Jars of Clay Ministries (JOCM), a non-profit, self-supporting outreach effort “born” in November 2002, is the result of God calling two Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) laywomen Sharon Buck [Steve Witte's sister] and Karen Harmon, to connect and prepare other spiritually mature women to use their God-given “relational and nurturing gifts” to share the gospel.
[GJ - Women's ordination arrived in WELS about 20 years ago. Notice that these women have been called directly by God to be evangelists - just like apostles. Their pastoral advisors are Shrinkers Schuppe and Witte, so no one noticed. Nor did anyone dare to object. Brug solemnly declared in the Quarterly that there is nothing in the Bible against women's ordination. Lux fiat. Erat lux.]
Resources Page - WELS Pots of Pietism
Billy Graham Evangelistic Association – Evangelism and discipleship training.
www.billygraham.org
International Coalition of Workplace Ministries - Founded by Os Hillman to help men and women identify and fulfill their God-given calling by applying biblical faith to their life and work.
www.icwm.net
Prison Fellowship Ministries (Chuck Colson, Founder), an outreach to convicts, victims of crime, and justice officers….exhorting, equipping and assisting the church in it’s ministry to prisoners, ex-prisoners and their families.
www.prisonfellowship.org
CAMPUS CRUSADE FOR CHRIST: A nondenominational ministry founded by the late Bill Bright. The sole purpose of this organization is to evangelize the world for Christ. It is an international ministry with Reformed roots, but still provides a wide variety of Christian books, tapes, music, pamphlets, etc. that are effective tools for outreach and spiritual growth.
Campus Crusade for Christ, c/o Keynote,18005 Sky Park Circle, Suite K, Irvine, CA 92614.
Phone: 800-352-8273
Check out their resource list at www.GOccc.com
JONI AND FRIENDS: Joni Eareckson Tada has been a quadriplegic for more than 30 years. Injured in a diving accident as a teenager, she has used this tragedy in her life to reach out to others with God’s message of love and encouragement. Her non-profit organization is dedicated to accelerating Christian ministry in the disability community. She has an International outreach called WHEELS FOR THE WORLD that has distributed over 14,000 wheelchairs in 50 countries. During the summer months in the US, she holds retreats for the disabled and their families in a variety of states. She has developed Area Ministries in 11 states to help localize support for people with disabilities. She provides inspiration and encouragement on a 5 minute daily radio spot. Her organization is a well spring of resources for outreach to the disabled and their families.
Joni and Friends, P.O. Box 3333, Agoura Hills, CA 91376.
Phone: 818-707-5664
www.joniandfriends.org
TIME OF GATH is a Christian outreach ministry whose sole purpose is winning souls for eternity. Time of Gath shares the great news of Jesus Christ's gospel message via a weekly half hour television program originating from St. Marcus Lutheran Church (WELS) in the heart of Milwaukee and is broadcast throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota. One of the ministry’s 5 year goals is to broadcast throughout the entire United States, reaching millions in the towns, cities and rural areas of our nation.
Mark Jeske is the featured pastor for Time of Gath Fund-Raising Ministry which also provides a variety of wonderful trinkets to buy that can bring you or others closer to God. Mark has written several booklets and brochures that are evangelistic in nature and very “consumer friendly”. In addition, Time of Gath makes inspirational videos and transcripts available to purchase.
To request resources call: TIME OF GATH MINISTRY at 1-800-661-3311. Have your credit card out - make sure it is not maxed out already.
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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Pardon Me, Miss, But Your Enthusiasm Is Showing......":
According to this directory out of @75 WELS staff Ministers there are 29 women ministers serving in the WELS. [GJ - Larry Olson, Our Staph Infection, DMin Fuller, is in charge of staff ministry.]
http://www.staffministry.net/information.php
Everything seems to be going to plan according to Kathrine Wendland's wishes detailed in her WELS paper http://www.charis.wlc.edu/publications/charis_summer04/wendland.pdf
Shouldn't be so surprising since so much effort has gone into establishing women in the WELS as Ministers and leaders.
Women’s Leadership Conference to be Held July 7, 2007 All WELS women are invited to attend the 2007 National WELS Women’s Leadership Conference, to be held July 7 at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, in Mequon, Wis. The conference will encourage and edify WELS women through discussions, skits, worship, and the introduction of a new Bible study, “Heirs Together—Serving Together.” The keynote discussion titled “A leader . . . Who? Me?” will be led by Kathie Wendland, women's Bible study writer and leader. Other conference speakers include Bruce Becker, Board for Perish Services; Richard Gurgle, Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary; Dave Kehl, Commission on Adult Discipleship; Sarah Owens, Wisconsin Lutheran Institutional Ministries; and Jane Schlenvogt, Westside Christian School. For more information or to register, contact 800-567-8669 or visit www.wels.net/jump/womenconf. (http://www.wels.net/cgi-bin/site.pl?2617&collectionID=1499&contentID=70941)
New Women’s Ministry conference set
WELS Women’s Ministry Committee, a part of the Commission on Adult Discipleship, has scheduled the second national WELS women’s leadership conference for July 16-18, 2010. Under the theme, “Leading with a Christ-like attitude,” the conference will focus on Philippians 2:1-18. It will be held at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, Mequon. (http://www.ctk-wels.org/home/140004059/140004059/docs/_06-15-09_together_WELS.pdf) page 2.
202a.... WELS “Women Leaders–No Longer an Oxymoron”–Kathie Wendland (http://www.churchandchange.org/home/2384/2384/CanCprogram.Web.pdf) page 8.
Brett Meyer
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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Pardon Me, Miss, But Your Enthusiasm Is Showing......":
Christ only instituted one office, the Office of Public Ministry ie the Pastoral Office. Thus the congregation places a divine call, in the stead and on behalf of Christ, for a man to serve as Pastor. Christ commanded the requirements for a man to be able to serve (husband of one wife). Christ commanded that no one in the Office is to be above or below another in the same Office. The WELS 'limiting' the Office so that they feel justified in having women serve in it is contrary to Christ's command. To limit the Office changes it into a different office and not that one office Christ instituted. Thus Christ does not call a man or woman into the new man made office. The fact that WELS places a divine call for a woman to serve as Minister of anything is an abomination and perversion of His command.
WELS' own Adolf Hoenecke made the following statements rejecting the WELS doctrine of the Ministry in his thesis “The Teaching Office, Das Lehramt: (http://www.ntslibrary.com/Christian-Doctrine-Teaching-Office.htm)
"Remark: The preaching office (Predigtamt) can be spoken of abstracte (in abstract), that is, so as to mean the means of grace. The preaching office, however, can be spoken of concretely, by which one includes those who bear the office, that is, those who administer the office in abstracto." Page 1, second paragraph
"We are dealing here with the preaching office considered concretely, that is, the office of ministering with the word(Dienstamt am Wort)." Page 1, fourth paragraph
"The antithesis to the scriptural doctrine of the divine institution of the office in the concrete sense can be seen in part in the antithesis to the scriptural doctrine of the call. Still, those theories which claim that the concrete office of ministry in the word (Dienstamt am Wort) rests upon a human institution can here be called antitheses." Page 2, Part 2, second paragraph
"The scripture also makes the bishops and elders equal. Quenstedt: We retain in our churches an order among the ministers so that some are bishops, some are presbyters, others deacons, because also in the apostolic and primitive church there were distinct grades of ministers and indeed were divinely constituted, 1 Cor. 12:28; Eph. 4:1. However, we say that to every minister of the church pertains the same power of the ministry consisting in preaching the word and administering the sacraments and the power of jurisdiction in the use of the keys." Page 23, Doctrinal Thesis 5, second paragraph
"In this antithesis also stand the so-called romanizing Lutherans, who hold that church government (Kirchenregiment), whereby persons are ordered above and below one another, is divinely ordained and has a supposedly divinely ordained hierarchy." Page 25, section 2, first paragraph
"The Breslauers continuously call upon Eph. 4:11 (compare 1 Cor. 12:28ff) like the papists for here a divine institution of distinct offices with their churchly duties is supposedly taught." Page 25, fourth paragraph
WELS has perverted the Office of Public Ministry as Christ instituted it and as such it is no longer Christ's instituted office.
In Christ,
Brett Meyer
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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Pardon Me, Miss, But Your Enthusiasm Is Showing......":
WELS and ELS has historically pointed to Ephesians 4:11 to claim Christ instituted multiple divine offices. Hoenecke also had this to say, by quoting Chemnitz, in the same thesis regarding this passage:
Chemnitz finishes his explanation with the clarification that the enumerations of Eph. 4:11 and 1 Cor. 12:28 only show which grades the obligations and duties of the one and the same office of the church or preaching office was distributed. Finally he sets forth the following fundamental principles:
a. That the Word of God does not establish any particular number of grades.
b. From the scripture it is clear that at the time of the apostles the same grades were not present in all congregations.
c. Even so it is clear from the scripture that the separation into grades was not a necessity such that not often all the functions were unified in one person. And furthermore, the entire order was a matter of freedom and was implemented according to need and for the good of the church.
d. All grades were not offices in addition to the preaching office but were themselves true offices of the ministry of the word and sacraments
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Brett Meyer
