div>Nothing gets WELSian Geneva gowns twisted up faster than charging them with Universalism.
VP Patterson's district head-faked the issue by providing a paper that quoted from the Unitarian-Universalist Association website and concluded, "We do not believe that."
I decided to gather a few links about Universalism. Not long ago I was intrigued by the Universalist hymnal, which was full of traditional hymns. Old Universalism is fairly traditional, Trinitarian, and straight-laced. My neighbor from Columbus stressed that his Universalist church did not agree with the Unitarians about all the radical social issues, such as homosexuality.
The key to tradition Universalism is universal forgiveness and salvation.
The Universalist Church supported a belief in universalism in their "Winchester Profession of Faith" which they kept on their books from about 1800 until their merger with the Unitarians in 1961. However during their last 25 years of their existence (from 1935 to 1961) a new statement of belief held sway which made no mention of universal salvation. Still, the Winchester Profession remained as an alternate optional belief system with the subtle implication that it was passe. Belief in it was strong among the older members, most of whom are not alive today. What Is Universalism?
The Bond of Fellowship and Statements of Faith (Adopted at Washington DC, 1935)
1. The bond of fellowship in the convention [church] shall be a common purpose to do the will of God as Jesus revealed it and to cooperate in establishing the kingdom for which he lived and died. To that end we avow our faith in God as Eternal and All-conquering Love, in the spiritual leadership of Jesus, in the supreme worth of every human personality, in the authority of truth known or to be known, and in the power of men of good-will and sacrificial spirit to overcome all evil and progressively establish the kingdom of God. Neither this nor any other statement shall be imposed as a creedal test, provided that the faith thus indicated be professed.
2a. The Winchester Profession of Faith: We believe that the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testament contain a revelation of the character of God, and of the duty, interest and final destination of mankind. We believe that there is one God, whose nature is Love, revealed in one Lord Jesus Christ, by one Holy Spirit of Grace, who will finally restore the whole family of mankind to holiness and happiness. We believe that holiness and true happiness are inseparably connected, and that believers ought to be careful to maintain order and practice good works; for these things are good and profitable unto men.
2b. Creed and Conditions of Fellowship: The Profession of Faith adopted by this body at its session at Winchester, N.H., A.D. 1803, is as follows: [Here insert 2a. above] The conditions of fellowship in this Convention shall be as follows: I. The acceptance of the essential principles of the Universalist faith, to wit: The Universal fatherhood of God; the spiritual authority and leadership of His Son Jesus Christ; the trustworthiness of the Bible as containing a revelation from God; the certainty of just retribution for sin; the final harmony of all souls with God. The Winchester Profession is commended as containing these principles, but neither this nor any other precise form of words, is required as a condition of fellowship, provided always that the principles above stated be professed. II. The acknowledgement of the authority of the General Convention and assent to its laws.
2c. These historic declarations of faith [2a. & 2b.] with liberty of interpretation are dear and acceptable to many Universalists. They are commended not as tests but as testimonies in the free quest for truth that accords with the genius of the Universalist Church.
3. The conditions of fellowship in the Convention [church] shall be acceptance of the essential principles of the Universalist faith and acknowledgement of the ecclesiastical jurisdiction of the Universalist General Convention.
[End of the "Bond of Fellowship ..." Note that 2c. makes 2a. and 2b. optional alternative statements of belief.] ---
Universalism
by Matt Slick
Universalism is the teaching that all people will be saved. Some say that it is through the atonement of Jesus that all will ultimately be reconciled to God. Others just say that all will go to heaven sooner or later, whether or not they have trusted in or rejected Jesus as savior during their lifetime. This universal redemption will be realized in the future where God will bring all people to repentance. This repentance can happen while a person lives or after he has died and lived again in the millennium (as some "Christian universalists" claim) or some future state. Additionally, a few universalists even maintain that Satan and all demons will likewise be reconciled to God.
Nevertheless, both facets of universalistic belief are in serious error.
GJ - Note that WELS is far beyond this definition of Universalism, because WELS teaches (Jon Buchholz and Mequon faculty) that people are already forgiven and saved. Salvation is not in the future but past, done, finished, period, end of story, as Buchholz solemnly declared at a WELS convention.
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This is an argument for Christian Universalism.
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GJ - Three prominent Church Growth heroes of WELS are outspoken atheists or like Mark Frieer - obviously indifferent.UOJ is Universalism in disguise, and Universalism is one step away from honest atheism. Have I mentioned today that Karl Barth taught the universal restoration of mankind? He is the official theologian/adulterer of Fuller Seminary.
Bob Schumann, who plagued Columbus, helped by buddies Stolzenburg and Kuske, is a loud-mouthed atheist today. Oelhaven practically wet himself when Schumann was hired as the second pastor. Some think he drove Keith Roehl to a premature death.
Mark Freier, known as p-boy in his district (for his favorite five-letter topic), was all over the synod spreading his wisdom. He made Ski's current excesses possible. Mark's last roost was CrossRoads in S. Lyons (another Kuske project), which is now an Evangelical Covenant parish. Freier is not a Lutheran pastor now but he rents himself for weddings, any religion or no religion. Hindu - will do.
Curtis Peterson came into WELS Church Growth from LCMS Church Growth. He made a point of defending Church Growth, so he landed on the world missions board with David Valleskey (who
Curtis A. Peterson holds a B.A. from Concordia Senior College, Ft. Wayne, Indiana, and a M.Div and STM (l966 and l983 respectively) from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri.
In almost 30 years in the ministry in both the Missouri and Wisconsin Synods, he was an activist with many published articles supporting the orthodox Lutheran cause in the "Battle for the Bible" in the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, and author of several articles in the Wisconsin Synod between l987 and l995. He also delivered several essays at pastoral conferences during those years.
He served congregations in Burlington, N.C., Rock Falls, Ill., Garland, Tex. and Gretna, La., in the LCMS and in Milwaukee, Wis. in the WELS.
A Foundation member, he is now retired, resides in Wisconsin and calls himself a humanist and a freethinker.
He still has plenty of material in the WELS Holy of Holies, the Essay Files.
