Missouri Compromise - A Fake Peace To Benefit Pseudo-Conservatives

The battle between LCMS apostates and conservatives was resolved by letting a few compromising conservatives win office until the Orthodox Left could assume control again.

LCMS President Jack Preus did a fairly good job of rousting the liberals out of positions of power. However, Preus the Seminex-Hammer soon began backtracking by satisfying the needs of the LCA-wannabees. He left office winning the praises of the liberal wing of Missouri.

LCMS President Ralph Bohlmann supposedly represented the conservative power base and won the support of Otten's Christian News. When elected, Bohlmann promised "no blood-letting." I thought of that remark later when George H. W. Bush promised a "kinder, gentler" approach, meaning his old boss Reagan had been mean and savage. Bohlmann adopted the positions of the Left, including women's ordination. "No more nice guy" was really his motto, because he had no qualms about sacking whole groups of people at once, if they threatened his power. One person leaked information to CN, so Bolhmann fired the entire group.

When conservatives show a little spine, apostates howl and shriek in unison. When the apostates grab power again, their Stalinistic tendencies flower whle conservatives cringe in silent terror.

LCMS President Al Barry ousted Bohlmann because ol' Ralph ran out of friends but built an ever-growing supply of enemies. Barry was another Christian News candidate, with Paul McCain and Herman Otten working together to leak materials to the paper while appearing innocent. Indeed, both men denied working with each other but both bragged to me that they were dissembling.

One pastor took a call to St. Louis just so he could work for Barry's election. (I know - that is a bad idea from the start.) He was appalled at how the victors treated him.

Wally Schulz told me that Barry began meeting with people "he should not be seeing" as soon as he took over as president.

One conservative layman told me that the new Barry administration was openly contemptuous and hostile while "at least the Bohlmann people were polite." Barry immediately identified with the Left, scorned the conservatives, and won the undying but unexplained support of those he worked so hard to betray. Nine years of McCain-Barry gave Missouri a new regime - LCMS President Jerry Kieschnick, who identifies so closely with ELCA that he receives Holy Communion from their leaders.

Pseudo-conservatives are loved by the Left, because a posturing conservative turns so easily and effectively on his cohorts. Direct opposition builds people up, especially in doctrinal matters, but quasi-friendship followed by betrayal leads to discouragement and retreat.

Missouri had three presidencies to deal with apostate leaders and their natural allies, the Pentecostals or charismatics within the synod. The LCMS shunned all those opportunities and adopted an unspoken balance of liberals and conservatives on all boards. That worked well to squelch any real conservatives gains until the apostates had the power to defenestrate again.

What does this mean?

Answer - WELS and the ELS will not improve from the actions of the clergy. The clergy have adapted themselves to a false peace that will not threaten their positions. If the laity do not constantly and persistently battle the Shrinkers, both the WELS and the ELS will become community church denominations, with no Confessions, no worship (just Sneaker Services), and no doctrine - except what they copy from the latest fads.

Proof?

My proof is the total lack of doctrinal conflict in the last 32 years, since TELL was begun as a WELS magazine to openly promote and name Church Growth as the solution to their problem and the key to their dreams of grandeur.

The first issue of TELL in 1977, edited by Ron Roth, endorsed by SP Naumann, should have started a prairie fire of opposition.
Note, younger reads, that WELS/ELS broke with Missouri over doctrinal apostasy in the 1960s, but allowed this new wave of unionism and corruption without dissent.

The ELS openly and willingly became the AMEN! Corner of Church Growth, with pseudo-conservatives stifling themselves rather than speaking out against it. George Orvick put a Fuller graduate on the doctrinal board of their sect. The Enthusiast later joined ELCA.

WELS endured the onslaughts of Lawrence Olson ("a harmless heretic") and Paul Calvin Kelm while Valleskey outted their group as a bunch of wild-eyed Fuller apostates. A few people objected, but they were euthanized as a message to the rest, who stayed amazingly quiet. In fact, some of the current opponents of apostasy were only too happy to kick their conservative friends in the ribs, or walk on the other side of the road as they passed along.

The Stroh message to his Shrinker friends is sending a clear signal to fellow apostates and unionists - "We will not back down. We will lose a few battles but we will win the war." The highly paid, appointed (by Muller) synod staff members are Church and Change members and fans.

I have been seeing this Shrinker revolt ever since Don Patterson's ally, SP Gurgle, was removed from office. The corruption was so bad that Gurgle got an offer he couldn't refuse, so he left the country. When he came back, Kudu Don hired him on his staff. Yet the Great White Hunter and candidate for First VP, Patterson, is so broke he needs another free vicarage grant. And he got it.

The DP structure is still supporting the Shrinker Unionists. The Love Shack staff was established by "No CG in WELS" Wayne Mueller. FIC is still run as the mimeograph room for Fuller/Willow Creek. Mequon and Mary Lou College support, admire, and promote the Calvinism of Kelm, the Zen of Valleskey, and the Voodoo Economics of Gurgle.