Ben Wink has left a new comment on your post "The Wizard of Ooze Conference - Joint Work of ELCA...":
I went on the link to the Time of Grace website just to mosey on through and noticed another interesting point. Under the "About Us" tab there's a dropdown that's called "Strategic Alliances". I clicked on it and noticed this:
"Concordia Publishing House
Concordia Publishing House (CPH) is a leading Christian publisher with an emphasis on quality, service, and excellence. As a testament to CPH's careful work and customer service, the company received the 2009 Missouri Quality Award and was named Best Christian Workplace in 2009 and 2010."
And then there's a link to CPH's website.
Now as a former MLC student, I know that CPH does have rather good Lutheran books tucked away in the back of their publishing library. However as a supposed WELS-based ministry, there's no mention of Northwestern Publishing House, the publishing arm of WELS.
I'm sure this has been noted before by someone, but the LCMS publisher is endorsed wholeheartedly on that website but not the WELS publisher. Interesting.
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GJ - This is my opinion, based on experience and intuition. No one is talking to me about this...
Jeske is just hanging around WELS long enough to be pushed out. WELS is too small for his ego and his budget, but he needed official approval to get into mining the gold of the Missouri Synod. As one person in business in St. Louis said, "Missouri is very stand-offish. But once you are accepted, they really back you."
Jeske's graphic made the home page of the LCMS website, under Kieschnick. Jeske has spoken at their district events and also came to their national convention (but not the ELS one). He has preached at a Missouri Synod service - with impunity. He has conducted an evangelism workshop for a Missouri Synod congregation.
The WELS leaders are scared to death of Jeske, because he has the Daddy Warbucks following him. One of them can give $500,000 at a time (to Willowcreek's Liberal College). By the time WELS leaders make up their minds that enough is enough, Jeske will not need WELS or its congregational support. But he will probably hold onto the congregations' funding anyway. Missouri is about 8 times bigger than WELS, depending on which set of statistical lies are believed.
Look for Jeske to tire of being "persecuted" and become independent or LCMS. Either one will work for him and Missouri, because the LCMS can tolerate an independent under their big tent. They are getting a media guy and his Daddy Warbucks for free. The new SP, Harrison, will not mind.
Harrison loves Bonhoeffer so much that he quotes the quasi-Unitarian Nazi on his website. Bonhoeffer was not against the Nazis, just against Hitler. If you can choke down enough strong, black coffee to stay awake, try reading the profound thoughts of Bonhoeffer. That is all you need to know about the doctrinal discernment of the new LCMS president.
