I was struck by St. Paul in New Ulm spending millions on remodeling while it was going downhill.
A downtown WELS church in Glendale, Arizona did the same thing. Millions of dollars were spent there too.
Brett Meyer found this link, which promotes the edifice complex in WELS.
Isn't it great to have a free ad posted in the WELS archives? Could I have one, too?
The Chicaneries have a nifty system of promoting their own board member to do "stewardship" for a commission, the Jewish system of fund-raising. Jeff Davis (Chicanery board) and Ron Roth (the old man of Church Shrinkage) will be happy to help out.
Similarly, the Chicaneries used their website to promote WELS Perish Services, where Chicanery leaders like Paul Calvin Kelm sold boilerplate to congregations for $20,000 to $35,000. Their perish experts did not even check the boilerplate for errors, like the name of the church or "when the bells stop ringing."
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rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "This May Explain Why WELS Has So Many Big Building...":
Freddy,
Thank you for sharing your experience with a building program. I have a story also. Many of the details are different form your's. But the attitude is the same. As you have so aptly stated, this is a "build it and they will come" approach.
My story is from my former congregation, which I left about six months ago. They began their scheming about five to six years ago. They waited until the senior (in age) pastor first retired. Looking back now, I can see how they eased the members into the idea of expanding. A lot was done ahead of time to minimize resistance. The list includes steering committees, informational forums, and financial planning.
All of this sounds innocuous enough. We all understand the need for financial responsibility and stewardship. My observation to several members was, "we will get this expansion. But, what will we become?"
As all of this unfolded, I witnessed one of the most craftily planned series of manipulations with the members that was even more subtle than what most cults engage in.
The end result was to create a high profile congregation that was self serving. A nearby congregation closed their LES. The first wave of new members were those who transferred in from that congregation to allow their children to attend the school. The next bunch were those who were also transfers from close by.
The voters' meeting to approve the expansion was like an Oprah Winfrey show. Some long time members gave a tearful plea to claim that one soul was worth it. Next, was the appeal to the women, who allegedly had no voice.
Once approved, the antics really proliferated. Part of the plan was to get members as stakeholders. The number of committees increased. All along, the use of financial commitments was bandied about. There was the constant positive feedback from new members which was printed in the monthly newsletter. Those members who grumbled, mostly did so under their breath.
The final straw for me was when they hired Cornerstone Stewardship Ministries, on a commission basis, to ratchet up the appeals. I contacted the Council President to express my misgivings about Jeff Davis and his connections to Church and Chicanery.
I spent two hours telling my concerns to one of the pastors before I left. I found very few members who were willing to listen. I did not attack anyone or cause any type of a scene in public. I am glad that I did not waste much time and energy fighting all of this. Those who continue to grumble, still murmur under their breath.
When you do not believe in the Efficacy of the Word, you think that building a Tower of Babel will increase your numbers. If all you care about is increasing your numbers, you will use methods to achieve that end. This will come at the expense of serving your members with proper pastoral care.
I read about this type of scenario happen many times. When it happened at a congregation where I spent most of my adult life, I was horrified. I refused to play any of their games. That was the best way to resist it, in my situation.
An informed and discerning laity, strengthened by the Means of Grace, is a powerful tool against all forms of Enthusiasm. We must remember to always be thankful for the Word of God, which is sharper and more powerful than any two-edged. That is our only weapon.
