Dear WELS Answer Man,
I want to know the levels of discipline in our beloved synod.
Dear Lamb,
I can understand your confusion. You never went to seminary and did not study Greek. I did both, so I will try to clarify the situation for you. Here are some sample levels of discipline.
- Asking questions about justification and excessive fund-raising fees - excommunication, followed by a slander campaign.
- Questioning an innovative and transforming ministry, even if it is copied verbatim from a Methodist - excommunication.
- Pastoral adultery - promotion to mission counselor status. You would understand if you know how difficult the work was, but you didn't go to seminary.
- Embezzling synod funds - another person is fired, just to scare the guilty ones. This is followed by a paid trip to Asia for the boss. We call it mission work in a real hell hole, to save face.
- Downloading, viewing, and sharing homosexual pedophile photos/videos (too vile to describe) - we extend love, counseling, and forgiveness. "Mr. Hochmuth has been receiving pastoral care. As a Christian brother who has sinned, he has expressed repentance and has shown heartfelt remorse. He has been directed to the cross of Christ, where we pray that our gracious God will restore him with the assurance of full and free forgiveness for Jesus’ sake." SP Mark Schroeder.
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LutherRocks
has left a new comment on your post "WELS
Answer Man - Since the Director of Communicat...":
DIYGirl...yes, if there is remorse and repentance. Otherwise no forgiveness.
DIYGirl...yes, if there is remorse and repentance. Otherwise no forgiveness.
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Brett Meyer
has left a new comment on your post "WELS
Answer Man - Since the Director of Communicat...":
Joe is correct. (W)ELS is wrong.
Luke 17:3-4, "Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him."
Lutheran laity are suffering from Synod worship which is a nasty and progressive form of idolatry leading to the loss of all Christian discernment and in the end complete apostasy.
Joe is correct. (W)ELS is wrong.
Luke 17:3-4, "Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him."
Lutheran laity are suffering from Synod worship which is a nasty and progressive form of idolatry leading to the loss of all Christian discernment and in the end complete apostasy.
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GJ - SP Schroeder is anxious to restore the ex-Director of Communications. When other laity were excommunicated by Pastors Glende, Ski, Gurgel, and Patterson, there was no such assurance of forgiveness. It was more like, "There is nothing I can do."
The public already knows that somebody counseled Joel Hochmuth and his wife, but failed to notify law enforcement officials - a federal crime. The date is not known. I heard it was the WELS agency but I am not sure of that.
WELS pronounces grace without the Means of Grace, so it is not exactly shocking to find the sect condemning as unforgiven anyone who asks questions.
False prophets say "Peace, peace" where there is no peace.
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| Joel Hochmuth's interview of SP Schroeder is still on the WELS.net website. |
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2009 WELS Conference - Walk This Way
National Campus Ministry Rally
Walking the Fine Line
Practical ideas on how to enjoy dating, and Scriptural supports the will to wait for marriage. Presented by Steven Cambrice
Walking and Talking
Christians strive to do at least two things at once. Come and grow in your personal witness. Presented by Joel Hochmuth
9 comments:
Perhaps you think your blog is your "right" and perhaps you think you are providing a service.... but this entire website is nothing more than a vehicle for you to break the 8th commandment and your weak excuses to justify it. The Apostle James says, “Brothers, do not slander one another… don’t speak against your brother or judge him… who are you to judge your neighbor?” Slander is what happens when we speak without love or knowledge… we judge others and we end up slandering them. Your website is dedicated to "speaking without love". You may not be spreading gossip but you are not using your words in the kindest possible way. You may not be telling lies but you are using your words for the sole purpose of hurting someone else. You are only looking for opportunities to do harm and not build up and encourage. You are not helping the God' kingdom come... you are attempting to prevent it from doing so. Please use your website to spread the gospel… not as a tool to broadcast whatever ill feelings you hold for the WELS or anyone else.
Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?”
Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.
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For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.
Careful, Ichabod, your plank is starting to show.
Do you want Hochmuth and his enablers to baby-sit your kids?
Let him know, since he is looking for a job.
DIYGirl...yes, if there is remorse and repentance. Otherwise no forgiveness.
Joe is correct. (W)ELS is wrong.
Luke 17:3-4, "Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent; thou shalt forgive him."
Lutheran laity are suffering from Synod worship which is a nasty and progressive form of idolatry leading to the loss of all Christian discernment and in the end complete apostasy.
Heaven help us all if the editors at Ichabod would be our judges.
LutherRocks, at this point in time I don't think anyone but God gets to decide where Hochmuth's heart is. I continue to pray for him, his family, the synod and those affected by this.
Greg, don't twist my words around. If the man has asked for forgiveness, he ought to be forgiven. You're awfully cruel to a fellow Christian who has sinned, yet you're a sinner yourself. We are told that if we break one commandment, we have broken them all. Your words here are seemingly Pharisitical in nature. You're no better than Hochmuth, as none of us are.
Brett, tread lightly with your accusations of synod worship. I worship God only.
You do a lot of name-calling for an Apostle of Love, DYIGirl.
Would you let Hochmuth baby-sit your children?
Give a lecture on evangelism at the WELS campus ministry gathering?
DIYGirl...whoever you are...
You seemed to infer a blanket forgiveness on Hochmuth. Was I mistaken?
Yes it is God who looks on the heart. My post did not waver from this truth.
None of us delight in all of this any more than God does in destroying the wicked. Sometimes love must be tough. I think WELS is losing that toughness.
Joe Krohn
I haven't called anyone names. I've said that someone is cruel and I've asked someone to not twist my words around.
Knowing Hochmuth's addiction, no I wouldn't let him babysit my children, just as if I had an alcoholic coming to my house I wouldn't offer him alcohol. Not sure what your point is there...I can still forgive someone but yet be cognizant that he struggles with sin. As I said, I'm glad you're not my judge. I'm a sinner, just like Mr. Hochmuth. I've done some pretty horrible things in my lifetime. But thanks to Jesus, I am washed clean of those sins.
Joe, you say no one delights in this, yet it would seem by the blogs on the matter that at least someone does. I've never seen such gleeful headlines over someone getting arrested. I used to actually respect this blog, but now it seems just a gossip rag for how bad the WELS is. That's unfortunate.
"Whoever you are"? I'm a child of God. Isn't that enough for you? Or would you like my name, rank and serial number?
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