Plenary Session: Representatives from Church and Change
Representatives of the Church and Change group met with us to talk about the proposed invitation of Dr. Ed Stetzer to their upcoming C&C conference. Good dialog was had in which we recognized the sincere desire of all present to do everything we can to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others.
The members of the COP appealed to the Church and Change representatives to reconsider their invitation to Dr. Stetzer because of the controversy it will, without question, cause, and because it has the potential to marginalize the C&C.
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GJ - Wait a minute. I thought Stetzer wasn't speaking. The cry went up from these maladroit C and C liars, "How do you know we haven't canceled him?"
I guess now we know they did not cancel Babtist Ed, or this would not be the topic of yet another COP meeting, as it was months ago.
WWST?
Would Would Stetzer Tweat?
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L.01 Question on assets in the event of a synodical split 1
It appears that any clause in the synod’s constitution that would deal with this matter would probably not bear any weight in a court of law. Therefore, it was resolved that the COP not pursue this subject any further.
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GJ - Doubtless there will be a split, but only among the largest congregations able to sustain themselves - like Stadler's congregation, which left years ago. However, the whale congregations will have their own troubles during the Obama Recession. Maybe they can get federal bailout funds, because all other funds are drying up.
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Conference of Pussycats - On Stetzer":
It is not wrong to invite a heretic to instruct WELS members at a conference, to pay that heretic, to sit at his feet, and give him a round of applause when he finishes. It is only questionable. It should not be avoided because it is wrong, it should only be avoided becuase it will cause controversy.
I am leaving WELS. Will the last Lutheran out the door please hit the lights?
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GJ - We wouldn't want "to marginalize Church and Chicanery." But it was heartening that they all had good dialogue and "we recognized the sincere desire of all present to do everything we can to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with others." C and C has been running the synod since 1977 and--like the crypto-Calvinists--kicking out anyone who resisted their false doctrine. The District Popes have no qualms about getting rid of a pastor, but have they ever extended the Left Foot of Fellowship to these blatant heretics and unionists?
I would love to know which C and C leaders came to the meeting. Names are missing from the official report. Ask your Doctrinal Pussycat if he can remember.
Stages of the Church and Chicanery Cancer:
- The early years: starting around 1977, when Ron Roth began to edit TELL. Now he is working with Jeff Davis (C and C board member) on very costly fund-raising contracts with WELS congregations.
- The obvious years: starting in 1992, David Valleskey said using Fuller Seminary insights equaled spoiling the Egyptians, citing Fuller favorite Larry Crabb as his source. WELS promoted his ridiculous, absurd Amen! to Fuller: We Believe, Therefore We Speak.
- The garbage-sharing years:
In 1995, a group of about 10-12 men gathered at Wisconsin Lutheran College to discuss current methods of sharing Jesus which were commonly being used in the WELS at that time. Many at the first meeting felt that those methods of sharing Jesus were not “keeping up with” the rate of change in society. The message of the Bible was not, therefore, penetrating society very well.
In 1998 two men who had attended the first meeting planned a Church and Change conference in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The next year there was a second conference in Green Bay. About 20 people attended each year.
In May 2001, WELS Parish Services applied for and received a Forward in Christ grant to conduct a three-year pilot program to address the issues surfaced by the previous two Church and Change conferences. The three-year pilot program was designed to be a grassroots gathering of individuals who were pioneering new innovative methods of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ with a changing culture. Church and Change History. - The anything goes years: C and C paid New Ager Leonard Sweet to speak to the conference, refusing all entreaties to cancel him. In spite of their demands that people speak to them (citing Matthew 18), Paul Kelm announced that he would no longer answer anyone who objected to Sweet.
