Here is an old doctrinal bulletin, from paleo-Ichabod days:
FROM KEVIN HASTINGS
Dear Greg,
A person can easily understand how a fellowship principle can be broken on occasion in weakness, ignorance, or the suddenness of a moment. That is not the case at Wisconsin Lutheran College at all. I believe it started with the Annie Herring concert about seven years ago when she not only sang, but then led the assembly in prayer. Many squawked, but there was never any public renunciation of the folly of inviting her to perform.
Since then WLC has gone political and sensational. Cal Thomas, Congressman Neumann (WELS), Mayor Norquist, Charlton Heston, etc. While we might agree with what these men stand for, the church is not their forum. Is WLC church? Gurgel once claimed WLC wasn't WELS in the sense that the synod doesn't run the school. That was a simplistic excuse for avoiding decisive action.
Dr. Greenfield, who arranges these things must commune at some WELS church (St. John's in Wauwatosa is my guess). One wonders if he's a member in good standing after all this. WELS is grossly guilty of the same unionism it chided LC-MS for in the thirties. Didn't mind being in bed with her, but didn't like another sneaking in on the other side. Now WELS and ELS are going through the same thing, apparently with numerous partners, spiritual and political. At least you see a (lost?) fight in Missouri.
Wisconsin remains one happy family, which is what happens when you venerate an institution. The WLC situation is not an isolated 'problem'. It exists and flourishes amid the highest concentration of churches, pastors, and teachers in the synod. It is no isolated cult in a wilderness. Its guilt becomes the guilt of all as they support it. Besides, I seem to read "Wisconsin" and "Lutheran" in its name - now whom could that be a part of?
Pastor Kevin Hastings
St. John Lutheran (independent), Milwaukee
5 comments:
"Wisconsin remains one happy family, which is what happens when you venerate an institution."
This doctrinal bulletin is a classic gem, possibly from the pre-Al Gore Internet days. I once asked my former pastor about the circumstances which brought about the departure of old St. John's from the WELS. His response was something like, "it's too bad that they cannot do something to come back into the WELS". This statement is a shining example of the veneration of an institution. Not being satisfied with this lame response, I asked a co-worker, who was WELS-connected, to ask one of his big shot buddies at the Love Shack about St. John's. He came back with, "you'll have to talk to the DP about it". By then, I knew that there were many culpable parties on the other side from Pastor Hastings. If we now look at the CORE and other smelly armpits in the WELS, we see the logical conclusion of what was written about some years back by a few brave souls who would risk getting the left foot of fellowship.
Hi professor,
Pastor Hastings wrote "Is WLC church? "
This seems to the perfect time to ask you this question:
One doctrinal difference between LCMS and WELS is how they answer the question "What is church". This is the basis for each church's fellowship doctrine. Which Synod's definition is more Confessional?
I recently spoke with a WELS pastor about the issue. He told me that the Scripture "where two or three are gathered in my name..." (Matt 18:20) means that where ever two or three Christians are gathered there is church. Therefore, the synod administration is church, WLC is church etc. and the WELS as an organization is church.
Contrastingly, my current pastor (LCMS) answered my question by saying that a 'church' is an individual congregation--a collection of Christians gathered together in the same place for the purpose of worshiping and receiving the benefits of Word and Sacrament administered by an ordained Pastor. A synod is not church, but a collection of churches. (I think both WELS and LCMS agree about what is The Invisible Church.)
Which view of church would Luther stand behind? Both?
Thank you
"WELS is grossly guilty of the same unionism it chided LC-MS for in the thirties."
Yea, yea, just look at the odious CORE.
Church has two sides, the visible and the invisible. The visible church is the congregations around the world that worship the Lord. It is the buildings, the houses, the meetings the services. The invisible church is all believers everywhere across every demonination and synod who believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of God who grants eternal life to those have faith. So I guess that both were speaking to the issue correctly just from different sides, there's a difference between church and The Church. We go to church, but we confess the Holy Christian Church in our Creeds. This is the difference.
Sorry Fox,
But that sounds too much like an attempt to promote the "everyone's okay" kinda thing.
It's sort of a layman's catch-22. If I end up thinking that the LCMS is correct then I've (in some way) given credence to the LCMS's nonchalance about good churches and bad churches sharing a name--and nobody caring.
If I decide that the WELS is correct then (it seems to me) that I have to be absolutely certain that every single WELS church is identical in belief and practice...which I'm not. In addition, accepting the WELS view it seems that I'd also have to accept a degraded view of the Divine Call: If church exists whenever "2 or 3 are gathered" then it seems I'd have to either believe the idea that "every one is a minister" or that church can exist without a called Pastor.
It's frustrating, especially since my recent defection to the LCMS is a cause of trouble in my family. "Fellowship" is important.
But logically, if I wholeheartedly subscribe to the WELS definition of church and the WELS stance on fellowship then haven't I caused myself to sin?--because there is plenty of error in the WELS. (The CORE, St. Marcus, Latte Lutherans etc.) But if I follow the LCMS stance, I've absolved myself of fellowship responsibility beyond my local congregation. (And my congregation is doctrinally sound)
But back to my question:
Which is more Confessionally Lutheran?
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