Too Bad Patterson Does Not Use the Historic Lessons

KJV Ephesians 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 25 Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.


Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Fellowship Principles? Fellowship Only with the Ba...":

It is ridiculous that the WELS cultish mentality leads the pastoral leadership to ignore the plank sticking out of its (WELS) own eye.

I recently had a conversation with one of the stealth leaders of C and C (Patterson). He tried to completely disown C and C and said he has his own concerns about the group ("pure gold?"). Yet he is leading the CG charge in the SouthCentral Babptist District as he gives approval to the Methodist methods of Doebler, journeys off to visit Stetzer, pushes soccer for Jesus, safari hunts to Africa, and grant writing 101 for free vicars and staph ministers.

Patterson's own church is cutting teachers' salaries, yet this small to mid-size church brings on president-in-exile Gurgel to ramp up for Patterson's ascent to DP.

Jeske, Kelm, Parlow, Patterson, et al are persistent errorist that the WELS won't touch. Yet the pastoral leadership screams about the LCMS view of ministry and fellowship principles...huh...

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GJ - The secret hazing ritual at Mequon starts with everyone lying about GA being held, the upperclassmen pretending to be the opposite of what they are (Pietists versus The Hards). False teachers have always deceived people about their doctrine, but GA has honed the skills of the Shrinker leaders. DP Robert Mueller said, "No one in WELS has a problem with Church Growth - just you." Later he admitted Paul Calvin Kelm was in constant trouble over CG doctrine. Say what? - I was the only one who objected.

Patterson and the Shrinkers have two stories, depending on the audience. If they have two conflicting stories, they do not believe either one. The Kingdom of God is not advanced with deception.

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Freddy Finkelstein has left a new comment on your post "Too Bad Patterson Does Not Use the Historic Lesson...":

TM,

Your observation regarding the connection of CGM to Synod administration -- or Administration with a capital "A" -- resonates with me. The principles of CGM grow out of organizational theory, and in the Church, represent the wish-dreams of Administrators become reality.

My father, a rather "mavericky" fellow, has spent his entire life studying organizations and administrators for the sole purpose of knowing how to circumvent them. I think this grew out of his intense dislike for the administrators in charge of his tour in Vietnam... I have found that his observation regarding Administrators has in every case been true: "Administrators don't climb ladders. They start by looking for something -- anything -- to manage or administer (the smaller the better), and proceed to build a ladder beneath them by expanding the project, or adding sub-projects. They are always on top of the ladder. As the scope of their administrative responsibilities expands, so does their value and influence." Administrative growth occurs, not as individuals act out of concern for the organization, but generally as they act out of personal ambition. Administrators, ever the "creative idea men," are always suggesting new programs to administer -- it often comes off as creative philanthropy, but in reality, perhaps even sub-consciously, it's self-promoting.

CGM, with myriad projects requiring someone to administer them, dangles golden carrots in the faces of administrator-types. And when introduced to "virgin territory", to a congregation or Church Body without CGM, aggressive administrator-types become unstoppable: it's an easy opportunity to become important. If we are to get rid of CGM, as a practical matter we really ought to severely reduce the administrative positions that serve to lure such personalities to begin with, limit the number, scope, and duration of "new programs," require frequent turnover of staff who serve in administrative positions, and really scrutinize the roots of "new programs."

My Opinion,

Freddy Finkelstein

Fellowship Principles? Fellowship Only with the Babtists:All Others Get the Left Foot of Fellowship

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Why Are the Chicaneries Raging? Aren't They in Ch...":

I recently had a conversation with my ex-pastor (a conservative and a great guy) about my recent defection to an LCMS church. I moved to Milwaukee for a job and not wanting to spend 6 months visiting WELS churches before I found one that wasn't Whoopee Worship, I used http://www.lutheranliturgy.org/ to find a Confessional church. Found one near my residence, visited and examined their teachings and found them to be in agreement with the Book of Concord. Joined the church. Done.

My ex-pastor was upset and we got into a discussion about fellowship. He told me that the LCMS church I joined cannot be teaching the truth (by definition)because we are in fellowship with the heretical LCMS churches. I mentioned that He too was in fellowship with errorists as long as Jeske and others go uncorrected.

He defended the WELS by saying that there is a difference between errorists and persistent errorists and that since we don't know the WELS errorists’ hearts it's okay to continue in fellowship with them until it becomes obvious that they are persistent. I then invited my ex-pastor to a dinner party with all my old friends who've been led astray by Jeske—I was implying that the level of persistence was obvious but I’m not sure he got it. So I said that He and the rest of the WELS actually are in fellowship with the LCMS anyway because the recognition that Jeske and Time of Grace have received from Missouri. My ex-pastor expressed his anger at the crap going on in the WELS, but he made sure to insist the LCMS's false doctrine, advising me to study the Bible and Confessions regarding Ministry, Divine Call, the definition of Church.

My questions for you: Which of the Synods' doctrines on Fellowship, Church and Ministry is more Lutheran and why? Do you think that there is any practical difference between the two views of Fellowship considering the WELS lack of discipline? Does fellowship between Christian churches exist if there is no physical interaction or exchange of ideas? Do you think it matters what Synod I belong to as long as the church I’m a part of teaches Truth?

Thank you.


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GJ - My question is, "Who believes their own official doctrine?" That is the basic mark of apostasy. The remnants of the Synodical Conference have been bowing to unionistic CG gurus for decades and watching their Doctrinal Pussycats do the same. That alone goes against their official standards, so what does fellowship mean to them? Nothing. They love fellowship with Fuller Seminary and Willow Creek. As Reu said so well, unionism causes doctrinal indifference and doctrinal indifference causes unionism. No one today would say as much as the old ALC leader Reu. They are all "ohne Reu" - lacking him and without repentance (a pun on Reu - for those of you who graduated from Mequon).

I will write more later. Let me know what your WELS pastor has done about St. Mark, Depere being a member of the Willow Creek Association. Send me a note when the DP is disciplined for his lack of discipline.

Why Are the Chicaneries Raging? Aren't They in Charge of Everything?

The Book of Concord, as seen by WELS Church and Change.

The Chicaneries have seemed rather cranky lately, a surprise to those of us who see them running WELS and grabbing the funds for themselves.

They used to control the periodical, the quarterly, higher education, and the grapevine. Now they face a triple threat.

Their leading lights are elderly, either retired or several months short of Social Security.

They cannot suppress the truth about their dogma, plans, and activities, since they left their lupine footprints all over the Internet.

The information comes from all over WELS, prompting leaders and laity to read it for various reasons. So many people provide details that it does no good to cut someone off the secret Chicanery channels. The information providers know that the Chicanery will stomp them for telling the truth, so Ichabod is a safe way to publish rather than perish. Besides, the readership is so extensive now that a good post is going to be read right away, all over the world. "No one reads Ichabod." They wish.

Thoughts of Schwan

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Engage Maximum Deniability Drive...Now!":

"GJ - I knew someone would post this about TOF. They were quick to deny TOF was ELS even though an ELS pastor ran it, an ELS/WELS board governed it, and the missionaries were all ELS and commissioned at ELS services by the ELS president. What was it before 2009? - Methodist?"

TOF was, of course, pretty much run by the ELS with token representation by the WELS.

The key here is the Schwan Foundation (SURPRISE!!! SURPRISE!!!)

Schwan requested/suggested/demanded that TOF be officially an entity of the ELS.

As Yul Brynner as Ramses II in THE TEN COMMANDMENTS (1956) said a number of times "so let it be written, so let it be done."

The Schwan Foundation spoke - The ELS jumped.

The huge question now is: Now that the ELS has taken on TOF as a mission of its own, will the Schwan Foundation continue to subsidize TOF at the same level it had in the past or will it shut off those funds, forcing the ELS to try to maintain that mission on what Schwan currently gives it?

The financial fact is that the ELS can in no way even hope to maintain TOF without the Schwan funds continued in the same amount as in the past.

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GJ - I was amused to hear ELS people deny TOF was ELS when they raised money as an ELS/WELS entity and commissioned ELS pastors as missionaries at their ELS convention.

Nothing in the economic picture suggests Schwan becoming awash in funds to distribute. Their food is tasty but expensive. Wal-Mart reports that people are not even buying necessities until payday. Imagine the same people ordering up luxury foods delivered to their homes.