ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, to attack Objective Faithless Justification, Church Growth Clowns, and their ringmasters. The antidote to these poisons is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Left-wing, National Council of Churches denominations.
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Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Appleton Does It Again - Church and Change Men's Conference, Feb. 26, 2011
Yeast and the WELS
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
A Rose By Any Other Name
I'm afraid that my use of the cliche phrase in the title is not as pleasant as originally intended by Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Yesterday, yet another anonymous visitor left a comment that I believe is vital when it comes to understanding the entire premise of this blog:
Anonymous said...
I wouldn't even care if the CORE existed on its own. What bothers me is that this apostasy falls under the WELS umbrella -a synod I was born and raised in - and it is seemingly okay with those who have the power to put a stop to it. Their silence is deafening and it's causing WELS to lose more members than it's gaining. I know I can no longer support WELS until they start cleaning house, so to speak So much for church 'growth'.
September 14, 2010 11:23 PM
This anonymous user really strikes the nail on the head, at least with regard to the motivation that I myself have in these matters. The Church Growth/Church and Change (or better still - pietistic) methodology is nothing new; as our Lord himself tells us in Ecclesiastes: "There is nothing new under the sun." The fact is, as I've stated amply, I used to buy into much of the anti-Lutheran ideology myself. And that's what it really boils down to: pietistic, reformed theology is not in any way Lutheran. You can slap the "WELS" seal of approval on it, but as the title implies, a rose will still smell like a rose (or in this case, a dung heap), even if you call it something else.
That is why this whole CORE situation is so frustrating to me and many others. We've grown up in the WELS, we've gone through the WELS education system, we know what Lutheranism (and dare I say, Christianity in general) is supposed to be . . . and then we see what our leaders are blatantly allowing to occur under the auspices of the very same. If the individuals involved in such institutions as the CORE want to leave and start their own church bodies, I'm not going to stand in their way. For that matter, I'd stop blogging about it, because my concern here is erroneous teaching within the (confessional) Lutheran church. Even if, in the very least, the appropriate leaders took a stand and denounced the goings-on in these faux-Lutheran institutions, I would be somewhat satiated. Unfortunately, as has been demonstrated through this blog and others like it, none of the aforementioned has come - or seems to be coming - to fruition.
In light of this, it is clear to me that the founders of CORE-like institutions, and the relevant leaders in charge of them, are purposefully deceiving the church body they are called to nurture and defend. Whether or not they think they are "doing the right thing," they are talking one game and playing another, which is clearly not the Scriptural mandate. If they think that sound Lutheran doctrine is not valid, they need to enumerate their concerns and make them known to the public, rather than dwelling in deceitful darkness. Of course, this will never happen, because confessional Lutheranism is not the party whose false doctrine needs addressing.
Posted by Daniel Baker at 10:39 AM Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to FacebookShare to Google Buzz
Labels: CORE, deceit, Ski, WELS
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Wednesday, September 15, 2010
What Is a Troll?
The following comments were left on a previous post by an anonymous user from Oshkosh (according to Feedjit, at any rate):
Anonymous said...
Troll. Just like this blog.
September 15, 2010 2:26 PM
Anonymous said...
Funny how this so called "unbiased" blog screens responses. Afraid of a good debate? You've been had Troll. Nice try.
September 15, 2010 2:29 PM
Let us look at the definition of a "troll:"
Internet troll (or simply troll in Internet slang): someone who posts controversial and usually irrelevant or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum or chat room, with the intention of baiting other users into an emotional response[1] or to generally disrupt normal on-topic discussion.
Read more: http://pursuitmag.com/cyber-crime-terms-and-definitions/#ixzz0zdnmCTxP
Interesting stuff. According to this definition, the only troll in the room is the individual who made the accusation in the first place. I know, I know. You're not supposed to "feed the troll." I couldn't help myself, though, in that I find it necessary to illuminate the fraudulent hypocrisy of those in favor of destroying orthodox Christianity.
Now, to address the somewhat legitimate concern raised by the anonymous individual regarding the so-called bias of this blog. The only reason I turned on comment filtering (those who have been here since the beginning will note that it was originally open to free commenting) is because detractors were posting grotesque and profane comments quicker than I could delete them (immature sexual references, offensive profanity, and other similar distasteful things were being utilized). Subsequently, I found it necessary to not allow this sort of filth to be posted on my blog, lest it reflect poorly on the content of this site. I do not filter comments just because they disagree with me. Unlike some, I welcome diversity in thought and opinion.
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Labels: Trolls
***
GJ - The assistant pastor left St. Peter's Freedom (Glende) because of deceit. That was never addressed, from what I read. DP Huff n Puff is doubtless writing another letter to send - in lieu of a face-to-face meeting. So scary!
Notice, readers, that the people supporting The SORE were eager to send abusive comments to the blogger. Ski and Glende are transforming lives, but not in a positive way.
Kelm Brought WELS/ELS To Hear Sweet at His Church and Change Confab
at Willowcreek's Little College.
Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Sweet and Ichabod Are the Litmus Tests":
The (W)ELS and LCMS, which are the last of the formerly Lutheran Synods, have all bought into the New Age Satanic emergent church doctrines and practices. Their kneeling at Sweet's feet is but a small portion of their apostacy. Their churches and members are practicing Reiki, Contemplative prayer, Taize meditation under the guise of Christian worship and feeding it to others. They financially support and are fed by Thrivent who distributes their money to ELCA to help finance abortions for their clergy. They support Lutheran World Relief (LWR) which gives millions to the United Nations along with Ted Turner to actively depopulate the world, murdering hundreds of thousands of men, women and children - all with WELS, ELS and LCMS offering money.
Leonard Sweet is but a small portion of this problem but certainly no small problem when considering his teachings and background.
The following is copied from Lighthouse blog, http://www.lighthousetrailsresearch.com/blog/?p=4240
Speaking of spiritual “channels,” Sweet expresses his personal gratitude in Quantum Spirituality to channeler and veteran New Age leader, David Spangler. . . . A pioneering spokesperson for the New Age, Spangler has written numerous books over the years that include Emergence: The Rebirth of the Sacred, Revelation: The Birth of a New Age, and Reimagination of the World: A Critique of the New Age, Science, and Popular Culture. His book Revelation: The Birth of a New Age is a compilation of channeled transmissions he received from his disembodied spirit-guide “John.” At one point in Revelation, Spangler documents what “John” prophesied about “the energies of the Cosmic Christ” and “Oneness”:
As the energies of the Cosmic Christ become increasingly manifest within the etheric life of Earth, many individuals will begin to respond with the realization that the Christ dwells within them. They will feel his presence moving within and through them and will begin to awaken to their heritage of Christhood and Oneness with God, the Beloved.4
Unbelievably, in a modern-day consultation that bears more than a casual resemblance to King Saul’s consultation with the witch of Endor (1 Samuel 28:7), Leonard Sweet acknowledges in Quantum Spiritualitythat he was privately corresponding with channeler David Spangler.5 In Quantum Spirituality, Sweet writes about what he calls his “new cell” understanding of New Light leadership, then closes his book by thanking Spangler for “his help in formulating this ‘new cell’ understanding of New Light Leadership.” Sweet writes:
I am grateful to David Spangler for his help in formulating this “new cell” understanding of New Light leadership.6
David Spangler worked on the United Nations Planetary Initiative and wrote, "Lucifer works within each of us to bring us to wholeness, and as we move into a New Age…each of us in some way is brought to that point which I term the Luciferic Initiation, the particular doorway through which the individual must pass if he is to come fully into the presence of his light and wholenesss. Lucifer prepares man in all ways for the experience of Christhood… The light that reveals to us the presence of the Christ…comes from Lucifer. He is the light-giver, he is aptly named the Morning Star because it is his light that heralds for man the dawn of a great consciousness …He stands…as the Great Initiator, the one who hands the soul over to the Christ." (9)
http://www.theforbiddenknowledge.com/hardtruth/luciferic_initiation.htm
The (W)ELS and LCMS synod presidents, vice presidents and district presidents will all sleep well tonight having done nothing to halt and destroy these New Age Satanic teachings from being taught to men, women and children within your fellowship. Will you?
***
GJ - The same DPs who were horrified at someone going to a Missouri Synod seminary are now oblivious to the Leonard Sweet New Agers.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Too Much Politeness - Too Many Concessions
How about Groeschel (Methodist-Covenant) sermons dishonestly peddled as original?
Did Glende and Ski show any brotherly concern for fellow pastors in this endeavor?
http://livinthehylife.blogspot.com/2010/09/core-mission-church.html
The CORE a Mission Church?
Anonymous Said . . .
St. Peter church never declared St. Paul's dead or dying. St. Paul has a wonderful Hmong ministry mission along with a traditional ministry, area churches including St. Peter supports their ministry by sending volunteers to help with Hmong Saturday school. The CORE and St. Paul service times are completely different as well so they are not competing.
The mission of The CORE was/is to reach out to young adults, the age group that was falling away from church or would be less likely to come into a traditional church setting (a St. Peter or a St. Paul) and on a Sunday evening when young adults would be more likely to come. What better way to reach out to them than be part of their neighborhood. Perhaps you didn't drive east two more blocks...The CORE is walking distance from the largest college in town. The fact they were able to lease a beautiful building and a location downtown near the largest group of young adults in the city is truly a blessing from God.September 14, 2010 11:14 AM
Personally, I think that Pastor Ski had good intentions when he went into the CORE, much like the above commentator suggests. In fact, I am hard pressed to believe that any of the WELS Pastors who buy into the Church and Change (WELS version of Church Growth Ministry) mentality do so with evil intent. It probably starts with a comment from some naive teenager like myself (along the lines of "I hate going to church and hearing the same old thing every week"). Or maybe the pastor witnesses the "growth" of an evangelical church, and starts to believe there is something to it. Perhaps his son or daughter has started to read or listen to contemporary "theologians" and their way of doing things. It's really not that hard to imagine.
So what does the pastor do? He starts to become less rigid in his application of the liturgy. Maybe he decides to rearrange a portion here and add a segment there. Then he decides that, instead of an Old Testament and Epistle reading, it would be better to just have one longer, relevant reading in addition to the sermon text. Or maybe he decides that it's not necessary to read the gospel every single week. Maybe he begins to insert a "popular" contemporary worship band's musical stylings before or after the sermon, as it is pertinent to his message.
But it doesn't end there. As the title of this blog suggests, yeast has a way of spreading. Soon "small group ministries" are being promoted as "essential" to the church. Then an "Alternative Worship Experience" pops up, an event which is lay-led, praised for it's lack of pastor, organ, liturgy (and, though un-noted, the Sacraments). But this "service" is okay, because it's meant to reach out to the lost and draw them into regular corporate worship, not serve as a means to strengthen those who are already saved. However, eventually this contemporary worship service starts to replace regular Sunday worship. What's more, the "liturgical" Sunday worship services - particularly the sermons - start to become more and more law focused, with an emphasis on personal piety.
Each one of these "changes" probably seemed relevant and God-pleasing at the time, but in reality they are inching closer and closer to the age-old ideology of pietism. Pietism is nothing new in the Lutheran church - in today's world, it's just coming with a different flavor. Intrepid Lutherans recently posted a very pertinent essay regarding this very subject:
"The New White-Wine Pietists," by Craig Parton
The fact of the matter is, whether or not the "hip" and relevant Pastors who implement CG methodology have good intent, the results tend to be much the same in every circumstance: Me-centered worship lacking any real emphasis on the Means of Grace. I truly believe that Pastor "Ski" and the leaders at St. Peter's Freedom started the CORE with similar good intentions. They wanted to reach the lost of Appleton by providing the city with a Mission of sorts. Unfortunately, the CORE has turned out to be little more than a "cool" alternative for teens to Christ-centered worship at their home congregations. As the cliche saying goes: "The road to hell is paved with good intentions." Once error has been exposed, there is no excuse for those who persist in it, even if the error is "understandable." Let us hope that the relevant individuals have their hearts softened by the Holy Spirit in these matters.
GJ - The false teachers--who include the DP, Glende, Ski, Parlow, and more--do not have good intentions. They abuse the patience of others by seeing how much they can get away with. The pastors who have tried to deal with them (as required by WELS Rules #3411-4306) have found them rude, indifferent, and just plain nasty.
Does anyone think teens will be deceived into the Kingdom with Groeschel retread sermons wrapped in Stanley corporate business-think?
These middle-aged teens, posing with floozies, are the worst possible examples to the youth of Appleton:
1. Spend a fortune (but from whom?) on false doctrine conferences.
2. Rent a movie theater because that is the new fad.
3. Sheep steal.
4. Plagiarize.
Which one of those SORE values will help youth in the 21st century?
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Daniel Baker has left a new comment on your post "Too Much Politeness - Too Many Concessions":
The point is that, good intentions or not (I am still hard pressed to believe that they set out to deceive the Elect, but it's not something worth arguing over), Ski, Glende, et al. are beyond the point of being given "the benefit of the doubt" and are now in persistent error. Thus, we need not "give it a chance," as it has proven by its fruit to be steeped in falsehood.
Paul McCain's Time Out on ALPB Forum
He is the Perez Hilton for CPH.
Apparently Paul McCain has been banned from the ALPB Forum for 30 days. I may have this wrong, since I do not have the origin post of doom. The thread suggests that is the case. I posted that he was warned recently.
He quit for a period of time, after being called on his behavior:
Some time back I recommended folks give the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau's online forum a try. I now need to withdraw that recommendation. The ALPB forum is very poorly moderated, and when the ELCA moderator actually ever does attempt to exercise some modicum of control, it is generally to slap wrists with a ruler for not being nice, which apparently in the ELCA is a sin far more serious than doctrinal heresy and moral bankruptcy. The forum has reached the point where it is no better than sites like LutherQuest. There are two very liberal ELCA pastors on the board who dominate every conversation to the point of destroying any possibility of reasonable conversation, one in particular is permitted by the site's moderators to question incessantly every major article of the Christian faith. It is a mess. It is actually a bit like watching a train wreck, it is so awful you can't take your eyes from it, but…you really should. I have, and feel much the better for it.
***
GJ - I thought that was cute, because he is always acting tough with Marie Meyer and David Behnke on the forum. When he was Barry's assistant, he was mush - unless someone disagreed with him. Behnke could have been deposed by Barry for his earlier offence, but Barry/McCain took a powder and left it to Wally Schulz to do what was necessary, much later. At that point, with no SP to support him, Wally was fired from his radio job and voted out of office.
I would cry for "conservatives" in Missouri, but they have been sacrificing their own to Belial for decades. I was going to publish my amazement that McCain had so much time to post on ALPB and everywhere else - even in Australia.
Sweet and Ichabod Are the Litmus Tests
Mequon graduate DP Wille (LCMS) is hosting another Sweet conference.
Wille is buddies with Jeske, no surprise.
Rogue Lutheran gave me the link to this podcast by Ingrid Schleuter, CrossTalk. Click on the September 9th date and the listen link. I used Windows Media player.
I tried to get more information about Ingrid. She is a conservative Christian, perhaps LCMS. [GJ - Corrections will be made later.] This is the first podcast I have listened to. The program is well done and especially good for people who are more likely to listen than to read a lot of material.
WELS and Missouri have been bowing before Leonard Sweet for some time. When Church and Change was debating the Sweet invitation (and Kelm would not respond), the Chicago stealth mission pastor for WELS had already heard Sweet and loved him.
Once I linked a video that Concordia Seminary, St. Louis posted - featuring Sweet and their seminary president, who almost crawled into Sweet's lap to lick his face. It was disgusting. Strangest of all, Concordia was so proud of this performance that they had to share it with everyone.
While WELS and Missouri are celebrating how conservative they are - an old story with no evidence behind it - Sweet remains their cutting edge theologian. I hate the term cutting edge too, but trite synods love trite labels, and that one fits. Sweet is the ultimate leader of the circumcision party.
Sweet is the litmus test of Christianity. If a synod can sponsor him, welcome him, sit at his feet, promote his loathsome books, that synod is apostate. Has anyone in WELS or Missouri been disciplined for promoting this pagan?
SP Schroeder and SP Harrison will not do the most important part of their jobs - enforce doctrinal discipline with expulsions. Missouri and WELS expel pastors and teachers from time to time, but they will not take on the Sweetarians and their allies.
The SPs see their jobs as essentially political. People want and expect that. No hard choices. No real decisions.
Pause for a moment and imagine that I am invited to speak to an ELS or WELS conference, maybe even LCMS since they invite ELCA speakers without blushing. Of course that will never happen. But if it did, the uproar would be astonishing in its wrath. Why? Because I am against adulterous pastors? They do have a big lobby. Perhaps because I argue for the inerrancy and efficacy of the Scriptures? They tolerate that, except I apply it to too many situations. Or - I actually study the Confessions and teach them as the ruled norm? They claim the same thing, even if they do not know the Formula of Concord from the Book of Concord. The primary reason is that I have identified their opinions as utter rubbish, false doctrine, contrary to all their lofty claims and well-oiled PR campaigns. Not only that, millions of Lutherans have voted with their feet to say the same thing. That grinds away at the shredded remains of their conscience. They cannot argue doctrine with me, so they indulge themselves in back-biting, grape-viney behavior.
I am the enemy of the established synods - not Sweet. That is their conceit and their downfall. Final judgment is only a few years away from many of them. From the look of the waistlines - any minute now. When they die and answer for themselves, what can they say, "Lord, Lord, did we not build many buildings and name them after an adulterer?"
God has taken away from them the one thing they love - material growth. And yet they march like zombies after Sweet and lesser demagogues anyway.
Pastor Ski Will Explain Why He Posed with the Playboy Model, Katy Perry (fallen Gospel singer), And Other Mysteries
FVL Schools Community Parents Night
September 30th
7:00 p.m.
Fox Valley Lutheran High School
Trinity, Neenah, Wisconsin
Invite your neighbors and friends with children the age of your children -- How great would it be to have EVERYONE talking about this important topic from a Biblical perspective. Tickets available from the FVL School Office or the office of any FVL School.
Don't plagiarize the way your guest speaker does - with the DP's approval.
And don't disgrace yourself by posing with low-life celebrity ....
Fox Valley Lutheran Community Parent Night
Pastor Jim "Ski" Skorzewski, pastor of The Core in downtown Appleton presents "SEX ED - Taking on Taboos".
DESCRIPTION:
Talking openly about sex to their middle school or high school-age children is a topic many parents dread. But, today -- more than ever -- that conversation needs to take place. "SEX ED - Taking on Taboos" will help parents and teens tackle these taboo topics through the lens of God's Word.
COST:
FreeSTARTS AT:
September 30th, 2010 at 7:00 PMENDS AT:
September 30th, 2010 at 8:30 PMLOCATION:
Appleton, WIThe WELS SORE Is Becoming the BORE
electronicoptimist said...
Seems to me that your 'observing with purpose' is merely a PC way of stating that you were on a religious witch hunt.
I get it though. Use a purchased set of artwork to go along with your series on Elijah and you are a plaigarist. Use contemporary stuff.. you aren't adhering to the old ways. Dress casually.. you aren't being respectful.
I encourage you to attend again.. this time listen to the message (focus) instead of playing insurance adjuster (estimating costs of the interior) or carny (I'll let you guess my weight afterward if that will make you feel better - I look like I could be Ski's brother so introduce yourself).
I arrived at the event early to insure that I had time to fully observe everything. I listened intently to the sermon so I could provide an accurate representation of the content. I re-listened to the sermon on the internet to insure I didn't miss anything or misinterpret it. I even listened to some other sermons to make sure I didn't catch "Ski" on a bad day.
You need to take a step back and reassess the situation. This is not about being stuck in the old ways - unless, of course, you consider the message of Christ's gospel the "old ways," in which case that's the only Way I care to be in.
That so-called "men's conference" was part of WELS Church And Change. This is an apostate organization and is frowned upon by SP
Schroeder and the other confessional leadership. The C&C invites New Age teachers and is all about the Emergent church. They care more about Leadership Network than they do about Confessional Lutheranism.
In Christ,
Rebecca Quam

It's just too bad that the theater-"church" he goes to now uses anything and everything to get people in the door, but then offers no gospel once they get there. After all, the law and gospel tend to turn unbelievers away, so we couldn't use that. And it's really too bad that he finds Lutheran worship a big "yawn"er. But then, the law and gospel are boring to the sinful nature, aren't they?
But of course, everything gets boring to people after a while, including amateur rock bands, shiny screens, and popcorn. Which probably explains why attendance at the CORE keeps dropping. I know, cause I drop in once in a while. Used to be you couldn't find a seat, or a parking spot. Now both are ample. Slowly but surely. The people who go there receive no gospel to attach them to the place. So when the newness of the methods wears off, they just stop coming.
Are people leaving other area WELS churches? Sure. That happens when law and gospel are preached faithfully. A lot of people turn away. But some come, and some stay. I believe most WELs churches (yawn) in the area are actually being blessed by outward growth, despite the CORE's obvious attempts at sheep stealing, except St. Matthew, which is just a wannabe CORE. (I agree with Daniel that most of the people at the CORE are already WELS members. And anyone with half a brain knows that's why the CORE really opened. If it wasn't, why would they have opened in a city that has like 20 WELS churches? Why not open it in a town with NO WELS churches, if you're not intending to take members from other WELS churches?) I know Riverview (yawn...boring law and gospel) is growing, so is Eternal Love, so is Mt. Olive, so is (yawn) Bethany. Even St. Paul's is turning around, even though St. Peter's declared it dead by opening the CORE right next door. Maybe the pastors in all those other churches aren't as inept as you think. I know mine aren't at Riverview. I know yours weren't at Bethany. I don't fall asleep during sermons that are full of law and gospel. If I did, I would be guilty of finding God and his Word boring.
You see, when the people stay in those churches, they actually have something lasting to hold on to, instead of just methods that always change, and eventually bore...no matter what they are. And when they go, those churches can still fall asleep at night, wake up in the morning, and keep proclaiming law and gospel... knowing they didn't sell out to false teachers and methods.
The Seminary Question
He has had two calls to The Sausage Factory.
QED - the sem board is in bed with Church and Change.
Every so often, someone asks me, "What seminary should I attend?" Unless someone is independently wealthy, the two LCMS seminaries should be ruled out. They provide a hyper-expensive degree that is worth nothing outside of the Missouri Synod. The effective cost includes losing a full-time income for four years. Vicarage provides some income, but it is necessarily disruptive.
Missouri takes everyone's tuition money and misleads people with the false story of 600 vacancies, a lie told for at least 20 years. Once the students are maxed out on student loans they discover that Missouri will never allow them to serve.
Under the watchful eyes of Wayne Mueller and SP Gurgle, WELS managed to increase tuition while reducing student population to the breaking point. Mequon is ideal for non-thinking conformists who despise the Confessions and mock the Word of God, who run to Fuller Seminary and denounce Missouri for being unionistic. If someone has an IQ just above room temperature and a lot of relatives in Church and Change, Mequon is ideal. Otherwise, it is a waste of time and money.
I would suggest the Little Seminary on the Prairie, Mankato. I am not saying the professors are great. They hired Moldstad - lacking a college degree, and promoted him to pope. Schmeling was happy to exchange his soul for a position, so he is sem president. The good thing about the ELS is the lack of baggage. They are more equipped to accept someone who does not fit the synodical pedigree and that graduate could probably plan on being left alone in his parish - unlike WELS.
An ELS pastor can upgrade to the LCMS. That has happened many times. The son of the former seminary president, Petersen, left the ELS for a Missouri call. The Missouri Synod is often nicer to the ELS than they are to their own graduates. Maybe they like someone with experience and a non-confrontational degree. The ELS pastors are not very argumentative.
The ELS has a hate/hate relationship with WELS. They hate each other but hide it under various icky sayings, like "We cherish our fellowship." WELS used to push the ELS around about endorsing Church Growth and other Reformed doctrines, and the ELS complied. However, that is less likely to happen, with Wayne Mueller and Gurgle gone. WELS VP Huebner is a Fuller alumnus, so the farce continues - not that anyone would admit it. Huebner is not a big force at The Love Shack, since he has no salary and must still work for a living.
I am not saying Bethany, Mankato is great - just the least obnoxious for the best price.
The established synods are dedicated to keeping their man-made traditions alive. There may be opportunities as ELCA breaks apart. The percentage loss so far is not very high, but ELCA is losing enormous congregations with the property and splitting others 50/50, where the losers in the exit poll leave anyway.
Whatever is done, the theology student should learn one or two job skills. The ones who really love the Lutheran Confessions are often multi-talented, so that should not be a problem. However, one needs a diploma or certificates to back that up in the job search. I learned web design and Unix for various reasons, not for teaching. The certificates got me into teaching at the university level. I added a master's in adult education when I saw the offerings trending toward "a master's in the field of teaching." When it was time to teach the courses I already taught in MA program in education, the requirements were changed to a master's in education. Without that I would have been excluded from the courses I taught so many times before.
Anyone who is serious about theology should keep tent-making in mind, because the apostates work constantly to get rid of them. The emulsifying pastors, who pretend to be confessional--but are really lick-spittles--are eager to help their apostate pals clear the way for more vacancies.
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Norman Teigen has left a new comment on your post "The Seminary Question":
Interesting post. Whenever I see something about the ELS in your blog, I read with great interest.
I think that the ELS tries very hard to do things right at Bethany Seminary. I have felt that there is a division at Bethany between the Seminary/Synod and Bethany College. The physical boundary between the two locations is the Elm St. hill.
The theological seminary at Bethany has its origins in the late 40s. The ELS sent men like my father and my late uncles to Concordia-St. Louis with a few going to Thiensville.
There was a sense of building an identity for the ELS which resulted in the formation of the Seminary in the late 1940s. The founding fathers of the ELS Seminary were Norman Madson, George Lillegard, and S,C. Ylvisaker. Lillegard was much more of a theologian than was Madson, Madson was, perhaps, a more dynamic personalty than was Lillegard.
The bright shining star for the ELS Seminary in its opening years was Robert Preus. Getting Robert Preus into the ELS was a major triumph. In later years Robert's son's decision to join the ELS was also a major public relations coup for the Synod. The decision of this son was not to work to his personal and professional benefit as your readers are well aware.
The dark side of the ELS is that far too many sons of the Synod have been cast aside over questionable practices and procedures.
You mention the son of the one of the Seminary presidents, and I want to note that the name ends in -sen and not -son.
I don't think that the blood-letting continues. There is a generational shift that is occurring within the ELS. The old ways aren't necessarily the best ways.
There appears to be a feeling of genuine fellowship and good brotherhood between the ELS and the WELS. Old traditional local culture is being reviewed and examined.
I am beginning to feel a bit more optimistic of the relations between the two synods. And, I am beginning to feel better enough about Missouri to even entertain the crazy idea that the old Synodical Conference could be restored.
***
GJ - I knew Jack and Robert Preus. I have met three of Robert's sons - Klement (took a class from him at Ft. Wayne); Peter (attended his installation, where Robert preached); Dan (met him at Concordia Historical Institute); Rolf (met him when Barry spoke reluctantly to LCMS conservatives).
I find it odd that Rolf is blamed for Pope John the Malefactor's dictatorial methods. As one classical Lutheran author said, there are three legitimate reasons for removing a pastor: 1) false doctrine; 2) scandalous behavior; and 3) refusal to carry out pastoral work. Pope John and Rolf agreed about UOJ. No one accused Rolf of scandalous behavior or refusal to do his work. Pope John threatened to the parish. If they did not remove Rolf, His Excellency would kick them out of the ELS. They buckled and licked the Shoes of the Fisherman, the Vicar of Christ, the latest incarnation of Peter.
Once Pope John was done, there was not much blood left to let. The ELS was almost drained dry, kosher-like. And this happened because WELS was forcing its idiocies on the ELS, and some ELS pastors and laity questioned it. Emulsifying pastors Schmeling and Webber helped out, of course.
I am not saying that because I liked Rolf or agreed with his UOJ opinions. Both are irrelevant. Pope John was wrong and the ELS was wrong to back him with a re-election.
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Norman Teigen has left a new comment on your post "The Seminary Question":
Yes, Elm St. does indeed become Division St. thanks for crediting me with a pun, but I am not as clever as Mr. Church is.
There was a time when the leadership of the ELS would not allow any of the College professors to teach at the Seminary, to cross over Division Street, as it were.
College professors were deemed to be ideologically unfit to perpetuate the party line as proclaimed by Synodical leaders.
The absurdity here is obvious. The ELS is just a little bit of a Synod. there just aren't that many bodies to fill the empty slots.
For a time, vacancies at the ELS seminary were filled by WELSian clones. Now, with a change in generational ELS leadership, Bethany College professors do teach in hue Sem.
Norman Teigen
ELS layman, Synod historian
Monday, September 13, 2010
Watch the End of This Ridiculous DRIVE 10 Video
Groeschel and Andy Stanley.
DRIVE-BYE 1 from North Point Media on Vimeo.
Come Let Us Plagiarize the Dolts,
Let Us Kneel Before the Schwaermer Idols
and now he is moving next door with a competing worship site.
Thanks a lot.
And thanks to ex-SP Gurgel, too.
From the Texas branch of the Ichabod News Service:
Pastor Doebler did a series of sermons called Game On! This was in Sept.-Nov. 09. North Point, you remember those guys, are the creaters of the Game On! sermons.
All Doebler's stuff is bad, just as bad as Ski only a little less brash.
Let me tell you what the pastor at Christ The Rock has been up to! Mark Driscoll wrote the Rebel's Guide To Joy Series. The pastor at Christ The Rock did a "series of sermons" titled The Rebel's Guide to Joy.
Driscoll - Rebel's Guide to Joy
Even worse is the Bible Information class given by this pastor. It is called, "Life In God's Family." This study is written by Woodrow Kroll. Kroll served as president of Practical Bible College in Binghamton, NY. In other words, this guy "ain't" Lutheran! He endorses cell groups and teaches Descision Theology! The Christ The Rock pastor also did a sermon series on The Role of John. One of Kroll's series books is about the role of John. Kroll also teaches Spiritual Conditioning.
Babtist Woodrow Kroll
Kroll Books
Our Christ The Rock pastor is friends with Ski, wears bluejeans, and hides his communion.(they call it communion devotion) As you can see, the name "Lutheran" is not in the church title. Did I mention that this same pastor was a speaker at a WELS Church And Change Conference?
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Missio Dei Suburbia
Andy Stanley - Seriously?
Andy Stanley: Guys that preach verse-by-verse through books of the Bible-- that is just cheating. It's cheating because that would be easy, first of all. That isn't how you grow people. No one in the Scripture modeled that. There's not one example of that.
I respect Andy a lot. That statement is biblically, theologically, historically, methodologically and culturally foolish.
***
GJ - Phone the ELS Board of Doctrine. "Hello? Anyone home?" Email the WELS Board of Doctrine?
Dear Cur,
It has come to my attention that we are spending millions of dollars to break the law while spreading Babtist doctrine. Can anything be done? I would like my mission donations back. Thanks.
Innocent
WELS Official Never Reads Ichabod
Mr. Whipple! You are reading the Ichabod.
Norman Teigen has left a new comment on your post "A Post Worth Copying":
I spoke with a WELS official in the narthex after Baptismal service. He had a WELS pin in his lapel.
After a few moments of polite conversation I asked if he knew Greg Jackson. Yes, he did, was the reply but he never reads him on the Internet.
So, there you have it, GJ. You are not being read at WELS HQ.
What say you?
Norman Teigen
***
GJ - I have written proof that it is read at The Love Shack. That is all I need to say.
I imagine most of them read Ichabod, but it only hardens their flinty hearts. I started Ichabod for a few dozen people who might be interested. I was shocked when I reached 100-200 readers a day.
Page-reads per day are going to be higher than unique readers per day. The page-reads now average between 1000 and 2000 pages per day. What impresses me are the old posts which occupy a high standing as most-read. That varies with last month, last week, or all time. This is one from last week:
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I know people in Appleton, Milwaukee, and Mankato read it every day.
At times I grow tired of talking Lutheran doctrine to Reformed-New Age church leaders, but then I get a personal email from a layman, who writes about how much he enjoys the blog. Or it may be from the daughter of a retired pastor, who is reputedly a daily communicant on the blog.
I have seen a total of 20,000 unique readers but I think the regular readership, on a daily basis, is more like 1,000+. Tags can bring in readers for one particular story, like the Muslim evangelist or a Hollywood celebrity. Ichabod is linked all over the blogosphere so Tim's link-killing software is a waste of money.
If I can help someone feel sane in "these last days of an insane, old world" (Chemnitz), then I am happy.