Luther Against the Pietists - Preview

Luther Against the Pietists:

Justification by Faith versus Universal Absolution

Gregory L. Jackson, PhD

Epiphany, 2010

Justification By Faith

KJV Romans 5:1 Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

“That absolution, however, is not received except by faith can be proved from Paul, who teaches, Romans 4:16, that the promise cannot be received except by faith. But absolution is the promise of the remission of sins [nothing else than the Gospel, the divine promise of God’s grace and favor]. Therefore, it necessarily requires faith. Neither do we see how he who does not assent to it may be said to receive absolution.”

Apology of the Augsburg Confession, XII. #61-62. Of Repentance. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 269. Romans 4:16. Tappert, p. 190. Heiser, p. 83.

http://www.bookofconcord.org/defense_10_repentance.php

Universal Objective Justification

Scripture teaches that God has already declared the whole world to be righteous in Christ, Rom. 5:19; 2 Cor. 5:18-21; Rom. 4:25; that therefore not for the sake of their good works, but without the works of the Law, by grace, for Christ's sake, He justifies, that is, accounts as righteous, all those who believe, accept, and rely on, the fact that for Christ's sake their sins are forgiven. LCMS Brief Statement, 1932 –

http://www.lcms.org/pages/internal.asp?NavID=570

Introduction

            We are declared righteous through faith, because of the Means of Grace, as Luther and the Book of Concord taught.  Or, the world has been declared forgiven of all its sin, without faith, as the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod teaches – in harmony with the Wisconsin Synod, the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and the micro-synods. The old, Biblical doctrine is called justification by faith. The new, Pietistic doctrine is called Universal Objective Justification (UOJ). The two cannot be reconciled because people do not receive grace without the Means of Grace, nor do they obtain two kinds of forgiveness – one without faith and another with faith. The Holy Spirit works exclusively with the Word and never apart from the Word, so the Spirit cannot justify apart from the Word .

Luther Against the Pietists will show that the arguments for UOJ are derived from Pietism - alien to Biblical exegesis and the Confessions. Pietism is not known as a confession of faith, separate from the Lutheran Confessions. Lutheranism Pietism is an alloy, comprised of Lutheran Orthodoxy and Calvinistic Enthusiasm. Although Calvinism tried to mask itself during the first part of the Reformation, the effort did not succeed, due to Swiss polemics against the efficacy of the Word and the Sacraments. However, through Pietism, Calvinistic thinking influenced the Lutherans, and this weakened the clear confessional distinctions of the past. Jacob Spener, the first union theologian, awakened the Lutheran Church with Reformed methods borrowed from the Roman Catholic Church – chiefly the conventicle or cell group.

Virtually all the American Lutheran synods formed as expressions of Lutheran Pietism. The Pennsylvania Ministerium, which grew into the General Synod, was based upon the initial leadership of Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, from Halle University, and the later leadership of S. S. Schmucker, another Pietist. The Midwestern Lutheran groups were largely Pietistic in outlook – the Scandinavians as well as the Germans. Although C. F. W. Walther is often portrayed as the epitome of Lutheran orthodoxy, he was converted by a Pietistic and associated with Pietistic circles before he came over with the Saxon migration, Perry County.

This filter of Pietism, so persistent in modern Lutheran history, makes it difficult to see the aberration of Universal Objective Justification. There are two primary causes for this false doctrine being advanced and defended among the former partners of the old Synodical Conference. One is the false doctrine of Pietism. The other is a false exegesis of Biblical passages necessitated by this filter of Pietism.

Lutherans, especially in the Synodical Conference, have been weak in teaching the Biblical doctrine of the efficacy of the Word. They have also neglected the related doctrine of the Means of Grace. Once an individual understands these matters, Universal Objective Justification emerges as the stepchild of Enthusiasm, fathered by Calvinism.

Luther Against the Pietists will have two main divisions. The first is the development of the essential doctrines supporting justification by faith. The second is a historical treatment of Pietism and its corrupting influence upon justification. Once these areas of false doctrine have been corrected, the clear Biblical witness of justification by faith becomes clear to anyone previously bewildered by the contradictions and anti-Christian errors of Universal Objective Justification.

What Is Disputed

The dispute is not whether Christ died for the sins of the world, as though the opposite of UOJ is the Limited Atonement of John Calvin.

The entire matter rests on whether God declared the entire world absolved of its sin, without the Word, without the Means of Grace, without faith. And where exactly is this eternal truth recorded?

The Missouri Synod and its clones have elevated the Brief Statement of 1932 above the Scriptures and the Book of Concord. Like the Romanists reaching for 2 Maccabees to support Purgatory, the UOJ fanatics place their confidence in a document with authority only in the Upper Midwest, a statement teaching us more about Midwest Pietism than anything else.

Controverted Passages – Used to Support UOJ

KJV John 1:29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

KJV Romans 4:25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.

KJV Romans 5:19 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous.

KJV 2 Corinthians 5:18 And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

Supporting UOJ

Ph. D. Burk, Bengel’s co-worker and son-in-law

George Christian Knapp, Pietist, Halle University

C. F. W. Walther

Adolph Hoenecke, Dogmatics (quoting Burk)

Norwegian Synod

Eduard Preuss, Concordia St. Louis, converted to Roman Catholicism

Franz Pieper

LCMS Brief Statement, 1932

LCMS Theses on Justification, 1983

Robert Preus, 1987

J. P. Meyer, WELS, Ministers of Christ

Kokomo Statements, WELS, 1979

Sig Becker

Jon Buchholz

Justification By Faith

The Scriptures

Luther

Melanchthon

Chemnitz

Gerhard

Calov

Lenski

General Council Authors

1905 LCMS Catechism

Schmid’s Doctrinal Theology of the Evangelical Lutheran Church

LCMS Pastor Vernon Hartley, 1984.

Robert Preus, Justification and Rome

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Justification By Faith - Update":

In case WELS CA/NV DP Jon Buchholz' 2005 Synodical Conference paper is presented as UOJ defense material here are a few Buchholz quotes and a comparison to Christ's Words and the Confessions:

Buchholz: "Jesus then offered his innocent life as the payment (atonement) for the guilt of sinners. In this great transaction that took place on the cross, God removed the guilt of the world’s sin and replaced it with the righteousness of Christ."

Buchholz: "Here is the legal or juridical nature of justification, revealed at Calvary. The change does not take place in the sinner. The change takes place in the relationship or the status between a sinner and God.2 A verdict has been rendered, which declares man free of sin and guilt, righteous in God’s sight, and worthy of eternal life, for Jesus’ sake."
Christ: Romans 4:24, "But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;"

Buchholz: "Since the term objective justification is found neither in Scripture nor in the Lutheran confessions, we can understand the term correctly as referring to the justification of the entire world."
Confessions: AAC That We Obtain The Remission of Sins By Faith Alone In Christ, "The wrath of God cannot be appeased if we set against it our own works, because Christ has been set forth as a Propitiator, so that, for His sake, the Father may become reconciled to us. But Christ is not apprehended as a Mediator except by faith. Therefore, by faith alone we obtain remission of sins when we comfort our hearts with confidence in the mercy promised for Christ's sake."

Buchholz: "Scripture teaches universal reconciliation: "God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ" (2 Corinthians 5:19). Jesus is the universal peacemaker. His sacrifice on the cross has removed the barrier of guilt and sin that separated humanity from God. Where the barrier of hostility has been removed, there is peace. In Christ and through Christ the status between God and the human race has changed from one of hostility to peace."
Christ: John 3:36, "He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him."
Confessions: AAC That We Obtain The Remission of Sins By Faith Alone In Christ, "The wrath of God cannot be appeased if we set against it our own works, because Christ has been set forth as a Propitiator, so that, for His sake, the Father may become reconciled to us. But Christ is not apprehended as a Mediator except by faith. Therefore, by faith alone we obtain remission of sins when we comfort our hearts with confidence in the mercy promised for Christ's sake."


Buchholz: "God has forgiven the whole world. God has forgiven everyone his sins." This statement is absolutely true! This is the heart of the gospel, and it must be preached and taught as the foundation of our faith. But here’s where the caveat comes in: In Scripture, the word "forgive" is used almost exclusively in a personal, not a universal sense. The Bible doesn’t make the statement, "God has forgiven the world."

"God has forgiven all sins, but the unbeliever rejects God’s forgiveness." Again, this statement is true—and Luther employed similar terminology to press the point of Christ’s completed work of salvation.16 But we must also recognize that Scripture doesn’t speak this way."

"God has declared the entire world righteous." This statement is true, as we understand it to mean that God has rendered a verdict of "not-guilty" toward the entire world. It is also true—and must be taught—that the righteousness of Christ now stands in place of the world’s sin; this is the whole point of what Jesus did for us at Calvary. However, once again we’re wresting a term out of its usual context. In Scripture the term "righteous" usually refers to believers. "

These Articles May Sound Familiar To Victims in WELS, ELS, LCMS, ELCA

Baby Bee is anxious to admonish.

He is not Church Growth. He is anti-anti-Church Growth.

The lead articles say it all. Click if you enjoy waves of nausea sweeping over you, or maybe that is nostalgia, because all these links remind you of WELS Shrinker-talk -

Church Central Leadership Community:

• Two insights about the Millennials
• One tactic to turn around a church
• The Challenge of Church Government
• A Hot Trend In Church Consulting
• The Most Misunderstood Man in Christianity
• Introduction to Church Risk Management
• The Coach Approach and the Chief Motif
• Five Disciplines of a Generous Church
• The Primary Purpose of the Church
• Disciple making in the local church

Strange But True

December 31, 2009

Harrisburg ELCA Congregation Gives Building to Coptic Orthodox Church

     HARRISBURG, Pa. (ELCA) -- An Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) congregation here is breathing new life into its church building by moving out and turning its facilities over to a congregation of another denomination.

     Following its worship service of carols and a celebration luncheon Dec. 27, Memorial Evangelical Lutheran Church gave its building as a gift to St. Mark Coptic Orthodox Church.

     This Sunday, Jan. 3, Memorial's members will worship at the James E. Morecraft Christian Education Building, owned by the congregation and directly across the street from the Memorial's former sanctuary.  The congregation normally worships during the winter months at the Christian education building to conserve energy.  However, it won't return to the sanctuary on Palm Sunday, which has been Memorial's practice, said the Rev. Rochelle E. Lewis, pastor.

     Faced with declining membership and a large building to maintain, members of Memorial voted in August to begin transition talks with St. Mark Church.

     "When we as a congregation began to speak about the choices we would need to make in order to continue doing ministry on the corners of State and 17th Street, we knew we did not have the resources, physical ability or money to keep the sanctuary from becoming an albatross or a dying weight," Lewis said.

     Trustees of the congregation explored a number of options, including merging with another Lutheran congregation. Ultimately, however, the decision was made to give the building as a gift to St. Mark Church.

Justification By Faith - Update

Cover by Norma Boeckler

I am trying to finish the Justification by Faith book, first draft, this month. I want to have the final draft done before the UOJ conference in April. The tentative title is Luther against the Pietists: Justification by Faith versus Universal Absolution.

Readers are welcome to help edit the book. More information will follow. Thanks to Lulu.com publishing, I can update and improve the book easily, as well as make the PDF available for free.

Norma Boeckler will contribute her artistic talents.

The adult classes, for now, will focus on the disputed passages used to defend UOJ. I expect to post that material on the blog, which will have fewer of cardiac-inducing news items on it.

Here is a funny set of instructions on how to have a relevant pastor blog.

Luther Rocks Continues To Boycott This Blog By Being a Follower

 

Luther Rocks, the stage name for Joe Krohn (CrossWalk alumnus, ex-Rock and Roll blogger, ex-Rockmeister at Rock and Roll, Round Rock), continues his boycott of this blog by being a follower of this blog. He is a Kudu Don Patterson's friend and probably thinks he is helping the VP's quest to become a Doctrinal Pussycat. He is helping Patterson lose the election, but let's not tell Joe.

A follower gets his icon (lower left column) posted and gets every single post sent to his account. You will see the Beethoven image on the followers list, in spite of the posturing about the boycott. Beethoven is Joe Krohn's icon.

Joe and his buddy Tim Felt-Needs support the Shrinkers by copying this blog in every possible way, but they are fake Lutherans who can only produce a few feeble pages to cover up for the reality of their cause - which is greed incarnate, false doctrine gone wild, and carnal stupidity.

If it came down to my opinions, aged and mellowed by years of experience with adulterous church leaders, anyone could ignore them. Why have so many people worked at silencing someone who is dismissed as a trifle, a poor old soul "reduced" to broadcasting around the world while paunchy bureaucrats brag about the incomparable worth of their corner offices?

Why do we hear effeminate screeching the moment Church and Change is addressed in WELS?

The problem the Shrinkers have is not with the opinions and the graphics, which they use as red herrings, but the facts, the links, the quotations, and the actual photos. Evidence is weighed by juries, and the jury is very large indeed. They are contacting officials and writing letters.

Photo albums are indicative of personality, character, and values. If WELS pastors want to brag about their photos, posted for the world to see, why do they howl when I offer them a fraction of the coverage they already enjoy from Facebook? And why do they hurry up to hide the evidence they once offered so willingly, so foolishly?

One example is either a farce or a tragedy. Ski bragged about going to Drive '08, where he boasted about worshiping with the Babtists (along with WELS workers) and avoiding Professor Dan Deutschlander. He photographed himself and others with Andy Stanley the Babtist. When I posted this, Ski removed the link but kept the blog. As of today, it is still there for anyone with the link. He has never removed the blog itself. Or the pictures. Or the boasting about worship with Stanley.

After that session we broke for lunch.  John [Parlow] took off for the airport, so Buske and I were on our own.  That might sound a little scary, but it is true.

The final Main Session with Andy Stanley was just phenomenal.  We began with awesome worship.  Today though, they began with a Christian rapper, Toby Mac.  Our school kids would have loved it.  I’m not sure that they would have believed that it was church though.

http://web.me.com/pastorski/Site/Day_5.html

How To Waste Money in Fox Valley - Follow the Shrinkers

WELS Pastor John Parlow, member of the Willow Creek Ministerium,

attended Babtist Drive '08 with Ski, Buske, and other WELS workers.

Willow Creek College hired Buske.

Notice St. Mark, Depere spending big money on Vision2Serve. That list is great fun, because Shepherd of the Lakes is misspelled. Now go to Shepherd's websty (synod? can't tell) - they misspell "ministries" on the navigation bar.

Fee Schedule
The V2S fee is $5,000 plus 2% of your last
year’s church operating budget up to $500,000;
Add 1% for budget amounts above $500,000.

• $2,500 is paid with contract.
• $2,500 is paid upon completing the first year 8-

   week program.
• The balance in 12-monthly payments starting a

   month after the 8-week program.

You use the program annually, indefinitely and Vision 2 Serve provides on-going support. There are no payments due to V2S in future years.


We Guarantee
Your congregation will experience new enthusiasm for ministry. New giving will increase more than double our fee in the 12-months after implementing the V2S program or our fee is reduced to 1/2 the increase.


You Agree
To follow the Vision 2 Serve Program as outlined in the Success Manual, including the V2S plan for regular Monthly Updates to your congregation.

***

GJ - The ethical fund-raising organizations do not charge a commission based on size or income. The Shrinker churches like to spend huge amounts with unethical fund-raisers.

Reading their material is like viewing the painting - The Blind Leading the Blind.

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Former WELSian.... said...
Well--St. Mark's in De Pere offers people 100 bucks in the form of a gift card for an "unchurched" person to come and "critique" the church. This I know from a direct conversation with Parlow himself (a conversation I did not seek btw).

I just laugh about it because it's so ridiculous to use greed or real need to basically trick people into church because we know better than the Holy Spirit I guess.

Anyways, I have 5 kids--if a church came to my door and offered me a 100 bucks to a store of my choice (St. Marks will do grocery stores, department stores--whatever the person wants)--I would so agree to do it!! I mean a 100 bucks is a big part of my grocery bill and honest if they are that stupid to throw money out the door..well....

http://angrylutherans.blogspot.com/2008/08/bribery-evangelism.html

Shh. Shrinker at work.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "How To Waste Money in Fox Valley - Follow the Shri...":

“Reading their material is like viewing the painting - The Blind Leading the Blind.”

Pet Peeve & Grip

Vision 2 Serve offers basic concepts for organizations seeking to accomplish something. This is what I expect synod to provide at a nominal charge – not large fees.

What do we get for all the money we pump into synod? We get the opportunity to provide on-the-job experiences and training for the graduates of their schools. This is enough to discourage most congregations and lead them to act like “dumb sheep” along for the ride.

Most members lack leadership training and skills, organizational know-how, etc. Those who serve as elders or council find themselves expected to go along with and rubber stamp the ideas of their pastor – a pastor who copies or mimics fellow pastors muddling along as best they can.

What we have right now is the blind leading the blind and lost congregations.

***

GJ - I was shocked that the WELS collected their benevolence and then charged enormous fees for Perish Assistants to print up boilerplate. The growth of contemptuous services came from the over-paid consultants--trained at Fuller Seminary--commanding the change to bring in more members. The synod should refund all the money and list who was paid what for services rendered.

 

St. Peter's in Freedom - Critical of Confessional Lutherans

Pastor Tim Glende is a graduate of the
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg School of Church Shrinkage.

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Seattle's Mark Driscoll":

"No one at St. Peter or the CORE is criticizing traditional WELS worship or its practices"

That is news to me. I have worshipped at St Peter's. When I was one of you, or shall I say, taking a wait and see attitude to what is now in full bloom, I heard the following comments throughout WELS, not specifically at St. Peters.

More than once and spoken severely and harshly against confessionalism with words like...."dead orthodoxy", "lazy", "institutionalized", "mind numb", "no zeal for the lost" and a host of others that I have heard from laity and pastors in WELS.

You must be kidding.

Freddy Finkelstein on Building Evangelism

Freddy Finkelstein has left a new comment on your post "This May Explain Why WELS Has So Many Big Building...":

What Anon @4:10pm said is very much the case. Additional buildings represent greater responsibility for those who build and maintain them – they are a means of gathering more revenue (mortgage, maintenance, etc) and of vaunting the importance of those who manage the revenue and effort. As for pastors, I can only imagine what such building projects do for them in the eyes of the peers, but more importantly, in the eyes of their leaders in Synod.

I.J. Reilly had a story a few days ago. I have one of my own. Many years ago, as a relatively new WELS Lutheran, shortly after joining my congregation, I was very solemnly taken aside and informed of their “building project.” The project leaders told me all about the need for more space (things were tight, and there was legitimate need for expansion), and explained the spiritual journey that led them to propose their building plan to the congregation several weeks before I had joined: they told me all about the earnest praying, the Bible reading, the genuine emotions they experienced together, the consequent deliberation, and the final conviction that if they built an elaborate $750k addition, triple the size of the current structure, the community would be so impressed, they would start coming to church and the congregation would grow. The size of this congregation was ~150 souls, and it had begun to decline slightly.

I laughed in their face. Fresh out of pop-church Evangelicalism, I was no stranger to the “God is big, so plan big,” mantra – but a $4k per person project, with all of the ongoing maintenance cost that would ensue, was pretty steep. I replied, “Surely you have a program in place to raise funds. I would imagine that you plan to take a few years to do so. How long did you think it will be before you have the funds?” His answer: “We made an appeal at last quarter's voters' meeting, and agreed that God's people in this congregation will supply the needed funds by the next voters' meeting so that we can proceed before the end of Spring.” I was no longer laughing, but bug-eyed with incredulity. This was January. The voters' meeting of which he spoke was the previous October. “Six months to raise $750k!?” I practically shrieked. “No,” was the answer. “Six months to raise whatever the Lord feels will be enough for a down payment. Whatever it is, it is – we'll trust that the Lord knows the future, will have provided what is sufficient for us now, and will continue to provide in His good time according to His plan for us.”

How pious! I thought – while at the same time thinking, This has got to be the worst Stewardship I have ever heard of! Needless to say, I didn't support this project at all. Out loud, I said something like, “Well, good luck with that...”

Apparently, I wasn't the only one in the congregation who thought this was nuts. The senior men of the congregation – the successful businessmen, the one's with a lifetime of real experience behind them, and the one's who had been pushed out of leadership but were still called upon by the congregation to finance their existence, and this project in particular – thought it was nuts, as well. Not only was a mere pittance collected for down payment, but the project was scrapped at the next Voters meeting. I don't know the details, but somebody had a “Come to Jesus Meeting” with somebody.

God's plan was evidently a little different than what the glory seekers had in mind. A modest addition was built a few years later, but even then need was secondary to the main criterion, If we build it, they will come. Well, they didn't come, and numbers continued to decline. Not until long after we started reaching out into the community did this trend reverse – reaching out, not with advertisements and promotion of the congregation, and not with "felt-needs programs," but with a direct and substantive message of Law and Gospel.

Freddy Finkelstein

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Freddy Finkelstein on Building Evangelism":

Freddy Finkelstein, I bet the congregation you were at had their loan request turned down, and that's when they saw the light and reduced expectations. It's funny how the Spirit can supposedly be leading a congregation in one direction, but then reality sets it. Perhaps it was the "spirit" of ambition after all? Or ignorance is bliss?

That reminds me of the WELS missions that had to be curtailed due to this current recession. I could hardly believe my ears when I heard from two different pastors a year ago that those missions and called missionaries were wanted by God at those locations, so the WELS's pulling back a little was only because of sin by WELS members. It's almost as though the WELS was conquering Canaan, and because the WELSians didn't try hard enough, they sinned due to unbelief. The Israelites though saw God and were commanded directly to conquer, but the WELS has no such direct line to God, despite what some pastors think.

Back to the building issue. A similar thing happened at our church. The pastor wanted a $100k addition to the parsonage, even though the houses in the neighborhood around the church sold for $80k, and some were even smaller and sold for less. Talk of this went on for an entire year! Fortunately, someone pointed out that you can't sell even a McMansion for substantially more than the average price of a house on the block where it is located. In other words, if the church closed or moved, we'd never be able to get our money back on a McMansion-parsonage! So a more modest addition to the parsonage was approved.

Snow Did Not Cancel Our Service

We woke up to news of church services being canceled all over the region. The snow was not bad, but the roads are steep and curvy. As the Russian proverb says, "The church is near, but the way is slippery. The tavern is far, so I will walk carefully."

We had our regular Sunday worship service, with attendance from across the country, perhaps across the world.

Any church can broadcast free over the Internet, using a fairly new computer, a $75 camera, broadband, and Ustream. Many members have the broadband to watch the service, whether broadcast from the chapel at home or from the church.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Snow Did Not Cancel Our Service":

Compare this with Freddy’s story “If we build it, they will come.” Almost any congregation can get online and begin sharing the Word. Yet, hardly any do so. Why? Evidently it is not as rewarding to the pastors – the same pastors who keep talking about doing the work of the Lord.
There are a multitude of possible reasons including the following:
1. Monuments & Recognition. Tangible objects like buildings provide monuments to their efforts.
2. Metrics, Peer Pressure & Group Think. Synod places a high value on buildings and judges pastors accordingly.
3. Supporting Membership. A web-based ministry does not increase the headcount – again very important in the synod. You end up giving away the Word and get nothing in return.
4. Outreach. Most pastors will do anything to avoid doing outreach either directly or indirectly.
5. Myth. Pastors subscribe to the false belief that buildings bring in lost souls thereby saving souls and the church.

Same Modus Operandi - Various Synods - Various Eras

Paul McCain, MDiv, has not served a parish since 1992.

He is reduced to selling books for a living,
blogging from a spare bedroom.

Note his expert opinion below the ELCA gambit.

Readers - the situation below caught my interest because I have attended Trinity ELCA in Moline and saw Faith in Moline as I walked to school.

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Sunday, January 3, 2010

Our Church Council letter to Trinity Lutheran Council

December 30, 2009

--- ----------, President

Faith Lutheran Church

1611 41st St.

Moline IL 61265

Trinity Lutheran Church Council

1330 13th St.

 Moline IL 61265

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I am writing this letter on behalf of Faith Lutheran Church, Moline. I asked your President if I could speak to your Church Council about an important matter involving our congregations and was told to first put it in writing. 

The matter that I wish to raise is the fact that one or more leaders of your Church have apparently involved Trinity in an attempt by Bishop Gary Wollersheim, under sections 7.46 of the ELCA Constitution and S14.13 of the Northern Illinois Synod Constitution, to investigate "allegations of physical or mental incapacity of the pastor or ineffective conduct of the pastoral office have come to the attention of the bishop of this synod."  He is conducting a consultation under these sections to intervene in our call process.

Despite repeated written requests for facts supporting this disruptive process, the ELCA has produced none.  If you would like copies of the letters between our Church's attorney, J----- P----------, and the ELCA, we would be happy to provide this documentation. 

Initially, the Synod said that the consultation was based upon a petition circulated by some of our members and claimed that it was authorized under our congregation's constitution.  Our Council asked for verification that the signatures represented 1/3 of our voting members, but the bishop ignored our request. He then shifted gears to the above referenced sections, even though the petition specifically stated that there was no allegation of any improper conduct of our Pastor or his office.  We have been told that the Bishop himself told some of his supporters from our congregation after a "Coffee with the Bishop" meeting at your Church, that he had no grounds to seek the removal of our Pastor.

Despite this, the Bishop, with assistance from your Church, is planning to hold a consultation at Trinity on January 7-10, 2010. Why are you getting involved in this internal matter dealing with the call to our Pastor? We would like to understand the reasons for this willingness to assist the Bishop in his attempts to intervene in our call process. For this reason we would appreciate the opportunity to appear before your Church Council to address these infractions and/or immediately cease the scheduled "consultations" at your facility.

---- ------------

President, Faith Lutheran Church, Moline, IL

Their response

From: --------- --------- <-------------------@gmail.com>
Subject: Your Explanatory Letter
To: ----------------------
Cc: "Rev Larry ----------" -------------@trinitylutheranmoline.org>, "Pastor L---------------------------" <---------------@trinitylutheranmoline.org>

Date: Thursday, December 31, 2009, 2:48 PM

Dear -- ----------,

I wanted to acknowledge receipt of your explanatory letter. I will bring your request to our next regular Executive Council meeting which is Tuesday 5 January. I will inform you of our decision Tuesday.

Respectfully,

----- ---------------

Church Council President, Trinity Lutheran Church

---

From Paul McCain, who threw himself into a discussion about Mark Jeske, on Facebook:

Post #62
Paul T. McCain (Concordia Publishing House) wrote 45 minutes ago

Mr. Jackson, what I wish for you is repentance and peace that comes of it. You continue to spew your bile everywhere and your continuous slanders and lies are, well, frankly, they are delusional.

I urge you to seek out professional help.

***

GJ - I was given historical materials about St. Paul in German Village (Columbus, Ohio), when Pastor Lang took the congregation out of the apostate ALC. The ALC officials wrote to congregational members, "worried" about the health of Pastor Lang. Their smirky letters made it clear that they would undermine Rev. Lang any way they could. They failed and looked like fools. Pastor Lang was remarkably productive in his sermons and pastoral visits.

The list grows - the fake Ichabod blog tried the same tactic as the ALC, ELCA, and McCain. So did the Professor of Worship at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, James Tiefel. He sent his letter on seminary letterhead to various people. That is a big legal risk for someone who represents an institution with deep pockets.

Like McCain, these people manage to slip in the Eighth Commandment while violating it. But they are above the law.

I consider McCain's hysterical words an indication of how this blog is affecting the apostates and fakes. For example, I read his blog only about once a year, when I want to know more about selling books. Perhaps he is overly sensitive about his past as the secretive Otten-Barry go-between. Otten has a whole file on McCain's work with him. I know about covert op from Otten and McCain bragging separately about it. Own up to it, Paul - we know you are an opportunist. Denouncing me will not change that.

McCain's previous post on the Facebook discussion was:

"I think that a man who has been reduced to broadcasting "worship services" out of a bedroom of his house, who has made himself persona non grata in even the CLC [!], and who now routinely posts slanderous blog posts, fabricating stories of all sorts, is probably the last person to be participating in any kind of a conversation about ministerial credentials. FWIW."

My response was:

"Paul, I wish you the joy of the Christmas season, too. And may it last throughout the year for you."

That resulted in the words highlighted in red. If you read McCain's copious comments on the ELCA discussion website (ALPB), you will find him excruciatingly polite. But that is his element, among the unionists and neo-quasi-crypto-papists. The conservative LCMS members in St. Louis told me how shocked they were at the rudeness of the Barry-McCain administration. One of them said, "At least Bohlmann was polite." Wallace Schulz was alarmed at how quickly the Barry-McCain people sought to appease the Left wing of Missouri. Like I said, Barry-McCain paved the way for the Quiche-niks to triumph.

Gerhardt - Jesus Thy Manger - German Singalong

"O Jesus Christ, Thy Manger Is"
by Paul Gerhardt, 1607-1676

1. O Jesus Christ,
Thy manger is
My paradise at which my soul reclineth.
For there, O Lord,
Doth lie the Word
Made flesh for us; herein Thy grace
forth shineth.

2. He whom the sea
And wind obey
Doth come to serve the sinner in great
meekness.
Thou, God's own Son,
With us art one,
Dost join us and our children in our
weekness.

3. Thy light and grace
Our guilt efface,
Thy heavenly riches all our loss
retrieving.
Immanuel,
Thy birth doth quell
The power of hell and Satan's bold
deceiving.

4. Thou Christian heart,
Whoe'er thou art,
Be of good cheer and let no sorrow move
thee!
For God's own Child,
In mercy mild,
Joins thee to Him;-how greatly God must
love thee!

5. Remember thou
What glory now
The Lord prepared thee for all earthly
sadness.
The angel host
Can never boast
Of greater glory, greater bliss or gladness.

6. The world may hold
Her wealth and gold;
But thou, my heart, keep Christ as thy true
Treasure.
To Him hold fast
Until at last
A crown be thine and honor in full
measure.

The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #81
Text: Luke 2: 7
Author: Paul Gerhardt, 1653, cento
Translated by: composite
Titled: O Jesu Christ, dein Kripplein ist
Composer: Johann Crueger, 1653
Tune: O Jesu Christ, dein Kripplein

Another setting.

Fox Valley, Entertainment Capital of WELS, Part Deux

WELS Congregation Promotes ELCA Program, Female Bishop

Cheryl Anderson column: School finds new life in honor of former superintendent

Jim Krause would've loved the changes in the youth program at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Appleton. But he also would've been humbled.

In November, at its 95th anniversary celebration, the church dedicated the Krause Youth Center, named for the former Sunday school superintendent who died of cancer May 16 at age 55.

"He never wanted attention, just to be faithful to the Lord's work and do what he loved doing, which was making sure kids knew about Christ," said the Rev. Tom Mielke, pastor of youth and adult discipleship.

"He was a single man, and this was his family," added youth coordinator Pamela Franzke, who worked alongside Krause for many years.

The newly remodeled space and rotational program is called The Underground, offering a fresh name and new approach to Sunday school. It's based on the church's vision logo, a tree with two branches and lots of leaves. The ground surrounding the tree is God's word, the place youth should be firmly rooted and where they receive the nutrients that allow faith to grow.

The main room — once St. Matthew's School's cafeteria — looks as if students are underneath a tree complete with worms and badgers painted on the walls. Rejuvenating the children's Sunday program also has been a boon for the congregation, which after 82 years closed the grade school following the 2007-2008 school year. It has offered members the opportunity to be a part of the program, sharing facts about their vocations and how God influences everything they do.

The idea behind The Underground was to recreate the excitement children had coming to vacation Bible school during summer vacation through crafts, music and God's word, not to make it an extended day of school.

"Kids like activity, and kids learn in different ways," Mielke said of the 30 to 40 children who regularly attend. "We really want to make learning about God's word fun instead of drudgery for the kids, and we believe this was an opportunity to keep the kids moving and get them excited and give them different exposure."

The implementation of The Underground also has deeper roots, said church administrator Jon Ruddat. It's based on Faith Inkubators' Bible Song method, which connects Sunday school to home and home to worship.

"It's a much different environment for the children to learn, and different ways in shorter time segments," he said, adding that the theory behind the curriculum is based on brain research that found the way children learn and the way their brains think are different from what traditional programs teach. "Bible Song integrates music, the arts and sign language into teaching the children the truths of the Bible and how to apply it."

Teaching children about God was Krause's strongest suit.

***

GJ - What is Faith Inkubators? It is a program from an ELCA pastor.

Rich Melheim's Biography

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Rev. Rich Melheim
Founder & Chief Creative Officer
Current News/Blog: The Melheimian Sabbatiblog
Rich Melheim grew up on the plains of North Dakota but never did own a pick up with a gun rack. An entrepreneur, author, speaker, playwright, songwriter, family counselor, business systems consultant, amateur complexity theorist, log cabin builder, preschool designer, cartoonist, and student of the human brain, Melheim has appeared on 50 network television news shows from WNBC-NY to KTLA to CNN consulting on family issues.
Rich is also an ordained Lutheran pastor with a specialized call from the St. Paul Area Synod (ELCA) to experiment with family-connected Christian education systems.

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Ten Foundations of Faith Inkbuators

1. Jesus Christ is the only Son of the Living God.
2. The Bible is the only text book you need for Christian education.
3. A living, loving Christian role model in the home is by far the best delivery system for passing on the Christian faith.
4. Christian parents are charged with the honor and responsibility to raise their children to know Jesus. The church should help them, but not do the job for them.
5. The family is a church (“wherever two or three are gathered in my name…”) and must be inspired, challenged, and trained to model all the functions of the church (education, proclamation, prayer, acts of loving service, etc.) in the home.
6. Everything you do in church on Sunday should go home in bite-sized chunks Monday – Saturday to continue and deepen the discussion between parents and children.
7. You gotta open the kid before you open the book. – Rich Melheim
8. Good teaching is one-fourth preparation and three-fourths theater. – Gail Godwin
9. "It's a sin to bore a kid with the Gospel" – Jim Rayburn
10. The passing on of the faith to the next generation is much too important a task to be left in the hands of those who are paid to do it. – April Ulrich Larsen - ELCA Bishop.


***

GJ - The program looks Pietistic. Isn't it odd that WELS is spending money to buy an ELCA program?

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "WELS Congregation Promotes ELCA Program, Female Bi...":

Several Wels churches tried the stepping stones program a few years ago, at the time I heard that WLCFS worked with the Faith Inkubators program to change it to be inline with WELS doctrine.

http://www.mlc-wels.edu/home/administration/pastor/evangelismday/evanday2009sched/

Rev. James Mattek: Rev. James Mattek is currently CEO of Wisconsin Lutheran Child and Family Service, Inc. He oversees a nursing home, assisted living facility and an independent retirement facility. He
also oversees a team of WELS counselors, which includes 2 PhD psychologists, as well as Ministry Support Services which serves WELS
clergy with their personal, mental and spiritual issues.

WLCFS is also developing a family ministry program called "Faith Stepping Stones" and a teen program called "Peer Leadership Training". He served Immanuel of Findlay, OH for the first 17 years of his ministry. He then served for
five years as pastor at Trinity, Watertown, WI. He served the WELS as chairman of the Governing Board at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary and as a member of the Board for inisterial Education. He is married with four children.

WELS also promotes it here:

http://staffministry.net/resources.php?c=7

Coach Schula Vies With Fox Valley Pastor

Fergie and Coach Don Schula, 80th birthday
 

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Fruit of the Stealth Mission":

Another love triangle! What do their wives think? Left unchecked, these pastors will continue to find lower lows.

Fergie with Captain America, aka Ski, the celeb magnet of WELS.Fergie looks underwhelmed.

The Sunday Before Epiphany

Christ Is Born, by Norma Boeckler

The Sunday before Epiphany

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time


The Hymn # 126 Arise and Shine 3:67
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
The Gospel
Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn # 128 Brightest and Best 3:29

Strange But Spiritual Advice

The Hymn #95 Savior of the Nations 3:42
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 #81 O Jesus Christ Thy Manger 3:60

KJV 1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. 14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified. 15 But let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evildoer, or as a busybody in other men's matters. 16 Yet if any man suffer as a Christian, let him not be ashamed; but let him glorify God on this behalf. 17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? 18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear? 19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

KJV Matthew 2:13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: 15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men. 17 Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy the prophet, saying, 18 In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not. 19 But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, 20 Saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead which sought the young child's life. 21 And he arose, and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus did reign in Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither: notwithstanding, being warned of God in a dream, he turned aside into the parts of Galilee: 23 And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

Sunday Before Epiphany
O Lord God, heavenly Father, who didst suffer Thy dear Son, Jesus Christ, to become a stranger and a sojourner in Egypt for our sakes, and didst lead Him safely home to His fatherland: Mercifully grant that we poor sinners, who are strangers and sojourners in this perilous world, may soon be called home to our true fatherland, the kingdom of heaven, where we shall live in eternal joy and glory; through the merits of Thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

Strange But Spiritual Advice

KJV 1 Peter 4:12 Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: 13 But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.

When we consider the New Testament teaching of the cross, or as Luther called it, the dear, holy cross, we have to think first about Jesus and His family.

The experience of the cross is not misfortune, such as what we all experience during an economic decline. Nor is it simply illness. The cross is suffering because of the Word.

For example, Mary was promised the Savior, and Joseph planned to divorce her. For Joseph, the miracle promised was a burden he had to bear in silence. In those times, a couple was married first and later occupied a home. They were not simply engaged, but married. (A man does not divorce his fiancé.) It was the Jewish custom to be formally married first, with a written contract, and consummate the marriage later when living quarters could be arranged. (See Lenski on this.)

Mary and Joseph received the promise of a great miracle, the greatest miracle, in faith. Their reward was hardship, the cross, because of the Word. They experienced rejection in the manner of Christ’s birth. When Jesus was brought to the Temple the first time, Simeon said to Mary,

KJV Luke 2:34 And Simeon blessed them, and said unto Mary his mother, Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel; and for a sign which shall be spoken against; 35 (Yea, a sword shall pierce through thy own soul also,) that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.

Luther commented - “What kind of saying is that to give to a young mother?”

Because Herod was furious with the Wise Men, and afraid of the Messiah (the anointed king), he did his best to kill the infant. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus had to escape until it was safe again. Many baby boys lost their lives because of Herod’s wrath.

The birth of Christ, as the miracle of miracles, was one in which His human nature was tested from the beginning. The long climb to Bethlehem was difficult for Mary. There is no indication that she rode on a donkey, as the Christmas cards show, or that fruit trees bowed down to her to give Mary their fruit, as the Roman Catholic legends says.

When Jesus told us to take up the cross daily, He was already an example, even before the crucifixion.

The apostle Peter compares the trial of remaining true to the Word with being refined, as silver and gold are.

KJV 1 Peter 1:6 Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 8 Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory:

KJV Zechariah 13:9 And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: they shall call on my name, and I will hear them: I will say, It is my people: and they shall say, The LORD is my God.

The spiritual advice in Peter’s letter contradicts our natural feelings, because our Old Adam does not like the cross. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit teaches the cross as a blessing, not as a curse:

1 Peter 4:14 If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.

This should remind us of the Beatitudes, which climaxes with the most difficult blessing to accept:

KJV Matthew 5:11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

We want to please man and to be praised by the multitude, but Paul taught:

KJV Galatians 1:10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

We can see through history that false versions of Christianity have always fallen for salvation through works. Paul might have been more popular at the time if he had gone along with the fad. But he saw through to the dangers and taught against it in his special role as apostle.

The Cross Is For Everyone

There is a common attitude today that most people can enjoy all the benefits of the Christian faith, without the cross. Those people seem to think that a designated few can bear the cross for everyone else.

Jesus did not teach that. Truly, the prophets and apostles paid the greatest price, with their lives. So did the martyrs of the past and present.

Jesus’ words are universal in scope.

KJV Matthew 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

KJV Matthew 16:24 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

KJV Mark 10:21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.

KJV Luke 14:27 And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.

The Church Shrinkers do not like the cross, but they love the term disciple. They want to “make disciples” (wrong translation). The best way to be a disciple is to take up the cross, to pay a price for adhering to the pure Word of God. If someone does not bear his own cross, he is not worthy to be a disciple.

There is a reason Willow Creek looks like a suburban mall and does not allow a cross in the worship (seeker) area:

KJV 1 Corinthians 1:18 For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.

The Shrinkers glory in entertainment, not the cross:

KJV Galatians 6:14 But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

Our example is Christ –

KJV Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

What Is Good about the Cross?
The cross is good because our faith needs refining. When there are large deposits of metal, such as copper, some of the remainder is gold or silver. One special set of silver was created from the silver refined from a copper mine. It was given to the US Missouri battleship and fought over. The base metals are in abundance but silver and gold are prized and separated out with great labor, because they are worth so much.

Troubles because of the Word refine our faith. We are in the refiner’s fire all our lives if we cling to God’s Word instead of man’s reason. The dross or slag is never entirely consumed, because of our base nature. But the cross brings out the gold and silver of the Gospel promises. We see what is lasting and valuable and separate that from the base.

Write A Letter

DP Engelbrecht.

Jim Becker WELS has left a new comment on your post "Fruit of the Stealth Mission":

I wrote to President Schroeder on the Ski/Glende issue and received his personal reply within a week. I told him I was admonishing the Synod in advance if these men were not removed from their posts within a month.

He replied that he became aware of the situation a few days before I wrote him. He forwarded it to the president of the Northern Wisconsin District, whose job Schroeder said it is to deal with this initially, and is awaiting a report from him. While he desires to have matters like this addressed very quickly and decisively, there are times when the process of dealing with pastoral wrongdoing may take a little longer. He asked that I have some patience as they work through those who are called to carry out evangelical discipline.

I also addressed the Thrivent issue, and will deal with his response on a later post. I felt Pastor Schroeder really understood my concerns and that his response was immediate and thoughtful.

***

GJ - This layman is responding appropriately. For the first time in 30 years, there are leaders who will listen and respond - in WELS.

I have linked with a lot of LCMS ministers lately. I am impressed with the number who are Triglotta Lutherans. (Father Neuhaus called himself a confessional Lutheran before he poped, so I have to use a better term.) I am somewhat optimistic about the Quiche-niks being replaced.

ELCA Lutherans have a weak background in apologetics, but the Episcopal/gay crisis has thrown them into study. That is also good.

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dk has left a new comment on your post "Write A Letter":

I agree that errors in doctrine and practice need to be dealt with swiftly. But I've heard that within the WELS structure it is very difficult to deal with problems swiftly and this leads me to ask:

If the WELS CAN'T take care of problems immediately does it have the right to exist, under its own self-definition? According to the WELS, Synod=Church, correct? We all know that the legitimacy of a church depends on its doctrinal integrity. Maintaining doctrinal integrity means dealing with problems quickly so they don't spread. So if the WELS is 1 church, as they claim, how legitimate are they?

SP Schroeder has a big job, partly because of the WELS structure and partly because these problems have been festering for two decades or more.

The office of WELS synod president is not a dictator--no
WELS synod president has the executive authority to make changes (termination of calls etc.) instantly and based on his judgment alone. There's a well ordered system in place for the purpose of preventing quick changes. One must recognize that this ties the hands of Triglotta Lutherans when error does arise in attempts to guard against liberals who might hold the same office.

SP Schroeder is no exception. I'm under the impression that he has to play "the game" because of the limitation on his authority. While it's a shame that he's hampered, I'd rather have a Conservative as SP than someone like Kelm. God uses faithful men for his purposes in whatever situation they find themselves. I imagine Schroeder has a full plate and he can use our prayers--wishing him swiftness.

Remember though, that if you're WELS you ARE in close fellowship with Ski, Glende, Jeske, Kelm, Hunter, Gunn, and all the rest. YOU belong to the same church and by your testimony you are one in faith with them! At what point should you contest the legitimacy of the WELS based on an absence of church discipline?

Sooner or later something has to happen and people will have to be held accountable.

My new years resolution is to write the District Presidents who have errant pastors under them. CC your emails to president Schroeder so that Schroeder has more to refer to when he talks to the DPs about the problems. I'll just bet that by respectful protest (a flood of emails) the Triglotta Lutherans could really aid in the process of church discipline!