The blessed reign of Matthew Harrison, LCMS Synod President, begins shortly. He is a pleasant scholar with a sense of humor. He has already made a favorable impression on many Missouri Synod members, with the possible exception of Mark Jeske.
Some people think they are Lutherans because their families were and they have remained attached to something where the name Lutheran has not been effaced. Others imagine they are Lutheran because they have a sentimental regard for such things as the liturgy, confirmation, and tiger meat.
The Reformation began under Luther and continued under the Concordists because the leaders taught the truth but also condemned false doctrine in no uncertain terms. That quality is entirely lacking today. All the Lutheran synods (even the ELCA partners) began embracing Reformed and New Age doctrine through the Church Growth Movement, starting in the 1970s. The Concordia Ft. Wayne seminary even endorsed Church Growth Principles, as WELS and Missouri did.
Which leader in 40 years has condemned the Church Growth Movement as utter rot? Christian News endorsed and sold Valleskey's CG textbook. Bohlmann let CG grow. Barry-McCain did nothing, said nothing. Kieschnick fanned the flames. WELS SP Nauman allowed TELL to start and endorsed it. WELS SP Mischke did what he was told and promoted it, via Paul Calvin Kelm.
The ELS is known for strutting about how confessional they are. Orvick on CG? He promoted it by having Valleskey endorsed. Pope John the Malefactor? Oh please. The Concordists would not have let that ninny sweep the floors, let alone run the Little Sect on the Prairie.
"Apt to teach" is a requirement for all pastors. If a man cannot teach sound doctrine, he should resign from the ministry, whether he is a parish pastor or a District President, a mission manager or a CP.
KJV 1 Timothy 3:2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behaviour, given to hospitality, apt to teach;
KJV 2 Timothy 2:24 And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, 25 In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth;
Apt to schwaffle is now the requirement. The schwaffle term is slang for dancing around a topic, waffling with a German accent.
Note that WELS condemns people, not false doctrine. Members and pastors are afraid to state their questions and opinions in public, lest they be hit by the Shrinker Slime Machine, which operates 24/7 anonymously and targets the entire family, yea unto the fifth generation.
Those who cannot or will not condemn false doctrine have already condemned themselves. They brag about the calls they have in the filing cabinet or their synod-paid trips abroad, but they are not apt to teach.
The Word is always efficacious, even among synod officials. What they handle so casually has a way of acting upon those who treat it as a toy.
The fake blogger has condemned the Intrepid Lutherans:
"With the IL site, we did catch hints of mistrusting the called leaders of the WELS. If that's really the case, it is truly unfortunate."
The anti-Lutheran doctrine of the fake blogger shines through the shiny Dreck of Glende's blog. Everyone should trust the called leaders (Roman Catholic doctrine) not the Word of God.
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Scott E. Jungen has left a new comment on your post "Will Some Lutheran Leaders Please Stand Up":
Mr. "Fake Blogger",
I'm going to make it very simple for you. How can I trust the leaders of the WELS? Let's just look at the last thirty years: we have a school system that is a shadow of its former self, millions of dollars have been spent with little if anything to show for it, and allowed Church Growth and sectarian worship to flood into our churches. Thankfully, by the work of the Holy Spirit, I trust in the efficacious Word of God, and not men.
If that makes me "unfortunate", well, too bad. If I trusted only in men, I would have left the WELS a long time ago.
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bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Will Some Lutheran Leaders Please Stand Up":
The reasons the shrinkers give for encroaching on another's parish is, stated positively, we are doing more to reach the lost in their parish, and stated negatively, the established church is not doing enough to reach the lost in their parish. However, this doesn't wash because they could take their shrinker program to a ton of parishes not served by the WELS.
This brings us to the real reason the shrinkers start their new churches near established churches. According to church growth theory, one needs to start to build one's church upon scaffolding, i.e., stable members. So they are taking scaffolding from the established church. That's saves 25 years of work and teaching right off the bat.
Thus, a good part of church shrinking can be summed up in one rhetorical question: who wants to be a Paul when he can be an Apollos?:
1Co 03:6 I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow.
10 By the grace God has given me, I laid a foundation as an expert builder, and someone else is building on it. But each one should be careful how he builds.
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GJ - Bruce, I would say it is more like, "Who wants to be a shepherd when he can be a wolf?"
Apollos and Paul believed in the efficacy of the Word. The First VP of WELS does not. The previous First VP was also a Shrinker. That does not happen by accident.
