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Pastor L has left a new comment on your post "From Appleton - The Entertainment Capital of WELS ...":
Just weeks after coming to the Northern Wisconsin District five years ago I learned the lay of the land. One area pastor even verbalized it when he said to me, "It's a good ol' boys district."
That will not change as long as Doug Engelbrecht remains as District President, a post he's held for upwards of twenty years. While I must respect the office, long ago I lost respect for the man holding it.
A seven-month pastorate is unheard of in the WELS. The district presidents have agreed not to extend a call to a pastor until he's been at his current church FOUR YEARS. As I understand it, Pastor Christenson was spared 3 1/2 more years in Appleton because a more kind-heart DP included him on call lists in his district. It wasn't because DP Engelbrecht was trying to help the ministry!
It amazes me that more lay people at St. Peter aren't asking, "Why did Pastor Christenson leave so soon." Golly, usually when there's a change in pastors it's headline news. Somehow this got buried on page twenty at St. Peter!
Sad to say, we're becoming a synod of cover-ups. I,for one, plan to repent in the new year and ask more questions.
I probably won't ask my district president, though. There are many times in my five years that I've left phone messages and e-mail messages and never received a response from DP Engelbrecht. My circuit pastor has said, "You mean you didn't hear from Doug? He said he was going to contact you."
So, now you know why I'm not too worried about getting in trouble with my district president. I don't think he knows my phone number or e-mail address!
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Light from Light
St. Peter’s Upcoming Call Meeting
December 12, 2009 by Rick
St. Peter church in Appleton/Freedom, WI has scheduled a meeting for December 14, 2009 to discuss calling a new pastor. However, our congregation still has not been informed as to why Pastor Christenson left after only seven months.
On December 1, 2009, I met with Pastor Christenson for over two hours. According to Pastor Christenson, not one member of our church council approached him to inquire as to why he was leaving. Pastor Christenson had approached our church president, Mr. Denny, to discuss the problems with our ministry and practices here at St. Peter. However, according to Pastor Christenson, President Denny acted as though he did not care.
Pastor Christenson had a divine call, and he took that call seriously. So should we. He had to ask for another call as a result of extremely serious problems with the ministry and practice here at St. Peter. Pastor Christenson should not be blamed for leaving, he needed to leave for his own spiritual health and the spiritual safety of his family.
However, Pastor Christenson does have a duty to speak and to tell the truth and the whole truth no matter the cost. Here are some suggested questions for our church council to ask Pastor Christenson:
1. Why did you leave St. Peter after only seven months?
2. What did your wife do after first hearing Pastor Glende preach on Maundy Thursday?
3. How do you evaluate the preaching of justification at St. Peter?
According to Pastor Christenson, his definition of contemporary worship is not the same as Pastor Skorzewski’s and Pastor Glende’s definition of contemporary worship. Pastor Christenson is a believer in contemporary forms of worship, and would often play the guitar. However, he also believes that it is important to have good practices, and to preach Christ crucified and the true Law and Gospel.
The preaching of Christ crucified through the true Law and Gospel has been sorely lacking here at St. Peter.
Posted in St. Peter & The CORE, WELS, religion | Tagged church and Change, church Growth Movement, Pastor Ski, St. Peter Church, WELS, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Time To Tell the Truth at St. Peter, Freedom, Wisc...":
Pastor Christenson will remain quiet if he ever wants another position in WELS. WELS does not tolerate telling stories outside of WELS.
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GJ - That is true - WELS is allergic to the truth. All institutions are similar that way, but WELS is extremely thin-skinned, so the biggest problems are not addressed. That benefits criminals, adulterers, and false teachers. Look at how WELS leaders are allowed to deny going to Fuller while they brag about going to Fuller. However, responsible people can find out the truth without putting Pastor Christenson on the griddle. The question is whether they want to do that or not.
This comes at an interesting time, when another Chicanery (Zak) has fouled his own nest. Watch a few more Chicaneries fail in the next year, without a safety net of synod, Thrivent, and foundation loot to prop up their circuses.
