ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, to attack Objective Faithless Justification, Church Growth Clowns, and their ringmasters. The antidote to these poisons is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Left-wing, National Council of Churches denominations.
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Quiche-Nicked Jeske RSO Swears To Promote the LCMS
Minnesota Ablaze! was already promoting Jeske's Time of Generic Grace in December of 2008.
Sample Agreement The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod Recognized Service Organization
Section 1. Recognized Service Organization
… RSO agrees (a) to foster the mission and ministry of the Synod, (b) to engage in programs in harmony with the Synod and (c) not to act contrary to the doctrines and practices of the Synod …
https://www.lcms.org/graphics/assets/media/Service %20Opportunities/RSO%20Agreement.pdf
Mark Jeske has been double-linked on the WELS.net website (for buying TOGG trinkets, etc) and enjoying donations from WELS members, and yet he never acknowledges his own synod or even Lutherdom.
So now he is pledged to support the work of the LCMS, in his new capacity as the CEO of an RSO.
But, my anonymous minders think he is staying in WELS while promoting the LCMS.
Someone said that Jumpin' Jack Jeske insisted on sermons that made non-Lutherans squirm.
But Mark Jeske gives sermons that make Lutherans squirm in embarrassment.
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Kieschnick Strategy in Taking Out Jeske":
What makes Jeske getting RSO with no LCMS clergy on his board even more strange is that Todd Wilken could not get RSO with the LCMS for "Issues, Etc". (See Todd Wilken's comment in the Brothers of John the Steadfast link in the main post).
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#8 by Todd Wilken — September 4, 2009 @ 11:54 am
Funny, we asked the Board for Communication Services to grant Issues, Etc. RSO status back in 2001-02, and were denied.
When we raised the subject again later, KFUO management threatened to fire us if we pursued it any further.
TW
#9 by Rev. Thomas C. Messer — September 4, 2009 @ 12:05 pm
Todd,
Not funny, but sad. But, I mean what you know. :)
Not funny, but sad. But, I mean what you know. :)
#10 by Rev. Thomas C. Messer — September 4, 2009 @ 12:29 pm
"Confessions of a Church Growth Enthusiast will prove to be one of the most significant writings of these latter days of the 20th Century." Gerald B. Kieschnick, President, Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod.
Two points here:
1) That Kieschnick is an ardent proponent of the Satanic Church Growth Movement (CGM) should be no shock to anyone.
2) Everything he has done as President of the LCMS has been consistent with his personal love affair with the CGM. We can argue against PK's positions (indeed, we must), but we can't argue with his consistency. He has done everything in his power to move our synod in the direction he believes it should be heading, and will not apologize for doing so. "Issues, Etc." had to go to make way for those who will promote the agenda PK is pushing ("Time of Grace," for example). This is not an exercise in "conspiracy theorism," but is a simple recognition of the facts. PK is a CGM advocate. Period.
Disclaimer: For those who may be offended at my use of "Satanic" in describing the CGM, please know that I am not claiming that PK is Satanic, but that the movement he so enthusiastically embraces is such. A movement which advocates that the church must treat the Gospel like a product to be marketed and repackaged in a way that is more appealing to the unchurched (consumer) has to be, by definition, of the devil.
Two points here:
1) That Kieschnick is an ardent proponent of the Satanic Church Growth Movement (CGM) should be no shock to anyone.
2) Everything he has done as President of the LCMS has been consistent with his personal love affair with the CGM. We can argue against PK's positions (indeed, we must), but we can't argue with his consistency. He has done everything in his power to move our synod in the direction he believes it should be heading, and will not apologize for doing so. "Issues, Etc." had to go to make way for those who will promote the agenda PK is pushing ("Time of Grace," for example). This is not an exercise in "conspiracy theorism," but is a simple recognition of the facts. PK is a CGM advocate. Period.
Disclaimer: For those who may be offended at my use of "Satanic" in describing the CGM, please know that I am not claiming that PK is Satanic, but that the movement he so enthusiastically embraces is such. A movement which advocates that the church must treat the Gospel like a product to be marketed and repackaged in a way that is more appealing to the unchurched (consumer) has to be, by definition, of the devil.
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Kenneth J. Schmidt has left a new comment on your post "Kieschnick Strategy in Taking Out Jeske":
I hope Jeske leaves WELS. I do, however, feel sorry for the faithful remnant in my former church body, the LCMS. They will have to deal with yet another wannabe Baptist in a position of power. I hope the rest of the snake-handling, holy rollers in Church and Change go with him.
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Quiche-Nicked Jeske RSO Swears To Promote the LCMS...":
It is deeper than you know. Patterson is flying in on Jeske's coattails also: Jeske_wanna_be
Kieschnick Strategy in Taking Out Jeske
"You dare offend the great and terrible Oz?!" Cue smoke and thunder.
I have never met LCMS President Kieschnick. I met Jack Preus and Ralph Bohlmann, and some wannabees. Otten told me that Kieschnick came to New Haven to meet him, sized him up, and said, "So you are the guy who makes and breaks synod presidents?"
Was it accidental that Christian News heaped criticism on a "conservative" candidate while Kieschnick was busy being elected? Not likely. Divide and conquer worked well for the British, and it worked just as well for Kieschnick. People find Kieschnick enormously charming, fit, and dressed to the nines. Even sworn enemies find him very likeable while he is busy deceiving and manipulating.
I am not on the email lists of Mark Jeske or SP Kieschnick, but I will construct what I think happened.
Church and Chicanery, with Mark Jeske as puppet-master and media mogul, found itself hemmed in on every side since Mark Schroeder was elected two years ago. Someone told me that this was emerging even earlier, and that may be so. Mark Schroeder changed everything and won vast amounts of support from clergy and laity alike.
The recent WELS convention revealed the breadth and depth of support for that change when Church and Change was publicly spanked, rebuked, whacked, thumped, and
scolded - with WELS members and pastors cheering.
That was change people could believe in.
I was told there was a secret meeting of the Shrinkers. All I had was an anonymous tip. Maybe these disciples were in a locked room. I learned nothing more.
But now we have Mark Jeske--who never admitted to being Lutheran, let alone WELS--suddenly officially introduced to Missouri, speaking to Missouri, and approved by Missouri for broadcasting on Missouri's radio station.
Somewhere, some time, Jeske was in contact with Kieschnick, charmed by Kieschnick, flattered by Kieschnick, and guided into the LCMS. His Chicanery board buddies, bothered by being de-throned, are itching for affirmation as gurus.
Besides, a number of them are in deep yogurt. Ski and Gunn are allergic to the Means of Grace. Bruce Becker left The Love Shack faster than Ted left the scene of an accident. Paul Calvin Kelm is running out of toner for his Xerox ministry and his grey hair (age 65 in December). In WELS they are has-wuzzes. In Missouri they are heroes. Kieschnick loves, supports, and promotes the Church Growth Movement, which unites all the liberal factions against the odious ideologues of the Right.
As someone pointed out to me, with no lack of glee, "The Boomers are the problem in WELS." But that is also the solution. They are close to retirement. Leaving for Missouri is relatively easy.
Some of Jeske's monied supporters will fund the exit. There is big money but nothing else behind The CORE in Appleton. Ski can say, as a Chicanery board member, "You don't like us? We are Missouri now." Write off 15 members right there.
Ditto the various stealth congregations in WELS, all of them subsized to the eyebrows. Missouri can make a big statement by taking them on, as the LCA did with Seminex congregations. The LCA simply provided LCMS congregations with mission support when they promised to leave.
Many different people have told me how obnoxious the Shrinkers at The Love Shack have been. They pulled their dirty tricks and lied about it, adding false accusations to their chicanery. The Stetzer invite "never happened," so that poor Babtist was called a liar too. (Ed and I are friends on Facebook.) The Kelm hire was "known by the administration in advance," they claimed anonymously, so I had to prove otherwise. Three sources confirmed what I wrote. I am still waiting for the apology and retraction from Anonymous.
At some point the Shrinkers realized their time was up and started making plans, mindful of the Old Adam so they could provide a safe landing for themselves.
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Dan @ Necessary Roughness has left a new comment on your post "Mark Jeske, Leave WELS for Missouri? - No Way":
It gets better. LCMS usually requires that an LCMS pastor be on the board of an Recognized Service Organization, but the Board of Communication Service provided an exception.
See Brothers of John the Steadfast article.
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GJ - Dan and others are making an important point. A WELS pastor does not just fall into this situation by accident. The LCMS bureaucracy is famous for its Byzantine structure and methods of obstruction. Step on a few toes and experience the Left Foot of Fellowship, delivered anonymously but with vigor and power. But Time of Generic Grace emerges suddenly in Missouri, as if parthenogenesis were routine.
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