'Intrepid Lutherans said...
Pastor Spencer here.
I just have to put my two-cents in on the discussion of "canned" anything. Simply put, I'm against it! I don't care whether its a sermon, a Bible study, a Stewardship program, and Outreach program, or whatever. Pastors were - or at least were supposed to be - trained to do all these things themselves and to think for themselves and do their own work. This plagiarism has had a terrible effect on the entire life and work of our churches. Pastors congregations pay them for their work, not someone else's. In my view, each and every time a Pastor uses someone else's work - whether he admits it or not - whether it came from the publishing house or synod headquarters or not - he should give back a chunk of his salary!!!
One of the reasons why the WELS has gotten herself into such a financial mess over the past 20 years or so, is the hue and cry from lazy Pastors for more and more "helps" from mommy synod. When the synod administration was exploding, I kept asking the leaders why, and they kept telling me - "This is what the men in the field keep asking for." Guys were demanding "help" for youth groups, senior groups, couples groups, Bible classes, evangelism Sundays, stewardship plans, worship ideas, and so on and so on and so on ad nauseum! So, one after another after another "Board," "Committee," or "Administrator" was created, given an office, big fat salary, staffed, and then became "essential" to the work of the synod. Poppycock! All because guys refused to do their own work. And their congregations let them get away with it all. I bet we could fix 75% of our financial problems if we would just close down 2929 completely, get rid of most of the "administrators," and force every single Pastor in the synod to "sink or swim" on his own. Make them do their own work or go find a different job!
And that's my take. Thank you!
Pastor Spencer
I just have to put my two-cents in on the discussion of "canned" anything. Simply put, I'm against it! I don't care whether its a sermon, a Bible study, a Stewardship program, and Outreach program, or whatever. Pastors were - or at least were supposed to be - trained to do all these things themselves and to think for themselves and do their own work. This plagiarism has had a terrible effect on the entire life and work of our churches. Pastors congregations pay them for their work, not someone else's. In my view, each and every time a Pastor uses someone else's work - whether he admits it or not - whether it came from the publishing house or synod headquarters or not - he should give back a chunk of his salary!!!
One of the reasons why the WELS has gotten herself into such a financial mess over the past 20 years or so, is the hue and cry from lazy Pastors for more and more "helps" from mommy synod. When the synod administration was exploding, I kept asking the leaders why, and they kept telling me - "This is what the men in the field keep asking for." Guys were demanding "help" for youth groups, senior groups, couples groups, Bible classes, evangelism Sundays, stewardship plans, worship ideas, and so on and so on and so on ad nauseum! So, one after another after another "Board," "Committee," or "Administrator" was created, given an office, big fat salary, staffed, and then became "essential" to the work of the synod. Poppycock! All because guys refused to do their own work. And their congregations let them get away with it all. I bet we could fix 75% of our financial problems if we would just close down 2929 completely, get rid of most of the "administrators," and force every single Pastor in the synod to "sink or swim" on his own. Make them do their own work or go find a different job!
And that's my take. Thank you!
Pastor Spencer
