"I often say that there is no power or means to resist the sects except this one article of Christian righteousness. If we have lost it, we cannot resist any errors or sects." What Luther Says, An Anthology, 3 vols., ed., Ewald Plass, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1959, III, p. 1225. Galatians 2:20.
WELS SP Schroeder:
I have the privilege of being the presenter at this year's Emmaus Conference. The topic assigned to me is "Church Fellowship." This is a good opportunity to try to explain and clarify the WELS doctrine and practice of church fellowship, to remove misunderstandings and caricatures that others may have about our beliefs, and to provide a public witness to our doctrine and practice of church fellowship. The presidents of both LCMS and ELS will serve as "reactors" to the essay.
A free conference such as this should not be understood as formal "doctrinal discussions" between church bodies. It should not be seen as a step toward the re-establishment of fellowship between WELS and LCMS. Rather, it is an opportunity to us to present biblical truth and to identify areas where Lutherans agree and disagree.
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GJ - The posturing never ends. All three sects have their leadership trained at Fuller Seminary (Willow Creek, Trinity in Deerfield, etc) and agree in their support of Church Growth, which has now degenerated into Emergent Church.
Exhibits A, B, and C are:
A - St. John, Ellisville and all the copycats. LCMS
B - St. Peter Cares in Freedom, Wisconsin and The CORE, which are one congregation. WELS.
C - Abiding Shepherd, Cottage Grove. ELS.
All three sects work with ELCA through Thrivent, but ELCA controls the agenda. Therefore, all three recognize the ordination of women, women in authority over men, abortion for any reason whatsoever, and gay ordination and marriage.
Mark Hanson will be the invisible presence at Emmaus.
