Unionistic Study

When I was a student at The Sausage Factory for a semester, the faculty was a rainbow coalition of various confessions. Valleskey was a secretive proponent of Reformed doctrine while Gawa (Gawrisch) led the class through orthodox quotations. The church history professor (Slide) knew what was going on but was afraid his pension would be taken away if he talked. Other professors did what was best for their careers.

In August at The Sausage Factory, Bruce Becker will lead the troops of the WELS Prayer Pietistic Institute to rally them for the real deal - the Church and Chicanery convention in November.

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SceleratissimusLutheranus has left a new comment on your post "Unionistic Study":

I love that picture! Instant classic.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Unionistic Study":

"Valleskey was a secretive proponent of Reformed doctrine...."

Today we see the effects of giving Valleskey a podium for his false beliefs. He operated like a thief in the night for far too long. Meanwhile, the other shepherds leading WELS turned a blind eye.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Unionistic Study":

"When I was a student at The Sausage Factory for a semester, the faculty was a rainbow coalition of various confessions."

Meanwhile, members were duped into believing that WELS remained a monolithic bastion of Lutheranism. Are the WELS leaders atheists at heart? They certainly have acted like it with all their greed and duplicity. Too many of them serve their Father Below.

Determination

Confessional readers are ready for the convention. The Chicaneries are afraid.

Why are things quiet? The more happening, the less said. When there is such an apparent calm, both sides are active.

The message from Church and Change, just before the convention, announcing their next glorious festival of apostasy, was their effort to cheer the troops.

I am happy to mention what I have told many people -

I have been publishing about these topics for over 20 years. Before, the only people who contacted me were elderly. Now the vast majority are younger men. And I hear from pastors all the time. Various people have told me about church leaders reading Ichabod. A few clergy have said, "Everyone reads it, but they do not say it outright."

The Shrinkers can only thank themselves for proving me right.

The apostates will try to make me the issue, because I insert plenty of hilarious commentary about their buffoonery. But I also provide all the evidence so people can see for themselves.

My verbatim quotations make Beavis and Butthead howl with rage, because those nasty little boys are the finger-puppets of Kelm, Huebner(s), Parlow, Patterson, and Becker - the SP Gurgle crew. Listen to their cries of rage - and do the opposite. That is sound doctrine.

The clergy and laity that I know love to read the orthodox Lutheran quotations provided. The quotations were all carefully typed into my ancient database, Megatron, labeled, edited for accuracy, and studied repeatedly.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Determination":

WELS leadership played it safe in not saying that it is promoting the closure of Michigan Lutheran Seminary (MLS). Instead, it is giving alternatives. One alternative would not close MLS, but shows the significant, negative financial consequences on the rest of the program of not closing it. The other alternative would anticipate that funding for MLS would not be available in the second year of the two year budget adopted by the convention, but did not rule it out completely. This was a clever move by the WELS leadership because they can honestly say they did not recommend the closure of MLS. Since they did not recommend it, it is not overly controversial going into the convention. It will be the convention, not the WELS leadership, making the recommendation. However, the obvious innuendo behind both options is that MLS will need to be closed at the end of the next fiscal year, barring a financial upswing before the end of 2009. Without improvements in finances by then, the decision for closure will have to be made before enrollment would start for the fall of 2010.

To quote Luther, "It was a false, misleading dream" to think that this convention will [do] anything about the cancer of the Church Growth Movement in the WELS, at least in my opinion. I see nothing that hits it head on in the Book of Reports and Memorials or in the unpublished memorials I have seen to date. I believe a lot of the lay delegates are not aware of the issue. The male teachers would by and large be in favor of it because it has permeated the WELS school system through team ministry, using our schools as "mission arms," and the welcoming into our schools of the Reformed and sometimes the clearly heathen, not to mention the "international student" programs in many of the Area Lutheran High Schools (which I personally know in some cases is driven by financial need and not by a desire for mission work, even though that is the public justification for the program). The pastors would be divided on the Church Growth Movement, but I do not see a lot of recognized leaders among the conservatives on the roster of delegates. If the Church Growth Movement is brought up at all, it would easily be buried in a committee, tabled to a future convention, or, at best, referred to a committee assigned by the Synodical President. However, I think very little will happen at this convention with the Church Growth Movement, other than it being a topic in the halls or around a keg of beer.

Spoiling the Egyptians:Valleskey's Excuse For Promoting False Doctrine

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The Sound of One Hand Clapping":

Our pastor uses that term "Spoil the Egyptians".

What does that actually mean?

Does that mean take from non-churched to support the churched?

I am too embarrassed to ask my pastor, but it sure doesn't sound very nice....

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GJ - This looks like a soft lob, so I can hit a homer. Glad you asked, for whatever reason.

Valleskey feigned doing an analysis of the Church Growth Movement, which he took as an opportunity to gush about the undying fad. He chose to name Larry Crabb (a favorite at Fuller Seminary) and Crabb's use of the term "spoiling the Egyptians." Apparently the phrase is as old as Augustine, but I doubt whether Augustine figured much in Valleskey's education.

Valleskey and the rest of the Shrinkers use the term to excuse their wholesale borrowing of false doctrine from Fuller, Willow Creek, Mars Hill, Granger, Northpoint Crypto-Babtist, and the rest of the Enthusiasts.

As the introduction to the History of Pietism says, the Crypto-Calvinists tried to hide their allegiance to the Swiss Reformer. Now all hiding is gone.

Church and Change is devoted to spoiling the Egyptians.

I pointed out to Valleskey, in front of the Ohio pastors, that the Israelites took the gold and precious jewels of the Egyptians, not their garbage. Valleskey was not happy.

The Sound of One Hand Clapping

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "WELS Pastors Getting Unionistic Degrees":

Why was all the skulduggery in WELS not exposed years or decades ago? Pastors routinely deny that there is skulduggery while they solicit support and pay tribute to the synod. This smacks of a complete sham.

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GJ - I was writing about it around 21 years go, but it was the sound of one hand clapping. Valleskey gave his Spoiling the Egyptians/Figs from Thistles paper to the Ohio Conference. The result was - those few who dissented were pushed out of WELS. Those who fainted with joy or silenced themselves were promoted.

WELS Pastors Getting Unionistic Degrees:All Are Known Changers

John Lawrenz got a real PhD from Brandeis U. He supported Church and Chicanery with a post that elicited "Pure gold" from VP-in-Waiting Don Patterson. Years ago, Lawrenz gave a sermon where he said - everything must change. That is also the mantra of Mark Jeske.


John Parlow, Willow Creek WELS Pastor, DMin, Denver Seminary

Paul Calvin Kelm, DMin in Church Growth, Concordia Seminary, St. Louis. His brother Dan, another Shrinker, and Paul's son both left for the LCMS.

Rich Krause in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, got his DMin from a union consortium in Ohio, supervised by Larry Olson, DMin, Fuller Seminary

Lawrence Otto Olson got his drive-by DMin from Fuller by taking a few courses and writing a paper. Now he, like Rich Krause, calls himself "Dr." Ha.

There is no photo for Steve Witte, so I had to use the only photo on their website. Note that the painting is typically Reformed. Jesus is able to leave the empty tomb because the angels let Him out by opening the door. The Reformed think His divine nature is limited by His human nature, and that is why they deny the Real Presence.

Church and Chicanery leader Witte says
preaching the Gospel is not enough. "The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod is in crisis,
but revival is possible. Its leaders must get into the Scriptures, repent, and pray."

Title: Hope and a future : confronting the death of confessional Lutheranism / by Steve Witte.
Author: Witte, Steve.

Imprint: 2007.
Note: The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod is in crisis, but revival is possible. Its leaders must get into the Scriptures, repent, and pray. The definition of faithfulness must be expanded--not "just preach the gospel" but also using means to shine the gospel light into a dark world.
Note: Typescript.
Subject: Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
Subject: Church renewal.
Physical Description: xii, 235 leaves ; 28 cm.

Location Information
Hamilton
Circulating Coll.
BX8061.W6 W57 2007 [Available]
This item has been checked out 0 time(s)
and currently has 0 hold request(s).

Witte is involved with WELS Jars of Clay and is also a founder of Church and Chicanery.

----------------- N O D E C I S I O N S R E P O R T E D ----------------
Witte, Rev Steven L - Asia Lutheran Seminary Board - 05/29/2009
Vice President

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GJ - Doubtless there are more. Most of the American mission and world mission people have studied at Fooler Seminary. I am guessing that world mission people have been routinely trained there before deployment. Extensive training has taken place at Willow Creek as well.

Known Fuller veterans are David Valleskey, F. Bivens, R. Schulz, Joel Gerlach, Norm Berg, Wallhy Oelhafen, Fred Adrian.

What Willow Creek WELS Worships

Parlow, left, at Babtist Stanley's Drive 08 Conference

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "More Admonitions Like This Are Needed":

Here are the worship principles for St. Mark De Pere.

The document in question can be found here:

http://stmarkpartners.org/downloads/Biblical.pdf

"Made to Worship: Biblical Prescriptive Principles for Corporate Worship at St. Mark"

1. Worship in truth and spirit. – John 4:23
2. Worship the true God only. – Matthew 4:10
3. Worship in an orderly fashion. – 1 Corinthians 14:40
4. Men are to be the spiritual teachers/preachers in a congregation of men and women. –
1 Timothy 2:11-12; 1 Corinthians 14:26ff
5. Strive to do all to the glory of God. – 1 Corinthians 10:31
6. Edification of the Church. – Ephesians 4:11-12

What's missing here? No Law, no Gospel, no means of grace, no forgiveness, no Christ. But I'm sure you'll feel really good about yourself and learn how to be a "good person" and have a "happy life" if you go to this church. Make sure to bring your vomit bag if you do.

And it gets worse. Here is the St. Mark's website description of their worship styles: (http://stmarkpartners.org/content/category/9/33/78/)

"St. Mark Lutheran Church exists to make a meaningful and relevant impact on the lives and hearts of people who live in the Northeast Wisconsin area. We offer hope, healing, and spiritual solutions to people wherever they are in their journey. For spiritual seekers, those investigating the gospel message, our goal is to help you find practical answers to your spiritual questions. For everyone, we want to provide availability and easy access to a variety of experiences that help you grow spiritually.

Because we believe the message of God’s love and forgiveness is the most thrilling, inspiring, life-changing message of all time, we want to do everything possible to reach people with that message. Therefore, we strive to make our presentation of Christ creative, relevant, understandable, memorable, and engaging. We want to help you connect with the personal hope and practical help that God can give us.

Therefore we offer two "styles" of worship: contemporary and traditional, that you can explore, learn, and grow spiritually in a way that is memorable, engaging, and that suits your personal style."

Funny. I always thought the church existed to proclaim the Gospel to lost sinners and administer the word and sacraments. Welcome to our Brave New World in WELS.

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Beavis and Butthead are not content to trust in the Word.

What's Wrong with Pietism?1. Experimenting with Sects - Not Wise.2. No Safe Sects

Niall Good has left a new comment on your post "Your Pietism Detection Kit":

Could you be more specific and tell us what you real (sic) feel about Pietists?
Niall

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GJ - I have many posts on the subject. Click on the Pietism label for more information. For Lutherans, there are two major objections:

1. Pietism began with Spener, the first union theologian. When denominations set aside their doctrinal differences to work together, they fall into decline - first Unitarianism (service unites, doctrine divides), then atheism gilded with political activism.

2. Lutherans fool themselves when they imagine dabbling in something doctrinally neutral, as the Fuller Brush salesmen try to claim. Spener's cell groups produce doctrinal bastards. One thing leads to another. A glance turns into a stare, a momentary crush into an obsession. As James promised, the impulse leads to sin.

KJV James 1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. 15 Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

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More Admonitions Like This Are Needed

Random Intolerance

Random Dan and Intolerant Elle unite their blogs in holy matrimony.
Monday, January 05, 2009
The Promised Rant
There were two pieces of news within the WELS recently that disturbed me.

The first is the WELS equivalent to Jesus First (Church and Change) has invited a Baptist, Ed Stetzer, to speak to them about, what else, missions! The problem, however, isn't that Dr. Stetzer wants to reach others for Christ, but that the man isn't Lutheran. He's going to bring his Baptist perspective to a Lutheran gathering. The man sees no role for the sacraments. We can think we can "spoil the Egyptians," but this type of thinking is leading us into the same place the American Church has now landed: Christless Christianity. Oh, there are people who do not like this. The District Presidents got together and grumbled a little, but nothing happened. No one was disciplined, and life goes on. I wish someone in the WELS would grow a spine.

The second piece of news is more disturbing. By digging a little, I also found more interesting side tidbits to this story. Paul Kelm received and accepted a call to Parish Services. The Director of Parish services, Bruce Becker, issued this call after being directed by Synodical President Mark Schroeder not to add staff due to the economic woes. President Schroeder didn't know about the call until Kelm's name showed up on the call list. How in the world am I supposed to put the best construction on that, especially when it has leaked that Becker kept President Schroeder in the dark on purpose.

Here's a few tidbits to the story (some of which you may already know). John Parlow, Pastor of St Mark Du Pere and Green Bay, WI, has been caught not once but twice plagiarizing sermons from Baptist websites. In case you are wondering, I still have in my possession the proof that this occurred. This is where Paul Kelm was called from. Even better, St Mark is a member of the Willow Creek Association as well as the WELS. This begs the question why hasn't President Engelbrecht and the rest of the Northern Wisconsin Praesidium come down on St. Marks and her pastors harder and with more fury than God came down on Sodom and Gomorrah? This is a clear violation of fellowship principles! Why aren't WELS pastors screaming their lungs out about this instead of just privately complaining about this when among themselves? Who will be our St. Nicholas, a man who became so angered by Arius' false theology about Christ that he stood up and slapped him?

Just to light a fire under some church workers, look at who else is part of the Willow Creek Association. Yes, welcome to the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago! Parlow has somehow united us all to the ELCA, LCMS, the spawn of Calvin, the spawn of the Radical Reformation, and to Rome. Happy Day!

As another historical tidbit, the Gloria Patri (Glory be to the Father...) was brought into the Church's canticles to fight Arius' poisonous doctrines on Christ. That is why we sing it it in every Psalm and canticle.... Oh, wait. We use Christian Worship. They only left it in the Psalms. (Stay tuned for another segment of "why our hymnal sucks, especially after the LCMS put out the LSB" after these important messages).

Note: edited because the author can't spell Du Pere nor can he keep from using just one definite article.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "More Admonitions Like This Are Needed":

(Thankfully I'm a member of a district that, so far, has been mostly free of the influence of CG heresy.)

Are you joking? Who cares what district you are a part of?? The SYNOD, of which you are a part, allows this apostasy to continue. Please wake up and shake up those pastors who are firmly grounded in God's Word. Encourage them to stand up and heed the admonition to 'Put on the armour of God'. If God be for you, who can be against you? Even the retired pastors, who can surely see the synod's decline from when they were on active duty, stand up and be heard! Help show where Synod has strayed and how to get back on track. Maybe a current pastor with a church fears some kind of punitive actions, but these retired guys have nothing to lose. God still has a purpose for them in His church and this very well may be it. STAND UP AND BE HEARD!!

Mug Shots for the WELS/ELS Chicanery Convention in November

Mark Jeske, heavily promoted by WELS, will not admit to being WELS on TV. The Chicanery leadership is drawn from Jeske, Parlow, Patterson, and overpaid staff at WELS headquarters (aka The Love Shack). Mequon seminary Professor Richard Gurgle and Professor-in-Exile John Lawrenz are also Chicanery partisans.

ELS Pastor Nathan Krause works with this bunch, and he has a vicar being trained in Enthusiasm.


Bruce Becker hired Paul Calvin Kelm covertly, then left for Jeske's Time of Grace.


Elton Stroh will turn your church around, so a Lutheran congregation can start acting like a Babtist one. Stetzer would be pleased. Aderman could use some of this, since it hasn't worked for him in 20 years.


Ron Roth was the first editor of TELL, the Church Growth magazine for WELS. He headed stewardship for WELS when it went broke. He can do the same for your congregation, since he now works with Jeff Davis as a professional money-raiser for WELS/LCMS.


Jeff Davis will present his insights on money-raising in the congregation. He gets a commission from the results, not a stated fee.


Randy Hunter has a vicar this year, which means his District Pussycat approves his methods, such as having a cross in a coffee cup as the logo for Latte Lutheran Church.


Aderman retired but went back to frog-kissing for Church Growth. He will probably be greeted as a hero at this conference.


Patterson Network member Geiger is a featured speaker again. But there is no Church Growth in WELS. And it there were, Patterson--who also led a session and posts on their listserve--would not be part of it.


Brian Arthur Lampe is a board member of this sect and a youth leader at St. Marcus.


John Parlow, St. Mark, Depere, WI, is a member of the Willow Creek Association ministerium. His church belongs to the WCA. Here he is posing for Ski at Drive 08, a Babtist worship conference run by Andy Stanley. Ski, Katie, Glende, and around 7 WELS pastors attended Drive 09 together. Parlow was one of the founding members of Church and Chicanery.


I understand from Steve Witte's Gordon Conwell paper that John Johnson was also a founding member of Church and Chicanery. Johnson is on the staff at St. Mark Willow Creek Lutheran.

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GJ - Corrections, additions, and fervent denials are welcome.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Mug Shots for the WELS/ELS Chicanery Convention in...":

I didn't see Paul Kelm's name on the list. He can turn your church around in a few short weeks. It goes from a Pastor who is taught and trained for eight years passing his torch on to the congregation and everybody becomes a minister. Now the pastor is freed up to do nothing and the responsibility for everything including missions and ministry can fall on the laity's shoulders. That way if things go haywire, it's your fault. Kelm can accomplish all this for around $10,000.

Two Faced WELS Kitteh

WELS laity and pastors - time to do your own homework. Now you have the Church and Change conference agenda in color. That gives you a clear portrait of apostasy, with Thrivent showing up to promote their business.

Executive Summary
Jeske's St. Marcus/Time of Grace staff is running most of it, with help from the Patterson network (Geiger), and those aging warhorses of Church Growth - Ron Roth and Jeff Davis (who just happen to run a money-raising business in WELS/LCMS congregations). Randy Hunter will present his caffeinated vision of ministry. There is a chunk to devoted to Women's Ministry, so no one notices the baby-steps to women's ordination (thank you John Brug).

Becker is running a WELS Pietism Institute meeting at the seminary right after the convention.

Aderman, a founder and former board member of C and C, really should present his experience on driving his church membership down by 50%, getting fired for non-work, and grabbing back the call while officially and publicly retired from the ministry.

Y'all will hear from Aderman anyhoo. He has the next 10 issues of FIC to explain the Ten Commandments. Oh yeah, a founder of Church and Chicanery is a contributing editor of FIC, burning your offering dollars to promote Enthusiasm.



UPS Driver and Chicanery board member Brian Arthur Lampe.
"Brian Arthur Lampe delivers a one-two punch to the devil and his schemes with his high powered, enthusiastic, energetic life-applying Biblical motivational speaking. We are on a quest for authentic God. By including Brian Arthur Lampe, you will have more than just a rally or a Bible study. You and your congregation will be providing men, women, and youth with an encouraging process that teaches them how to live lives of authentic Christianity as modeled by Jesus Christ and directed by the Word of God." Christian Speaker Network describes Brian's denomination as Christian. He also runs a business called CEO Ministries.

Stroh and Becker To Help Chicaneries Gain Momentum After Convention

Bruce Becker was head of WELS Perish Services and a board member of Church and Change when he hired Paul Calvin Kelm, then escaped The Love Shack to work for Mark Jeske.

Elton Stroh remains in Perish Services, promoting Babtist Ed Stetzer on the Church and Change listserve, even though the COP frowned upon the original Stetzer C and C invite.

From: Michelle Eggert
Subject: 2009 Church & Change Conference: Regaining Momentum
Date: Thursday, July 23, 2009, 7:22 PM

2009 Church & Change Conference: Regaining Momentum

The 2009 Church & Change Conference will feature an outstanding line-up of speakers and ministry topics. Our main presenters will be Rev. Bruce Becker, Director of Operations for Time of Grace and Rev. Elton Stroh, director of our WELS Parish Assistance program. Rev. Becker will be examining characteristics that are hurting our congregations as well as those that are helping congregations in their efforts to bring the Gospel to more people. Rev. Stroh will discuss the what certain churches did to turnaround from being in decline to becoming more active.

You will be challenged, inspired and encouraged as a Christian and as a leader of Christians. When several hundred creative WELS leaders gather around God's Word and share their ideas, that's what we expect to happen!

The conference will be held Thursday, November 5 through Saturday, November 7, 2009 at the Wyndham Milwaukee Airport Hotel and Convention Center Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The cost for the conference is $200.00 per person ($280 for registrations received on or after September 16, 2009). A special "3+1 offer" will be available to congregations sending four or more participants. All meals are included in the conference price, but participants will need to provide their own lodging.

Special conference hotel rates of $99 single or $109 double occupancy per night are available at the Wyndham Milwaukee Airport Hotel & Convention Center through October 13, 2009. Please contact the hotel directly to make your hotel reservations at (866) 625-3104 and mention you are attending the Church & Change Conference.

Reservations can also be made online at: http://www.wyndham.com/groupeventsnew/mkeap_churchchange09/main.wnt.

All registrations will take place online at http://www.regonline.com/churchandchange2009. For a full description of each presenter/topic, click C&C program.bw.pdf for efficient black/white printing or C&C program.color.pdf for full color viewing printing. Check out our Website (www.churchandchange.org) for further details.This conference is shaping up to be the best ever!

Pastor Ron Ash
Chairman, The Center for Church & Change

This email communication was sent by:
The Center for Church & Change

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GJ - How difficult is it to connect the dots and form a picture?

Ron Ash's congregation sponsored The CORE, although its lavish spending ($250,000 blown so far) remains a mystery.

Ski and Bishop Katie worked together at St. Marcus (Jeske) before spending their monthlies at various expensive Schwermer conferences around the country: Drive, Catalyst, Drive again, Granger, Mars Hill, and Echo.

Becker went to work for Jeske when WELS began making noises about getting rid of his job.

Stroh worked for Becker at The Love Shack and now promotes Stetzer.