Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "WELS Financial Picture More Dire Than Expected":
I am a WELS member and I don't know what to think about your blog. Part of me says well someone else notices the things I have. Part of me asks is it sinful or is it right? You'll notice I'm being cowardly and not signing my name.
I do think it's sinful nature that causes all of this and I pray for all of us. I too worry about sin but I am trying to trust in God to take care of it.
I do think putting sin in the light is a good thing. I know of more than one case of sexual molestation that has gone on and was not reported to the police. In fact the person who was molesting was kept in their job and yes the Synod's insurance has paid for it and maybe that is what it is going to take to stop that kind of enabling. Bad publicity and rising insurance costs come from bad decisions being made. Why would anyone want to help another in their sin is beyond me.
In response to the rent issue, I know of churches who greatly undervalues the cost of the rent on the parsonage so it reduces the tax cost. I have also known Pastors to get state assistance because they say they are in the poverty level. If you add in all their perks they make well over most of the congregation. I've also heard Pastor's speak about their work much like a lawyer does - in 6 min increments.
Gone are the days Pastors made house calls. All I ever get is a voice mail message and I'm lucky if my call is returned by the Pastor. It seems some are turning their jobs into becoming managers. I'm sad about that as it shows a lack of caring. But I also think it is a sign of the times.
I'd like to ask why is there so little accountability in the church? We are to abide by the governance's of our state but I think many skirt around that and no one enforces the constitutions. If you call anyone on it they call you a heretic. I have seen more than a few men drop off of council because of it.
But just how are we suppose to deal with sin inside the church? I will tell you I notice it, spoken out and have been criticized for it. IMHO these actions have hurt the members in worshipping their God. It is one reason I and I know many others who have pulled back from service.
I am not leaving WELS because I think they are the best thing out there - they preach the true word of God and as we approach the reformation I am reminded about the reason I love being a Lutheran. Remember what Luther's 1st petition was. Repentance.
So I am not sure about this blog but I keep coming back to read it. Maybe it's a good thing you're putting some of this in the Son-light. I pray God takes care of the rest.
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GJ - All the synods cover up. In the case of one Shrinker, Missouri and WELS and the Little Sect on the Prairie all cooperated in enabling the criminal himself and in attacking anyone who dared object to a pastor having sex with the wives and daughters of the members. WELS and Missouri were happy to shake the money tree connected with this criminal, whose repentance consisted of claiming he was persecuted.
Do not overlook the Good Old Boy Network. Fred Adrian was famous for being so bad as the DMB Chair, Michigan District, WELS, that he was forced out. His married vicar went to state prison for molesting a minor girl in the congregation. WELS fought the lawsuit and lost, to the tune of $400,000 and promptly appealed the verdict. How do you like that - WELS taking a member to court? Fred wrote a happy letter to the congregation, saying, "Insurance paid for it."
However, Fred wrote two different vicarage reports, one saying he knew, one saying he did not know. (GA at work.) Fred resigned from the ministry but he has a call in the district again. There is only one sin in WELS - questioning WELS. Ditto ELS and LCMS.
