How Many WELS Congregations Avoid the Name Lutheran?List Them Here

Display in the WELS Holy Spirit Room

The Conference of Pussycats advised congregations that it was wrong to avoid the Lutheran name. They were in a weak position, of course.

1. The WELS leaders took Lutheran away from magazine masthead, making it non-Lutheran in appearance. The Tell-It-Not-in-Gath folks just lost that round, with the name restored.
2. WELS changed from The Lutheran Hymnal to Christian Worship. I know Lutheran is in the sub-title, but no other Lutheran hymnal has dodged the name in the main title. Does anyone say something other than "Christian Worship"?
3. WELS Lutherans For Life formed separately because it was a sin, a sin I tell ya, to work with Missouri. Real estate mogul Robert Fleischman changed the name to Christian Life Resources, so no one knows it is pro-life and Lutheran. CLR works with all denominations now, especially twenties, fifties, and c-notes.

DisHonor Roll - NonLutheran WELS Congregations

Floyd Luther Stolzenburg advised WELS on Church Growth:

how to start a stealth mission - Pilgrim!

• Pilgrim Community Church, Columbus, Ohio, started by VP Paul Kuske, Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, and Roger Zehms. RIP. One announcement from Zehms/Stolzenburg included - "Standing where Luther stood." Indeed.
  

Mark Freier is now a life-coach. He has performed marriages for atheists and Hindoos, catered events, and damaged several churches.

• CrossRoads Community Church, S. Lyons, Michigan, started with the blessing of DP Robert Mueller and VP Kuske, misled by Rick Miller, Mark Freier, Kelly Voigt. RIP Thriving as an Evangelical Covenant Church. And they used to thank the WELS pastors for getting them started. Pastor Joe has omitted those words from this page. Ichabod effect? I think so.
  
  
  
  
  Jeff Gunn's websty is a marvel to behold.
  
  
  
  
  Feel the buzz at Crosswalk?
  
  
  

• CrossWalk in Phoenix, not officially WELS, but generously donated two members and the pastor to leadership positions at Willow Creek Wisconsin Lutheran College. The second campus chaplain is a proud graduate of the Babtist "Drive" Worship Conference (with Ski, Katie, Glende, and four other WELS workers).
  

No room for Lutheran on the Crossroads, Chicago banner?

• Crossroads in Chicago

John [Hoh],
Thands (sic) for illustrating so well some key issues we face as we consider how best to communicate the message entrusted to us. You mentioned previously that you used these illustrations in your presentation at the recent Church and Change Conference. I wasn't able to make your session (there were way too many "must-attend" offerings at this conference). Do you have materials/handouts that you could post or otherwise make available for those who missed it?
Mike Borgwardt, Crossroads Church, Chicago. [Secret Church and Change list-serve.]

• Christ the Rock, Round Rock, Texas. $50,000 a year for Gretchen, plus the pastor's salary and benefits. Attendance - about 30. Blog - Rock and Roll (RIP).

Ski cuddled with MariQueen, Playboy model and alleged singer.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "How Many WELS Congregations Avoid the Name Luthera...":

Few pastors can or will walk in the footsteps of Christ the way Ski does. More power to him. Lesser pastors fear taking the Word to the dens of iniquity the way Ski does. In time we can expect Ski’s trophy pictures to include escorts, strippers, and street walkers.

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• The CORE.
  Ski, Glende, and Katie run off to Schwaermer conferences, like Drive, Dirt, Story, Catalyst, and Granger Community. Cost - $250,000 in less than a year. Results - 9 members, including transfers from a local WELS church. 
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• Latte Church, aka http://www.casualaboutchurch.org/ aka St. Andrew, Waunakee. Gushingly promoted in FIC, St. Andrew has a woman who "administers the Means of Grace."
  

Coffee is apparently a Means of Grace at Latte Church.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "How Many WELS Congregations Avoid the Name Luthera...":

In regards to the life coach, the trajectory is pathetic, albeit predictable. Semi-spiritual terminology is mated to crass humanism: "missional and mission statements", "kairos moments", etc. It is shameless self-absorbtion and utter nonsense. The website mentions Henri Nouwen as a mentor? Egaaads! Let this serve as a warning to all how swiftly one generation can suffer shipwreck when it casts off its moorings.


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Nouwen

GJ - I truly doubt that Father Henri Nouwen "mentored" Mark Freier. I knew Nouwen at Yale, but I did not take his classes. I knew students who did, and they never tried to claim some special status. I suggest that "P Boy" read The Wind in the Willows and try to imitate the truly repentant Toad of Toad Hall. Mark earned his nickname in WELS, but I will let others explain it.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "How Many WELS Congregations Avoid the Name Luthera...":

Every day we DON'T hear from the synod prez or others in charge that they are investigating and putting a stop to Ski's shenanigans, is another day the WELS slips closer and closer to losing this member. I wonder what Mrs. Ski thinks about his pictures with poptarts? From the looks of this picture, I get the impression he doesn't much care. He's proud enough to post this where all can see. I think the CORE is the first place the synod should start the cleanup and go from there.