The following paragraph is from a WELS Kingdom Worker letter dated "February 2010" which was received today.
"Another historic development in 2010 will be the consideration of a new WKW program, The Center for Parish Renewal. If adopted, a call will be extended to Rev. Elton Stroh [Fuller alum, Church Growth] to serve as an administrator. WKW will be working with the WELS Conference of Presidents' Parish Assistance committee chaired by First Vice President Jim Huebner [Fuller alum, Church Growth] to assure complementary non-duplicating resources are available to congregations. Designated gifts to support this new program may be sent to WKW apart from mission project gifts."
WKW is going to grow by one staff member. Interesting when one considers the same letter also included the following:
"Due to the current economy and financial losses suffered by the Schwan Foundation, matching funds for national [WKW] projects will not be available in 2010. The generosity of the Foundation still provides for the operation of WKW. In 2009 WKW full-time staff salaries were reduced by 20%. Salaries are restored in 2010."
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GJ - The WELS convention eviscerated Perish Services. Stroh and Kelm [Fuller alum, Church Growth] became unemployed at the end of December. Doubtless they got a few months of severance pay. They already have their new jobs lined up.
Remember when someone heatedly denied that Kelm and Stroh hit up Kingdom Workers for money?
What do the three men named here have in common? - Fuller alumni, Church Growth.
I am sure the ELS/WELS boards of doctrine will jump on this like hobos on a hot-dog.
No, not to thwart it - to support it.
PS - I heard that WELS started to grow for a few weeks, while Kelm and Stroh were unemployed.
