The recent post on Perish Services wrecking a congregation brings up an interesting issue about synod-paid Chicanery staff double-dipping.
Feel free to correct my facts, since I am not on their memo list.
Someone like Paul Calvin Kelm gets a "call" to be a Perish Consultant. Apparently there are Consultants and Assistants - but I am not sure. I will include the Planned Giving Counselors, laity and pastors, who offer estate planning seminars and holds granny's hand while she signs over an Irrevocable Trust over the the synod.
I have to assume that there is a set salary, or they would not gather there, like flies to buttermilk. But there is also a commission or fee. The Bergs said that the Special Giving Counselors get a commission for each gift, that this is written in the contract. Laity reporting from the battlefield tell me that the Perish experts extract huge fees, up to $10,000.
The Ron Roth/Jeff Davis team imposes a large fee plus a percentage of the money raised, contrary to normal stewardship practice (but in harmony with Jewish traditions). Roth and Davis, Inc are not now part of The Love Shack, but they use their WELS connections accordingly. Roth midwifes the Church Growth Movement in WELS, so bow down. Both are Chicaneries, Ron a founder and Jeff a stealth board member (photo but no bio!).
Most people probably assume that staff from The Love Shack are doing their work because mission offerings have already paid them.
My experience with the Chicaneries is - they leave no money-source stone unturned. Members and pastors should be more careful with the money entrusted to them.
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Perish Assistance in WELS":
I know of two churches which spent between $30,000 and $35,000 each on Perish Services.
If you want to save the money, here is the essence of the program.
1. Get lay people to take over some
of the pastor's duties in the
Sunday morning worship service.
2. Start a pre-school.
3. Have a greeting and visitors
center in the narthex, which
is improved with coffee.
4. Get a new church sign.
5. Spruce up the landscaping.
6. Find a way to increase
offerings -- anything from an
every member (stewardship) visit
to hiring an outside firm.
7. Write a mission statement since
you can't know what are a doing
without one. (Shame our
forefathers' churches didn't
have them. WELS could be big by
now if they had!)
8. Start a committee to talk about
"The State of the Church."
9. By the way, some new buildings
would help.
If you think this is worth thirty grand, I have a message for you. I will discount it to $20,000 just for you. If you want to buy in, leave your email address on this blog and I will get in touch with you where you send the money. It's a deal. I just saved you $10,000. Only serious contributors of $20,000 need to respond!
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Perish Assistance in WELS":
My congregation used Parish Assistance several years ago. I firmly believed that a good plan was developed. However, with any plan the pastor and laity must be involved, supportive, and committed to address the plan that was adopted. Many years have now passed, the plan gathers dust and the pastors discuss how overwhelmed they are with two bible studies on Sunday mornings and nothing else the rest of the week. Parish services may be bad and my experience doesn't support it but we're in denial if we think we do not have leadersip issues to address churches that are frankly withering away.
