The Fear That Made Milwaukee Famous

Dr. Walt Kallestad
Senior Pastor—Assigned to a tiny Lutheran congregation in Glendale, Arizona in 1978, Walt Kallestad quickly learned humility and value of strong communications: Within the first few months, the congregation had dropped , by 50 percent and the young idealist was faced with the challenge of rebuilding constituency or finding a new profession.

The challenge has obviously been met. Today, under Walt's direction, Community Church of Joy supports nearly 8,000 participants. Walt is a graduate of Concordia College in Moorhead, Minnesota, and Luther-Northwestern Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota, and received his [drive-by] doctorate at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. He spends his leisure time with Mary, his wife and best friend, their grown children and grandchildren, pursuing interests in writing, music and golf. waltk@joyonline.org.

***

GJ - Nota bene: fear and desperation drove Kallestad to Fuller Seminary, its crafts and assaults. During the same years, WELS began to dread the future, wondering how their stand-offish sect would fare once the feminists began stirring and the young people fleeing.

WELS, Missouri, and the ELS began a steady decline, pushed down the slope by an increasing mob of Fuller and Willow Creek graduates, their own pastoral colleagues. They would not tell the truth about their new-found passion, and usually lied when asked directly. Waldo Werning (LCMS), David Valleskey (WELS), and Frosty Bivens (WELS) all denied the obvious when I talked to them (Matthew 18). Werning admitted it the first time, denied it the second time, and waxed furious when I quoted him from my pocket Day-Timer. Paul Schneider (ELS) laughed and said to me, "What did you say to Werning to get him running you down?"

Not long ago, Werning got an award for promoting Fuller Seminary methods.

David Valleskey admitted to David Koenig (CLC - sic) that he did go to Fuller. Bivens admitted his attendance in front of the Midland Circuit, but denied it later.

The Calvinists are afraid. They are afraid the Word of God is not adequate to make them look good. They are afraid the liturgy will scare away prospects. They are afraid Lutheran hymns are dirge-like and not zippy enough.

General Patton said, "Never take counsel of your fears." He had plenty of faults, as his admirers will admit today, but the Nazis worried about Patton the most and altered their plans whenever he visited a new location.

Apostasy from Biblical doctrine may draw crowds - it often does not. But the absence of the Word does not mean victory for the Kingdom of God. Satan does not fear the Church Growth Movement, the Emerging Church, the Contagious Church, or the Purpose-Driven Church. They serve his needs admirably.

Walt Kallestad, DMin, Fuller Seminary

Another Christian News Groaner

UOJ Stormtroopers gather to defeat Book of Concord loyalists.

The latest issue of Christian News arrived yesterday, reminding me that conservative Lutherans have thrown away most of their opportunities in the last 50 years.

Otten promoted George Stoeckhardt as the greatest Lutheran exegete in America. Stoeckhardt was one of the more obvious proponents of justification without faith, UOJ.

Here is the problem. Missouri conservatives begin and end with the Synodical Conference - its glorious history, its descended-from-heaven doctrine.

Missouri, WELS, and the Little Sect came from European Pietism. They battled Enthusiasm and unionism, not always with great success. All three groups have engaged in extensive navel-gazing, marveling at how God has blessed them with such purity of doctrine and severity of practice.

LCMS

Under Barry-McCain, all the demons of apostasy flourished and grew - unionism, feminist ordination, Church Growthism, and Pentecostalism. McCain reminds me of General Custer telling everyone how he won at Little Big Horn.

WELS

Under Mischke and Gurgle, WELS found a new love...ELCA and quietly celebrated its morganatic marriage. Church Growthism, feminist ordination, and other toxins grew faster than kudzu. WELS is now tossing the old team out in favor of Lutheran doctrine.

Little Sect on the Prairie

Under Orvick and Moldstad, the ELS covertly criticized WELS while overtly kelming their big sister denomination's worst habits. But, when some dared disagree with the ambiguous political statements of the sect, the righteous wrath of Pope John the Malefactor was kindled and the Left Foot of Fellowship extended. The ELS has not yet recovered from the Johannine purge.

Entertainment Evangelism Comes from Calvinism

John Calvin

Walt Kallestad, the Community of Joy (ELCA, now ex-ELCA) pastor, promoted the term "Entertainment Evangelism" in The Lutheran magazine. Can anyone picture him starring in "One Foot in Heaven" - the classic movie about a real-life Methodist minister? That movie ends with the minister playing "The Church's One Foundation" on the new organ in the new church, the whole town gathering to hear the music.

Walt got rid of the organ in favor of pop music; hymns are not his style.

Mandatory Chicanery question - Have you been to a Community of Joy service? Answer - yes. I have also attended a Willow Crick Seeker Service. Did they get their Seeker Service concept from WELS, or--oh my--I just realized--WELS kelmed it from WC!

Entertainment Evangelism comes from Calvinism. Once we realize the Calvinistic concept of the Word, everything becomes clear. For Calvin, the Word itself had no power. The sovereign Holy Spirit (not bound to the Word, in spite of what the Word of God says) may drop in on a sermon or He may not. The Holy Spirit may give power to the Lord's Supper or He may not. Still, the Lord's Supper does not convey forgiveness and does not offer the Real Presence of Christ. Calvin mocked the Real Presence in his Institutes, and that style of mockery is mentioned in the Book of Concord. Has anyone at Chicanery headquarters read Calvin or the Book of Concord? Not likely.

Holy Baptism, for Calvinists, is a witness to others, not a sacrament. Once Zwingli (earlier, cruder, died on the battlefield) took the Holy Spirit from baptism, the Anabaptists promoted "believers' baptism," which had to be adult baptism in their minds. Has anyone at Chicanery headquarters studied the Radical Reformation, where this developed? I took a doctoral course from the late John Howard Yoder, Mennonite scholar.

Entertainment Evangelism is Calvinistic - The Reformed believe they must make the Word of God attractive, reasonable, and germane. In contrast, the Biblical doctrine of the Word places the emphasis upon the Holy Spirit's power. As Jacobs explained in his doctrinal book, the power of the Word is directly related to its purity. The more men dilute the Word with man's wisdom, the less power it has - as we see today.

The influence of Pietism is so great that the Shrinkers (Reformed and faux-Lutheran alike) try to generate outward signs of sanctification among their listeners. If they do not see the results they demand from God and their flocks, they frantically look for better methods.

Andy Stanley denying his Babtist heritage should remind everyone of Mark Jeske avoiding any hint of being Lutheran. Jeske and I agree about one thing - we are both ashamed he is Lutheran.

Whenever I have listened to an Enthusiasm program, I have heard constant murmurs of approval from the audience. Some applaud the leader constantly, but others oo and ah and chortle from all practical wisdom and stand-up comedy offered. The formula is fairly obvious.

1. Obscure historical presentation, often focusing on a Biblical figure rather than Christ.
2. Self-help advice on being calmer, more successful, and happier. The minister often offers himself or herself as a bad example because people enjoy the fake intimacy of entertainment.

Calvin began and ended with the Law. Modern Calvinists do the same. The Law bears no fruit, so no one should be shocked that the Shrinker movement is barren.

Everyone's A Pastor at Church and Change (aka St. Marcus Network)

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.


From: brianandtracey tds.net
Date: Thu, Sep 24, 2009 at 10:09 PM
Subject: [church_and_change] October 17th 2009 Fearless Faith workshop
To: church_and_change@yahoogroups.com


Hello,

God has inspired me through His means of grace to attempt men's ministry through Christ empowered Opportunities. We sort of took over when Kingdom workers stopped hosting men's workshops. Men are tough to reach, but they are reachable. Below is information on our upcoming Co- ed conference in October 17th 2009, hosted in Milwaukee, WI at WLC. I pray that God
move you to join us and maybe your could help spread the word to your friends and congregation.

Topics for discussion;

Fearless: A Faith for Uncertain Times Mr.Mark Neumann - Is Satan keeping you awake nights full of worry? Your job, bills, the stock market? Relax. You may not be in control…BUT, God is, and He has right where he wants you in the palm of His hand.

Fearless: Moving from rejection to resurrection. Tracey Lampe - Rejection--part of every life and it doesn’t feel good. Sometimes imagined other times earned, but never any fun. But…if we
examine its source, surrender control, and embrace God’s Word we will fearlessly move from the loneliness of rejection to a resurrected support team that gives us life.

Fearless: Confronting Spiritual Cowardice - Like Jesus disciple Peter, our spiritual cowardice often makes it feel easier to die for Jesus, than to live for him. Only when we focus on Christ’s power--not our own ability or failures--do we become the channel through which God releases his purpose.

When things go wrong, or you struggle with loss or crisis in your life the first question you probably ask is, ‘Where are you God’, or ‘Why did you let this happen to me God? Even though this is a natural response it is also a dangerous place if you continually dwell there. There is certainly sin and evil in the world and no one is exempt from its effects, but also we don’t know the all encompassing will and plans of God who is working to restore all people and all things to perfection through Christ!

Maybe God is letting things happen for us, so we can grow closer to Him through our faith in His Son, our Savior! God is with us when we are suffering or have feelings of being abandoned. When we submit our life to Him through our Savior Jesus, we share in the power of God’s love, comforting grace as well.

Fearless: Crisis of Faith - Do you ever feel that God is hidden, not listening as you struggle through your life’s journey? Are you convinced that God has turned his back on you? Faith is not the
absence of doubt, worry or anger. Its in believing, and doing what you know you can’t see, yet need to do that your heart follows and finds that our Triune God has always been there leading, guiding, and directing you through whatever problem, crisis, or loss you are struggling to overcome.

HOST/SPEAKER’S - Pastor Paul Steinberg ministers at St. Marcus Lutheran church. He also competed in the world championships if the International Juggler's Association in Montreal and still juggles when he gets a chance. You can learn more about Pastor Stienberg at Stmarcus.org [GJ - where doctrine is juggled every day.]

Mark is running for Governor to provide a positive vision for the future of our state and nation. You can learn more about him and his campaign at markforgov.com

Brian Arthur Lampe along with his wife Tracey of 16 years and their daughter Lindsey are members of St Marcus Lutheran church in Milwaukee, WI. They are involved in the Wandani D4L, youth ministries. You can learn more about the Lampes at CEO-ministries

(Bulletin blurb)
The truth is living by faith is neither an option nor a part-time activity. As we progress in our journey of faith our Triune God wants us to upgrade our level of faith until we reach maturity. Through the
means of grace, He keeps us engaged in the experience of life by motivating us by the Gospel of Christ!

Please join us October 17th 2009 at Wisconsin Lutheran College as we encourage, and reassure one another that thanks be to God we are always walking in faith—fearless faith. You can find registration
information at CEO-ministries.com or call Brian Arthur Lampe at 414-915-3211

Itinerary
October 17th 2009

8:00 A.M Arrive/Register
8:30 A.M Opening Worship
9:15 A.M Crisis of faith
9:45 A.M Fellowship Break
10:00 A.M Faith Building- Confronting
Spiritual Cowardice.
10:45 A.M Fellowship Break
11:00 A.M A certain faith in Christ for
uncertain times.
11:30 A.M Faith Building-Moving from
rejection to resurrection.
12:15 P.M Lunch
1:00 P.M Lift Every Voice
1:30 P.M A change in lifestyle.
2:00 P.M Fellowship break
2:15 P.M Faith Building Create your own
bucket list.
3:00P.M Wrap up/Blessing
3:30 P.M Dismissed

$30.00 includes continental breakfast, lunch, materials, and rental use.

Can you please help get the word out to other congregations?

God Bless
Brian Arthur Lampe

---


Kenneth J. Schmidt has left a new comment on your post "Everyone's A Pastor at Church and Change (aka St. ...":

Mr. Lampe's statement "Men are tough to reach, but they are reachable." is a classic example of modern American Evangelicalism's subtle and sometimes not so subtle disparagement of males. Its pretty much standard Baptist/Pentecostal fare that men are somehow spiritually inferior to women. They have done an excellent job of driving men away and keeping them away with emotionalism and treacly sentimentality. Old Missouri (and to a certain extent present day WELS) always had a good balance of men and women in the pews. If WELS and Missouri become a playtoy of the enthusiasts watch the men drift away.

***

GJ - At Church and Chicanery, the pastor and his wife are always introduced as a ministry team. The same is being done at CEO - no surprise. The last 50 years have emphasized women voting, but the Biblical issue is "women teaching men" and "women usurping authority over men." Both topics are broader than suffrage, but conservatives like suffrage because they can spin that a dozen ways.

At Joel Osteen's Palace of Enthusiasm, his wife preaches as the co-pastor. She preached incautiously that "God wants us to worship our children." She seemed to regret her words and tried to dance around them.

The Mark Jeske And Avoid Him research team has observed the products of his media empire. Ski and Bishop Katie need monthly revivals at Enthusiasm conferences to keep their ministry going. Lampe and his wife have started their own ministry business - another symptom of American Evangelicalism. What qualifies Team Lampe? Who called them to preach and teach?

As Roger Zehms (WELS) and Floyd Luther Stolzenburg (faux-WELS) said at an LPR meeting, "The Holy Spirit has called us, so we do not answer to anyone." Indeed, the Shrinkers think God answers to them. They order God around and make demands upon Him that sound strangely like the corporate goals of Pepsico - 10% growth a year each year.

Mark JeskeAnd Avoid Him

KJV Romans 16:17 Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. 18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.

Mrs. Ichabod and I made a point to watch Time of Grace on DayStar, the liberal Pentecostal ecumenical cable service. I do not think Jeske was broadcasting in the Phoenix market until we left.

I am not sure of the date of the original sermon. Easter lilies were on the altar, so it was probably Easter.

The show was strange, alternating between Mark in an office and Mark in a business suit speaking at St. Marcus. If I had attention deficit syndrome, I would have enjoyed that. But I don't. He was speaking about the same thing in both settings, so I am not sure if the sermon explained the office chat or the chat explicated the sermon.

There really was no sermon. Mark decided to deliver a shallow history lesson on the Greeks, starting with ancient Greece, but including the Parthenon roof blow and the Elgin marbles theft. The WELS Church and Change leaders, including Pope Jeske hisself, follow the Reformed error of lecturing on historical subjects and sermonizing on self-help topics. Apart from a sentence or two of necessary background, comments on Greece were not needed. The Greecian lecture so overwhelmed the alleged sermon that no room was left for the Gospel itself.

I never heard a reference about being Lutheran, nary a quote from Luther - the greatest Biblical expositor of all time. That is another Emerging Church trend. Even proud Babtists like Andy Stanley--who needs to retrain WELS pastors each year--hides his confession in calling his hive Northpoint Community Church. Now Mark is both WELS and LCMS, collecting money from both. Would that happen with a Book of Concord KJV pastor? No - he would be scorned by both - or so I imagine.

The first two Evangelicals I met here were: 1) A member of a community church (WELS? LCMS? no pan-denominational) and 2) A pastor's wife, at another community church. They could have watched Jeske and felt right at home.

Supposedly, Mark's father, Jester, argued that the service should be so Lutheran that non-Lutherans would squirm during the service. With Mark, only the Lutherans squirm.

---

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Mark JeskeAnd Avoid Him":

Rev. Jackson.

Jeske used to show his sermons on Time of Grace. What we see now is a class. Rather, a few bits of a class.

Each class appears to be a part of a series. One can get the DVD of the full classes in the series for a mere $30.00.

I can't for the life of me see why anyone would want to pay to see full series of the mess that is Time of Grace.

I sure wouldn't want this guy as my pastor. I want a shepherd who wants to be a full time shepherd.

***

GJ - In this particular show, Jeske looked exhausted. The office chats, unfortunately, featured close-ups of his eyes that cried out, "I need a vacation!"

Moving Service, Wisconsin Missouri Transit

Real, Relevant, Revolting - West Coast Call to Action Conference - Jesuit

Abuse Alarm – Liturgical Dancing and Puppets
Filed under: Uncategorized — Angela Santana at 10:17 pm on Wednesday, May 7, 2008

"How can people call this a Catholic liturgy??? UNbelievable. As Fr. Philip Neri warns, don’t watch this video while drinking liquids. It’s like a show! Lots of dance numbers, lots of celebrants, lots of leavened bread…lots of liturgical abuses.

Yes, this took place at the West Coast Call To Action conference. Who’s that? Let’s look at their conference speakers:

Victoria Rue, M.Div., Ph.D. is a feminist theologian, and writer, director, and teacher of theatre. She teaches at San Jose State University in Comparative Religious Studies and Women’s Studies. Victoria also presides at monthly liturgies of the Sophia Catholic Community in Santa Cruz and at a weekly Eucharist at SJSU.

Bishop Remi de Roo, purportedly the youngest bishop at the Second Vatican Council, who said in an interview, “You’re not going to get the young people unless you’re willing to accept modern culture and give it the right to express itself in liturgy,” spoke about–you guessed it–the “true spirit” of Vatican II.

Robert Blair-Kaiser of takebackourchurch.org. “Take Back Our Church”? Isn’t this God’s Church? His Bride? The one He established? Am I inhaling too much incense here, people???

And of course there are Jesuits aplenty. I know there are some wonderful, faithful and orthodox Jesuits out there–take Fr. Mitch Pacwa. But let’s face it, there are lots who aren’t. They were at the WCCTA conference."

More Roman Catholic examples.


***

GJ - Where have I read the same rubrics? Let me check with Google.

Oh, here:

"The CORE exists to transform lives for Christ through faith that is real, relevant, and relational."

In another place, The CORE "takes culture seriously."

Turning the worship service into entertainment (relevant culture) began with Vatican II, the drug-soaked 1960s, and the insights of Fuller Seminary. In WELS and the Little Sect on the Praire, all roads lead back to Jeske, Kelm, Parlow, Patterson, Valleskey, Roth, Witte, Aderman, Bruce Becker, and Wayne Mueller.

WELS Members Funded This Church Growth Cancer, In the Name of Prayer

The WELS Prayer Network

The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) is a Confessional Lutheran Church body begun in 1850 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The WELS has approximately 1,259 congregations with a total membership of 400,622 souls. See www.wels.net for details on the Synod and its various ministries.

The WELS PRAYER NETWORK was established in November, 2004 in Green Bay, Wisconsin by a group of about 20 WELS Christians. The Institute received a $1,000 grant from WELS Perish Services to begin its ministry. The Network is a daughter ministry of "Church and Change." See www.churchandchange.org for details. The Board of Directors meets once a year in Milwaukee to provide guidance for the network. As of September, 2009 the Board of Directors is: Reg Draheim, Dan Witte, Matt Doebler, Dan Oberer, Bruce Becker, Paul Kelm, Jim Aderman, Bob Gurgel.

The organizational meeting of the Network was held at Beautiful Savior Evangelical Lutheran Church on November 7, 2004. At that meeting it was agreed to begin praying that God would promote and encourage prayer specifically for renewal throughout the Synod. A prayer conference date of July 16, 2005 was established. Steve and Reg were asked to serve as event coordinators and host the conference in Green Bay. The first event was to be promoted primarily by word of mouth and distribution of a brochure

***

GJ - Questions just zip through my mind:

1. Why did 20 Lutherans need $1,000 from the synod to start a group? That is just $50 per person. Note that Bruce Becker's Perish Services gave the money, so Bruce used his budget to get another Church Shrinker group going, the same way Church and Change started - from the offerings of faithful Lutherans. Purpose - undermine Lutheran doctrine.
   
2. WELS Lutherans are denser in Fox Valley than just about any other area. Why would these pious souls not ask their own congregations for the loot?
   
3. Or hit up Thrivent?
   
4. Why did Church and Change think they needed a separate organization? This sounds like a hidey-hole prepared for the day when the synod shut down Church and Change.
   
5. Wowser. Look at the Board of Directors! Church $hrinkage Unlimited. I imagine they double-dip by having a Fuller reunion party after the board meetings. Thanks to Ichabod, most people know what these people stand for: The Book of Concord...not!
   

EastCoast wrote to me a few months ago: "Thanks for exposing the WELS Prayer Institute."

The Marines and Two Presidents

NPH Publishes Koester's Study of the Book of Concord

David Chytraeus is another genius of the Reformation.
Lutherans know C. Peter Wagner better than Chytraeus, Chemnitz, and Gerhard.

As I recall, Robert Koester earned a DMin at Fuller Seminary but learned there how bezonkers the whole Church Growth Movement was.

He was often quoted in the background in the 1980s, because all the pastors understood they had to speak softly in Jerusalem, lest it be heard on the streets of Gath.

"Shall we permit this to be done! in the name of Christian unity! and by a latitudinarianism that is our own heritage, which rises ever anew from the embers of the past to find such veiled support and strength in the citadel of Zion that Confessionalism is told to whisper low in Jerusalem lest she be heard on the streets of Gath."
Theodore E. Schmauk and C. Theodore Benze, The Confessional Principle and the Confessions, as Embodying the Evangelical Confession of the Christian Church, Philadelphia: 1911, p. 941.

I even had a colleague of Herman Otten tell me at his church how much he loved my rips on Church Growth. But when I began talking about CG in this pastor's large LCMS church, with staff around, he made it clear that I should skip over the topic.

This adult study is called:

A Brief Introduction to the Lutheran Confessions,

A Bible Study for Adults.

By Robert J. Koester.

The book follows the order of the Book of Concord. People are going to find that the Book of Concord is the best, one-volume commentary on the Bible they can find. They really have no business buying new Bible commentaries or new editions of the BOC until they know the basics of the Triglotta.

Unfortunately, the study uses the ELCA Kolb/Wengert Book of Concord for quotations and the wretched NIV.

That means two serious mistakes were made. The old Tappert was OK for a small version of the Book of Concord. At least Tappert knew what it meant to be a Lutheran. NPH prints the Triglotta, and Repristination has a one-volume, English-only Trigotta. Why would anyone to the right of Unitarianism want to sell ELCA books for them? Yuk.

It has been shown that the old classics can be reproduced and sold to great advantage. The Bente Historical Introductions to the Book of Concord was once sold as a single volume. The English-only could be reprinted in a more eye-pleasing form.

* - Kurt Marquart used to criticize the Tappert translation, but later Concordia, Ft. Wayne was promoting the ELCA edition, which some call a fantasy version - not the official text. I would rather order cockroaches for my home than an ELCA version of anything. ELCA dropped Sasse and Lenski from its list, but they published the rants of a female Jewish Rabbi! Augsburg/Fortress - a name that will live in infamy.

Look in the back of the ELS and WELS hymnals. They are full of credits for the Liberal Book of Weirdness, which they kelmed with gusto. Why? Publicly, they skewer ELCA. So why is ELCA a leader in hymnal publishing, an example to emulate? The WELS answer is that James Tiefel laid unclean hands on the project. Like his cousin Paul Tiefel (CLC), he is a true ecumenist: he loves every denomination except his own.

WELS CW is set up to look exactly like the LBW.  Why? The ELCA leaders are especially good at graphics, flower arranging, and interior decoration. ELCA tried to keep Lutheran out of the LBW title. WELS succeeded. The LBW started the feminist trend with hymns. WELS took it into the Creeds - fully human and other barbarisms.

Pieper's Non-Sermon Deleted

Still Life: Water on Mars

I had to delete Don Pieper's non-sermon because there were so many code errors in it, from kelming it. The more I fixed it, the worse my blog looked. I needed an exorcist for this one.

You can perhaps find it on the Net, where he posted it. But then again, maybe he took it down. I can't find it at the moment. Tis funny how the Shrinkers remove their sermons once people start reading them and gagging.

Patient Endurance

Thanks to a recent innovation, sold on QVC, I can blog while walking Sassy.

Most people of patience as being able to remain calm while waiting for a few minutes.

The Biblical term refers to waiting for many years during a time of great conflict and trouble. Americans are probably the most impatient people on earth, a strength in many ways, but a weakness in others. Would anyone else expect a deadline in a conflict that has lasted 14 centuries? Yet Islam began an aggressive military campaign as soon as their prophet died, reaching Vienna in 1530 and repulsed only by circumstances and incredible stupidity in the last attempt in 1581. Islam gave the Lutheran Church a chance to take root, so we have to give the religion some credit.

Resolving conflict after Luther's death took decades, not minutes. He died in 1546, creating a vacuum of doctrinal leadership, which was filled by the editors of the Book of Concord. The Book of Concord was not published until 1580, so the effort to unify the Lutheran voice took 34 years of work by several of the greatest theologians in the history of the Church. Why do Lutherans know so little about Chemnitz, Chytraeus, J. Gerhard, and the others? Because Lutheran religious leaders have neglected those theologians with savage indifference. Luther himself is just a rabbit's foot today, someone to mention, usually a figure to disparage. One ELS pastor began ranting about Luther. I asked, "How much Luther have you read?" The answer was, "Not much."

I was not surprised later to learn that an ELS professor confused Paul Gerhardt the hymn-writer with Johann Gerhard the theologian (co-author with Chemnitz on the Harmony). The ELS is not especially ignorant - just illiterate at the same level as WELS and Missouri. ELCA is in another league altogether - no wonder Jerry Kieschnick is so cosy with them. Jerry follows the money, even into will-writing that landed him in court.

Too many people have chanted, "What does Synod say?" as if an organization were the Holy Spirit. Too few have studied Lenski, the Book of Concord, and a KJV. Previous upheavals have been caused by Lutherans who were well versed and eager to debate the issues. Missouri Lutherans used to pack churches to debate Seminex. Before that WELS had many conferences on the Synodical Conference apostasy. The managerial types, mostly Boomers, made sure that never happened again. But power is not taken - it is given up. The membership largely gave up its power and will to anyone with a title, briefcase, and DNA.

The eructations of Church Growth, Emerging Church, Purpose-Driven, Contagious, New Age, and Rock have finally become irritants too caustic to ignore. It will take time and study to expel them from the Lutheran Church. The issue is not high church versus low church (or even buffoon church) but sound doctrine. High church buffoonery is not only possible but mandatory in the Episcopal Church, USA.

Thrivent Slashes Giving Programs

Church and Change is doomed! Doomed, I tell ya!
What was that about building on a foundation of shifting sand?

Friday, September 18, 2009

Thrivent Financial cuts outreach funding, offers buyouts

The Business Journal of Milwaukee - by Katharine Grayson Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is cutting the amount of money it spends on outreach programs and offering buyouts to some employees who support related efforts.

Minneapolis-based Thrivent, a not-for-profit financial-services firm with a large operations center in Appleton, will spend $125 million on tax-exempt activities in 2010, down from about $172 in the prior year.

The decision was partly driven by the downturn in the financial markets, said Tim Lehman, senior vice president of member experience strategy for Thrivent. The company expects to restore funding to tax-exempt activities in the coming years.

About 260 employees work on tax-exempt programs. Lehman declined to disclose how many of those workers have been offered voluntary severance packages. The deadline to accept buyouts is today.

Thrivent’s outreach programs range from offering financial education programs to matching donations. Along with budget changes, Thrivent will eliminate two of its giving programs, Care and Congregations and GivingPlus, which provides a 50 percent match for donations members make to Lutheran organizations, Lehman said. The programs will be replaced with a new offering, Thrivent Choice, which allows members to direct funds to organizations of their choice.

The Minneapolis / St. Paul Business Journal is a sister publication of The Business Journal Serving Greater Milwaukee.

Sick of Church Movement

They have their own website. Watch their videos here.

The key motivator of Church Shrinkage, now called Emerging Church, is "sick of church." Don Pieper uses it on his website. Ski exudes it at The CORE. I could find more examples, but the bored are extremely boring. They copy each other's ennui and call it evangelism.

Long ago and far away, Rick Miller (WELS, now ex-WELS) used the same language in starting a mission for those "sick of church." Church was boring, meaningless, irrelevant. That sounds like Ski today. They all sound the same. Miller, Freier, and Voigt managed to turn a Missouri/WELS start into an Evangelical Covenant congregation.

They like to denounce everyone as "money-grubbing" (Don Pieper, etc). No one scrounges for money more than Church and Chicanery. There is not one self-supporting church among them. They waste incredible amounts of loot from foundations, Thrivent, and the synod. Gunn, Parlow, Doebler, Ski, and Patterson have their hands out all the time. Their political managers at The Love Shack "help" (divide) congregations and demand $5,000 to $35,000 for boilerplate nonsense. They call their business "Parish Services."

Leveraging the Left - Supplanting the Good

Apostate activism in the visible Church parallels Leftist activism in society. Both use the same tactics.

They leverage their marginal status by sticking together and excommunicating anyone who dissents from the program. They use a constant (albeit anonymous) stream of abuse against anyone who gets in their way, but they howl like worn brakes whenever someone identifies what is wrong with their agenda. For example, while the Shrinkers were busy destroying doctrine in the ELS, WELS, and LCMS, anyone who questioned them was "lazy, brain-damaged, senile, contentious, legalistic, and always finding something under a rock."

Best of all, the Left and the Apostates love to have nominal conservatives in positions where they can advance the agenda by appearing to be moderate, reasonable, and willing to negotiate. By appearing seriously concerned, they block what needs to be done while demoralizing the faithful. For example, most people would call WELS DPs "conservative," and I have often heard Glaeske and others called "conservative." But who will block the Love Shack clean-up ordered by the convention? The Doctrinal Pussycats will.

Bush I and II did their best to destroy the conservative base in American society. Barry-McCain, once elected, did their best to communicate their loathing and contempt for the LCMS conservatives who elected Barry. The Bush team paved the way for the Obama victory, and the Barry team made it possible for the LCMS Left to get their candidate permanently installed.

In the visible Church, the confessional Lutherans need to get over their need to be loved by Apostates. That will never happen. The Apostates have their own support system, and it is extremely effective. If they savage the Second Table of the Ten Commandments, losing everything to fast women and slow horses, their people say, "They are only human." If they savage the First Table, which is far more serious, the conservatives say, "Oh! They are so creative!"

Interesting Concept for Campus Reform

The American Spectator

Campus Reform Done Right

By Quin Hillyer on 9.18.09 @ 6:07AM

To be "venerable" doesn't mean to be behind the times.

When in the June issue of the parent magazine I wrote about how conservative groups are planning to catch up to the left organizationally in this new linked-up world, I mentioned that "the venerable Leadership Institute... remains one of conservatism's greatest resources." Little did I know. I vastly understated the case.

This past Tuesday, LI launched what is almost certainly its single most ambitious project http://www.campusreform.org/ in its three decades of effective conservative activism -- and LI founder Morton Blackwell is absolutely right to be excited about it.

What it is, is an attempt to go "virally" toe to toe with the left. Without top-down, command-and-control organization, LI wants to generate conservative activism on college campuses far surpassing even its own impressive record. It does so by creating a website, CampusReform.org, seemingly based on the maxim that "if you build it, they will come."

And an incredibly well-organized, informative, and user-friendly website it is indeed.

CampusReform.org contains sub-sites for every single one of the 2,446 four-year college campuses in America. Each sub-site contains a blog, an event list, a chat room, a list of leftist faculty, a list of and links to local and campus-based conservative groups that already exist, a list of conservative jobs, and a place to review textbooks for accuracy and leftist bias.

The main site, meanwhile, contains an even greater wealth of resources and information, including extensive "how-to" primers on campus activism, solicitation of speakers for campus events, and a veritable cornucopia of other helpful features. Even for techno-tards like yours truly, the main sites and its thousands of sub-sites are incredibly easy to navigate. Even better -- and, it turns out, quite importantly -- it welcomes and encourages alumni to participate as well, in supportive roles, so the students can draw on the resources of conservatives with fond memories of their alma maters.

"I signed up as a 'friend' at LSU," Blackwell told me. "The addition of non-students who are interested in the campuses is going to be important. When we have studied campus organizations through the years, we have found that the ones that grow and have longevity are those that have alumni involvement. Similarly, you know that fraternities and sororities survive better than other student organizations because you have alumni who are interested in their old chapter."

Even with 1,220 active campus conservative groups nationwide right now, Blackwell said, far too few are automatically self-sustaining.

"For a dozen years I have sent out field staff to find conservatives and we have been very successful at it. But the number of groups has proved directly proportional to the number of resources I can raise to send campus representatives out. There's just not enough money to cover every campus. I wanted to figure out how to get more activism on campuses more cost-effectively."

That's why CampusReform.org is designed to work and expand through "viral marketing," or "social networking." The proposal Blackwell wrote for the project, finished in April before work actually started in building the site, put it this way: "To a much greater extent than in a line organization, activities which grow through social networking are thought up, organized, and implemented at the grassroots, without centralized direction and sometimes even without the knowledge of those who set up the process…. For this process to work, grassroots people have to be sufficiently motivated to use their own online social networks, persuasive skills, and Web technologies to recruit their own personal contacts, who in turn recruit their respective personal contacts, and so on."

For younger, tech-savvy conservatives, this might sound like a revelation that is just so 2007. They understand this already. But that's the point: This is a site designed primarily for younger conservatives. And while the concept is one with which they already may be familiar, the platform may be the best they've ever seen. Again, go and navigate it for yourself: It's so well constructed, not to mention visually attractive, as to be a perfect vehicle, or even a pluperfect vehicle, for the networking tendencies that come naturally to today's college students.

Leadership Institute's existing supporters certainly seem excited about it. Back in March, when the concept was still being fleshed out, Blackwell mailed a fund-raising appeal specifically for CampusReform.org to 11,000 of LI's "largest and most recent donors," and received more than 2,000 donations -- a 19 percent response, which is phenomenally good for direct mail -- at an average donation of $692.

"I have had a long-term awareness of how the campuses have become left-wing indoctrination centers," Blackwell said, "and many, many students can go their entire college educations and never see any representations of conservative principles on their campuses -- but they see innumerable amounts of propaganda both in campus curriculum and with speakers and in campus newspapers. It has always bugged me that conservatives have not done likewise."

This is the newest, biggest attempt by Blackwell and LI to do just that. And as tens of thousands of LI graduates will surely tell you, when it comes to engaging young conservatives in civic and political work, Morton Blackwell's attempts almost always succeed -- to the benefit of the conservative cause and the country it serves.

New Ad Campaign Features Norman Teigen

Time of Generic Grace Fan Welcomes Gurgle

Shrinkers Gurgle and Patterson.

WELCOME: Rev. Karl Gurgel and his wife, Barbara, arrived this past week. We are pleased to have them with us. Rev. Gurgel will preach the sermon today.
[GJ - I thought Karl was still in hiding.]

UNITED WAY CONTRIBUTIONS: The 2009-2010 United Way campaign began this month. Last year Wisconsin Lutheran Child and Family Service received gifts from over 50 different United Way agencies and workplace giving programs throughout the United States as a qualified 501©3 non-profit agency. If you have questions about your participation in such a program, ask your Human Resource Director at work, call WLCFS toll free at 1-800-685-9522, extension 225 or e-mail info@wlcfs.org.

[GJ - Isn't United Way a pro-abortion agency? Note the WLCFS-Patterson connection.]

THRIVENT PROGRAM: Although the supplemental Thrivent program is scheduled for the entire year, we have heard that the funds alloted (sic) for 2009 may not last until the end of the year. So giving your gifts by the end of September or first of October is recommended lest the fund be depleted and your gift would not be supplemeted (sic). Thanks for considering making a timely gift.

[GJ - Can liberals spell? Edit? If y'all buy enough Thrivent insurance, Holy Word can get another free staffer.]

EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS: Our School is participating in several programs which help us earn extra money for school equipment. By collecting UPCs from numerous Campbells’ products and lids from V8 juices, we earn equipment. The General Mills Boxtops for Education Program provides 10¢ for each logo collected. Collection containers have been placed in the fellowship hall and in the school hallway for your convenience. Check your October Lamplighter for additional information and lists of eligible products and what to save. Thanks for your help.

RANDALLS’ PROGRAM: Randalls’ stores have a program which we use to help fund our school hot lunch program. You can help by asking the cashier to add #326 to your Randall’s card. Randall’s periodically sends a check for a small percentage of these sales.

[GJ - Commercialism is not working very well at Holy Word, because they still need synod subsidies after decades of growth.]

ATTENDANCE LAST WEEK
1st Service 92
2nd Service 172
Communion 205
Bible Class 72
Sunday School 38
Youth Bible Class 12
Spanish Chapel 18
Lunchtime Bible Study 4
Collinwood Bible Study 10
Men’s Bible Breakfast 10
Wednesday Bible Study 13
Youth in Christ 33

[GJ - They need more latte and Rock.]

The Fifteenth Sunday after Trinity

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship
Bethany Lutheran Worship, 10 AM Central

The Hymn #361 O Jesus King 4.1
The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual Galatians 5:25-6:10
The Gospel Matthew 6:24-34
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #123 Our God Our Help 4.3
The Good Samaritan Is Christ

The Hymn #371 Jesus Thy Blood 4.6
The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #657 Beautiful Savior 4.24

Galatian 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

Galatians 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another. 6:1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. 2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. 3 For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. 4 But let every man prove his own work, and then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone, and not in another. 5 For every man shall bear his own burden. 6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things. 7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. 8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. 9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

KJV Matthew 6:24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

FIFTEENTH SUNDAY AFTER TRINITY
Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank Thee for all Thy benefits: that Thou hast given us life and graciously sustained us unto this day: We beseech Thee, take not Thy blessing from us; preserve us from covetousness, that we may serve Thee only, love and abide in Thee, and not defile ourselves by idolatrous love of mammon, but hope and trust only in Thy grace, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Fruit of the Spirit
Galatian 5:16 This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. 17 For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. 18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
I combined the Epistles for the last two weeks because we missed last week’s service and the two selections are in sequence.

The key to understanding this lesson--and all related passages--is simple, but profound. A correct understanding here means that the great division in Christianity is made clear. On one side are the Enthusiasts. On the other are those who understand the work of the Holy Spirit.

When the Bible speaks of the work of the Holy Spirit, it is always associated with the Word of God. The two are never separated.

Notice how easily people take a passage like this into another realm. When the Spirit is separated from the Word, they look for special signs they have the Spirit. The emphasis is then man-centered. Pentecostals think they have to smile all the time and make plenty of money. As Luther said, and we confess, they talk about Jesus but take away the bridge to Jesus. The Savior comes to us through the Means of Grace.

In the Epistle selections for this Sunday and last Sunday, Spirit and flesh are contrasted, along with Law and Gospel. The situation in the congregation was quite serious. The Gospel was being adulterated by people who wanted to impose Law conditions on the members so those people would be deserving of salvation. The logic was compelling – Jesus was a Jew who obeyed the Torah. So were all the Apostles. The early Church preached in the synagogues until they were expelled, literally thrown out, as Jesus predicted in the Gospel of John.

Our Old Adam wants to have something to offer God – merit, works, obligations, and so forth. When people are weak in the faith, false teachers easily lead them into error. One person said, “I have to witness or God will not let me grow as a Christian.” All the “have to” and “must” language is Law.

Whenever Law is added to the Gospel, the Gospel is turned into Law. The effect of the Law-Gospel confusion is going to be crushing, because the obligations mount up. Or they create vanity, pride, and obstinacy – Look at what I have done for God. In fact, many false teachers are excused for “all they have done for the church,” as if God’s work needs propping up while His Word is being disparaged and diminished.

So why do we have Law and Gospel, flesh and Spirit?

The Law is good, useful, and spiritual, but limited in effect. No one is saved by the Law. The Law cannot produce healing or any good work (on its own). When the Law does influence good works, it is because (third use of the Law) it is reflecting the Gospel, just as the moon has no light of its own but reflects the sun (Luther’s insight).

In this situation, false teachers were making Jewish ritual law mandatory, and that included circumcision. This imposed a load of guilt on people for the wrong reasons. It also encouraged the legalists to think of salvation as conformity to the Law. Both effects were harmful, so that is why Paul used such strong language against it.

Luther used his commentary on Galatians to drive a permanent wedge between all the Protestants (called Evangelicals at first) and the Roman Catholics. He used every possible argument to remove any possibility of mixing Law and Gospel. That is why the Formula of Concord spends so much time on this topic. And Walther left a permanent impact on America with his Law and Gospel lectures – which he gave but did not write down. The lectures were transcribed and published in German, then English.

The Law attacks the flesh, showing us our need for guilt. It is like a medical diagnosis, showing us what is wrong. But the Law also makes people proud when they misuse or misunderstand it. They are like the people who say, “I am in perfect health.” That is so far from the truth that medical examiners mistrust anyone who claims that remarkable achievement. I even saw that written on one report – The client claims (underlined) to have no medical conditions. In fact, he had several which were relatively minor. Why would someone lie about that – deliberately so?

The Law stirs up wrath and opposition. As soon as the Law is announced, even with our own resolutions, we rebel. And yet, we yearn for Law salvation, which is another sign our flesh belongs to our Old Adam.

The confusion of the apostolic era is very much like the invasion of Pietism among the Protestants. In both cases, earnest false teachers wanted to have outward signs of inner salvation, so they invoked the Law to produce those good effects. They turned the “want to” of the Gospel into the “have to” of the Law.

For example, the Bible does not say, “You have to pray or else.” Instead, all the passages encouraging prayer are accompanied by assurance of God’s love, power, and compassion – His faithfulness to His people.

What Paul offers, in contrast, is the Gospel and its fruit. The fruit of the Spirit can only come from the pure Gospel, not the Gospel mixed with Law.

Galatians 5:18 But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

The list is written to indicate there are many other works of the flesh. That is one way of saying, “If you want what can be seen, then here is what our flesh has to offer, an endless list.” The Law is like the broom sweeper of Pilgrim’s Progress, who stirs up the dust until it chokes everyone.

The Gospel is pure forgiveness and comes to us through the Word and Sacrament. The Gospel announces what Christ has accomplished for us, earning our forgiveness, distributing this treasure through the Means of Grace. A good illustration is infant baptism. The Sacrament is brought to the baby. How offended are those who want a child to “make a decision” or perform some obligation to earn membership in the Kingdom – along with a contradictory claim that babies do not sin or know sin until age 7! (My answer in two words – Terrible Twos. Also – have you ever changed a diaper when a baby resisted with all his might?)

The Holy Spirit distributes the treasure of the Atonement through preaching, teaching, and the Sacraments, but many spurn this treasure in various ways. Faith means trusting in the Word of God, in His Promises. Faith receives what God freely offers in the Means of Grace. Man’s pride tries to change this, making the Christian faith “reasonable” or conforming to a new set of man-made rules, such as Zwingli’s “The Holy Spirit does not need a vehicle, like an oxcart.”

So the baby receives the Gospel in Holy Baptism and the parents nurture this Spirit-Word faith as the child grows. The growing child learns more about the sin and the Gospel as he grows. From the Gospel, and the Gospel alone, will come the fruit of the Spirit. “Do this or else” will not produce the fruit of the Spirit.

Galatians 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

The fruit of the Spirit is nine-fold, a trinity of trinities, reminding us of the Three-ness of the One God.

love, joy, peace,
longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, 23 Meekness, temperance.

Those who want an abundance of love will find it as a product of the abundance of the Word, because the Spirit is never without the Word, and the Word is never without the Word. Love does not convert people to the Gospel, as Luther observed. Love is a product of the Gospel. All those trying to love-bomb people into the Kingdom are using the Law. “The ushers have to be friendly or the sermon will have no effect.” What a tragic disrespect for the power of the Word. (Do the silk ribbons saying usher or greeter have to be a cheery color, too?)

Joy is not the same as happiness. The unbelieving world wants us to believe that joy comes from material happiness, in spite of all the contrary evidence. Joy is best represented by the father of a family of five. I don’t know how he managed on his salary, yet every phrase seemed to start with “I am thankful to God for…”
Where people look for joy as a product of material blessings, believers experience joy as a result of the Gospel proclamation. Joy is often experienced in the midst of the cross, because the work of the Spirit is so clear and the vanity of the world so obvious.

Peace – everyone yearns for peace, and the Word directs us to that peace. The Scriptures never address peace apart from forgiveness and salvation. Inner peace can only come from the forgiveness won for us through Christ and received in faith. With that peace, the world may be in turmoil but the heart is calm. Luther’s best phrase is – God does not take the trouble from your heart, but your heart from the trouble.

Much more can be said later about the final six fruits of the Spirit.

WELS Doctrinal Pussycats - The Big Three

Rev. Douglas J. Engelbrecht supports Ski, Church and Change, and the Fox Valley apostasy.
Northern Wisconsin District President
nwdpwels@sab.wels.net

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DP Rutschow guards the doctrine of his district. Seriously.

"Not that Word and Sacrament are ineffective in incorporating new souls into our fellowship. Not at all! But according to some serious Church Growth studies, as many as one-third of the people gained for protestant church membership today do not feel they really belong."
David N. Rutschow The Evangelism Life Line (WELS), Winter, 1985, p. 3.
Rev. David N Rutschow is seriously addressing Mark Jeske's sworn (RSO) fidelity to LCMS doctrine and practice, so do not be anxious.
Southeastern Wisconsin District President
sewdp@aol.com
630-852-7914

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DP Herb Prahl approved the vicar who would learn Church and Change gourmet coffee brewing under Randy Hunter. Prahl's son vicared for Kudu Don Patterson.
Rev. Herbert H Prahl
Western Wisconsin District President
wwdpwels@sab.wels.net
715-834-2595
***

GJ - Watch the Big Three block any attempts to clean house at The Love Shack, in spite of an overwhelming WELS convention vote.

Convention actions are meaningless if people do not actively support correct doctrine and practice.

New Jeske Translation

"Sit down right chere, Jerry, let's talk about incentives for the switch.
I, ahem, the members, need RSO status. Done deal? Aw-right!" 

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

I am a 5th generation WELS guy and have no plans to leave.

KJV 1 Corinthians 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.

King Jeske Version - Moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man trace his DNA back five generations. There, I said it.

Ski, Jeske, and CEO Ministries. Ski can teach new missions how to turn $250,000 into a mega-church of 15 members, starved of Holy Communion because "the custom Holy Communion set has not arrived."
The ELS recently asked, "How significant is Church and Change in WELS? Is Jeske really the leader of that group?"

Answer - Church and Chicanery still infests WELS Headquarters (aka The Love Shack).

The Church Growth Movement = Church and Change = Perish Services, Mission Boards, and FIC. Perish Services has spent lavishly on itself while charging enormous sums to congregations for boilerplate advice, without putting in the right fill-in-the-blanks information. One WEF had this - "When the bells stop ringing, and the service starts..." Members laughed. Another church saw the wrong congregational name here and there in their custom report. For this, Perish Services charges $7,000 to $35,000. Next, Ron Roth and Jeff Davis step in to raise funds - for themselves. Nice work.

Jeske the head of Chicanery? Listen to him blab about himself and change in his Mequon lecture. Read his blog about "everything must change" - with awe and wonder. Look at the Church and Change stealth board of directors:
Brian Lampe - from St. Markus.
Ski - worked at St. Markus.
Bruce Becker - now works for Time of Generic Grace.

Nathan Krause presents at Chicanery conferences but serves as a pastor in the confessional ELS? Where is the Left Foot of Fellowship so vigorously extended by the hobnail boot of Pope John the Malefactor?