Management By Objective

"Those, however, who set the time, place and measure, tempt God, and believe not that they are heard or that they have obtained what they asked; therefore, they also receive nothing."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 172. John 16:23-30.

"In like manner, St. Paul says that God's ability is thus proved, in that He does exceeding abundantly above and better than we ask or think. Ephesians 3:20. Therefore, we should know we are too finite to be able to name, picture or designate the time, place, way, measure and other circumstances for that which we ask of God. Let us leave that entirely to Him, and immovably and steadfastly believe that He will hear us."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1983, III, p. 179f. Fifth Sunday after Easter. Ephesians 3:20.

"If the world were willing to take advice from a simple, plain man--that is, our Lord God (who, after all, has some experience too and knows how to rule)--the best advice would be that in his office and sphere of jurisdiction everybody simply direct his thoughts and plans to carrying out honestly and doing in good faith what has been commanded him and that, whatever he does, he depend not on his own plans and thoughts but commit the care to God. Such a man would certainly find out in the end who does and accomplishes more, he who trusts God or he who would bring success to his cause through his own wisdom and thoughts or his own power and strength." What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, III, p. 1151. Luke 5:1-11.

Zebra Alert

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "African Safaris, A House and a Ranch, Stetzer Conf...":

To the last comment/question from the 7:10 anonymous...NO, Pastor Patterson's Church didn't pay for the zebra mounting. According to this blog, WELS paid for it all. The synod took a super secret, special vote and made sure to eliminate two more pastors to pay for it.

GJ...Aren't you going to post my last? Or are your clerks trying to figure things out?

Shrinkers in the Synods Use the Same Tactics Cause They Studied Together at Fuller, Willow Creek, and Trinity Deerfield

TLH #520: "Satan I defy thee."

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "How To Get Synod Subsidies, Foundation Grants, and...":

http://steadfastlutherans.org/blog/?p=5436

"Added to the rhetorical mix was the ability of the other side to demonize us. We were labeled “legalist,” “stuck on human traditions,” and were clearly depicted as those against young people and missions. These are key words to remember; young people and missions. The synod will support uncritically any idea which invokes the two things we fear we are losing – young people and mission work. "

Curious how we're seeing the same playbook in both WELS Church and Change and LCMS Ablaze.

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Klemet Preus:

June 14, 2009
Confessionals “Get Their Lunch Handed to Them” at the Minnesota South District, by Pr. Klemet Preus
On June 12 the confessional movement in the MNS district got its lunch handed to it, at least from a purely political perspective. There were two major issues facing the convention. Both had serious theological ramifications. Both were lost. Every single candidate promoted by the confessionals was defeated. The elections were not even close. We got clobbered.

What is particularly puzzling about this sound thrashing is that three years ago the convention was evenly split. Three years ago we actually voted to a tie on a resolution which would have asked the synod to reconsider its position on allowing women elders and presidents. Three years ago we elected a board which, for the most part, was confessional. I was elected by a four vote margin. Yet in 2009 I received 35% of the votes.

What happened? How did we lose 15% of the vote in three years?

First, we lost the rhetorical battle. The main issue of the convention was the motion to receive TheAlley church into the synod. TheAlley is a mission start of Woodbury Lutheran whose pastor is Dean Nadasdy, one of the synod’s VPs. The congregation was the poster child of some in the synod. It had received $50,000 of Ablaze funds and $100,000 from the district since its inception two years earlier. Reportedly a couple of vans of students from Concordia College attend each week. Woodbury had sent 100 of its members. It was deemed “Cutting Edge,” “The church of the future,” “people ready to step out of their comfort zone,” and “uniquely situated to reach those young people the rest of us cannot reach.” The Alley was clearly a Causa Celebre of the district and synodical establishment.

One the other hand The Alley Church had been under fire from the confessionals in MNS and others for about 18 months prior to the convention and for good reason. They refused to use the name Lutheran in their publicity materials. And it was clear that the congregation had no intention to call themselves Lutheran anytime in the future. Initially the congregation did not practice closed communion according to the principles articulated and commonly held by the synod. More recently President Seitz, the MNS DP, had assured the district that this issue had been resolved. Still the church celebrated the sacrament only 12 times annually. The church had published a doctrinal statement in its publicity which contained no reference to Baptism or the Lord’s Supper. Although the district offered to give copies of the LSB to the fledgling congregation this gift was declined. No hymnal was used and it was apparent than no hymnal will be used. By all accounts, the ecumenical creeds, the Lord’s Prayer and any recognizable liturgical forms were lacking or used sparingly in the Sunday services.

Rhetorically the issues were clear. “Reaching young people,” “Cutting edge,” “Willing to change,” “Missional,” were the key concepts. Contrasted with these were “Liturgical,” “Orthodox,” Sacramental” “Traditional,” and “Lutheran.” I guess I can see why we lost. I think we overestimated the value the word “Lutheran.” I really supposed that the district in convention would not support an endeavor which intentionally did not use the term especially since a 1995 resolution of the synod required it. This was a fatal supposition.

Added to the rhetorical mix was the ability of the other side to demonize us. We were labeled “legalist,” “stuck on human traditions,” and were clearly depicted as those against young people and missions. These are key words to remember; young people and missions. The synod will support uncritically any idea which invokes the two things we fear we are losing – young people and mission work.

Second, we lost the political battle. The other side was very well organized. Early in the process, eight months before the convention, they began to send out Emails apparently to anyone and everyone. The list of endorsers – all pastors from MNS - was initially mostly retired guys. But as the convention loomed it grew to include almost 50 endorsers. These Emails took rather complex issues and turned them into simplistic, if inaccurate sound bites. It worked very well.

Further, the Emails attracted the Board early and often. They pitted the Board against the President of the district who was handily elected to his seventh term. His election was really never in doubt. What we learned, tragically for us, is that it is almost impossible to disagree with a popular incumbent an on an important issue - even when he is clearly and demonstrably wrong - and expect to win the majority. As goes the president so goes the district. That is most certainly true in MNS.

We found ourselves increasingly frustrated in our attempts to articulate a message which was primarily theological. We sent out mailings with no indication that they were read. We tried to hold meetings where both sides of the Board would speak. These were sponsored by the Board of the district and still were sparsely attended. By all accounts we prevailed when dialoging or debating but it didn’t matter. It all seemed too little and too late.

Early in the process I thought that if we could just create a level playing field where both sides had equal opportunity to speak and to argue then we would have a chance. Such a context was never achieved.

I still am uncertain precisely how to create a dialogical context especially for laymen. It really seems to be something necessary given our democratic polity. But I fear that sound bite theology prevails in our district.

Third, the power of incumbency was unusually strong. The orchestration was brilliant. President Seitz’s report, given immediately before the vote on TheAlley was based on the thought that this would be a “Watershed convention.” He used all the buzz words – “Change” “contextualizing the gospel,” “Missional,” with faint praise for Sacraments, doctrine, tradition etc. While none in the assembly would have disagreed with president Seitz the speech was not that balance of “Keep it strait” and “Get it out” that one would have liked from an impartial chair.

Immediately after his address, the motion to accept the Alley was made. Rev. Ben Griffin was given an opportunity to speak. He is young, dynamic, casual in appearance, unclerical if you will. He asserted with great force that he is Lutheran, Missional, and Sacramental. The assembly took his word for it and the debate was pretty much over before it started although we did manage to make some points on floor of the convention.

Once TheAlley was accepted by a 65% vote everything else followed similarly.

I write this on June 13 so the advantage of a couple of weeks of reflection is lacking. But the thoughts may be worthy, taken as they are.

Klemet Preus

End of quote

***

GJ - I know Klemet Preus. I took a course from him at Concordia - The Surrendered Fort. I like him very much, and I liked his father Robert and his Uncle Jack.

Dr. Robert Preus started the Church Growth Program. To his credit, he backed away from CG, just as he did from Universal Objective Justification. Tragically, the damage from both continues. Klemet's brother Rolf Preus is still stuck on UOJ. So is brother Daniel, the former VP of Missouri. UOJ has a long history in Norwegian Pietism, but no history in Luther, the Book of Concord, or the Scriptures.

Today's Church Growth eructations are the result of a diet of fast-food doctrine from those earlier days. CG was introduced at all the Lutheran seminaries - from ELCA all the way down to the CLC (sic). Synod positions were established to support CG from Fuller Seminary and Willow Creek. Everyone in missions was trained in it, world and American missions alike. All the evangelism commissions were turned into Fuller hives, too.

ELS Pastor Kincaid Smith told me his DMin program at Ft. Wayne was "all Church Growth." Smith introduced me to Waldo Werning, who finally came out of the CG closet and accepted an award from Fuller Seminary. Like many other CG gurus, Werning copies verbatim, but he is a bit more honest than the WELS leaders about parroting what he loves so dearly.

When I publicly identified the doctrinal errors of Church Growth and the blatant unionism which spawned those errors, the process of shunning, punishment, slander, and family abuse began. As anyone can see now, the malice came from The Love Shack under the leadership of Kelm, Wayne Mueller, and Mischke, not to mention the oh-so-smooth Valleskey at The Sausage Factory.

I was the reason for all the turmoil in Columbus, Ohio - the officials said. But when I left Columbus, St. Paul in Germantown blew up and Prince of Peace got kicked out of WELS.

I was an outsider, which meant I was not conceived in a WELS parsonage, matriculated in a WELS parochial school (in Wisconsin), trained at NW Prep, abused at NWC and Mequon. However, the same charming folks from before are doing everything possible to obstruct the Synod President, someone who was not only born-and-bred WELS but also elected to clean house.

I am glad people are seeing the parallels in WELS, Missouri, and the Little Sect on the Prairie. I hope the ELS doctrinal board turns its gaze inward and roots out the CG on the Northern Plains.

An observer said, "The Church of the Lutheran Confession (sic) is all Church Growth now." Like DP Mueller, the CLC president could write well against CG while protecting and promoting it.

Reading my own Megatron database of quotations, I was amused to find that DP Mueller's excellent quotation against the doctrinal dangers of CG was followed several months later - by an endorsement of CrossRoads in S. Lyons, Michigan, now an Evangelical Covenant Church.

Twenty years later, CrossRoads and CrossWalk (under the Gunn, nominal WELS) have almost the same confession of faith on their websites.

Most people would not wait 20 years to remove a cancer. When my doctor told me I had a basal cell carcinoma, I did not shun him, verbally abuse his family, or try to get him fired. I had the cancer removed.

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TheAlley (all resemblances to The CORE are purely on purpose) - including the totally awesome website for people with Attention Deficit Synod-rome.

What is theAlley?

We are a new mission church in the east metro area of the Twin Cities.

The name of our church comes from Luke 14:21, “Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.” Our name is synonymous with the call given to all followers of Jesus. That is to go into the streets, alleys and lives of people in our world and share with them the eternally significant message of redemption through Jesus alone. Central to our philosophy is that anyone without Christ is broken. Whether aware of it or not, the richest man is poor without Jesus, and everyone’s greatest need is forgiveness of sin and reconciliation with God. That is the message that we carry and the passion that drives us.

Read theAlley Way

What kind of church is theAlley?

theAlley is an independent church plant of Woodbury Lutheran. We exist to equip people to “Follow Jesus” and to “Live Love”. Click here for more detailed information about our philosophy and theology. Our denominational affiliation is the LCMS.

Our leadership team

theAlley is lead by Pastor Ben Griffin and a group of devoted individuals who desire to live the mission that they have been called.

When and where does theAlley meet?

• Worship: Sunday’s @ 10:10am
• Meeting Location: 7955 Ivystone Ave S [northwest corner of 80th & Jamaica] in Cottage Grove

***

GJ - In case you are wondering, as I was - the ELS Church and Change hive is in Cottage Grove, Wisconsin, so TheAlley will not compete for bored, yuppie anti-confessional Lutherans. Whew. What a relief.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Shrinkers in the Synods Use the Same Tactics Cause...":

An odd coincidence that The Alley is in Cottage Grove, MN and the ELS' contribution to CG is in Cottage Grove, WI.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Shrinkers in the Synods Use the Same Tactics Cause...":

Klemet Preus has a little bit of a sordid past. He divorced in wife against her will (meaning they didn't mutually agree the marriage should end.) Klemet's congregation, church council and board of Elders in California sided with Klemet's wife. The church secretary WAS involved...

I'm not sure what happened--whether Klemet got the left foot of fellowship or not; but I do know that Klemet's brother Christian who lives in Minnesota arranged to have his church (Glory of Christ, LCMS in Plymouth MN) issue Klemet a call. He took it immediately

There were several members of Glory of Christ who thought that a man who takes a call to escape some messy family matter should probably not be leading a congregation.

As soon as Klemet arrived in Minnesota he threatened each of the dissenting members with Church discipline. So they all left except my Grandmother (Who was a charter member of Glory of Christ.) My Grandmother argued that a divorced man did not meet the Scriptural qualifications for a pastor.

Klemet excommunicated my grandma, a 75 year-old woman.

And guess who moved from California with Klemet. Not his kids, not his wife. What? The church Secretary????

be careful who you recommend

***

GJ - Like I said, Missouri is just like WELS.

The Fire and the Staff, by Klemet Preus.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Shrinkers in the Synods Use the Same Tactics Cause...":

This brings new meaning to "The Fire and the Staff".

WL

Churches Featuring Their Coffee Shops

Fuller-trained Huebner features a coffee shop at Gracechurch, once called Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church. First Veep Mueller quit The Love Shack, so does that make Huebner the First Veep by accession? Not really. They want to eliminate the position to save money and reduce Global Warming (greenhouse gas emissions).

Thus -

"The blend of progressive and classic, contemporary and traditional, along with a professional excellence in everything from our worship to our website has attracted hundreds of visitors and new members to Grace Church in recent years."
Gracechurch

"The congregation has been doubly blessed because of his expertise as a church consultant." [GJ - He told me he was trained at Fuller Seminary, along with Kelm and Larry Olson.]

SonicWall Network Eternal Security Appliance
Cost: $1765 (ALREADY CONTRIBUTED!)

A network security device/switch capable of protecting the internal church network from outside intruders, while providing antivirus, antispyware, and content filtering for the internal network. Also allows us to segment the public Internet access for the Coffee Lounge off from the rest of the church network.


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Harvest Community also features a coffee shop and small groups.

Reader:
"Harvest Community Church, south of the airport in Milwaukee, has a sign which boasts about serving Altera coffee. I didn't see anything about preaching Christ crucified. If you want to get cheeks in the seats, you gotta have that coffee shop atmosphere, don't ya know."

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mikemiller34 has left a new comment on your post "Churches Featuring Their Coffee Shops":

I'm a Grace member, but not necessarily an apologist. This morning's sermon was as Confessional Lutheran as I could have asked for--with Luther being quoted extensively. I don't know what the point of the coffeehouse is. It just seems like a huge financial boondoggle to me. That being said, I don't think drinking coffee in conjunction with church is necessarily evil. It's all adiaphora. I actually find Grace excessively stiff and formal. (By the way, thank you for your recent link.)

***

GJ - I visited that sterile icehouse known as Willow Creek in my extensive research on Church Shrinkage. They had an expensive food court. Many find it odd that Lutheran churches just happen to be aping the CG sects by having gourmet coffee served - at Randy Hunter's franchise, while people rest on couches.

Huebner may pose as a Lutheran, but he has always been a Fuller Seminary activist. If he were a confessional Lutheran, he could not work with Paul Calvin Kelm and Larry (Our Staph Infection) Olson.

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The River Otter has left a new comment on your post "Churches Featuring Their Coffee Shops":

My church has a coffee cart and some treats after every service. The woman that serves loves to do it... there is a free will offering. It encourages people to stay after, get to know each other, chat, and have a community. It is regular Folgers or what have you...there is a choice of other beverages too, something for everyone. It is a welcome kindness, and facilitates the fellowship that we Christians need from each other.

***

GJ - Most churches have a coffee hour, but there is something new brewing among the Shrinkers. Many of us find them incredibly self-centered and materialistic in appealing to the Old Adam, smirking about how well it works to gather current members of other churches into their cults and calling it evangelism.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Churches Featuring Their Coffee Shops":

I think that instead of having "coffee hour", these Latte-Lutherans should have a non-coffee hour. You know, a change of pace after the church service is over. Since church for the Latte-Lutherans consists of lounging in easy chairs sipping coffee listening to Pastor Randy maybe non-coffee hour could be a time to study God's Word (without coffee) with a notable separation from what we do in normal life to aid in noticing contrast between God's world-view and humanities! Maybe even taking part in the sacraments!

Church becomes nonChurch so why couldn't nonchurch become church. It's a way to beat the semantic infiltration!

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Oh Worship the Brew":

"Simon Peter"

"Yes Lord"

"Do you love me?"

"You know I do!"

"Caffeinate my sheep"

Live Blog Plagiarism

The lesson we will learn today: Do not try to fool an editor, author, and writing instructor.

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Hasn't Christianity Been an Agent of Opression througout the Centuries?

mddoebler

May 11th, 15:44 Just a few more words on oppression in the church…

A few weeks ago, I saw an article about the infamous Swine Flu which contained a picture of a couple vacationing in Mexico. They were both reclining at a resort pool in swimsuits, wearing facemasks to keep from inhaling germs. I immediately thought of the early Christians. During two great plagues in AD 165 and 251, most people tried to avoid all contact with the sick, sometimes even casting those still living into the gutters. Many of the Christians, however, cared for those who were dying. As a result, many of them died from the plague themselves, but they were willing to make that sacrifice. To them, no matter what the risk, those dying folks were precious souls whom God had created and Christ had redeemed with his own priceless blood. They could not allow such treasured gifts to die alone.

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Live Longer, Healthier, and Better

The willingness of Christians to care for others was puton dramatic public display when two great plagues swept the empire, one beginning in 165 and the second in 251. Mortality rates climbed higher than 30 percent. Pagans tried to avoid all contact with the afflicted, often casting the still living into the gutters. Christians, on the other hand, nursed the sick even though some believers died doing so.

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Church and Change Hymn

1. On some blasphemous art, stood a cross swizzle stick
The emblem of WELS Church and Change.
For it once was a cross, so we focused on Christ,
But now prospects just stir in their cream.

Refrain:
So they'll cherish their cross swizzle stick
Till their funding at last they lay down;
They will cherish the cool swizzle stick
But alas, they will not see a crown.



2. Schwaermers love sentiment, so they twisted the cross.
Relational, real, relevant.
But they love their old selves, and they never will change,
So they favor a pop rock event.

Refrain:
So they'll cherish their cross swizzle stick
Till their funding at last they lay down;
They will cherish the cool swizzle stick
But alas, they will not see a crown.



3. O the old Lutheran church, so despised by Reformed,
has a wondrous attraction for me;
for the clear Means of Grace give the Gospel to me
as Our Lord said it always would be.

Refrain:
But they'll cherish their cross swizzle stick
Till their funding at last they lay down;
They will cherish the cool swizzle stick
But alas, they will not see a crown.

How To Get Synod Subsidies, Foundation Grants, and Thrivent Loot

Grand Wizard Wayne:
"Repeat after me - there is no Church Growth in WELS."

Church and Change Hymn

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Oh Worship the Brew":

Sing it with me:

"Lift high the swizzle-stick,
Our love of us proclaim.
Till all the world, adore,
Church and Change."


+Diet O. Worms

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Church and Change Hymn":

Is it safe or correct to say don't drink from the dirty WELS at St. Andrew?

One Block from The CORE

St. Paul Lutheran Church (WELS) in A-town, one block from The CORE.

Street view - these are fun.

I tried to find a good picture of the interior, but did not find one to Kelm. I found some old interiors - no popcorn machines at all. How did they get established in the 19th century? Beats me.

Someone found the altar for me.

rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "One Block from The CORE":

Why would anyone in their right mind trade that beautiful altar for a movie theater with 20 sub-woofers?

Oh Worship the Brew

Missing from the artwork: Lutheran Church
Rev. Randy got himself a vicar when others were denied.
Does the Conference of Pussycats object to this blasphemous logo -
a cross resting in a cup of coffee?

http://www.casualaboutchurch.org/

This artist was too frugal.
The coffee machines used at St. Andrew Latte are high-priced,
not Mr. Coffee.
The Northwestern Lutheran FIC recently published a slobbering review of the coffee church, grounds for firing the editor.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Oh Worship the Brew":

"Simon Peter"

"Yes Lord"

"Do you love me?"

"You know I do!"

"Caffeinate my sheep"

How Much Money for Rock N Roll?

CTR Lutheran Church, aka The Church From Scratch,
is in Round Rock, Texas, where VP Patterson owns a home.

Many WELS members would like to know how much of their offering money has gone to support the Rock-N-Roll Church in Round Rock.

In addition, they would like to know how much foundation money has been siphoned away from real causes in order to prop up Rock N Roll, with attendance of about 30 after three years of free spending and sermon plagiarism.

The Conference of Pussycats met at Holy Word--the ironic name of Patterson's church--gazed benevolently at their Rev. Rock-N-Roll Plagiarist, and approved more of the same. The Antioch Foundation gave them $20,000, but Doebler wanted $200,000 so he could have a worship leader in addition to his full-time female assistant. Is copying from Mars Hill that laborious?

African Safaris, A House and a Ranch, Stetzer Conferences, and Free Vicars:Patterson's Rights as a WELS Leader

Anonymouse has left another fatuous comment on your post "St. Andrew Latte (WELS) Video": [GJ - the video has been removed]

And of course the blogger can and in all likelihood will omit or distort my input here. However, GJ has actually summed his ENTIRE blog and postings in his last comment made on this article where he writes:

"GJ - As my attorney once said, "It's not slander if it's true." Secondly, thanks to the fair use doctrine, material can be borrowed or quoted if it not being resold or otherwise used for commercial purposes. Ichabod is non-profit, a scholarly and satirical effort of breath-taking scope."

Please everyone with your own two eyes read and notice the word SATIRE. SATIRE is a synonym for LAMPOON, PARODY, FARCE and BURLESQUE. (I give full credit to dictionary.com for this information). If you do not believe me, then please go and look things up.

After all of the diatribe that has been written on this blog, people getting highly mis-led, agitated, etc. GJ finally admits this entire blog is a complete SATIRE/PARODY. At first reading, I thought he was serious about all of this and was intentionally mis-leading people with the intention to deceive (LYING).

I am happy to know now that it is not hateful or back lashing type writings that GJ has been posting. They are ALL merely a HUMOROUS collection of writings directly in-line to what is written in the tabloids or the NY Post.

On a more serious side, GJ, I do not understand why you have posted and blasted multiple persons in Pastor Patterson’s congregation for having businesses that thrive, live in nice homes, etc. Perhaps you should list your own home that has a value of $185K+ with a very nice in-ground swimming pool in a nice, clean middle class neighborhood.

Keep up the great satirical writing. It is entertaining. Also, you need to get another attorney. One that has actual practicing experience dealing with Copyright Law. If you need one, I have one that can help you when you are faced with infringement.

***

GJ - Fair use is explained in this video, which is simple enough for Anonymouse to understand. The video in question, linked on that particular post (part of You Tube technology) has been pulled. I wonder why. The embarrassing battle of the statues at Mary Lou College is still posted. I just checked.

Why not write to You Tube and complain about the use of the embed code? I have been unable to post some videos because the embed code was blocked. Instead, I linked them.

The only people who have complained--and the plural may be an exaggeration--about copyright use are the targets of my satire. They have not complained about Doebler, Kelm, Parlow, Ski, and others using the work of others - and passing it off as their own. That is the key issue - copying another's work and making a profit from it.

I suggest reviving Joe Krohn's blog so every can post their signed comments there.

About 99% of the Ichabod satire comes directly from anonymous comments and the actual work of the Shrinkers. I add a few touches. The CORE, Latte Lutheran Church, Rock N Roll, and many other CG experiments are burlesques of Lutheran doctrine, worship, and practice. I would write less if others did more. Thankfully, many younger Lutheran laity are dealing with false doctrine in many ways.

I did not buy a house and beg for free staff while brothers were being canned due to lack of funds. Patterson has a house, a ranch in the hill country, African safaris, and applications for TWO free staffers. He apparently got a free vicar again - thanks to his conservative DP.

Patterson is welcome to have such prosperous members in a well established congregation. But how can he justify taking syodical funds for himself when other WELS clergy are becoming jobless and homeless? Will he put the missionaries up on his ranch? Take them on a safari to Africa, after they have been forced home from Africa?

Many missions will be closed while Patterson jets around and enjoys a vicar holding down Fort Kudu for him.

The money wasted is a small matter compared to Patterson organizing a bevy of WELS workers to attend the Exponential conference last year. That yielded the Stetzer gig at Church and Change, which had to be forcibly canceled by the COP. The Exponential conference this year features a malevolent, hate-filled evangelist.

Why does Patterson have his network answering for him, especially when they are so maladroit? His only signed communication consisted of name calling: "You are a fool and a liar," coupled with a petty distinction - his lay leader, the Great White Hunter is no longer congregational president. No, the man is probably propping up too many Church and Change projects on the SC to do any work at home.

I will use Church and Change logic on Anonymouse:
1. How do you know my house is worth that much? Phoenix homes are farther underwater than the Titanic.
2. How do know that the blue body of water in my backyard is not a baptismal basin for the next Stetzer conference here?
3. How do you know I have any funds? It could be that we borrow garbage from our neighbors so we can have something to put out on the curb on Monday mornings.

Ichabodians - the increasing level of hysteria aimed at this blog is proof that the Church Shrinkers are losing ground because their stealth attacks have failed. They have bragged, blogged, and Tweeted so much that everyone can read their unguarded thoughts, their doctrinal flatulence.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "African Safaris, A House and a Ranch, Stetzer Conf...":

Ichabod sure nailed Mouse!

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DK's inner Mephastopheles (sic) has left a new comment on your post "African Safaris, A House and a Ranch, Stetzer Conf...":

Yo!

Nasty Anony Mouse!

You should learn a few things about the world before you go about insulting people.

#1 The "Assessed value" found in public tax records is what the municipality thinks an individual's property is worth. Government bodies are a little slow on the uptake, in these cases, out of self interest. Take my meaning: The housing market in AZ has crashed and Dr. Jackson probably couldn't sell his house for $100K but his local government likely hasn't recalculated "assessed value" to reflect current market conditions. So in reality Dr. Jackson is paying taxes on $185k when he probably should be paying taxes on much less. AND $185k is not a mansion in Arizona--the dollar is worth far less there than in your inbred Wisconsin hamlet!

#2 Swimming pools.

Did you know, oh thou ignoramus, that homes in Arizona WITHOUT pools are the exception???
You're green with greed because you want to be able to soak your gelatinous pimply Babtist arse, but you can't, because in Wisconsin swimming pools are luxuries and the value of the dollar and the local standard of living do not permit someone making $10.50/hr. to enjoy such treats!

FIE ON YOU

Before Ichabod, There Were Warnings About False Doctrine and False Teachers

Remember Me

Lizzie Palmer’s Stirring ‘Remember Me’ Video as Seen on ‘Fox News Sunday’
June 10, 2007 - 20:30 ET


NewsBusters readers, meet our second fabulous fifteen-year-old, Miss Lizzie Palmer.

For those that missed it, Chris Wallace aired an absolutely astounding military tribute video (available here) at the end of today’s “Fox News Sunday” that should be required viewing for all Americans.

At its conclusion, Wallace stated the following:

Lizzie Palmer said she put the video on YouTube as her way of honoring the troops. And after graduating from high school, she plans to join the army herself.

Last month, Military Mom at Home posted the following autobiography of Lizzie:
Story Continues Below Ad ↓

I'm a sophomore in high school in Ohio, and I play the flute/piccolo. I plan on joining the U.S. Army after I graduate. I only hope I can make America as proud as our troops today have, and I hope I can honor them in the way they deserve with my videos. I love talking to American military personnel, but it's not very often that I get the chance. Hope you all have a great day and God bless!

SUPPORT OUR TROOPS!

Honestly, between her and Kristen Byrnes, one has to wonder what was happening in the year 1992 to produce such wonderful kids.

Thanks, Lizzie.

Post Script: As an interesting sidebar, with over 11 million views at YouTube, this video apparently created so much debate that Lizzie had to disable the comments section. She has added the following as a disclaimer:

ATTENTION! I apologize for any inconvenience, but I have been receiving way too many negative comments and people arguing with and insulting each other in comments on this video. After a lot of hard thought, I have decided to disable comments on my video. I may or may not turn them back on again, we'll have to see. Again, I'm sorry, but you can thank the people who decided to turn this into a debate forum. Thank you for your time, and I apologize again to those of you who didn't do anything wrong.

Thanks,
Lizzie Palmer

***

GJ - I distinguish between honoring our military and the guidance of the politicians. Our soldiers deserve the highest respect for what they do, for what they have done.

Fair Use Explained

Holy Moly - Check Out This Blog

At Notre Dame, we agreed that St. Therese was "one sick chick."

Someone sent me this link. I was wondering why. I looked over the comments and the links. This hive is as Lutheran as The CORE, only in another Schwaermerish way.

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First Mass.

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

First Mass of the SSP Retreat

Monday was the first day of the third annual retreat of the Society of Saint Polycarp. The retreat is taking place this year at Holy Hill, a beautiful and scenic Carmelite monastery, just north of Milwaukee, and home of the renowned Basilica of Holy Hill & National Shrine of Mary, Help of Christians. Many thanks to the Discalced Carmelite community of Holy Hill, for welcoming us to their home this week. Tuesday and Wednesday will both begin with the Holy Mass, of course, yet the opening Mass Monday evening was special, for within the context of this eucharistic celebration, I was consecrated & made a Deacon. My service to Christ's Church as a Deacon will take the form of the traditional diaconal role in the Mass on Sundays at my home parish, St. Stephen's, where I will serve under the authority of the pastor, Fr. Timothy May, and will also no doubt take other forms, which we will work out in due time. These various forms of diaconal service will depend upon the needs of the people of the parish, my abilities, always a proper consideration for the rightful authority of the pastor, and the limitations of my time and resources. In the course of time, though, I will explicate my diaconal service here more fully. Father Larry Beane, Dean of the Society of Saint Polycarp, administered the rite, and he has my undying gratitude for his support and part in all of this.

***

GJ - ELDONA, The Little Sect That Could, is wandering in the same direction. Lutherans are reversing the Babtist error. As Luther pointed out, the Babtists of his day were like the man who stabbed his brother to death, trying to save him from an attacking bear. Now the Lutherans are going Roman/EO to save themselves from the Church Growth Movement.

B16 is grinning. "Oh those Missouri Lutherans," as the previous Antichrist supposedly said to Paul McCain, thrown back by Missouri's impressive witness.

On a clear day, you can see St. Louis.

Vintage Teigen

Typically, parades in Mankato feature Norman Teigen.

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Who's Who

Church and Change group (C&C): www.churchandchange.org

“Church and Change is a growing group of WELS Christians who desire to think and work like the Apostle Paul who said, "I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some." The Church and Change group is interested in practicing and promoting innovation in ministry methods throughout the WELS especially at the "grass roots" level.”

The perception has been given that this group was endorsed by the previous synodical administration because of the conference registration link and other promotional information found on the official WELS website.

https://www.wels.net/cgi-bin/WELSForms.pl?&dir=churchChange

Board of Directors:
Pastor Ron Ash - Chairman
Jeff Davis Vice - Chairman
Sarah Owens - Secretary
Barry Spencer
Caleb Cordes
Pastor Bruce Becker
Pastor John Huebner
James Skorzewski
*Pastor Dave Kehl – synodical administrator / Conference presenter

[GJ - Is there someone at The Love Shack not in bed with Church and Change? Now I remember, just one person - the Synod President.]

Issues in the WELS: http://www.issuesinwels.org/ [GJ: De-rezzed]

“… The purpose of this group is to meet from time to time to discuss these issues. We wish to offer input and give support to our Synodical leadership as they strive for unity of purpose and give direction to our Synodical family.”

This group recently invited newly elected Pres. Schroeder to participate in an upcoming form. http://www.issuesinwels.org/ItemsofInterest07/itemsOfInterest.htm

Motley Magpie: www.motleymagpie.org

The Motley Magpie was a quarterly journal dedicated to the promotion of Lutheran ceremonia in the evangelical catholic tradition as confessed in the Book of Concord AD 1580/1584.

Rev. John W. Berg: Author and Editor of the defunct Magpie. Berg was suspended by AZ/CA presidium (led by DP Janke) for thoughts written and condoned in the Magpie. Rev. Berg’s congregation was also given the boot when they chose to back Berg. Many clergy / theology professors believe Berg’s views were not unscriptural.

Rev. Peter M. Berg: Contributing author to the MM. Given the boot by his WELS bishop. Pastor of Our Savior Evangelical - Lutheran Church, Chicago and unconditional subscriber to the Lutheran Confessions, who is playing for that other team now.

Bailing Water

A blog originally started by Aaron in order to keep the discussion going about concerns in the WELS.
Please feel free to add your who to the who's who in the WELS ~

Firefox Is Much Better Than Internet Explorer

I had nothing but problems with Blogger and Internet Explorer. I even gave up trying to read Norman Teigen's blog.

Some improvements came from reducing scripted cool stuff on the left, plus lowering some on the page. Still, IE was awful.

I listened to reason and downloaded Mozilla Firefox, which is free.

Here is the download site.

I can edit and read pages about 3x faster. I can download photos rapidly.

I am afraid to ask Obi-Wan, my Unix tech expert, why IE is so bad. His answer is always the same, no matter what the question, "It is a Windows product, Dad."

Here is a bonus for all the Chicaneries reading Ichabod - Firefox has a built in spell-check. Little red lines appear under misspelled words. I say this with love in my heart - you WELS guys really need it.

Reducing TweetsThe Ichabod Effect

Church and Change kitty loves rabbits - and sheep.

I removed The CORE, Ski, Glende, and Buske Twitter links from the left column.

Slowly it dawned on them that everyone was keeping up with their latest photos, links, and trips.

I am sure most of them still have accounts, but not ones I know about.

The CORE Twitter is two weeks old, so it has been abandoned like a stray kitten.

Deception is foundational with Church and Change. They pretend to howl because I am lying about them. Their real pain comes from being exposed - words and deeds both. I am painstakingly thorough in copying their material before they have a chance to erase it.

How do they respond? Not through repentance but through stealth, going under cover again. Kelm/Parlow did the same with their copied sermons. They stopped posting them. The initial solution was to show where they were stealing their material, but that was too obvious. Now someone has to meet a staffmember in the park at 3 AM, wearing a designated disguise, such as deelie-boppers. OK, I made the last part up.

Whispering: "May I have the latest Mars Hill, I mean, St. Mark sermon? The secret phrase? What secret phrase? No, I am not an Ichabod reader. He is a mean, hateful, angry, lonely, bitter, living-in-the-past legalistic Crusader. Oh, that was the secret phrase? Thanks."

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Reducing TweetsThe Ichabod Effect":

You must have had the same impact on chemnitzaz1 because that post/tweet hasn't changed in 2 months.

***

GJ - I am glad Anonymous recognized my need to make a living. I applied to Antioch for a Twitter grant. Still waiting. I applied to Siebert Foundation, but this guy with a longish Polish name is blocking the application for some reason. Thrivent says I need to buy a $1 million policy to help fund their generous donation. They will match Bethany up to $1.43, as long as I carry ads for their insurance in all my communications, plus get a Thrivent tattoo.

Where Is the Love in Love's Park?

WELS Wedgies are for those who tell the truth.

Anonymouse has left a new comment on your post "Where Is Love? WELS Overkill in Rockford Area":

Am I missing something?? Since when is it "wrong" to locate a church near a highway so that it can actually be seen by those who pass by? You know, the "city on a hill" thing?

And since none of these congregations receives a single penny in WELS subsidy, what's your problem? Would you rather they now merge into one congregation? (Wait, that would create a "mega-church" and that's the greatest of all Jackson evils.)

Even if mistakes were made in the past as you obviously believe, none of us can undo the past (even Greg Jackson can't undo his past!) so why is this page even posted? We're living in the present, Greg. Got that? Most of the world is living in the present in preparation for the future. We move on. We get over it. We learn from the past but don't live in it.

You're an angry, bitter, lonely man, Greg Jackson. Your only pleasure seems to be making others angry too, and you do it in the name of Christian love. Most of us can see the demonic irony in that.


***

GJ - Yes, you are missing a lot.

That post was provided (with map) by someone within WELS. I often distribute information from others because Lutherans know the impact of an Ichabod post.

The story shows how WELS foolishly and dishonestly built a parish which grew from eviscerating two established WELS congregations. This waste of money and manpower has led to Love's Park selling bonds to move away.

I doubt whether those bonds are legal, since a lot of regulations must be followed to call a piece of paper a bond - yet they are being marketed around WELS congregations. Those who take money for these "bonds" must have a broker's license. The securities must be registered. The customers must get a prospectus listing who is on the hook for the money. Will WELS back them up if the bond defaults?

I cannot account for Mouse's demonic irony, which he claims to share with other Changers. There are some fine exorcists in the Church of Rome. Perhaps Archbishop Weakland can recommend one. He can probably be found in the Schwan Library at WLC - or in the restrooms.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Where Is the Love in Love's Park?":

The commenter wrote: "We move on. We get over it."

Hmm. He's taking a line from Democratic funder's George Soros' MoveOn.Org, which wanted the nation to forget about Bill Clinton's serial adulteries. Relativistic morality in action!

Ironically, the Loves Park congregation must "move on" to a new location because of New Life.

Unlike other WELS congregations that can warn its members about the pitfalls of joining a mega-church, the Loves Park and Belvedere congregations must stay mum about New Life or else they get in trouble with the district president and WELS synod hierarchy.

Church and Change Characteristics: Barbarians as Gatekeepers

Some serious study of the Church and Change operation in WELS, with plenty of help from WELS laity and pastors, has led me to the following conclusions about Church Growth in WELS.

Doctrinal Unity
They have training at Fuller Seminary, Trinity Deerfield, and Willow Creek in common. They are anti-confessional, like all unionists, and identify with Pietism, making works the cause of justification (as Hoenecke wrote).

The Word of God
Every union effort has forced Lutherans to give up the efficacy of the Word and the Biblical teaching of the Sacraments. Following Calvin and Zwingli, the Chicaneries believe the Word is not effective, so they must make it attractive, germane, and reasonable.

Worship as Entertainment - The Sneaker Service
Because they do not believe in the efficacy of the Word and Sacrament, the Chicaneries turn the Sunday service into entertainments to titillate and recruit members from other churches. They hide Holy Communion, Holy Baptism, the liturgy, the Creeds, and most hymns. They turn the sermon into man-centered, navel-gazing coaching about time management and getting friends.

Management by Deception
Following their Fuller mentors, they never disclose what they are doing. They have no qualms about outright lying to people. Valleskey portrayed his alleged study of Church Growth as virgin territory when he had been teaching it at Mequon for at least five years. Valleskey denied going to Fuller when I asked him, but bragged to David Koenig that he studied there. Bivens bragged to a group of pastors about going to Fuller, but later wondered where I got the idea he went there. Don Patterson claimed to have issues with Church and Change, but he was a leader at one conference and supports their work by taking WELS workers to union meetings like Exponential. DP Englebrecht pretends to be against Church and Change at Conference of Pussycat meetings, but he loves and supports C and C, and told Ski as much. Pastor Tim Glende, who "gets it," has attended two recent conferences of false teachers where he deceived his own congregation about where he was going and why, letting them imagine he was attending WELS conferences. One meeting was the Babtist Drive 09 event. The other was in Seattle, but the exact identity is still hidden. (Driscoll? - likely. He is a C and C fave right now.)

Money Grabbers
The Chicaneries exist mainly by draining money from outside sources - synod offerings, Thrivent grants, foundation grants. They spend money wildly on themselves while claiming they are doing the Gospel work no one else will do.

Money As THE Means of Grace
The Chicaneries do not trust in the Means of Grace, so they make money THE Means of Grace. Under Gurgel-Mueller, they spent all the Schwan money and looted the designated funds, as if blowing millions would make a difference without the Word, as if peddling false doctrine benefits the Gospel they deny by word and deed.

Notice that their mission efforts--like Doebler's Rock N Roll, Ski's The CORE, and New Life, Rockford--consume vast amounts of money to move WELS members into another unit.

C and C pastors of established pastors spend lavishly on their own buildings in the name of evangelism, with the costly aid of Jeff Davis, C and C Board Member.

Ashamed of Lutheran, Ashamed of the Gospel
The Chicaneries have slowly removed Lutheran from everything - the magazine, WELS Lutherans for Life, the hymnal, church names, and now even church - The CORE.

The Chicaneries use their self-serving adiaphora expansion clause--everything is a matter of indifference--to do whatever they want, to imitate their neo-Babtist heroes like Andy Stanley.

They Copy False Teachers
The current favorites among false teachers are: Mark Driscoll (Mars Hill, Seattle), Leonard Sweet (Mars), Andy Stanley (Atlanta), Hybels (Willow Creek, Chicago), Beeson (Granger Community Church, Indiana), Ed Stetzer (no parish, just a talker), and Craig Groeschel (Oklahoma - works with Stanley).

They use the movies, sermons, sermon themes, graphics, and ideas of the false teachers listed above. Kelm and Parlow have copied sermons verbatim and posted them on the congregation websty as their own. Parlow sent a Hybels email out as his own, plagiarizing Willow Creek emotions! Ski presents Groeschel sermon sets in the same order with the same graphics, thanks to free downloads from Life Church.

They Need Full-time Female Assistants
Randy Hunter, Matt Doebler, Ski, and Jeff Gunn all have female assistants. In the past, the pastor's wife did a lot of the work for free and often went to conferences. Now the assistant gets a full-time salary and goes to conferences. They do not need ordination because C and C creates women pastors without the formalities.

They Drive Out the Opposition While Whining
Like their crypto-Calvinist forefathers, they cannot tolerate confessional Lutherans. The District Popes, professors, and Chicanery pastors have worked together to get rid of anyone who questions their doctrinal agenda. At the same time, a raised eyebrow will get them crying "Eighth Commandment!" like little girls. They sniffle about being persecuted while extending the Left Foot of Fellowship.

They Control The Love Shack and Schools
Most of the staff at WELS headquarters got hired during the Mueller-Gurgel regime, and they are dedicated to Church and Chicanery. Their grasp of the Word is shown in their contempt for the elected leader of the synod.

Lazy Brains, Lazy Pastors
Their plagiarism is one clue about their personalities, and that is on display on their websties (my term for websites that remind me of pigsties). Grunting in the mud of false doctrine, they fatten themselves while doing no work in the Word at all: no study, no sermon writing, no visitation. As soon as one false doctrine conference wears off, they rush off to another one to inspire them. And yet, they despise Lutheran conferences and the fellowship of their brother pastors.

This Minority Group Networks
They began taking over WELS in 1977, with the publication of TELL magazine. They know their own through Church and Change meetings, Willow Creek and Fuller alumni networks, and secret email lists. If I find something good on a websty, like the "life coach" at St. Mark Depere, it is changed quickly so they can cry out, "Liar!" That is why I copy and paste, kelmishly, and provide the links while they last.

Will Not Defend Their Doctrine
The doctrine of the Changers is all borrowed, a mixture of Methodism, Babtist principles, and marketing through entertainment and felt needs. They blubber and screech on Ichabod but never give their names. They never defend their doctrine, because they cannot intellectually. Besides that, they are too chicken to identify their real passions. Many comments are too obscene to be published, even when bowdlerized.

The Core of the Issue

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post ""When you are dead, we will take over."":

While WELS desperately needs a change of leadership, i.e., the DPs, et al, the existing system makes it very difficult to clean house. Running operations as usual the present leadership gets by with ignoring facts, reason, rebukes, and the Word of God. Cutting support simply means they close another school. There is no method to replace the undesirables short of destroying the synod.

"When you are dead, we will take over."

Satire or reality? See the graphic below, from Rock N Roll Lutheran Church, Round Rock, Texas: endorsed by the Conference of Pussycats while meeting at Patterson's church, enriched by synodical and foundation grants, swollen with almost 30 people in attendance - after only three years and two full-time staffers.

http://www.churchfromscratch.net

KJV Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.


This is the graphic for the children's group at Round Rock. Doebler borrows the sermonic content of false teachers, so he dasn't object to my copying his graphics.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post ""When you are dead, we will take over."":

C&Cers have one thing in common. They want a gimmick, technique, or method to do the Work of Lord because they find it too disgusting to do themselves. They have jobs not a life with the Lord.

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DK, with a full measure of wit has left a new comment on your post ""When you are dead, we will take over."":

Can anyone one tell me what those "li'l" dancing things are supposed to be in the lil rockers graphic? Rocks? Really?

They look more like 'lil' lumps of poo to me. Dingles, some might say.

The metaphor is rich.

Good job, Doebler, you're creating lil lumps of theological poo. Don't answer the door when the millstone salesman comes aknockin'. He might just have your size.

"Old Millstones for new! Old Millstones for new!"

DK

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post ""When you are dead, we will take over."":

If you look at the "Church fromscratch" website, there is no article on the sacraments. Just a vague reference to baptism under "Holy Spirit" and nothing on the Lord's Supper other than an undefined reference to "Word & Sacrament". A non-Lutheran wouldn't have a clue that this church is Lutheran. The purpose of a confession is to confess. A vague confession is no confession at all. It is worse than saying nothing.

1934 Chicago Tribune Cartoon

The captions are easier to read after clicking on it to enlarge the image.

Obama considers himself a new FDR, so the parallel is apt. FDR and his Democrat House and Senate took over the economy, making the Depression last until WWII ended it. Thomas Sowell, my favorite economist, has pointed this out in his columns.

By raising taxes and putting government funds into enormous projects and social prgrams, FDR took money away from the private sector that would have fueled a real recovery. In addition, a clever PR campaign put all the blame for the continuing Depression on Hoover and the Republicans.

A hope-filled stockbroker tried to tell me that FDR's measures eventually worked. I said, "They didn't work for 10 years. The Depression got worse. WWII ended the Depression."

Predict the Future of WELS

Care to predict the future of WELS?

Guest Blogger:

I'm guessing that only 10 of the 40 seminarians next May will receive a call, since there are so many experienced missionaries and pastors now without calls, and families besides. Of course, nowadays, plenty of seminarians have children and a wife, too.

Care to venture any guesses on the state of the WELS in one year's time? BTW, that would make a great entry on your blog. Ask the blog readers to make their predictions about where the WELS will be in, say, June 2010. Also, for the C&Cers, they can copy and paste predictions from someone else, and claim they are their own. :)

***

GJ - When I was an adjunct at Glendale Community College, all of us newbies got the computer survey course. Due to shortages of faculty and large enrollments in computer science, I began to teach web design and Unix/Linux. Then as enrollments went down, the senior faculty took back web design and Unix/Linux. At the same time I went over to the big school, the senior faculty had to take the survey courses because no one wanted advanced computer classes anymore.

The same thing is happening with calls in WELS. Pastors are glad to take anything when their old position disappears. They are taking the calls that might have gone to seminary graduates. That is not all bad - for the congregations. Those congregations get well trained men who get a picture of ordinary life in a not so glamorous congregation. The graduating seniors will have to wait a long time for a call, I am afraid.

Feel free to post your response. I will Kelm the best ones.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Predict the Future of WELS":

Idea people are dime a dozen – i.e., C&C and many pastor-leaders. Those people disdain work. Doing the Work of our Lord falls in line with a quote of Thomas A. Edison, “What it boils down to is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration.” Unless WELS finds pastor-leaders willing to focus on nurturing and outreach instead of fiddling away their time, it will find itself destined to failure, and finally its demise.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Predict the Future of WELS":

The upcoming senior class at MLC is about 23, which could very easily translate into 16-18 who present themselves for calls into the ministry in 4 yrs.

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The Lund's Lives as Lutherans has left a new comment on your post "Predict the Future of WELS":

I am confused by this website and the harsh and cynical writing and venom towards WELS and other church bodies that are full of confessional Lutherans.

Why would you not ask the Lord's blessings upon the people in leadership and talk with them. An incendiary blog with hurtful speech does no one good and the kingdom of God much damage.

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GJ - By all means, stay away from Luther's sermons. But perhaps you already have.

More Anonymous Admonitions

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "WELS Financial Picture More Dire Than Expected":
If you dislike the WELS so much, why do you continue to care about what the WELS does? I don't like church growth either, but what's the difference between someone listening to a church growth baptist and someone listening to you? Neither of you are in the fellowship with the WELS. Aren't you breaking your own rules of fellowship by continuing to say that people should read "The Theology of the Cross," even though you are not in fellowship with the professor who wrote it? Didn't you speak against Ski for doing this with another book? Sorry for the change of subject.

P.S. I was wondering about something else: you have said that the 8th commandment doesn't apply to this setting. But in his explanation Luther says, "do not...hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way." Jesus, in the parable of The Good Samaritan, clearly points out that our neighbor is not just those people we like. Would you be willing to clarify this for me? Also the goal of pointing out the sins of another is not to make others aware of the sin, but to win that person over to the truth. Your blog seems to do the exact opposite. How do you rectify Luther's meaning to the 8th commandment and the meaning of satire, "the use of irony, sarcasm, RIDICULE, or the like, in exposing, denouncing, or deriding vice, folly, etc. (Dictionary.com)"

Many thanks,
Curious -- Philippians 4:8

***

GJ - If you dislike this blog so much, why read it?

The Wisconsin Sect has a reputation for denouncing every other group in America, including--and especially--the Little Sect on the Prairie. Every time the WELS pastors mentioned the ELS, it was derogatory. The ELS pastors would say, "They won't come to our installations but they say - We cherish our fellowship with the ELS."

Given the logic on display above, the Wisconsin Sect should not be able to comment on any other denomination, because they are not in fellowship with anyone.

Anonymous should read Luther, who used satire all the time. His polemics make me look like a pussyfoot. I am sure he would prefer an honest, blunt discussion to the anonymous, whiny backbiting that thrives under the name The WELS Grapevine.

I have mentioned many times before that the Church and Chicaneries cry Eighth Commandment! to protect their false doctrine and false teachers. For example, Fuller-trained Frosty Bivens rose "to defend Paul Kelm's good name" at a conference when I quoted Kelm verbatim. Of course, I had to prove with physical evidence, that Kelm actually said that. (I was guilty until proven innocent.) I pulled the brochure from my briefcase and read ipsissima verba. The next excuse was, "How do we know Kelm really said that or wrote that to Kent Hunter? Or that he meant to be quoted?"

Kent Hunter wasn't there to defend me, so I asked him about this later. Hunter said, "I asked him to endorse the CG meeting and he did so in writing."

This took place in the Northern Conference, so Slick Brenner mentioned how it was always an accident with Paul Kelm. Slick also had a funny story about going to talk to Ron Roth and Roth pretending to be gone. Slick asked: "Why do I see his legs behind that partition?"

The Eighth Commandment cannot be used to cover up false doctrine. Ski blogged that he worshiped with the Babtists, so he is in fellowship with them. Bishop Katie said that 7 WELS pastors attended Drive 09 (Andy Stanley). I only quote the principals and that is satire enough. Parlow and Kelm are linked to the Willow Creek Association, since St. Mark Depere is a member of that cult. Have you admonished them or asked the DP to extend the Left Foot of Fellowship?

Matthew 18 cannot be used to hide notorious, public sin, such as murdering one's spouse (Al Just, Pastor Tabor) and lying about it. Check out the Large Catechism on the subject - under Eighth Commandment. The effect of a cover-up is to encourage more church workers to do the same, knowing that Holy Mother Synod will do anything to avoid a scandal. If WELS pastors are in state prisons, it only hurts long-term to turn that into a PR project, not to mention deception.

One reason I am so unpopular with certain WELS leaders is that I helped the victim's lawyer in the Adrian-Zerbe case. WELS was lying in court that they knew of no other cases. The lawyer countered, "What about Werner, etc?" The judge ordered WELS to come clean, which made them lose the case.

I think the LCMS and ELCA are beyond hope at this time, although anything can happen if people apply the Word of God. I blog about WELS so much because I like a lot of the people involved. I know they have been mocked, ridiculed, punished, and often banished for being faithful. Many like what I write and forward additional information to me. The bullies and tyrants are anxious because their work is being exposed and examined. They cannot get even. They cannot even give their names because of their cowardice.

Bruce Church has left a new comment on your post "More Anonymous Admonitions":

That some defense, saying you can't criticize the CG in the WELS because you are not in fellowship with the WELS, even though the CGers had a hand in terminating your call at a WELS church in Columbus, Ohio.

The CGers like to call you a multi-synod stalker, even though you would have have only changed synods once (from LCA to WELS) had the CGers not terminated your call wherever you went.

Anonymous wrote that Ichabod doesn't try to win people over to the truth, but does "the exact opposite."

(Irony On) Yes, Anonymous is right. Ichabod is actually a mole promoting Church Growth in a Reverse Psychology sort of way.(Irony Off)

***

GJ - I admit that Patterson applied for two free staff positions after my posts, so this blog has had a paradoxical evil effect. Mea culpa. Mea maxima culpa.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "More Anonymous Admonitions":

Where is the love in WELS? The flaming vitriol coming out of WELS is NOT love.

***

GJ - Now you know why I call WELS headquarters The Love Shack. The staffmembers, living off synod offerings, love money but hate confessional Lutheran doctrine.

In a move sure to please the Greens, Kelm and Groeschel will drive WELS Connection tapes in a new hybrid vehicle with recyclable fuel.