgy and creeds.
Given Timmerman's lack of understanding of Lutheran theology, the same thing could have happened at Holy Word in Austin.
---

need synod subsidies.
They must know how to po-mouth...or network.
From our research department, based on published information:
Austin is in Travis County (http://www.traviscad.org), and Round Rock is in Williamson County (http://www.wcad.org).
Paul Mattek's home is at http://www.traviscad.org/travisdetail.php?theKey=142144 . It's valued at a little over half a million dollars.
Looking under Robert Timmerman in Travis County, you'll see he owns three properties. His business location is worth $350K. The other two homes are worth a total of $650K. He's got some kind of ranch property in the Texas Hill Country as well.
Ron Stelljes is in the Williamson County listing for only $180K. The researcher thinks it is undervalued.
Tim Moll's home is 2/3 of a million dollars.
Bill Starke - $280K.
Lew Rabenberg - $254K.
Allan Gebert - $195K.
Nathan Steinke - $182K.
Gary Franke - $170K.
Andy Alff - $170K.
I found a "Joey Krohn" at
http://www.traviscad.org/travisdetail.php?theKey=584345 , and he's got a home listed at $276K.
And Pastor Doebler's home looks to be worth about $165K.
It looks like Holy Word sold the parsonage to Pastor Patterson on Nov 30, 2006. It's appraised at over $200K. You can get this information from the "Datasheet" PDF link on http://www.wcad.org/appraisal/publicaccess/PropertyDetail.aspx?PropertyID=162930
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Why Is the Patterson Network On Synod Welfare?":
You also neglected to unearth Patterson's own ranch that he owns out in the Hill Country.
***
GJ - Doebler, at Rock and Roll
The amount of money wasted in WELS is simply phenomenal. Estimate the lease and overhead for the Popcorn Cathedral of Rock in A-Town. Add the salaries and benefits of a pastor and a pricey executive assistant. That is a staggering amount of money for a "mission" no one wanted, for a white elephant theatre, for two people Tweeting about how hard they work: one service a week during Lent, a half-hour service followed by a three-hour party, with an official launch date based a rock band and a performance platform being built. The Sunday evening services allow local WELS members to attend to make the "mission" look like it has real attendance.
The CORE's two blogs, from two full-time people, are D.O.A.
Rick Gunn has a similar deal in CrossRoads
Most pastors have an unpaid staffer, named Frau Pfarrer (the pastor's wife). The vast majority of wives are lucky to get a little income as the church secretary or school teacher. I wonder what these wives think about Church and Chicanery missions needing $50k staffers when there is so little to do and even less is being done.
I proved to a local professional that a little blogging would bring in new customers. She and her husband did a little more with the blog I set up for them. They landed a new customer just like that, for free. The Internet is a phenomenal method for broadcasting the Word for little or no cost. I find the Shrinkers are ga-ga for useless overhead but numb to the efficacious Word.
Look at the silly website for The CORE. A lot of elaborate eye-candy techniques are designed for people with short attention spans. But nothing has been done in publishing good content since it was launched with a three-hour party. Given the need for three days to recover from a three-hour party, a website could easily have dozens of worthwhile items on it by now. But, WELS members should be glad, the offensive new material is published at a glacial pace. Twitter uses up so much time and energy, dontcha know.
---
Anonymouse has left a new comment on your post "Why Is the Patterson Network On Synod Welfare?":
You will be judged by your own standards, Ichabod.
***
GJ - Actually, WELS is being judged by its own standards, by its own members. They are appalled at: the COP protecting false teachers: throwing money at wasteful self-indulgent, non-missions; and soft-pedaling the Stetzer gig at Church and Chicanery's conference.