dk said... [Bailing Water]
Look folks,
I know I'll draw some heat for this remark (particularly from folks who accuse readers of being spiritually sick) but I'll say it anyway-- I won't hide behind anonymity either.
I think the WELS' problems, theological and financial, are a result of a misguided belief of what a synod is. The WELS thinks about itself as one big church, with an internal hierarchy much like the Roman Catholic Church. While the WELS is made of up of individual members of the Invisible Church the WELS is not, in fact, a tangible manifestation of the Invisible Church. Real Apostolic succession--The actual One True Church-- is built by faithful individuals, not any material organization.
If the WELS superstructure existed solely to train clergy, coordinate missions, and organize Lutheran education--leaving actual preaching and teaching to the Pastors we might find all the money problems disappear.
The WELS' problems can be accurately compared to the problems in Washington DC. Centralization beyond what's prudent. Too much Pork. Too much procedure.
The above anon comments left A B C etc. recommendations for how to save the WELS financially. I'd be curious to know what people think of my list:
A. Root up and throw out enthusiast churches, pastors and administrators. Saves the WELS theologically and it save some $$ too.
B. End all expenditures that do not relate to Clergy eduction or missions.
C. Sell WELS headquarters at 2929 N Mayfair. That's an valuable building. Buy a few modified double wide trailers and buy an acre of farmland. That'd be perfectly adequate.
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GJ - I believe selling The Love Shack has already been considered.
DK has a good diagnosis, but he may be unaware that world missions have been the excuse the drain the schools of money, repeating what Missouri did. Fuller Seminary recruited the world missions people first, and they fell for that version of Deformed theology about 30 years ago or more.
When I see all the group pictures of WELS or ELS leaders around the world, enjoying their junkets, I wonder, "How many millions are spent on this?" If someone is a compliant synod official or layman, he gets to go, too.
Pope John the Malefactor has been all over the world on mission dollars, proving once again that the view from the penthouse is a lot better than the one from the servant's quarters. By the way, the Little Sect on the Prairie is woefully short of funds, too. But they do want to look like they play in the Major Leagues of Lutherdom.
I know the officials counter by saying, "We got a grant for that meeting." Schwan or Thrivent gives money for various projects, Thrivent especially favoring joint religious meetings with ELCA and Missouri. The synod officials consider that their money. Nevertheless, a lot of loot is spent on something like a world mission conference in Brazil. Everyone flies in. No one sleeps in a hut with a thatched roof. One missionary famously fell off the wagon on that trip, and pretty much stayed off the wagon since.
This is the description of the old WELS synod administration:
At the bottom of the stairs in the NPH building, Mischke had an office with his wife Gladys as the secretary. There was no Love Shack filled with Church and Chicanery loyalists. Was the synod worse off then, so poor and humble?
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Sounds like the old WELS admin amenities were poor and humble. And Jesus was laid in a feed trough for a bed.
Prof. Jackson: I guess when I wrote that I was envisioning a different sort of mission setting--one where missionaries slept in thatched huts and hired a wagon for transportation. I may be a little naive about how many frivolities the WELS buys and records in the "mission work" column.
About Lutheran education: While at WLC there was a big push (a ridiculously expensive project.) for a football team. Umm... Is WLC ever going to win a national championship or even 3 consecutive games? And if they did would God smile down from his heaven? At that point every department could've used another faculty member!
Not that WLC is MLC or WLS but the WELS SOP for athletics (and other nonessentials) leaves the schools SOL, in terms of money.
I had fun with this last sentence. My brain is all awash in acronyms because I just read "Fifteen years under the MOV" an essay about the WELS 'Mission Objective Vision Statement". A friend sent it to me in a format that left off the author's name. Have you read it? I'm curious to know your thoughts.
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GJ - I have not read "Fifteen years under the MOV." I am happy to post it when someone sends it.
Ichabod is the server for the Kuske Report and Tendrils. Get your information here.
The Church and Change websty is parsimonious with data. Here is the latest:
MARK YOUR CALENDARS
Conference 09
Nov 5th - 7th
Wyndham Milwaukee Airport Hotel and Convention Center
C&C events are a great place to network with people who have similar ministries, situations and problems. Come, learn and benefit from everyone's experience!
More information is coming soon! [GJ - How soon is soon? JK wants to know too.]
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rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "DK Provides a Diagnosis, I and II":
When Carl Mischke was the WELS President, our PTA decided to ask him to come and speak at one of our meetings. When one of the moms called his office, he answered the phone. No voicemail with a menu or even calls screened by the secretary. He and his wife both came early to our meeting. They quietly sat with the rest of us while we transacted our business. Then, he gave a very Biblical talk on the responsibility of the parents with the congregation's role of assisting them. They stayed for the refreshments afterward and mingled with the parents. Everyone was quite impressed with how they just seemed to fit in.
