It's Time for a Change in Leadership: Kieschnick Followed the Gurgle Model - Preach Growth, Abandon Lutheran Doctrine, Go Broke

Desire for Change Apparent in the Convention and May Sweep all the Way to the Presidential Elections, by Pr. Rossow

By Pastor Tim Rossow
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The 2010 LCMS convention apparently wants change. Some less substantial changes to the structure proposals passed by significant margins. The largest change, 8-08, the resolution to eliminate the numerous boards elected by the convention that report to their boards and replacing them with two commissions that report to the president of the synod, was passed by a slim 4% margin. This is a dramatic switch that marginalizes the congregations from the setting of direction for the synod.

The fact that the convention has decided that the synod has been failing for the last decade to the point that we need a total makeover of the synod suggests that they would also want to make a change at the top. The current president has been in office for nine years and has led the synod to this position of near financial ruin and disunity.

Tomorrows (sic) vote for president is getting interesting-er and interesting-er. Stay tuned for more news and commentary. We will try by mid-afternoon to provide a more comprehensive analysis of the voting results so far today.

Church and Change Pastor Jeske in front of a picture of...Jeske, at the LCMS convention.
Time of Grace is a Missouri Synod Media Ministry
according the the LCMS website, which was revised.
Jeske never had time for the ELS convention.

LCMS Votes for Kieschnick Plan

Lutheran Synod delegates votes to change denomination's governance

By Tim Townsend> Post-Dispatch Religion Writer> | Posted: Monday, July 12, 2010 2:46 pm |

HOUSTON - Delegates at the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod voted Monday to radically alter the structure and governance of their 2.5-million-member, St. Louis-based denomination.

After three days of debate, 2,000 delegates gathered at the 163-year-old church's triennial convention here voted 52 percent to 48 percent to streamline its operations by dismantling its several boards and commissions in favor of just two boards.

The seven old boards were governed by independent directors in consultation with the denomination's president. The functions of those boards will be folded into one national and one international board. The church's annual budget is about $85 million, and the new structure will save it about $1.4 million per year, according to its vice president for finance, Thomas Kuchta.

The change will mean an elimination of about 40 administrative jobs in the church's St. Louis headquarters, according to the Rev. Larry Stoterau, president of the church's pacific southwest district and chair of the committee in charge of the structure debate.

Critics of the change, and of the Kieschnick administration, have suggested in the months leading up to the convention, and in debates throughout the weekend that the massive structural changes amount to a centralization of power in the office of the president. The LCMS has a congregational structure where authority comes from a congregation, in contrast with church bodies with an episcopal structure where a hierarchy wields authority.

In an interview, Stoterau said the worries about centralization of power in the new structure are unfounded, and the real purpose is to eliminate redundancies in board responsibilities that waste church resources.

"This gives no more power to president than our constitution. gives him," he said. "This is a centralization of coordination. We're coordinating these ministries together to work cooperatively rather than in isolation."

Earlier Monday, the delegates rejected a proposal to increase the time between its regional district conventions and national convention from three years to four, which would have saved congregations - which pay for the conventions - an average of about $500,000 per year.

DP Jackson on Worship - Doing the Work the DPs Won't Do

bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "DP Jackson on Worship - Doing the Work the DPs Won...":

The picture of Choppa! ties in with the lawn mowing bit. I get it.

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Dear Pastors,

We are going to change Sunday worship a bit. To avoid fraud and deception, we will have "Lutheran" on all our church signs. Those who object are free to join a church body with a vague confession or none at all. Several come to mind.

The services in God's House are never aimed at entertainment, and we do not try to enlist new members at them. Therefore, all Seeker Services, Emerging Church models, and similar blasphemies will end immediately. See paragraph one if this displeases you.

The Lutheran worship service is the most Christ-centered and grace-filled of all denominations, for good reason. We believe, teach, and confess the efficacy of the Word in the Means of Grace.

The historic liturgy is the best way, the only way to express the Means of Grace. Before you start chanting "satis est," I agree that the liturgy can be expressed in various ways. However, anti-liturgy is always expressed in one way. I trust you know the difference.

Voluntary, inexpensive workshops will be held to demonstrate the historic liturgy.

By the way, men, I dress better to mow the lawn than some of you do on Sunday. I suggest that you either dress respectfully on Sunday or get a job that matches your Sunday uniform - mowing lawns.

We are cheating our children and grandchildren if we deprive them of Lutheran hymns. Our services should feature our hymns and help people appreciate the beauty and power of such authors as Gerhardt, Luther, Nicolai, Decius, Selnecker, Jacobs, and many others.

Do you know any non-Lutheran communion hymns? Non-Lutheran hymns for Holy Baptism? Hymns convey our confession of faith, which is why I am alarmed at the silly ditties and CCM garbage being tossed at congregations.

Hymn training needs to continue throughout the year. To support that I encourage you to sell your Fuller training manuals and use the money to buy music for your organist. Give him or her a raise. Recognize all church musicians each year during a service. Jubilate is a good Sunday for that.

In previous years, pastors have been promoted and given new calls for being caught in an affair with a church member. Instead of following that tradition, our jurisdiction is going to help prosecute those fellows.

We will promote and support pastors who are faithful to the Word and the Confessions, diligent in providing a Lutheran service with Lutheran sermons and Lutheran hymns. But, given God's abundant grace in the Means of Grace, it is likely that those who follow the new guidelines will want to enjoy their blessings in one location. This blog may inspire you.

Some of you will need to do some soul-searching, to determine if you are a Lutheran at all. If the answer is no, then it is unwise and dangerous for you to continue to pretend.

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raklatt (http://raklatt.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "DP Jackson on Worship - Doing the Work the DPs Won...":

This post is a great opportunity for the copy-and-pasters among the DP's.

Where you guys now?

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RINO from Soros or Soros RINO?

Republican in Name Only - RINO John McCain.

Some people say that Senator McCain is a RINO funded by Soros, but Eric Comstock pointed out that made him a Soros-RINO.

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=56177

McCain favored open borders during his presidential race and also promoted the fraudulent man-made global warming scheme.

In Phoenix he could not get a decent group together for a campaign stop. That says a lot GOP support in his home state.

Read the Mission Statement for Polka, Polka, Polka

Well, I liked the mission statement.

Here is the link. <==Mequon graduates, left click and wait for browser to open. You may need to install Adobe Reader.

"We are a family, united and saved by faith in Christ, dedicated to praising God and sharing His love and Word with all People."

Pastor John Zeitler, Lead Pastor jzeitler@trinityluthbp.com Pastor John Meyer VI Youth and Outreach Pastor jmeyer@trinityluthbp.com

Schuller Retires at 83, More or Less - Shrinker Overview

Rev. Schuller retiring from Crystal Cathedral

GJ - Robert Schuller tied himself to paganism from the beginning, adding a dusting of Christianity to make it more appealing. He correctly claimed that he invented the Church Growth Movement. His empire is in ruins now, so his newly ordained daughter with save it? Don't worry - he retained the power to fire her too.

AP – Sheila Schuller Coleman and her husband, Jim, left, share applause with congregants at the Crystal Cathedral …

45 mins ago

GARDEN GROVE, Calif. – The Rev. Robert H. Schuller, founder of Southern California's Crystal Cathedral megachurch and host of the "Hour of Power" televangelism broadcast, announced Sunday he will retire after 55 years in the pulpit and his daughter will take over.

The 83-year-old Schuller told his congregation that Sheila Schuller Coleman will become sole lead pastor, after sharing that role with her father for the past year.

Coleman previously served as principal of a private Christian school run by the cathedral and head of the Orange County church's family ministries division.

She was ordained just a month before she was appointed to head up Crystal Cathedral Ministries.

"I'm very proud that Sheila has earned her doctorate at the University of California, Irvine, and that this university has declared her to (have earned) a distinguished alumnus award," Schuller told his congregation during the 9:30 a.m. service. "Congratulations, I'm very proud of her."

The elder Schuller will assume the newly created position of chairman of Crystal Cathedral's consistory, which is the church's board of directors, The Orange County Register reported.

Coleman's appointment comes two years after Schuller's son, the Rev. Robert A. Schuller, split from the church during a family rift that made headlines. The younger Schuller had been groomed to take over for his father.

Robert A. Schuller is now part of Dallas-based American Life Network, a cable channel aiming to produce family-oriented programming.

Coleman, 59, lives in Orange with her husband, Jim, and has four grown children.

"That was emotional for me, and I'm humbled and honored to be asked to take this responsibility," Coleman said Sunday after being commissioned, wiping away tears as she addressed her congregation. "I truly know that God is here, he loves this ministry and my call is to help take the ministry into the future and to continue dad's ministry."

The 10,000-member all-glass church faces significant challenges under Coleman's leadership.

Earlier this year the church said it saw revenue drop 27 percent from roughly $30 million in 2008 to $22 million in 2009.

Church leaders blamed the decline on the struggling U.S. economy. They sold 170 acres in southern Orange County, including a retreat and wedding center, laid off employees and cut "Hour of Power" from eight of the 45 domestic broadcast TV stations that air it.

The church also canceled this year's "Glory of Easter" pageant, which attracts thousands of visitors and is a regional holiday staple along with the church's "Glory of Christmas" show.

Crystal Cathedral also faces legal action from more than 100 vendors who are owed millions of dollars for their work on the church's pageants and other projects.

The senior Schuller first formulated his outreach to the unchurched in the mid-1950s when he opened a ministry at a drive-in theater in the suburbs of Orange County that catered to Southern California's emerging car culture. He pulled people in with his sermons on the power of positive thinking.

The little church later grew into the Crystal Cathedral, a worship hall with a soaring glass spire that opened in 1970 and remains an architectural wonder and tourist destination.

The "Hour of Power" telecast, filmed in the cathedral's main sanctuary, at one point attracted 1.3 million viewers in 156 countries.

Here is a good overview on the Shrinkers.

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Robert Schuller

AKA Robert Harold Schuller

Born: 16-Sep-1926
Birthplace: Alton, IA

Gender: Male
Religion: Protestant
Race or Ethnicity: White
Sexual orientation: Straight
Occupation: Religion

Nationality: United States
Executive summary: World's most upbeat televangelist

When minister Robert Schuller first came to Southern California to preach, he began by renting a drive-in theater for Sunday morning services, for $10 a week. For six years, Schuller stood atop the concession stand, while his sermons were heard on tiny speakers hung from car windows. His motto, on the drive-in's marquee and in the church's flyers, was "Come as you are in the family car!" Today his mega-church is housed in Schuller's famous $20 million "Crystal Cathedral", with 10,000 windows and a stream running down the sanctuary's aisles. It is still a "drive-in" church, though -- the glass walls allow worshippers in the 1,000-car parking lot the same view of the pulpit that the congregation has, and the offering plate is passed through the parking lot as well as among the pews.

The Crystal Cathedral is where The Hour of Power is taped, broadcast on hundreds of TV stations across America and dozens of foreign countries, to an estimated audience of 20 million. It is famous for its optimistic themes, and for the usual presence of "special guests", celebrity entertainers who sing or speak during the broadcast. The show usually steers clear of politics, though special guest and Former Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev did appear two Sundays prior to the 2000 election with warm words about George W. Bush.

Schuller has sometimes been criticized by Christian fundamentalists for his optimistic outlook and his recurring theme of "possibility thinking", generally eschewing hellfire and brimstone. He credits his longtime friend Norman Vincent Peale with showing him the importance of positive thinking. Schuller is a member of the Dutch Reform Church of America, the oldest Protestant group in America. Prior to Schuller, the denomination's most famous moment came in 1628, when the church purchased the island of Manhattan from local Indians for trinkets worth about $24.

In 1997, Schuller was charged with misdemeanor assault after "roughing up" a steward on a United Airlines flight to New York City. Schuller, flying First Class, complained that the steward had been unwilling to hang up his garment bag, and brought fruit and cheese when he had only asked for fruit. The steward said Schuller stood up and shook him by the shoulders, causing whiplash injuries. Schuller eventually paid a $1,100 fine and underwent a six-month diversion program. In a statement to the press, Schuller proclaimed rather pompously, "I am innocent. I have not broken a single one of the Ten Commandments. I have not broken any of the teachings of Jesus Christ."

For decades, Schuller was among the televangelists who generally declined to answer inquiries about his ministry's basic financial information. In late 2006 he retired from the pulpit at Crystal Cathedral, turning over the church's leadership to his son, Robert Schuller Jr., but in October 2008 the elder Schuller fired his son for "lack of shared vision and the jeopardy in which this is placing this entire ministry".

Message from DP Jackson (Stonewall) - Suitable for Any Synod

Flogging will continue until morale improves.


Dear Pastors:

Effective immediately.

You will write your own sermons from now on and post them to your congregation's website or blog, where they will remain. No exceptions.

Anything from another source will be quoted and cited according to APA rules, which you can copy and paste from the APA website.

Plagiarism will not be accepted, even with permission from such looney-tunes as Craig Groeschel.

You will receive one (1) warming (see photo above) if you fail to comply.

The second notice will read - "You are fired. Pack and leave before next Sunday." Do not worry about a divine call. There are none for plagiarists.

You will bear the price for any plagiarism lawsuits, since we are notifying various sources of this policy.

Second - All sermons will bear evidence of Biblical, Confessional research and hours of study. If you do not wish to teach Lutheran doctrine, I will understand your reluctance to stay captive in a Lutheran congregation paying you a salary and benefits. That would not be fair, so I will encourage the congregation to set you free at once.

Third - Since we want congregations eager to hear the Word and study the Confessions in the future, you will lead your parish in those studies and publish them on your website and blog.

Fourth - At the very least, you will visit shut-ins regularly, visit the hospitalized at once, and serve the grieving. Prospects who sign the guestbook will be visited the same week, Monday or Tuesday ideally.

Closed communion will be your policy, naturally, and you will understand why if you have gotten this far in the memo.

I have dissolved most of our district committees. They waste time and money. We can do most of it through the Net. Spend that time with your families.

+The DP

The Sixth Sunday after Trinity

By Norma Boeckler


The Sixth Sunday after Trinity


Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

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

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time


The Hymn # 387:1-4 by Luther, 3:41
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 # 370 3:11
Holy Baptism – Lifelong Promise
The Communion Hymn # 307 Draw Nigh 3:72
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 # 209 Who is This 3:33

Sixth Sunday After Trinity
Lord God, heavenly Father, we confess that we are poor, wretched sinners, and that there is no good in us, our hearts, flesh and blood being so corrupted by sin, that we never in this life can be without sinful lust and concupiscence; therefore we beseech Thee, dear Father, forgive us these sins, and let Thy Holy Spirit so cleanse our hearts that we may desire and love Thy word, abide by it, and thus by Thy grace be forever saved; through our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

KJV Romans 6:3 Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 5 For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 6 Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. 7 For he that is dead is freed from sin. 8 Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: 9 Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. 10 For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. 11 Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

KJV Matthew 5:20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. 21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; 24 Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.

Holy Baptism – Lifelong Promise
Looking at this section of Romans, we see chapter 4 as focusing on Abraham as the father of faith. Chapter 5 teaches justification by faith. Chapter 6 begins the implications of justification by faith.

Earlier Paul has removed from consideration the concept of salvation by the Law, whether based upon Mosaic law or civic righteousness. To this day, all world religions base salvation upon the law. Those which are atheistic (Ethical societies, Unitarians, Humanists – common allies all) are even more law oriented.

Describing life as based on the law is fairly easy. That ease is the reason why so many do-gooder groups flourish, no matter how foolish they look. One will used wood to nail to a tree to keep it from being turned into lumber. Anyone who questions the logic will be viewed as evil incarnate. The same is true of women would who never eat an animal because animal slaughter is so bad, but they are wearing leather shoes, purses, and belts. That is also easy to explain. “I’m not all the way there yet.”

Salvation by the law is our default attitude, so a Gospel-based life must be trained into us and always taught.

Paul began with Holy Baptism. To the adult converts he was saying, “Because you become believers through preaching the Gospel, we baptized you to give you forgiveness of sin and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. That Baptism is a permanent promise on God’s part that you belong to His Kingdom.”

One can easily see where this might put children, apart from infant baptism. In fact, those who deny infant faith and infant baptism are insistent that children are innocent until age 7. They do not know sin until they reach that age. Thinking about religion as law, how would parents have assurance that their children are within the Kingdom, since they cannot perform the duties of the Law?

Holy Baptism is just as powerful – if not more so – among children. They hear and receive the Gospel. The Holy Spirit is granted to them, and they receive the permanent seal of God’s Kingdom – not based on their works, which they lack, but God’s grace receive in faith.

Just as babies have faith, based on experience and the Word, so also they have sinfulness. Tiny infants display faith in their parents, immediately at birth, and they show rebellion as soon as their muscles allow, which is pretty early. If anyone wants to argue they are born innocent, just try to work with small children who have been taught they can do no wrong. They are terrorists. Strangely (for the modernists) they have automatic respect for authority, reasoning, and muscle.

I remember the rare male teacher walking into our gradeschool class and scowling at our noisy group. We immediately became quiet. The same was true of Sunday School. A male teacher commanded respect and awe. I see our Vice-Principal’s photo in the Moline pages of my blog about Moline. He was a WWII vet who died at age 90. We were in awe of him. He radiated authority and no nonsense.

God gives us inherent knowledge of these things but we are still sinful. We do what we can get away with, especially if we think only in terms of the law – no ones looking. As they commonly say today – You cannot prove it; there is no evidence (left unsaid “left, because I destroyed it”.)

Therefore the Christian life is based (wrongly) upon the Law or (correctly) upon the Gospel. Paul teaches us here that the powerful, life-long Sacrament of Holy Baptism is our basis for the Christian life.

Baptism reminds us of death – the death of Christ for our sins, and our death due to sinful mortality. That is the great paradox. Because of Jesus’ death, we have eternal life. He died so that our death is converted into eternal life, like His.

I am surprised that anyone downplays Holy Baptism, because the Bible make so much of this Sacrament. Baptism is:
A. A rebirth.
B. A renewal.
C. A washing away of our sins.
D. An indwelling of the Holy Spirit
That is not an ordinance (law) that must be obeyed, but the Word in visible form, the power of God’s Word united with the element of water.


Many Lutherans share in the general Protestant fading of baptism, as if performing one during the Sunday service slows it down. What better testimony of God’s grace and the miracle of the Word! God converts adults and babies through the Word. Why not be reminded of this frequently?

Perhaps resistance to Holy Baptism comes from a law perspective. The sacraments give God too much glory, when man seeks it for such accomplishments as:
1. Having a large parking lot.
2. Having 20 sub-woofers in the movie theater worship area.
3. Synodical titles and committee chairmanships.
4. Being a charter member of a church.

Paul’s admonition is to live our lives based upon forgiveness of sin, justification by faith. Because Christ died for our sins, all our spiritual blessings are provided for us. Yet, because we are sinners, we realize our need to renew this Gospel message each day and practice our faith in humility.

Therefore what powers our lives as Christians is the Gospel message itself, moving us far beyond anything the Law can do (through guilt or force). The Gospel life is based upon the Atonement and Resurrection of Christ.

Intrepids Off Course on This Set of Posts

The Intrepid Lutherans have a series on sectarian worship.

The difference is not between Lutheran and sectarian worship, but between worship and entertainment.

I will concede that sectarian worship is the springboard for this nonsense, since they often see the Sunday service as their recruiting and evangelism point.

Nevertheless, the model for Church and Change in WELS/ELS, Church Growth in Missouri, and Emerging Church everywhere is entertainment.

Pat Robertson happened to buy (with help from his father's affluent friends) a bankrupt UHF station, and he barely kept it going. Many credit Jim Bakker's tear-soaked plea for money with saving the Robertson dream.

Robertson, Bakker, and Paul Crouch, all connected at one time or another, shared the same model for their shows - entertainment.

The entertainment model took over Protestant churches through the growth of Fuller Seminary, which has about 4,500 students at a time. Fuller became the largest post-grad school for Missouri and most likely for WELS. The ELS did not stay pure, no matter what they claim. One member of the ELS board of doctrine sent a letter around, suggesting that everyone go to Fuller too! Kincaid Smith, borrowed from Missouri/LCA, got his DMin in Church Growth at Ft. Wayne.

He at least admitted in print that he hated my criticisms of Church Growth.

The CORE
The CORE (stealthy WELS) follows the entertainment model exclusively. Someone who leases a movie theatre, buys a popcorn machine, and gets a soda fountain is in show business. Ski conveys any and all false doctrine, cheered by his fellow Fox Valley pastors. It does not matter that all his content is from Craig Groeschel. Glende does the same thing, proving that contact sports do more brain damage than previously acknowledged.

That is also why their hero, Andy Stanley, hides his doctrinal bearings too. People go to the Drive conferences to be tickled and to hear the same management/leadership drivel I have heard at insurance meetings. A group of people may start dancing all of the sudden (sinful for Babtists) or may freeze in place. Organized, crafted coolness. People talk about gimmicks like that and come back for more. They want to go home and copy cool, relevant relationship gimmicks.

Victory of the Soccer Camp
This is another WELS fiasco. When people attend church, to stretch the term, they are handed a drink and a snack as they go in. People are less respectful than they would be in a movie theatre, which is where they gather.

They brag about their numbers. They should, because they are ashamed of being Lutheran and ashamed of the cross.

Why Am I Here?
That is all someone needs to ask when attending these circuses starring various clowns who all imitate one another: Am I here to be entertained?

WELS-ELS-LCMS inability to counter this will haunt their failing synods for decades to come.

They could end it by applying the Word and studying the Confessions. They could even begin by reading the overlooked book Entertaining Ourselves To Death.

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rhs (http://rhs.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Intrepids Off Course on This Set of Posts":

This is a beautiful synopsis of what is wrong with religion today. It is all show and but a stage. Too bad the synods do not see how foolish they look. If I can see it, God surely sees it, and despises it!

Resist the Beginnings - Youth Ministry

Francis Pieper, formerly Wisconsin Synod.

Dapper Don Pieper, right, currently Wisconsin Synod.

Everyone is supposed to think that DP Buchholz and SP Schroeder are going to turn back the apostate tide in WELS.

However, even the most casual observer can see that business continues as usual.

SP Schroeder recently promoted the Church and Change feminist conference. The LCA, ALC, and Missouri Synod knew they could move the radical agenda forward best in three areas:

1. Women's ministry.
2. Youth ministry.
3. Campus ministry.

The Arizona-California-Nevada District Teen Wet N Wild Conference featured a lady professor from Willowcreek Little College telling the teens how their brains worked.

That was a two-fer, so the Changers at WLC were high-fiving all the way to their retreat at Trinity, Deerfield. Cutting edge all around.

The oldest ambulatory Changer, Paul Calvin Kelm, is doing campus ministry, which will soon explode into Milwaukee, according to WLC hype.

Notice how all three "ministries" emerged from WLC? Church and Change began there with Charis. Kelm has returned there and still goes out to spread his odious influence.

The WELS Women's Ministry fever is all Church and Change, with Church and Change advisors.

When Wayne Mueller was pushed off the Mequon faculty for false doctrine, as related to me by Slick Brenner, he got a raise as the head of Perish Services. Mueller turned PS into a complete Shrinker operation. The heads of Youth Education and Adult Education were given calls to go elsewhere and new calls were issued for Youth Discipleship and Adult Discipleship. Titles mean something - it's still Discipleship, as in "make disciples," the mantra for Fuller disciples.

Therefore, from the top down, the Youth Discipleship people are going to promote the agenda.

The Changers are quick on the draw, slow of mind, dead to sound doctrine.

In summary, all three "ministries" are beyond criticism and will remain the bunkers from which the Shrinkers attack.

If anyone demurs - gasp - Dapper Don is there to quote Scripture against it.

WELS Youth Mystery

Not this bad...yet.
Working on it.

We were blessed to have 101 teens and chaperones (sic) at the AZ/CA Youth Rally in Phoenix.

We gathered at the Courtyard by Marriott - North Phoenix under the theme "Get out of the heat and into the shade" using Isaiah 25:1 & 4 as our scripture verse.

Our guest speaker was Professor Rhoda Wolle from WLC in Milwaukee. She shared her insight on the teen's brain, social interaction and how it all relates to God' (sic) Word.

We spent a day at the Wet N' Wild water park and enjoyed mixer games and devotions.

We had groups from New Mexico, Nevada, California and Arizona that shared their time and faith with others! [Faith? How sad that so many, from so many places see the church as a giant social club.]

On behalf of your CYD representatives, we'd like to say thank you to all the churches who came to the rally with their teens. Make sure you thank your chaperones (sic) for giving up their time to be here with the kids and also thank the teens for being with us!

May God continue to bless all the efforts of our ministry-adults and children!

In His Service-

Deacon Mike Mundstock
Rev. Nate Kassulke
Rev. Matt Pfeifer

***

GJ - This is where progressive youth ministry ends up, as proven time and again in each mainline denomination.

WELS is mainline, just a few months behind the others.

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Dapper Don has left a new comment on your post "WELS Youth Mystery":

Greg,
for the sake of your readers, here's the preliminary schedule from the youth rally you mention.
Preliminary Youth Rally Schedule
Tuesday, July 6th
Noon Registration (no lunch provided)
2 pm Rally Begins
2:30 pm Keynote
6 pm Dinner
7 pm Devotion and Entertainment

Wednesday, July 7th
8 am Breakfast
9 am Morning Devotion
9:30 am Keynote
11:30 am Wet n’ Wild (lunch at the water park)
6 pm Dinner
7 pm Devotion and Entertainment

Thursday, July 8th
8 am Breakfast
9 am Morning Devotion
9:30 am Keynote
11 am Closing Devotion

Looks to me like four hours of the keynote speaker, adn (sic) 2 1/2 hours of devotions over a three day time span. What is so weird, it was posted. I know you don't go out of your way to misrepresent things, and am at loss how you could have failed to research this one. Psalm 15.3c
Hope this helps clarify the issue.
Don Pieper


***

GJ - Psalm 15:3 is a bit savage, Dapper Don, but a typical WELS response to a verbatim quotation from the source.

Like the gay Martin Luther College video, this matter came from a WELS member. The WELS members do not feel safe in questioning anything because of the smooth, practiced assaults delivered to the truth.

Another Blog Taken Down

I love the smell of blogs burning in the morning,
it smells like...victory.

The Anonymouse Shrinker blog is gone. Remember the hilarious one with toilets and cats? That was the fake Ichabod's effort at "satire."

http://wwww.a-nony-mouse-shrinker.blogspot.com

One person wrote:

Unbelievable. They all end (all, being probably the same guy) with some sort of claim like "having their conscience pricked because they're acting like Jackson," and with a confession of some sort of pious enlightenment allowing them to rise above the sin of others by quitting their endeavor. The fact is, they are not motivated by love -- love for God, for God's word, and concern for the souls of men -- but from bitterness. Perhaps their consciences rightly are pricked as a result. They don't know what righteous indignation is, since their weak theology won't permit them to be indignant over error. Good riddance.

The blog was being picked up by the Lutheran News (not Otten's) website. Such fleeting fame. Sic transit gloria mundi.

To Follow the LCMS Convention

Is this going too far?


To follow the LCMS convention:

http://2010convention.com/

and

http://crossfocusedleadership.org/

They are also linked on the left.

---

John has left a new comment on your post "To Follow the LCMS Convention":

Time of Grace has an exhibit at the LC-MS convention.

Does Time of Grace have an exhibit at the WELS, and ELS conventions?

He's driving the bus to Kieschnick's Missouri, which is closing up shop.
Jerry K. is going down,
so rats do swim toward a sinking ship, from time to time.

The Fox Valley Circuit Cartoons

revfrsds has left a new comment on your post "Lutherans Would Never Fall for This, Would They?":

Hi Greg!

For some reason that picture of Mr. Magoo reminded me of one of my favorite cartoon shows as a kid - "Beany & Cecil."

Let's see, there was, of course, Beany, a little boy with one of those brimless caps with a propeller on top. I do believe he could actually fly with it, though how it was connected to his head I don't remember. He was always going off on some adventure and inevitably getting into trouble. This, naturally, is Ski, who's ecclesiastical flights of fancy get him into hot water.



Then there was Cecil the Seasick Sea Serpent, a large green sea snake. He was always rescuing Beany from trouble, but he wasn't too bright. I seem to remember that he could change himself into "Super-Cecil" when needed to get Beany out of particularly difficult situations. Cecil would be Glende and Super-Cecil, VP Gass. They defend Ski no matter how foolish he is.



There was also a ship captain named Huffenpuff, I believe. You never saw much of him. He was afraid of everything and hid in his cabin most of the time. This just has to be DP Doug.




My favorite character was Dishonest John. He was always plotting to catch Cecil - I don't remember why - and just generally get into Beany's way or get him into trouble. One thing I remember well was his calling card which read "Dirty deeds done dirt cheap. Special rates for Sundays and holidays." This became the title for a rock song in the 70's, I think by the group AC/DC. This has simply GOT to be Mr. Ichabod! He works for free, and seeks to foil Beany and Cecil at every turn. Go get 'em DJ!



I'm not making light of the lack of doctrinal discipline in the NWD, just marveling at how life continues to imitate art - or in this case, cartoons!

You could do an entire new blog, using cartoon characters to represent various C&Cers and their ilk. Let's see, there's Heckle and Jeckle, the Three Pigs, Dudley Do-right, my goodness, the possibilities are endless.

Spence

Lutherans Would Never Fall for This, Would They?

Crying Wind will make you laugh until you cry.

Compare - WELS pastors who copy and paste their sermons and show up at Mary Lou College to lecture the kiddies on doing mission work. Ski comes to mind.

WELS pastors copy and paste sermons and get rewarded for it - Parlow, Kelm.

WELS pastors copy and paste emails, sobbing along with Hybels, and pass it off as their own - Hybels and Limmer. Limmer speaks to the kiddies too.

Confidential to Fox Valley - college kids already know how to copy and paste. That is how they write their essays.

Harrison To Win LCMS Presidency by a Whisker

Warning - Polemics Ahead

Marva Dawn (above) and Herman Otten's sister (Marie Meyer)
are feminist theologians of the LCMS.
In WELS, Kathie Wendland
is filling the same role.

Necessary Roughness

Pray for a Synod United with the Word

Jul 6th, 2010

by Dan.

The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod will hold its triennial convention July 10-17. It will take up initiatives that would, without exaggeration, significantly alter the ways that the LCMS conducts business and reflect a theology of how our churches work that is different than what the LCMS has confessed in the past. Consolidated power, proportional representation for larger congregations, less lay representation, and hiding debt through board restructuring are all in play.

Such things will be decided by people smarter than I am. Pray for them.

The current Synodical President, who is seeking reelection, asks in his June 2010 (PDF) issue of “President’s Leadership News” that the delegates in Houston meet with Ephesians 4:1-6 in mind, “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (verse 3). This is a good goal.

We must acknowledge that any such unity of the church and with the church must be maintained by submitting our reason and judgments to the Word of God, and in our case, the Lutheran Confessions. A group of people can be united in confession yet confess something other than what the Holy Spirit has intended for us to know. The ELCA becomes more and more united as those who protest the actions last August in Minneapolis leave. Unity is no virtue unless it is united with the Word of God.

Polemics versus Pietism

Spener taught Lutherans to be angry with polemical writings,
but Pietism is the ultimate polemic against sound doctrine.

I enjoy reading the hissy-fits aimed at me, but one thing really makes me sad. Many well-intentioned people have been trained to bristle when reading polemical works.

Another name for polemical works would be - Confessional. Yes, all the Lutheran pastors want to call themselves Confessional. They are anything but. The Book of Concord, following a long history of credal writings, is full of negative statements, explicitly condemning false doctrine. Do pastors know the Book of Concord? No, but they study the books of Fuller with glee.

Spener is the ultimate polemicist, because he taught Lutherans to oppose doctrinal debates. Granted, the death throes of Lutheran orthodoxy were noted for their opaque philosophical distinctions and their lack of Biblical exegesis, but that could have been solved without Spener's influence.

Notice the Pietistic influence today: love versus sound doctrine. Those who argue for sound doctrine are unloving and unbrotherly, just the opposite of what Luther and the Concordists taught.

Another aspect of the Pietistic influence is borrowing from other denominations, because the others are inherently superior. Spener got his cell groups from Labadie, who borrowed them from the Roman Catholics.

The rot happening in the LCMS, WELS, and the Little Sect can be traced to Pietism, which is another name for unionism and anti-Confessionalism. Where do these leaders meet and train? - Fuller, Willow Creek, Trinity in Deerfield. Their unity comes from a common loathing of sound doctrine. Even the moribund CLC (sic) has its unionistic faction, which will bite and tear at anyone in the name of love. The CLC (sic) adores Valleskey's Pietism.

One example of Pietism's assault is B. Teigen's scholarly analysis of false doctrine in the Synodical Conference. He showed correctly that the ELS, WELS, and Missouri adopted a false position on Consecration, a denial of the efficacy of the Word.

Was the ELS grateful for his work? No, Teigen rocked the boat. They treated their only scholar as if he were a bum. But they sang Amen! to Valleskey's Spoiling the Egyptians. WELS worked that issue hard, heaping contempt on Teigen and hauling out their all-purpose Pietist (Sig Becker) to cloud the issue.

Sig Becker endorsed the Pietistic Kokomo Statements, too, which were copied (three out of four) from J. P. Meyers' Ministers of Christ.

Pietism will not be defeated until it is identified and repudiated. Does anyone see that happening in WELS, the ELS, the LCMS? I do not. I see people content to have another Methodist leader like Al Barry. Remember good ol' Al? He was considered a conservative but he never stood up against the apostates, never got anyone upset. He and McCain paved the way for the Kieschnick Terror.

Here is a short history of what Pietism does. Anyone can trace this in Methodism or ELCA:

Stage One - There are all kinds of rules about what cannot be done, such as card playing, drinking, dancing, going to the theater. Deeds not creeds - remember that.

Stage Two - The rules are loosened up and the strict observers leave in a huff, the liberals happily waving goodbye.

Stage Three - Political activism and cross-denominational cooperation are called Gospel Outreach. Apostates are protected as valuable assets for the denomination.

Stage Four - The leaders are all Unitarians, gay activists, and ecumaniacs. These leaders are far more censorious than their own Pietistic founders. They savage anyone who questions their love, silence all dissent, and drive out anyone who dares question them. They make every Leftist fad an absolute requirement. The ELS, WELS, and Missouri are already participating in this stage.

Color Me Surprised

AP – Observers Tricia Dykes Koenig, left, and Michelle Ready, right, smile as the General Assembly of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church meeting Thursday, July 8, 2010 in Minneapolis votes to approve lifting the churches ban on ordaining non-celebrate gays and lesbians as clergy. (AP Photo/Jim Mone)

Presbyterian leaders approve gay clergy policy

By PATRICK CONDON, Associated Press Writer Patrick Condon, Associated Press Writer – Thu Jul 8, 7:44 pm ET

MINNEAPOLIS – Presbyterian leaders voted Thursday to allow non-celibate gays in committed relationships to serve as clergy, approving the first of two policy changes that could make their church one of the most gay-friendly major Christian denominations in the U.S.

But the vote isn't a final stamp of approval for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) or its more than 2 million members.

Delegates voted during the church's general assembly in Minneapolis, with 53 percent approving the more liberal policy on gay clergy. A separate vote is expected later Thursday on whether to change the church's definition of marriage from between "a man and a woman" to between "two people."

Under current church policy, Presbyterians are only eligible to become clergy, deacons or elders if they are married or celibate. The new policy would strike references to sexuality altogether in favor of candidates committed to "joyful submission to worship of Christ."

But such changes must be approved by a majority of the church's 173 U.S. presbyteries. The assembly voted two years ago to liberalize the gay clergy policy, but it died last year when 94 of the presbyteries voted against it.

Still, the proposed changes "have the potential to be historic," said Cindy Bolbach, an elder at National Capital Presbytery in Washington and the assembly's elected moderator.

Observers Tricia Dykers Koenig

**CORRECTS SPELLING OF LAST NAME FROM DYKES TO DYKERS** Observers Tricia Dykers Koenig, left, and Michelle Ready, right, and Laurie Kraus join in a hymn after the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church meeting Thursday, July 8, 2010 in Minneapolis voted to approve lifting the churches ban on ordaining non-celebrate gays and lesbians as clergy.

MINNEAPOLIS – A split decision from Presbyterian leaders on two gay-friendly measures guarantees even more debate among the U.S. church's members on an issue they've been divided over for years.

Delegates to the Presbyterian church's convention in Minneapolis voted Thursday for a more liberal policy on gay clergy but decided not to redefine marriage in their church constitution to include same-sex couples. Approval of both measures could have made the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) one of the most gay-friendly major Christian churches in the U.S.

Even the more liberal stance on gay clergy faces more debate before it can become church policy. A majority of the church's 173 U.S. presbyteries must approve it. Two years ago — after years of efforts by supporters — a similar measure was

Just a Few Early Polemical Works in Theology

Gnostic Society

The principal patristic texts of interest to Gnostic studies are listed in this section (all texts from Alexander Roberts, ed. The Ante-Nicene Fathers and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers collection). The writings of Augustin against the the Manichaeans are also included.

A collection of the complete patristic writings, all carefully and recently reedited, is available at the CECL Early Church Fathers collection. This site offers the entire Ante-Nicene Fathers and Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers collections (about 38 volumes in the print edition), and includes a search function.

The advantage of our Gnostic Society Library collection is that all the "anti-gnostic" patristic writings, as well as numerous Gnostic works, are indexed here together by our search function. This allows rapid comparative searches on key names and subjects.

Patristic Polemical Works Against the Gnostics
Listed by Author

Ireneaus of Lyon:

• Against All Heresies, Book 1.
• Against All Heresies, Book 2.
• Against All Heresies, Book 3.
• Against All Heresies, Book 4.
• Against All Heresies, Book 5.

Tertullian:

• Against Marcion, Book 1
• Against Marcion, Book 2
• Against Marcion, Book 3
• Against Marcion, Book 4
• Against Marcion, Book 5

• Against Hermogenes
• Against Praxeas
• Against the Valentinians
• Appendix: Against All Heresy
• Prescriptions Against Heretics
• Scorpiace

Origen:

• Contra Celsum, Book 1.
• Contra Celsum, Book 2.
• Contra Celsum, Book 3.
• Contra Celsum, Book 4.
• Contra Celsum, Book 5.
• Contra Celsum, Book 6.
• Contra Celsum, Book 7.
• Contra Celsum, Book 8.
  

Hippolytus:

• Refutations of all Heresies, Book 1.
• Refutations of all Heresies, (Books 2 and 3 are not extant.)
• Refutations of all Heresies, Book 4.
• Refutations of all Heresies, Book 5.
• Refutations of all Heresies, Book 6.
• Refutations of all Heresies, Book 7.
• Refutations of all Heresies, Book 8.
• Refutations of all Heresies, Book 9.
• Refutations of all Heresies, Book 10.

Clement of Alexandria:

• Stromata, Book 1.
• Stromata, Book 2.
• Stromata, Book 4.
• Stromata, Book 6.
• Stromata, Book 7.

• Pseudo-Clementine, Recognitions, Book 2
  (The Duel Between Simon Magus and Peter)
• Pseudo-Clementine, Recognitions, Book 3

Augustine:

• Contra Epistolam Fundamenti Manichaei (Against the Fundamental Epistle of Mani)
• Contra Faustum Manichaeum, Books I - XV (Against Faustus, the Manichaean)
  Contra Faustum Manichaeum, Books XVI-XXII
  Contra Faustum Manichaeum, Books XXIII-XXXIII
• De Moribus Ecclesiae Catholicae (On the Morals of the Catholic Church)
• De Moribus Manichaerorum (On the Morals of the Manichaeans)
• De Duabus Animabus Contra Manichaeos (Concerning Two Souls: Against the Manichaeans)
• Disputatio Contra Fortunatum Manichaeum (Disputations Against Fortunatus, the Manichaean)
• De Natura Boni, Contra Manichaeos (Concerning the Nature of Good: Against the Manichaeans)

Others Writers:

• Chrysostom, Homily Against Marcionists and Manichaeans
• Jerome, Letter to Pammachius Against John of Jerusalem
• Jerome, Letter Against Vigilantius
• Ephraim: Third Discourse to Hypatius Against Mani, Marcion, and Bardaisan

Joe Krohn on Extra Nos

Greg,

Thank you for the commendation. You are somewhat of an enigma. When I read your posts in various places other than Ichabod, I see a different person. When I read your books I see a different person than what I read on Ichabod. First impressions are hard to shake. My first encounter with you was Ichabod and it made me quite angry. It did start me on a journey and I have seen things along the way. I have learned and re-learned things I had forgotten. For that I am thankful. When I was a younger man the end justified the means. That philosophy has changed as I grow older. I get the big picture of what you are trying to accomplish on Ichabod, but I do call into question the means. And I mean that sincerely.

Peace,
Joe

Extra Nos

***

GJ - I always said Ichabod was a polemical blog, and polemical writings have a respected role in Christian theology. Look at how many works are titled "Against..."

The Enthusiasts of WELS have introduced their errors in a calm, smooth, beguiling way. One graduate of Mequon said Valleskey delivered Church Growth like an injection right to the arteries, but the same professor acted as if he was forced into studying CG for that odious conference paper he gave, arguing that figs do come from thistles.

The Shrinkers are nasty, dishonest, and greedy. I did what I could using all the normal channels in the past, and I published my research with my name on it. The WELS pastors and laity cheered silently from the sidelines but did nothing about it.

Joe has a good example of how they work in his own congregation. Patterson and Gurgle are moving within three miles of his Round Rock mission congregation.

Shrinkers say, "You are not being brotherly" whenever someone talks to them about their errors, which is something they demand (Matthew 18) but still treat as a sin.

How brotherly is it to destroy a neighboring mission in the name of outreach?

The Shrinkers have done this repeatedly, because their fragile egos demand it.

Joe, you are honest about your opinions. I am very pessimistic about WELS and the ELS, but I am optimistic about the efficacy of the Word in the Means of Grace.