The Road to Perdition (Universalism) Starts at Halle University, Travels Through Fuller Seminary, and Goes Interstate at WELS/ELS/LCMS

Knapp's English text invented the double justification scheme favored by Walther and later the Synodical Conference. The UOJ leaders stomped out justification by faith, which was taught in Missouri and WELS for a long time.

Scheiermacher, Halle student and professor, dropped SJ from double justification.
He was a key intellectual leader for Karl Barth, Fuller's pivotal theologian. Barth was also a Universalist.

Tholuck was a self-proclaimed Universalist, but considered a transition figure between the old Halle Pietists who believed something and the new Pietists who believed nothing in the Scriptures.

Karl Barth and his mistress Charlotte Kirschbaum wrote the Dogmatics together, nestled in a lonely cabin, until she moved in with his family. She attended a Communist convention, representing him!
Barth trained the new leadership of Fuller Seminary,
which caused them to dump inerrancy.

Not every Shrinker has a twisted smile and spikey, streaked hair. Some have one or the other.
Rob Bell is teaching what the Syn Conference is teaching.

Rob Bell - The Fuller Seminary Universalist WELS Wants To Emulate.Beware the Spikey Hair

Matt's Blog

The internet has been abuzz this weekend with news of megachurch pastor Rob Bell's latest book, Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived. The book synopsis released by the publisher states that Bell is "arguing that a loving God would never sentence human souls to eternal suffering." In other words, he appears to be openly professing his belief in universalism, the belief that everybody ultimately goes to heaven regardless of what they believe.
To help you understand the position of universalism, it might be useful to describe a few positions held by theologians on the subject of how a person receives eternal life. Here are some definitions that you should know:

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A New Me has left a new comment on your post "Avoiding Doctrinal Issues Like the Plague":

Review: A Book About Heaven, Hell and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived, by Rob Bell.

Excerpts of the review found at the New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/05/us/05bell.html?_r=1):

"In a book to be published this month, the pastor, Rob Bell, known for his provocative views and appeal among the young, describes as 'misguided and toxic' the dogma that 'a select few Christians will spend forever in a peaceful, joyous place called heaven, while the rest of humanity spends forever in torment and punishment in hell with no chance for anything better.'

"Mr. Bell, who through his publisher declined to comment on the book or the debate, has resisted labels, but he is often described as part of the so-called emerging church movement, which caters to younger believers and has challenged theological boundaries as well as pastoral involvement in conservative politics."

"While sliding close to what critics consider the heresy of 'universalism' — that all humans will eventually be saved — he never uses the term."

Wikipedia article

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Church Mouse article supplemented by Ichabod quotations

San Francisco Congregation Returns to the ELCA - News Releases - Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.Hanson Wonders Why ELCA Continues To Shrink

Chanting: "I already know your answer, Brett."


San Francisco Congregation Returns to the ELCA - News Releases - Evangelical Lutheran Church in America

ELCA NEWS SERVICE
March 4, 2011

San Francisco Congregation Returns to the ELCA
11-025-JB

     CHICAGO (ELCA) -- St. Francis Lutheran Church, San Francisco, rejoined the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) late last month by ratifying a new constitution and celebrating its return in a special worship service Feb. 27.
     The Rev. Mark W. Holmerud, bishop of the ELCA Sierra Pacific Synod, Sacramento, preached and formally received the congregation, describing the service as "joyous, healing and celebrative."
      In 1990 St. Francis called the Rev. Ruth Frost and the Rev. Phyllis Zillhart as its pastors. At the time, both were not eligible for the ELCA clergy roster because church policy did not allow people in same-gender relationships to serve as ELCA pastors. At about the same time, another San Francisco congregation, First United Lutheran Church, called the Rev. Jeff Johnson as its pastor. Johnson was also ineligible to serve.
      After an ELCA disciplinary proceeding, the congregations were found to be in violation of church policy. They were suspended from the ELCA roster of congregations and removed in 1996.
      In 2009, the ELCA Churchwide Assembly directed that ministry policies be changed to allow eligible candidates in publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships to serve as ELCA clergy and professional lay leaders. Frost, Johnson and Zillhart were all received as ELCA pastors in 2010 after new policies were put in place.
     "There is a lot of joy from the congregation and from supporters throughout the country," said the Rev. Robert Goldstein, pastor of St. Francis, in an interview with ELCA News. Goldstein said when he was called to St. Francis in 2005, members had mixed feelings about the ELCA. Some remarked that they didn't expect to witness St. Francis' return to the ELCA in their lifetimes, he said.
     "When we had this service on Sunday afternoon, it was just exceedingly joyous.  It's a service I'll never forget," he said. The high point was Holmerud's declaration that the congregation was a duly constituted congregation of the ELCA Sierra Pacific Synod, said Goldstein, who presided over the liturgy. The Rev. Nancy M. Feniuk Nelson, bishop's associate, presided at communion. About 200 people attended.
     "People in this congregation have a very strong sense that the church is bigger than the congregation. We look forward to participating in the wider church," said Goldstein, who plans to retire June 1. St. Francis will be recognized at the synod assembly, he added.
      "This was a really important moment for the congregation, for our synod and for the ELCA. I was honored to be a part of that," he said in an interview.
     Despite its removal from the ELCA St. Francis has maintained relationships with congregations in the Sierra Pacific Synod. Members also attended synod assemblies but could not vote.
     "There is a sense that this is a new life," Holmerud said. "In my sermon, I said they are one of over 10,000 congregations in the ELCA. They understand the focus of their ministry continues to be about justice and representing the ELCA well to the city of San Francisco."
      Holmerud presented the congregation with a certificate recognizing its ELCA membership. The congregation presented Holmerud with a copy of its new constitution and a letter of intent. Members also presented the synod with a statue of St. Francis made of wood.
     Meanwhile, members of First United Lutheran Church attended St. Francis' celebration, including their pastor, the Rev. Susan M. Strouse. She said First United members are discerning "whether or not to join the ELCA."
     Members have met with Nelson to begin work on required changes to the congregation's constitution and plan to submit it for review in April, Strouse said. She added the congregation plans to continue discussions about the pros and cons of rejoining the ELCA.

Seminarians Plea for Mercy from Harrison

bruce-church (http://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) -":

The LCMS (or some synod within a synod part of LCMS) is sending a missionary to Philadelphia (video link below). The way the LCMS runs missions, they require a million bucks to field each missionary. I understand the IC gets a big cut of the pie. I cringe whenever I see President Harrison go on a Mercy Journey since he's probably distributing a million buck each time. He ought to go on a Mercy Journey to his own seminaries and distribute a million in cash to needy seminary students:

http://steadfastlutherans.org/?p=14076

***

GJ - How about blowing a million dollars suing four elderly women, so Missouri can steal the church property?

There is no pizzazz in supporting seminary students. World missions create free world travel opportunities.

The LCA world hunger boss managed to travel to every country in the world, to inspect his field of labor.

Pope John the Malefactor went on world trips to celebrate the harrowing of the Little Sect on the Prairie.

Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) -

Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) -


***
GJ - Tony Kubek wrote to Rick Techlin on the blog, Light from Light, so Tony is sympathetic:

Light from Light

Dear brother Rick,

I agree completely with your frustration!

I have had discussions with some of the same men you have regarding unresolved doctrinal issues in the Northern Wisconsin District of the WELS. I have not been satisfied by their responses. Understanding that the church militant will never see perfection this side of Heaven because of our sinful nature, my hope is that the divisions in our district’s congregations and, among its members, will be resolved expeditiously by those entrusted with the care of doctrine and practice.

In Christ,

Tony Kubek

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He is a member of Mt. Olive.

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Toney (sic) Kubek set priorities

Author: Barry Jennerjohn and Stephen Wolfrath
Tony Kubek is a familiar face to many people involved with Fox Valley Lutheran High School in Appleton, Wisconsin. Baseball fans undoubtedly see him often during the season doing play-by-play on NBC. Yet, for many here, Kubek is more familiar because he is seen at the school games. He has even coached some students during their years at FVL. Being so close to him makes one think of him as just another face in the crowd--not the well-known personality he is.

While he seems like an "average" guy, he's quite a remarkable person. While his achievements are many and his work schedule very busy, he still finds time for all who ask for it.

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Dictatorial Doug and His Infamous Letter":

Layman Tony Kubek is one who was CC'd.

Kubek now lives in Appleton, Wisconsin and is a supporter of the Fox Valley Lutheran High School and its baseball team
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Kubek

Also, development Coordinator at Fox Valley Lutheran High School

And with classic (W)ELS proof reading flair here's an article titled: Toney Kubek set priorities

http://archive.wels.net/cgi-bin/site.pl?1712&cxDatabase_databaseID=1&id=6212&magazine=Forward%20in%20Christ

***

GJ - He must be toned, toney, because of athletics.

Oh my, the results of a superior ejukationul system!

Jeff Gunn is the big hero at Church and Change, for being anti-Lutheran. There he is Jeff Gun (sic).

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) -":

Churches - How to Build One From Scratch
Pastor Jeff Gunn

Crosswalk - Phoenix, AZ
Pastor Gun (sic) is also a great resource for:

Marketing a Church a Target Community
Small Groups - Starting them Successfully
Contemporary Music - Doing it up
Outreach Methods - Getting Involved
Researching Alternative Ministry Methods and Models - How To Do It and Pull Workable Ideas From It

Email: jeff@crosswalkinlaveen.org
Website: www.crosswalkinlaveen.org

http://www.churchandchange.org/site/cpage.asp?sec_id=2384&cpage_id=10166&startletter=C


Also, photos from (W)ELS DP Pastor Jon Bucholz (sic)
http://archive.wels.net/cgi-bin/site.pl?2905&dpCollection_collectionID=3&dpCategory_categoryID=*&offset=320&query=White

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Kubek living Hall of Fame life outside of baseball

Tony Kubek's induction Sunday into Major League's Baseball Hall of Fame was a homecoming of sorts for the former New York Yankee shortstop and longtime TV announcer.

After 37 years in the bigs that included three championships, three all-star nods and a Rookie of the Year honor, Kubek got out and didn't look back. The call to Cooperstown last December put his name back on the sports pages and to those who connected with the game while listening to Kubek and Curt Gowdy on NBC's "Game of the Week," this was a surprising but welcome development.

Sports Couch Potato

Enthusiasm and the WELS Low-archy*

I designed a new window for St. Peter in Freedom,
but it would be hard to explain to the Pentecostals when the building has to be sold.


The Church of Rome is a font of Enthusiasm, but others covet their Enthusiasm and copy it, maladroitly.

One sign of Rome's Enthusiasm is the infallibility of the Pope - and not just any pope but all popes. "The Holy Spirit will not allow him to err."

The Holy Spirit and the pope work together, according to this strange opinion. But Ichabod readers know that the Holy Spirit works only through the Word and never apart from the Word. For that reason, "the Word" can be substituted for "the Holy Spirit" in many passages of the Bible.

KJV Romans 5:5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost [through the Word] which is given unto us.

KJV Romans 15:13 Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost [in the Word].

KJV 1 Corinthians 2:13 Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth [in the Word]; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

Therefore, Rome teaches falsely that the Holy Spirit will not allow the Pope to make a mistake in doctrine, because the Word teaches us that all men are fallible, that only the Word is infallible.

One WELS pastor told a layman, "I have to agree with the Circuit Pastor, because the Holy Spirit put him in that office. I am not going to argue with the Holy Spirit." John Lawrenz said he debated the Third Person of the Trinity, but the Holy Spirit won, after a long struggle.

The WELS constitution has the Doctrinal Pussycat appointing the Circuit Pussycat, perhaps leading some to confuse the DP with the Holy Ghost. Doug Englebrecht, captain of the Leakin' Lena, must think he is the Holy Ghost. He is already writing about himself in the third person. I know how DPs like to brag about their power, but not about the power of the Word, which they never use.

The DP often has the Circuit Pussycat on his own staff, and the CP is the only one who can bring charges against the DP. That leads to the SP saying he has no power over the DPs or CPs, only over the budget.

The pastors duck whenever these galoots clear their awesome throats, so that leaves the laity in charge of wielding the Sword of the Spirit, which is the Word.

The ordained eminences make sure that only the get-along-go-along laity serve on the boards and committees, so the laity who wield the Sword are outsiders...or soon will be. The laity did not attend the beerfests at Watertown and Mequon. They did not balance a jimmie on their knees in Greek class. They are not theological experts who can make Zwingli sound like Martin Luther.

The first pope to reject infallibility realized that the concept would be used to tie his hands. He dodged that one, but Pope Pius IX embraced it many centuries later. One cardinal argued against him, "Dad, you are not infallible. Mom told me so." Pope Pius won and punished all who doubted Him, fulfilling the prophecy of 2 Thessalonians 2. The Pope makes himself to be God within the temple of God and is treated as if He were God. (Some Catholics capitalize the pronoun, because the Pope is allegedly Christ on earth.)

Lutheran Enthusiasm, which is not Lutheran at all, embraces the infallibility of Holy Mother Synod, whether LCMS, WELS, ELS, CLC (sic), or CLC (ugh), etc. That has tied up everyone in knots, because the political seminary faculties cannot address any issue except to say "Amen!" to Holy Mother Synod. Needless to say, these seminary professors are as useless as a milk bucket under a bull, as my dairy farmer uncle used to say.

To be precise, the infallible Roman organization is called indefectible. Naturally, they confuse all passages about the invisible, true Church with their own demon-factory.

All the Lutheran synods are united in doing exactly the same thing. Suggesting that the organization might be fallible is reason enough for automatic expulsion and heavy-duty shunning.

The Mennonites could take lessons from Lutherans in shunning, and that applies to all of the Lutheran groups, from ELCA on up. Lutherans have added "the stare." The look is is potent as the basilisk's, as deadly as Medusa's. Having leprosy would be a social improvement for the outcast Lutheran. No wonder so many mouth the platitudes of Sweet, Stetzer, and Driscoll. They fear "the stare."

The solution is a careful study of the Book of Concord, not another immersion in the Pietism of the olde Syn Conference. Some of those authors had good points, and I am glad to quote them when they are in harmony with the Word. But the recent writings of the Syn Conference do not compare with the Lutheran Confessions, Luther's Sermons, Chemnitz' books, or Chytraeus.

* - Hierarchy seems too elevated for a tiny sect of the Upper Midwest, so I am adding Low-archy to the Icha-slang dictionary. Memorize the term and use it often in complete sentences. Example - "Doug Englebrecht is a member of the WELS low-archy."

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sober-spirit (http://sober-spirit.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Enthusiasm and the WELS Low-archy*":

Always remember that Doug Englebrecht as a member of the WELS low-archy endorses and promotes disorganized religion – another way of saying that anything goes.

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bruce-church (http://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Enthusiasm and the WELS Low-archy*":

That's what people have been saying for years--that with the WELS mix of written and unwritten rules against finding fault with the synod or pastors, and its doctrine of UOJ where they are forgiven of any sin even before they sin, that for all intents and purposes, they hold the same infallibility doctrine that Rome does.

Words of Wisdom from Another Blog

Anonymous said...

 

I'm with you on that idea Adam! I have consistently heard through the years and continuing to this day, that the word "synod" means "walking together".

There are just so many people, and that includes these clergy members as well as others,that have decided to take some hikes of their own off the path so well marked in God's Word, blazed for us by our Savior Jesus. They don't want to "walk together" and are so proud of their new paths and the "success" they are having along the "new" trails.

Well, I may be outwardly trying to hang on to the shreds of youth that I have left, but as a result of the experiences I've had in my spiritual life, I've gained enough wisdom to know the following is true: When a person is following God's Word and trying to follow Him, life is going to be a struggle because Satan wants you in his sheep pen and won't be happy until you are.

Likewise, things are substantially easier when we follow our own paths... Satan doesn't need to bother with what's already his.

I believe it's time to do a little gardening pull the weeds from the trail as well as the dead wheat on the rocky ground that are obscuring the path that God laid out for those who are walking together on the narrow path... "He who has ears to hear, let him hear!" (Matthew 11:15) Let's all be listening to the true God - the one in the Bible! Linda Sasieta

***

GJ - I do not know Linda S., but her words jumped out as a concise summary of the entire issue.

Evilution Steps In to Comment

evilution (http://evilution.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Why Do Lutheran Churches Boast Movie Screens and P...":

Step aside “There is a God.” Evilution is here. As evilutionists we value our freedom and exercise it to the fullest. Mark N. Avoid Jeske is our role model. Just as he has thrown off the shackles of doctrine, we believe and act as we please. Yes, we ad lib, and you are jealous of our freedom.

Dictatorial Doug and His Infamous Letter

Light from Light, Attorney Rick Techlin's blog:
Then on February 24, 2011, District President Engelbrecht sent the following letter:

Dear Brother,

With this letter we are inviting you to meet with your district praesidium at Trinity Lutheran Church in Neenah on Friday, March, 25, 2011 at 9:00 a.m. This invitation is being extended to the five pastors and two laymen who have raised concerns regarding doctrine and practice within our district, the three pastors who serve as a ministry team at St. Peter, Freedom and The CORE in Appleton, and your circuit pastor[s].

The goal of our meeting is to affirm that, while there may be some differences among us regarding our approaches to ministry, we are all united in doctrine and practice. We will gather as brothers in Christ with the District President asking questions based on the concerns that have been raised and moderating any discussion those questions may generate.

It is our prayer that the Lord Jesus will be honored by the time we spend together and that our unity in Him will be strengthened as we meet over the truths of His Word.

In the Savior’s Service,
On behalf of the District Officers
D. J. Engelbrecht
President of the Northern Wisconsin District – WELS

CC: Mr. Tony Kubek
Mr. Frederick Techlin Jr.
Rev. Jeffrey Berg
Rev. Samuel Degner
Rev. John Dorn
Rev. Kenneth Frey
Rev. Mark Gass
Rev. Timothy Glende
Rev. Mark Henke
Rev. Paul Jenkins
Rev. Paul Lidtke
Rev. Robert Raasch
Rev. Dustin Sievert
Rev. James Skorzewski
Rev. Jeffrey Suhr
Rev. Ronald Szep
Rev. Joel Zank

***

GJ - The Intrepids have learned that "write a letter" is just a joke to the WELS leadership. In fact, so is "have a meeting, face to face," because Dougout Doug did not even show up for the one so carefully arranged. Instead, he wrote a letter blaming me and my little blog that no one reads. I was honored, but he was dissing his own pastors and laity, telling them (contrary to the facts) that I was the cause of the conflict. He was telling them that they did not have minds of their own.

That is especially revealing about his dirty tactics, because I am in a position to know how little they needed or wanted my blog. Ski's bragging about the Babtist Drive conference is still on the Net. So are all his dumb posts from The CORE and Twitter. Glende hid some of his from the net and chose to publish two blogs anonymousely, but plenty of eye-witnesses have been at both churches.

Glende's position is that 11 years of being a mediocre student at unaccredited schools makes him an expert in theology, one who cannot be questioned by a mere attorney, who has two accredited degrees and a law license. Glende is such an expert in Lutheran theology that he has to copy all his sermons and related material from Pietist Craig Groeschel, lying about it. Glende has attended worship conferences with false teachers leading them, but lying about it.

Like all bullies, Glende cowardly uses his gang of thugs, the elders, to beat up on anyone who annoys him in the least. WELS calls it reaching out in love with the Gospel. I call it criminal abuse of the pastoral office.

So how does District Pope Englebrecht face the conflict he has created with his incompetence?

1. Stage One was avoidance of the meeting and lobbing a secretive letter.
   
2. Stage Two was avoidance of the laity, a foolish gesture in the light of who supports the Wisconsin Synod. The Changers drain and cheat the synod, but the laity fund it.
   
3. Stage Three is this delightful letter. I will parse it below.
   

WELS sign

Ominously, the District Pope writes about himself in the third person. This strikes most people as daft or arrogant. I believe he is trying to protect himself by puffing himself up, like those toads who scare people with self-inflation. Note that he does not even use his name in the third person, but his office. Hoo boy.

The DP will do this and that. The outcome is already announced in the letter. Everyone is going to agree that there may be some differences..." Note just a waffle, but a double-waffle: "there may be some differences." Has Englebrecht lost contact with reality? In the last two years, one circuit has garnered the most attention because he has let them get away with everything and then some.

When the previous circuit pastor dealt with Glende's plagiarism, the CP was fired by Tim Do you know who my uncle is? Glende. When the DP turns discipline upside-down, conflict will grow. The second part of the divine revelation is also interesting: "The goal of our meeting is to affirm that, while there may be some differences among us regarding our approaches to ministry, we are all united in doctrine and practice." The goal is to agree upon their unity? That is the District Pope's stated goal. Apparently he has not listened to many people that he has divided his district by supporting the position of false teachers, plagiarists, and liars.

Englebrecht supports plagiarism by saying that many WELS pastors do the same thing. WELS workers also murder their wives and commit adultery with their members, even with their students. Should the group also agree that such sins are good pastoral practice?

Englebrecht, like all bullies, will try to turn the meeting into a trial, with various accusations. Notice how far in advance it will be? He will be getting the script ready with various participants. They will be meeting on their own, before the stated meeting. Divide and conquer. I feel sorry for anyone propping up this paper tiger.

Why Do Lutheran Churches Boast Movie Screens and PowerPoints?

The awesomeness of the movie screen at The CORE.1


There is a God has left a new comment on your post "Enthusiasts in WELS/ELS and Missouri Have Reversed...":

Kretzmann and I are kindred spirits. If he were alive today, I bet he'd cringe at Power Point in the Divine Service like I do. Read his book review from 1933:

"The scope of this book [Screen and Projector in Christian Education by Paul H. Janes] is more exactly shown by its subtitle: How to Use Motion Pictures and Projected Still Pictures in Worship, Study, and Recreation. The author rightly says: 'With the addition of motion-pictures, projected still pictures, prints, photographs, models, maps, school journeys and reproduced sound, the educator has set out to stimulate a wealth of experiences to be used in the classroom to facilitate the understanding of the verbal symbols in books' (p. 14). We should like to emphasize the words 'in the classroom' and add 'in the church hall,' because visual education has proved an invaluable aid in the work of our parish-school, Sunday-schools, young people’s societies, and the various auxiliary organizations of the congregation. Every pastor who desires to have accurate information concerning the use of visual education helps will be glad to use the information contained in this book. We cannot endorse the larger part of Chapter V, on 'The Use of Visual Aids in Worship,' because the doctrinal and expository sermons of the Lutheran Church will rarely require, in most cases not even permit, the use of pictures. There are other dangers connected with the indiscriminate use of visual aids, especially if the emotional element is stressed." - Paul E. Kretzmann, book review, Concordia Theological Monthly, January 1933

Zwingli - You Have Another Spirit

There is a God has left a new comment on your post "Enthusiasts in WELS/ELS and Missouri Have Reversed...":

Go and learn what this means:

At the final meeting in 1529 in Marburg where Luther met with Zwingli to reconcile their differences on the Lord's Supper, Zwingli approached Luther and held out the hand of fellowship, but Luther declined it, saying: "Yours is a different spirit from ours."

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GJ - The Jeske Change and Die faction might easily join the ELCA. (Note - never say Ek-kah in front of them. It's like that old Niagara bit. "Slowly I turned...")

ELCA may seem to be ultra-high church, but their doctrine is rationalistic and Zwinglian.

The Olde Syn Conference likes to take shelter in claiming they are in bed with Evangelicals who actually believe the Bible. But a close look shows that their spiritual gurus only believe certain portions while denying vast sections of the Bible. They deny or have trouble with:

1. The Real Presence.
   
2. The Two Natures of Christ.
   
3. Baptismal regeneration.
   
4. Infant baptism - but not D-Day (dedication day).
   
5. The efficacy of the Word.
   
6. The Means of Grace.
   
7. Justification by faith (absent a decision for Christ).
   

ELCA Is Mission-Oriented:Starting New Congregations All Over the Place,But No One Jumps over to the Olde Syn Conference

"Brett, speaking as a pastor, I beg you - Stop enabling Jackson!"

American Lutheran Publicity Bureau
Here's some more information that illustrates why finding the complete list of congregations whose votes to leave failed and the list of new ELCA starts is important to making this information useful. Below are the cities I was able to identify as places where a new LCMC or NALC church was started in the face of a failed vote to leave the ELCA:

Prattville, AL Christ Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, Agape Lutheran Church started in LCMC

Tucson, AZ Tanque Verde Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, Desert Hope Lutheran Church (was LCMC East) started in LCMC

Peachtree City, GA Christ our Shepherd Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, Word of God Lutheran Church started in NALC/LCMC
Rincon, GA Jerusalem Lutheran Church & St Johns failed vote to leave, Bible Lutheran Church started in LCMC

Monona, IA St Paul Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, Faith Lutheran Church started in NALC
Spencer, IA Bethany Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, Faith Lutheran Church started in LCMC
Strawberry Point, IA Emanuel Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, Mission in Christ Lutheran Church started in NALC

American Falls, ID St Johns Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, Shepherd of the Falls Lutheran Church started in LCMC

DeSoto, IL Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, Christ the King Lutheran Church started in NALC
Geneva, IL Geneva Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, New Hope Lutheran Church started in LCMC
Peoria, IL St Paul Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, Living Waters Lutheran Church started in LCMC
Quincy, IL Luther Memorial Church failed vote to leave, Hope Lutheran Church started in LCMC
Sterling, IL St Paul Lutheran Church & Immanuel (Rock Falls) failed vote to leave, New Life Lutheran Church started in LCMC

Annapolis, MD St Martin Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, Annapolis Evangelical Lutheran Church started in NALC

Kensington, MN Nora Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, Kensington Lutheran Church started in LCMC
Little Falls, MN Bethel Lutheran Church & First Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, Faith Lutheran Church started in LCMC
Ramsey, MN Lord of Life Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, Northgate Church started in LCMC
Watertown, MN Trinity Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, Peace Lutheran Church Churh started in LCMC

Kings Mountain, NC Resurrection Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, Advent Lutheran Church started in NALC

Harvey, ND First Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, Faith Lutheran Church started in LCMC

Dannebrog, NE Our Saviour Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, Faith Lutheran Church started in NALC
Seward, NE Faith Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, Living Word Lutheran Church started in LCMC

Lebanon, OR Our Saviour’s Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, Christ Community Lutheran Church started in LCMC

Smethport, PA Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, Hope Lutheran Church started in NALC

Brandon, SD Brandon Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, Heritage Lutheran Church started in NALC/LCMC
Milbank, SD American Evangelical Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, Living Word Lutheran Church started in LCMC

Fredericksburg, VA Resurrection Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, Celebration Church started in LCMC

Edgar, WI St John Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, Hope Lutheran Church in Fellowship with Christ started in LCMC
New London, WI Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church failed vote to leave, Shepherd of The River Lutheran Church started in LCMC

On the other hand:

Idaho Falls, ID First Evangelical Lutheran Church joined LCMC, Emmaus Lutheran Community started by ELCA

Hutchinson, MN, Christ the King Lutheran Church and Faith Lutheran Church both joined LCMC, River of Hope Lutheran Church started by ELCA

I can understand why the ELCA might not want the world to know about how often the failure of a congregation's vote to leave results in a new LCMC or NALC start-up. But why wouldn't the ELCA want the world to know that when congregations do vote to leave, some congregants choose to stick with the ELCA and start a new ELCA congregation? Could those two ELCA starts be the only ones in the entire United States that happened when the people on the losing side of a leave the ELCA vote started a new ELCA congregation?

I'm working under the assumption that there are people working in Higgins Road who lurk in here and read these posts. If not, then there are surely participants or lurkers who read them and are in contact with the people in Higgins Road who have this information. Perhaps shining the light of truth on what's happening will cause those who have this information to realize that keeping it secret does little good, while publishing the truth will do what the truth is said to do, which is to set one free.

Enthusiasts in WELS/ELS and Missouri Have Reversed the Argument

By Norma Boeckler

There is a God has left a new comment on your post "An Update « Light from Light.Ichabod Not Invited o...":

"It cannot really be a matter of indifference to a Christian congregation when the order of service used in her midst shows so much similarity to a heterodox order as to confuse visitors. One may hardly argue that such adiaphora do not matter one way or the other, when it has happened that a weak brother has been offended. And a Lutheran congregation cannot justly divorce herself, not only not from the doctrinal, but also not from the historical side of its Church. It is a matter of expediency, as well as of charity and edification, that every Lutheran pastor and every Lutheran congregation have outward significant symbols of the inner union, of the one mind and the one spirit....

"This is true especially of the morning worship in the Lutheran Church, commonly known as The Service or The Communion. For this is not, as some people have supposed, a haphazard combination or a fortuitous conglomeration of heterogeneous material, but an artistic unit with definite and logical parts, a “spirituo-psychological, well-ordered, and articulated whole,” as [Friedrich] Lochner says [Der Hauptgottesdienst, 41]. The order of service is a beautiful work of art, presenting a gradual climax of such wonderful dignity and impressiveness that the mere presence [of people] in such a service should result in the edification of the faithful." - Paul E. Kretzmann, Christian Art in the Place and in the Form of Lutheran Worship [Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921], pp. 395-96.

***

GJ - On a few years ago everyone assumed that the liturgical service was the standard one for all Lutherans. Moreover, if someone wanted to introduce changes in his congregation, he needed to speak to fellow pastors about it.

Thanks to the constant promotion of Enthusiasm by the leaders of the olde Synodical Conference, that argument has been reversed. If someone objects to copying the Enthusiasts now--with women pastors, no liturgy, no creed, entertainment, coaching sessions disguised as sermons, slurping pop and munching popcorn, plagiarizing false teachers, and pop music--that person has to prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that such practices are wrong.

This rot began 20 years ago, when the Boomer pastors chose to say nothing rather than object to anything that might hurt their careers and future synod-paid trips abroad.

I recall VP Kuske, Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, and Roger Zehms starting Pilgrim Community Church with the stated purpose of being as unLutheran as possible (no sweat for those guys). They also warned WELS members to stay away from the services and any thoughts of joining the mission. The purity of Schwaermer doctrine and practice is terribly important to Enthusiasts, who do not trust the Word. The irony is - they utterly trust in their own methods.

How can the Holy Spirit's power in the Word compare to their marketing methods?

The Schwaermer DPs and their appointed clones, the CPs, start from Bob's perspective. Bob is a United Church of Christ minister I knew at Yale Divinity. He was appalled at the idea of the liturgy and creeds. He said, "The best part of worship planning each week is having something completely new. Yours is boring."

We were friends, so he put me on his parish newsletter list later. He published one letter from a member, proud of what she said, "I love going here. It doesn't matter what anyone believes."

The United Church of Christ is nothing more than aged Congregationalism, mixed with a few mergers, the tail-end of Pietism, where only do-goodism is left. The UCC has no doctrine to speak of (except world religion) but plenty of social activist positions to wave at people. Go to the far Left. No farther than that. They are the leading edge.

I decided to use the UCC as an example of non-liturgical worship because that is exactly where Jeske and his Groeschelites are taking their poor, deluded members. Anti-confessional doctrine, worship, and practice lead directly to Unitarianism. Few actually become UCC. They stay where they are in their mega-hives or mini-hives, so distant from the original confessions of their own group that they no longer recognized what they have become.

Does Deputy Doug Englebrecht realize he has become a power-mad Enthusiast? He has retained the time-tested bullying tactics of WELS, but united those methods with the concepts learned from Paul Copycat Kelm, Wayne Mueller, Larry Olson (DMin, Fuller Seminary), David Spoiling the Egyptians Valleskey, VP Huebner, and many more.

These Enthusiasts are looking for variety, but the liturgical service changes every week, with many possibilities within that framework. A hymn service can replace the parts of the liturgy. Various settings can be used. But these are wasted words when Schwaermer have their tongues hanging out for the pit band, female leadership, wearing work clothes on stage (aka the chancel), and smelling the aroma of popcorn rather than wine drifting across the worship area.

This Bus Don't Carry No Lutherans, This Bus:Change to Groeschel and DIE!

This bus don't carry no Lutherans, this bus.
This bus don't carry no Lutherans, this bus.
This bus don't carry no Lutherans,
Means of Grace, nor closed communers,
This bus is Jeske's glory, this bus.

This bus just carries some liars, this bus;
This bus just carries some liars, this bus;
This bus just carries some liars,
She's streamlined for crick-jumpin' flyers,
This bus just caries some liars, this bus.

This bus just carries some con men, this bus;
This bus just caries some con men, this bus;
This bus just carries some con men,
WELS wheeler dealers, here and gone men,
This bus just carries some con men, this bus.

---

There is a God has left a new comment on your post "An Update « Light from Light.Ichabod Not Invited o...":

Is the "spirit" of CORE et al, that of modern sects or of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the unaltered Augsburg Confession:

"Only those things have been recounted whereof we thought that it was necessary to speak, in order that it might be understood that in doctrine and ceremonies nothing has been received on our part against Scripture or the Church Catholic" - AC, Conclusion.

"...among us, in large part, the ancient rites are diligently observed. For it is a false and malicious charge that all the ceremonies, all the things instituted of old, are abolished in our churches" - AC 21.

"But it can readily be judged that nothing would serve better to maintain the dignity of ceremonies, and to nourish reverence and pious devotion among the people than if the ceremonies were observed rightly in the churches" - AC, Articles in which are reviewed the abuses which have been corrected.

"Falsely are our churches accused of abolishing the Mass; the Mass is retained among us, and celebrated with the highest reverence. Nearly all the usual ceremonies are also preserved,..." - AC 24.

And that's just the Augsburg Confession.

I tell you, kind reader, when it comes to worship, CORE, et al, do not breathe the spirit of the Augsburg Confession, the standard of Lutheran doctrine and practice, but the spirit of the modern sects.

---

There is a God has left a new comment on your post "An Update « Light from Light.Ichabod Not Invited o...":

Re worship forms, I wish the WELS District Presidents would speak like Walther did:

"In your letter you ask for my opinion on whether it is advisable to introduce the singing of Methodist songs in a Lutheran Sunday School. May what follows serve as a helpful reply to your questions: No, this is not advisable, rather very incorrect and pernicious" - C. F. W. Walther, “Methodist Hymns in a Lutheran Sunday School” [1883], in Matthew C. Harrison, At Home in the House of My Fathers [Lutheran Legacy, 2010], pp. 331-32. [GJ - Are you calling Groeschel a Methodist?]



WELS church lady has left a new comment on your post "An Update « Light from Light.Ichabod Not Invited o...":

All united in doctrine and practice??? Doctrine-preaching from Groechel and New Agers such as Sweet. Practice-Struttin' around the altar in jeans and attending apostate megachurch conferences such as Drive and Exponential.(oops, not fair, Exponential was attended by pastors from a different WELS district, but you get the point...)

United in doctrine and practice! A BIG LIE! How did Engelbrecht stray so far off of the path? Where on the path was he in the 1960's and 70's?

In Christ,
from WELS church lady

---

There is a God has left a new comment on your post "An Update « Light from Light.Ichabod Not Invited o...":

"...as we continue to hold and to restore our wonderful divine services in places where they have been forgotten, let us boldly confess that our worship forms do not tie us with the modern sects or with the church of Rome; rather, they join us to the one, holy Christian Church that is as old as the world and is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets." - C. F. W. Walther, Der Lutheraner, Vol. 9, No. 24 [July 19, 1853], p. 163

---

There is a God has left a new comment on your post "Ve Tried It Long Ago - Und It Schtinks":

Also, put the bold text under "An Update « Light from Light. Ichabod Not Invited or CCed"

"Whenever the divine service once again follows the old Evangelical-Lutheran agendas (or church books), it seems that many raise a great cry that it is “Roman Catholic”: “Roman Catholic” when the pastor chants “The Lord be with you” and the congregation responds by chanting “and with thy spirit”; “Roman Catholic” when the pastor chants the collect and the blessing and the people respond with a chanted “Amen.”

Even the simplest Christian can respond to this outcry: “Prove to me that this chanting is contrary to the Word of God, then I too will call it ‘Roman Catholic’ and have nothing more to do with it. However, you cannot prove this to me.” If you insist upon calling every element in the divine service “Romish” that has been used by the Roman Catholic Church, it must follow that the reading of the Epistle and Gospel is also “Romish.” Indeed, it is mischief to sing or preach in church, for the Roman Church has done this also...

Those who cry out should remember that the Roman Catholic Church possesses every beautiful song of the old orthodox church. The chants and antiphons and responses were brought into the church long before the false teachings of Rome crept in. This Christian Church since the beginning, even in the Old Testament, has derived great joy from chanting... For more than 1700 years orthodox Christians have participated joyfully in the divine service. Should we, today, carry on by saying that such joyful participation is “Roman Catholic”? God forbid!

Therefore, as we continue to hold and to restore our wonderful divine services in places where they have been forgotten, let us boldly confess that our worship forms do not tie us with the modern sects or with the church of Rome; rather, they join us to the one, holy Christian Church that is as old as the world and is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets. (C. F. W. Walther, Der Lutheraner, Vol. 9, No. 24 [July 19, 1853], p. 163)

---


There is a God has left a new comment on your post "An Update « Light from Light.Ichabod Not Invited o...":

"...as we continue to hold and to restore our wonderful divine services in places where they have been forgotten, let us boldly confess that our worship forms do not tie us with the modern sects or with the church of Rome; rather, they join us to the one, holy Christian Church that is as old as the world and is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets." - C. F. W. Walther, Der Lutheraner, Vol. 9, No. 24 [July 19, 1853], p. 163


There is a God has left a new comment on your post "An Update « Light from Light.Ichabod Not Invited o...":

Wha?:

"...while there may be some differences among us regarding our approaches to ministry, we are all united in doctrine and practice."

"Approaches to ministry" is doctrine in practice. If the "approaches to ministry" are radically different from those of the Evangelical Lutheran Church of the unaltered Augsburg Confession, then there is no unity in practice (and doctrine).

An Update « Light from Light.Ichabod Not Invited or CCed

An Update « Light from Light

An Update
March 3, 2011 by Rick
A year ago, on March 5, 2010, the five concerned area WELS pastors met with the Presidium of the Northern Wisconsin District, and asked for a meeting with the pastors of St. Peter & The CORE, and have diligently attempted to meet for the last year. In late December 2010, District President Engelbrecht told former Circuit Pastor Suhr there was not going to be a meeting. (For a more complete history, read the two letters linked in this post: “Why I No Longer Attend My Church“).

Then in late January 2011, Synod President Schroeder met with District President Engelbrecht. After that, it was reported that District President Engelbrecht was willing to have a meeting. District President Engelbrecht indicated that he wanted to first meet with the pastors of St. Peter & The CORE, then all the pastors could meet together. However, no laymen would be welcome or invited.

The five concerned area WELS pastors told District President Engelbrecht that they would not meet if laymen were excluded. Then on February 24, 2011, District President Engelbrecht sent the following letter:

Dear Brother,

With this letter we are inviting you to meet with your district praesidium at Trinity Lutheran Church in Neenah on Friday, March, 25, 2011 at 9:00 a.m. This invitation is being extended to the five pastors and two laymen who have raised concerns regarding doctrine and practice within our district, the three pastors who serve as a ministry team at St. Peter, Freedom and The CORE in Appleton, and your circuit pastor[s].

The goal of our meeting is to affirm that, while there may be some differences among us regarding our approaches to ministry, we are all united in doctrine and practice. We will gather as brothers in Christ with the District President asking questions based on the concerns that have been raised and moderating any discussion those questions may generate.

It is our prayer that the Lord Jesus will be honored by the time we spend together and that our unity in Him will be strengthened as we meet over the truths of His Word.

In the Savior’s Service,
On behalf of the District Officers
D. J. Engelbrecht
President of the Northern Wisconsin District – WELS

CC: Mr. Tony Kubek
Mr. Frederick Techlin Jr.
Rev. Jeffrey Berg
Rev. Samuel Degner
Rev. John Dorn
Rev. Kenneth Frey
Rev. Mark Gass
Rev. Timothy Glende
Rev. Mark Henke
Rev. Paul Jenkins
Rev. Paul Lidtke
Rev. Robert Raasch
Rev. Dustin Sievert
Rev. James Skorzewski
Rev. Jeffrey Suhr
Rev. Ronald Szep
Rev. Joel Zank

ELCA Is the Only Honest Participant at the Jeske Union Conference

"Not another word from you, Brett.
Ichabod has endorsed my honesty and dissed your old associates."

As of this moment, nothing has changed with the Jeske-driven pan-demon ministry conference: Change or DIE!

The only honest participant is the Cross Lutheran ELCA pastor from Milwaukee. The rest are bald-faced liars.

The Little Sect on the Prairie is trembling in its lair, hoping no one remembers they agree with this debacle, by saying nothing against it.

The Wisconsin and Missouri sects both have pastors there who supposedly agree with the Book of Concord, oppose Enthusiasm, and condemn unionism with false teachers.

WELS, Missouri, and ELS - you are liars. Your leaders are feeble, silent, and deceitful.

ELCA - your actions and words are in perfect harmony with your game plan. Moreover, you kick anyone out who disagrees. You even kick congregations out for moving two steps to the right (keeping women's ordination, but hey, that's another adiaphoron). Nothing is an adiaphoron for you. It is in or out. You are willing to accept the loss of 250,000 members to keep your high church Unitarian doctrine pure, to make the world safe for Left-wing activism. At least people know what they are getting with ELCA.

WELS, Missouri, and the Little Sect lie when they say, "We are conservative Lutherans. We do not like false doctrine. We hate unionism. We adore the Book of Concord and have beautifully bound copies in our studies. We only allow leaders with the proper DNA. We are straighter than Bring'em Young."

Avoiding Doctrinal Issues Like the Plague

The "Elmer Gantry" or Ohio Conference, Michigan District, WELS, was full of covered-up scandals.
When the pastors weren't climbing telephone poles on a DUI,
they were chasing women and CG.


Someone asked for my paper from 1992, so I sent the file to him and others, posting it as well.

I posted quite a few things on websites over the years. I downloaded all the files, so I have plenty to share at the right time.

The paper originated this way. The conference wanted a paper on the Book of Concord in today's church. No one volunteered, so I did. Rich Krause,conference chair and Circuit Pussycat, was getting a drive-by DMin from a group of liberal seminaries (supervised by Larry Olson, DMin Fuller). Notice the irony of a unionist Shrinker under the supervision of a unionist Shrinker supervising doctrine in the circuit.

I put together a paper, comparing what WELS leaders were saying to the Book of Concord authors. I dared to quote the false teachers like Kelm and Olson and contrast them with Lutheran theologians.

VP Paul Kuske was outraged. I was undermining the foundation of false doctrine and clergy adultery, the basis of WELS doctrine and practice. He was point-man for both in the Michigan District.

The paper was supposed to be discussed and voted upon. Although certain pastors circulated the story that my wife was not sick at all, they suddenly decided not to discuss or vote on the paper, because of Mrs. Ichabod's illness. Cowards.

When I resigned from WELS, the same chickens decided they needed to vote on the paper, in my absence. To vote it down. One of the pastors said to the cowards, "You had the chance when he was here, and you refused. You cannot vote on it now." As if their vote mattered. The only way they would have approved the paper? - if they met me at their favorite STD clinic, bandaged up from a boozy wreck on my way to a Fuller DMin cluster.

The un-voted-upon paper vanished from the conference, because so many took copies to share with others. I know it was copied and sent all over, since this was pre-Net. I offered it through Martin Chemnitz Press, and it was ordered by many different people.

I also posted the paper when I kept a domain going.

Someone active in WELS wrote back, after reading the paper this week, "The more things change, the more they stay the same almost 20 yrs. later."

No, things are far worse among the "conservative" Lutheran churches. They now brag about what they used to deny sponsoring. I had one guy phone me and scream over the phone that Pilgrim Community Church (Columbus) and CrossRoads in S. Lyons never happened. But FICL brags about worse examples, like Latte Lutheran Church with its female pastor.

Ve Tried It Long Ago - Und It Schtinks

rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "Not So Puzzling:Appleton the CORE of Doctrinal Con...":

A friend of mine is a recovering Roman Catholic. On an unrelated topic, the city of Appleton came into the discussion. Seizing the moment, I quipped, "oh, Appleton, the armpit of the Wisconsin Synod."

I then explained how so many of the real and relevant WELS pastors go through that area.

His response was, "being relevant did not work for the Roman Catholic church back in the 1960's, so why should it work for anyone now?". What does a fallen away Roman Catholic understand that so many others do not?

Jeske News:Because It's All about Him

All eyes are upon the the Very Rev. Mark N. Avoid Jeske, as he carefully picks his seat, positioned among the greats of religious media - Robert Schuller, Creflo Dollar, Rick Warren, and Joel Osteen.

I do not have any certificate of defenestration. He did not tag a sidewalk or use the KJV, which are just about the only ways to get kicked out of WELS.

Jeske is still in WELS and Missouri, thanks to a century of doctrinal in-breeding.

Various people may or may not do something about him. Both synods (and the ELS) are indifferent about sound doctrine, so the matter will be settled, politics as usual, based on the Golden Rule: Whoever has the gold, makes the rules.

The Daddy Warbucks overlap the synods, all the better to control more lackeys. Marvin Schwan was building a cathedral in St. Louis - Our Lady of Sorrows, boasting a serpentine cross for a time, while trying to build one in New Ulm at Mary Lou College. To initiate the new era of stealth congregations called community church or just The CORE, WELS invented the vanishing chapel.

Yessir, the $8 million disappeared and so did the chapel. But the money reappeared like Brigadoon and the chapel was built. Huzzah! What better place to use the Booze and Broads edition of Christian Worship than a chapel built by a guy who had a "weak place for women and Cadillacs," as his minion said.

The real news is this, and you would miss it if I were not here to guide you: the Lutherans have arrived at a new stage, and the toothpaste cannot be pushed back into the tube.

Here are the facts:

1. Someone found out about the joint ELCA-WELS-LCMS ministry conference sponsored by Siebert Foundation and Thrivent Insurance. There was nothing new about that. WELS has been doing that at the national level for decades.
   
2. Nor is it newsworthy that I blew the whistle on them, because I have been doing that for decades.
   
3. WELS pastors and laity made this an issue by publishing their take on the issue, independent of me, and sent a letter, making that letter public rather than hidden and secret.
   
4. The Intrepids were already together and dealing with the Fox Valley, Anything Goes District of WELS. All previous private attempts there went nowhere, whether initiated by the attorney, by visiting pastors appalled at The CORE, the resignation of a pastor (because of deceit at St. Peter, Freedom), etc. Failure to get any results  was not news, but the lack of response must have led to their public actions.
   

I do not work with, or try to manage, or control the Intrepids. Church and Change has made its usual hysterical accusations, led by the Doctrinal Pussycat hisself, Doug Englebrecht. He is like Obama, making friends with the enemies of Lutheran doctrine while alienating the friends of Lutheran doctrine. Can you guess where that will end?

If they boot Jeske's plagiarizing bunch out, that will not be news. Nor will it be cause for rejoicing. The joyful news is this - the rules have changed. The write a secret letter era is over. People realize that the DPs wield power and collect enormous benefits for being Evan-jellyfish, toxic and spineless.

I do work with a large group of individuals, a changing population. I looked up one source on Facebook - he had un-friended me. No more emails or phone calls. Boo-hoo. I am sure his sect jumped on him like a hobo on a hotdog.

Others have stepped in. Some are regulars. Some give me information once a year. My previous prediction was that Jeske would officially join the LCMS, but that was when Kieschnick was still in office. Now that I have seen even more evidence of his pan-demon studies and endorsements, I think he will affiliate with Groeschel or another similar group, and take some of his buddies with him. Thanks to ELCA, congregations realize that they too can leave the synod. If they are not slaves to one confession, they are not slaves to one synod either.

Would you devote your life to keeping her out of jail,
as Joel Osteen admitted in a sermon?

Not So Puzzling:Appleton the CORE of Doctrinal Confusion

An active WELS member thought up this new epithet!

1. Appleton is where Church and Change began, thanks to Parlow and Witte.
   
2. Ron Ash, chairman of Church and Change, has been there forever.
   
3. Appleton is the home office of AAL, now Thrivent, a "Lutheran" insurance company that gathers millions of dollars to give to Habitat for Humanity ($120 million), ELCA, and the Salvation Army. Thriven is more unionistic than the National Council of Churches.
   
4. Paul Copycat Kelm was there - not for long - but his hoofprints are still visible.
   
5. Mark N. Avoid Jeske sent his minions, Ski and Bishop Katie there, to gather the elect from local WELS congregations and turn them into Groeschel-lites.
   
6. Deputy Doug Englebrecht is so far into Church and Changism that he can see the soles of Valleskey's feet.
   
   
   

Reasons To Teach Justification by Faith Alone

Perverted and ignorant leaders call themselves Lutheran while teaching against Luther,
masking their Enthusiasm with pretty words they do not take seriously.

Biblical, Lutheran doctrine is a unified truth, not a string of pearls strung together, so that people can pick one length or another, discarding this or that to suit themselves. The Lutheran Reformers were anxious to teach doctrine, avoiding the misleading concept of doctrines.

Lutherans may meet together, lobby for their favorite opinions, and cut deals, but that does not mean that conventions create and establish doctrine. In reality, they vote for fads as they drift farther away from the revealed truths of the Word of God and the common witness of the Book of Concord. One example is the sordid history of promoting the NIV translation, upon pain of excommunication, until the monstrosity finally got so bad that they became willing to adopt a new disaster.

The Lutheran Church has become a two-headed calf, headed at once toward the eructations of Fuller Seminary and the Purgatorial promotions of the Roman Catholic Church. The answer does not lie in either Enthusiasms but in the Biblical doctrine of the Means of Grace.

Justification by faith teaches that we are born sinful, in need of forgiveness, and granted that forgiveness through baptismal regeneration. Because of the power of the Word in Holy Baptism, a newborn is converted by the Gospel, forgiven, and made the dwelling place of the Holy Spirit.

Justification by faith teaches the Biblical truth of a great divide. The Scriptures discern between those who trust completely in Christ for salvation and those who do not. Believing is forgiveness, and forgiveness is salvation.

Justification by faith teaches that Christ paid for the sins of the entire world. This sacrificial death on the cross has many names, because the Word of God is rich in synonyms: propitiation, expiation, redemption, ransom. Chris is the Mercy Seat. Proclaiming the Atonement is the Gospel, because we are teaching that God sent His only-begotten Son to pay for our sins.

There is no justification without faith, because proclaiming the Atonement through the Word is the Holy Spirit's instrument for distributing grace to us, creating and sustaining faith in Christ. This trust in our Savior receives God's grace and justifies us, declaring us innocent of our sins.

The term Means of Grace is shorthand for the ways in which God gives us grace through the Word. Often we say Word and Sacrament, including the invisible Word of teaching and preaching, the visible Word of Holy Baptism and Holy Communion. Enthusiasts cry out in pain that there are many Means, that we may also include Absolution and the mutual consolation of the brothers. This terminology preserves the Biblical concept of the Holy Spirit working only through the Word, never apart from the Word, to convey Christ and His forgiveness to us.

The Means of Grace bring Christ to us, also bring us to Christ. This meeting must change us, because it is impossible to have the Word enter us without effect, without fruit. Those who reject the Word in their obstinacy also enjoy the effect of the Word, which hardens and blinds them until they are utterly lost.

Justification by faith gives us the substance for every sermon, and the theme for bringing together the entire Scriptures, the Book of the Holy Spirit. This also rejects such non-Gospel sermon topics as how to have more time, how to make more friends, and to have more fun.

Justification by faith teaches that the Holy Spirit works through the visible Word of Holy Communion to make this forgiveness individual and personal. The sermon can fly past our heads, because we have so much trouble concentrating on the Word when other thoughts fill our heads. But when we kneel and receive the Body and the Blood of our Savior, the reenactment of the Last Supper is impossible to ignore as we individually receive it.

Justification by faith is in perfect harmony with closed communion, because the Eucharist is not the place to celebrate diversity. Why should any pastor offer the sacrament to those who take it lightly, or reject the Real Presence, or do not even comprehend the basics of the Means of Grace?

Justification by faith is also the reason for making the Sacraments central in the worship service, not embarrassments to be hidden away to placate the easily-offended Enthusiasts, who also dislike the liturgy, the Creeds, and non-rockin' musical instruments.

Justification by faith balances Law and Gospel teaching. All false doctrine, even Universal Objective Justification, ends up as some kind of law salvation scheme. Salvation by the law, even among the Antinomians, is harsh and legalistic, depending on the traditions of man while sneering at the Ten Commandments.

Justification by faith will bring forth the fruit of the Spirit, because only the Gospel can produce fruit. The Law cannot, whether God's law or man's law. The forgiven sinner is thankful to God for His grace and shows that gratitude in acts of service to his neighbor.

By Norma Boeckler

Ahead of My Time in WELS

  

CONTEMPORARY THEOLOGICAL ISSUES IN THE BOOK OF CONCORD:

                 THE RESURGENCE OF ENTHUSIASM

                              by

               Pastor Gregory L. Jackson, Ph.D.

        Shepherd of Peace Evangelical Lutheran Church

           1950 Hard Road, Worthington, Ohio  43235

   Ohio Pastor's Conference, Zion Lutheran Church, Toledo,

                      April 27-28, 1992

"Remember your leaders who have spoken the Word of God to

you.  Consider how their lives ended, and imitate their

faith.  Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and

forever.  Do not be carried away with different kinds of

strange teachings."  Hebrews 13:7-9a

"We have no intention of yielding aught of the eternal,

immutable truth of God for the sake of temporal peace,

tranquility, and unity (which, moreover, is not in our power

to do).  Nor would such peace and unity, since it is devised

against the truth and for its suppression, have any

permanency.  Still less are we inclined to adorn and conceal

a corruption of the pure doctrine and manifest, condemned

errors.  But we entertain heartfelt pleasure and love fore,

and are on our part sincerely inclined and anxious to

advance, that unity according to our utmost power, by which

His glory remains to God uninjured, nothing of the divine

truth of the Holy Gospel is surrendered, no room is given to

the least error, poor sinners are brought to true, genuine

repentance, raised up by faith, confirmed in new obedience,

and thus justified and eternally saved alone through the sole

merit of Christ."

  Closing of the Formula of Concord, Concordia Triglotta, p.

  1095.

                         Introduction

When we study the Book of Concord, I hope that the passage

from Hebrews 13:7 is always on our minds.  I attended a

college named Augustana, named for the Augsburg Confession,

in opposition to the brand of Enthusiasm being promoted by

the General Synod in the 1850's.  The revivalists of the

Reformed camp were having great successes, and the General

Synod wanted to emulate their protracted meetings and deny

the Biblical doctrines of baptismal regeneration and the Real

Presence to achieve unity.  The General Synod leaders

supported Pietism and revivalism, suppressing confessional

Lutheranism.  Thus was born the Augustana Synod, Augustana

College and Seminary, and also the General Council.

The Augustana Synod had a history much like Wisconsin's,

combining Pietism with orthodoxy, the orthodoxy coming from

traumatic experiences with Enthusiasm.  Augustana leaders

were unionistic until they ran into American Enthusiasm:

  The crudest extravagances of revivalism (Methodism,

  Pentecostalism, Holy Rollerism) have their root in this

  specifically Reformed doctrine of the immediate working of

  the Holy Spirit.  1

A favorite textbook of old ALC pastors stated:

  The Lutheran theologians, in general, had reason to

  illustrate very particularly the doctrine of the operation

  of the Word of God, in order to oppose the Enthusiasts and

  Mystics, who held that the Holy Spirit operated rather

  irrespectively of the Word than through it; and to oppose

  also the Calvinists, who, led by their doctrine of

  predestination, would not grant that the Word possessed

  this power per se, but only in such cases where God

  chose.... 2

One Augustana leader of orthodoxy, Eric Norelius, was trained

in Columbus and had an enormous influence, due to the sound

doctrine he learned at Capital.  However, Enthusiasm won out

in the 1930's and Augustana Seminary began teaching,

overnight, the historical-critical method and the Social

Gospel, both examples of Enthusiasm.  One pious young pastor

began his career at a pietistic Lutheran Bible Institute and

now serves as presiding bishop of ELCA: Rev. Herb Chilstrom.

It is often held against me that my history is tied to this

history, that I have experienced it first-hand instead of

reading about it in Christian News, that I was trained in

the historical-critical method.  If this disqualifies me for

writing about orthodox Christianity, then I must offer other

examples who appreciated the truth better for having wallowed

in falsehood: Paul, Augustine, Luther, Chemnitz, Krauth,

Walther, and Hoenecke.  In WELS today, they would be judged

by their bloodlines and not by their confession of faith.

Much of what is condemned in this paper was once appealing to

me.  In many cases, some of the methods and techniques and

attitudes were offered - word for word - in the Lutheran

Church in America.  More importantly, this battle has always

been waged in Lutheranism, because Enthusiasm attaches itself

to our work the way mercury attaches itself to gold and

silver.  Once we are poisoned by Enthusiasm, orthodox

Lutheranism becomes our worst enemy and her advocates turn

into monsters of rigidity, legalism, and lovelessness.

Looking back a few years, we recall Wisconsin Synod leaders

who earned the respect of all Lutherans.  Their scholarly

books are still praised today and used outside our small

circles: John Schaller, Adolph Hoenecke, August Pieper, and

J. P. Koehler.  We should remember our leaders who have

spoken the Word of God to us, considering how their lives

ended.  We should imitate their faith and not be carried away

with different kinds of strange teachings.  (Hebrews 13:7-9a)

R. C. H.  Lenski wrote about this passage:

  They were true leaders indeed.  All our church leaders may

  well look closely at this characterization: speaking the

  Word, the whole Word, and nothing but the Word (Acts 20:26-

  27), and doing this with true personal faith; hence never

  once misleading the Church.  God, ever give us such

  leaders!  All followers may well look at these words.  3

                        II. Enthusiasm

The battle between the forces of Enthusiasm and the forces of

confessional Lutheranism have been contending for many

centuries, so this topic is current as well as historic.

Lutheranism fell apart months after Luther's death in 1546,

making the Book of Concord an absolute necessity.  The

crypto-Calvinists perjured themselves in claiming to be real

Lutherans while slithering to the Reformed position on the

Lord's Supper.  Lutheran anniversaries, as Prof. Fredrich

wrote, have been occasions for outbursts of apostasy, such as

the Prussian Union of 1817/1830 and the Preusian Union of

the 1980's. 4

Enthusiasm is such an inclusive topic that it bears a careful

definition.  We are all by nature Enthusiasts, since it is

part of our fallen state.

  In short, enthusiasm clings to Adam and his descendants

  from the beginning to the end of the world.  It is a poison

  implanted and inoculated in man by the old dragon, and it

  is the source, strength, and power of all heresy, including

  that of the papacy and Mohammedanism.  Accordingly, we

  should and must constantly maintain that God will not deal

  with us except through his external Word and sacrament.

  Whatever is attributed to the Spirit apart from such Word

  and sacrament is of the devil. 5

Enthusiasm is opposed to the Means of Grace, so we find

Enthusiasm both in the Protestant constellation of sects and

in Roman Catholicism.

  In these matters, which concern the external, spoken Word,

  we must hold firmly to the conviction that God gives no one

  his Spirit or grace except through or with the external

  Word which comes before.  Thus we shall be protected from

  the enthusiasts--that is, from the spiritualists who boast

  that they possess the Spirit without and before the Word

  and who therefore judge, interpret, and twist the

  Scriptures or spoken Word according to their pleasure...The

  papacy, too, is nothing but enthusiasm, for the pope boasts

  that 'all laws are in the shrine of the heart,' [Corpus

  juris canonici, Book VI, I, 2, c.1.] and he claims that

  whatever he decides and commands in his churches is spirit

  and law, even when it is above and contrary to the

  Scriptures or spoken Word.  All this is the old devil and

  the old serpent who made enthusiasts of Adam and Eve.  6

Protestantism and Roman Catholicism alternate between

rationalism and Pentecostalism, sometimes mixing both

together.  Against this is the doctrine of the Means of

Grace, which is the only antidote to Enthusiasm, and the

"peculiar glory of the Lutheran Church."

  The doctrine of the means of grace is a peculiar glory of

  Lutheran theology.  To this central teaching it owes its

  sanity and strong appeal, its freedom from sectarian

  tendencies and morbid fanaticism, its coherence and

  practicalness, and its adaptation to men of every race and

  every degree of culture.  The Lutheran Confessions bring

  out with great clearness the thought of the Reformers upon

  this subject.  7

For Roman Catholics, assurance of salvation comes from the

visible unity of the Roman church and the infallible

authority of the pope and those who teach infallibly in

concert with him.  They use the term "Means of Grace" for the

seven sacraments, but they mean something else:

  Therefore the media gratiae in the papistic sense are not

  means through which God offers to faith the complete

  forgiveness of sins and the salvation merited by Christ,

  and through that offer also works faith in man or

  strengthens the faith already present, but they are means

  to incite and aid him to such virtuous endeavors, under

  Roman direction, as can gradually and in constantly

  increasing measure (Trent, Session VI, chapter 16, canon

  32) win God's grace for him. 8

For Protestants, assurance of salvation comes from knowing

the moment of conversion, whether as an adult "born-again"

experience or, on a higher or deeper plane, the experience of

the Holy Spirit's baptism.  However, both confessions

introduce a monster of uncertainty, which robs the believer

of certainty by placing certain demands of the Law upon him,

in both cases adding works to faith.  Many of us have

experienced the testimony of Pentecostals, who invest their

dreams and visions with authority above and beyond the

Scriptures, a state which makes them despise the

Means of Grace and those who minister the Means.  Therefore,

the Book of Concord states:

  It is good to extol the ministry of the Word with every

  possible kind of praise in opposition to the fanatics who

  dream that the Holy Spirit does not come through the Word

  but because of their own preparations.  They sit in a dark

  corner doing and saying nothing, but only waiting for

  illumination, as the enthusiasts taught formerly and the

  Anabaptists teach now.  9

Schmidt warned:

  We are not, then, in any way to represent to ourselves the

  relation of the Word and the Spirit as though the Word were

  merely the lifeless instrument which the Holy Ghost

  employed, or as thought the Spirit, when he wished to

  operate through the Word, must always first unite himself

  with it, as if he were ordinarily separated from it. 10

Lutheran pastors seem to have forgotten that Protestants and

Roman Catholics must deny huge portions of Scripture to

maintain their dogmatic statements.  Simply put, as Hoenecke

stated:

  Aus dem allen folgt die Verwerflichkeit des

  schwarmgeistlichen Grundsatzes, dass der Geist wirke ohne

  die Schrift.  Geist nicht ohne Schrift, Schrift nicht ohne

  Geist, das is gesunde Lehre.  (From this follows the

  repudiation of Enthusiastic principles, that the Spirit

  works without the Scriptures.  Spirit not without the

  Scripture, Scripture not without the Spirit - that is sound

  doctrine.) 11

Although we are often subjected to the sanctimonious

testimonies of Enthusiasts, who dominate the airwaves, the

Book of Concord points out how they destroy sanctification

while posing as defenders of holiness.  That is why Jim and

Tammie Bakker still attract media coverage.

  Both enthusiasts and Epicureans have in an unchristian

  fashion misused he doctrine of the impotence and the

  wickedness of our natural free will, as well as the

  doctrine that our conversion and regeneration are

  exclusively the work of God and not of our own powers. As a

  result of their statements many people have become

  dissolute and disorderly, lazy and indifferent to such

  Christian exercises as prayer, reading, and Christian

  meditation. 12

But we are told by the current leaders of Lutheranism (ELCA,

LCMS, and WELS; 99% of Lutherans in America) that the

Enthusiasts have something to teach us about evangelism,

worship, and the Church.  However, the Formula of Concord

expresses no tolerance whatsoever:

  6.  On the other hand, we must condemn with all seriousness

  and zeal, and in no wise tolerate in the church of God, the

  enthusiasts who imagine that without means, without hearing

  of the divine Word and without the use of the holy

  sacraments, God draws man to himself, illuminates,

  justifies, and saves him.  13

We are given a hundred reasons why the Enthusiasts of today

are wiser than the orthodox fathers of the last generation,

but the Book of Concord made a point of emphasizing Luther's

last words on the subject.  As Edmund Schlink has noted, it

is one thing to write a theological book or opinion, but

quite another to have the Church endorse that statement and

to have men sign their names confessing that point. 14

Luther wrote an enormous amount of excellent material, but

this was selected by the Concordists as part of the remedy

for the collapse of Lutheranism, a debacle which is being

repeated today:

  Dr. Luther, who understood the true intention of the

  Augsburg Confession better than any one else, remained by

  it steadfastly and defended it constantly until he died.

  Shortly before his death, in his last confession, he

  repeated his faith in this article with great fervor and

  wrote as follows: 'I reckon them all as belonging together

  (that is, as Sacramentarians and enthusiasts), for that is

  what they are who will not believe that the Lord's bread in

  the Supper is his true, natural body, which the godless or

  Judas receive orally as well as St.  Peter and all the

  saints.  Whoever, I say, will not believe this, will please

  let me alone and expect no fellowship from me.  This is

  final.  15

                 III. Gray Areas of Scripture

A few years ago, we began reading that Ralph Bohlmann

considered the role of man and woman a gray area of

Scripture.  Recently, this same claim has appeared in our

synod as well.  A layman recently said, "I'm glad WELS is

clear on most doctrinal issues."  If it is true that we are

going to make progress by arguing for the shortness,

incompleteness, insufficiency, ambiguity, and obscurity of

the canonical Scriptures, then we are adopting Roman Catholic

exegetical methods, which will certainly destroy Lutheranism.

Note what Martin Chemnitz said about how this line of attack

developed among the papalists:

  The method of debate on the part of the papalists is far

  different now than it was at the time of Eck, Emser, and

  others like them.  These men did not refuse to fight with

  us with the weapons of the Scripture.  Pighius, however,

  has perceived that this arrangement has done the papal

  kingdom more harm than good.  Therefore he has shown a

  different and shorter way by which, provided they stuck to

  it, they could obtain practically anything without trouble.

  It consists in this that they bring together every

  oratorical device and then declaim loudly about the

  shortness, the incompleteness, the insufficiency,

  ambiguity, and obscurity of the Scripture and strenuously

  fight for the necessity, authority, perfection, certainty,

  and clarity of the unwritten traditions. 16

If anything, the Book of Concord is a tribute to the

completeness, sufficiency, and clarity of the Scriptures.

The following statements indicate no confusion by the

Confessors about the meaning of Holy Writ:

  ...far from having disproved our contentions from the

  Scriptures, they have condemned several articles in

  opposition to the clear Scripture of the Holy Spirit.  17

  This is plain and clear, the faithful can grasp it, and it

  has the testimony of the church.  Nowhere can our opponents

  say how the Holy Spirit is given.  18

  It is surely amazing that our opponents are unmoved by the

  many passages in the Scriptures that clearly attribute

  justification to faith and specifically deny it to works.

  Do they suppose that this is repeated so often for no

  reason?  19

  Yet there are clear passage of divine Scripture which

  forbid the establishment of such regulations for the

  purpose of earning God's grace or as if they were necessary

  for salvation.  20

Those who would like to find in the Book of Concord a debate

about the normative force of Scripture or the inerrancy of

Scripture will be disappointed.  This did not become a major

Lutheran conflict until Enthusiasm brought the historical-

critical method into American Lutheranism in the name of

scholarship.  Then the Scriptures could be bent and shaped

like a wax nose, expressing everything except their clear,

plain message.  The Book of Concord clearly supports the

Scriptures as the ruling norm of faith, infallible in all

respects.  "Because we know that God does not lie.  My

neighbor and I--in short, all men--may err and deceive, but

God's Word cannot err." 21

  ...Firmly Founded on the Word of God as the Only Norm 22

  ...we have in what follows purposed to commit ourselves

  exclusively and only, in accordance with the pure,

  infallible, and unalterable Word of God, to that Augsburg

  Confession which was submitted to Emperor Charles V at the

  great imperial assembly in Augsburg in the year 1530... 23

Norm is a word seldom found in the Book of Concord, since the

battle lines were drawn around that article of faith, but two

more citations are worth studying.

  1.  We believe, teach, and confess that the prophetic and

  apostolic writings of the Old and New Testaments are the

  only rule and norm according to which all doctrines and

  teachers alike must be appraised and judged, as it is

  written in Ps.  119:105, "Thy word is a lamp to my feet and

  a light to my path. 24

  Other writings of ancient and modern teachers, whatever

  their names, should not be put on a par with Holy

  Scripture.  Every single one of them should be subordinated

  to the Scriptures and should be received in no other way

  and no further than as witnesses to the fashion in which

  the doctrine of the prophets and apostles was preserved in

  post-apostolic times.  25

Not only is this the best approach to doctrinal matters, but

this is the method which we have confessed as Lutheran

pastors, affirming our loyalty to the Book of Concord,

because (quia) it is a proper interpretation of Scripture.

In studying the Book of Concord, however, we do not find an

anti-intellectual, anti-historical attitude of "nothing

outside of the Bible."  The Confessors clearly saw the value

of knowing the patristic fathers and using their testimony to

show that this is indeed the orthodox Christian faith and not

a new denomination.  When we study the orthodox contributions

of our fathers and imitate their faith, we are not abandoning

the Scriptures but upholding the Word of God as confessed by

faithful warriors who now rest from their labors.  Selnecker,

a Concordist, (who wrote "Ach, bleib bei uns") was bitterly

attacked, severely persecuted by the Reformed, deposed when

Augustus died, reduced to poverty, and not allowed to remain

in Leipzig as a private citizen.  26  If they had not stood

their ground and paid the price--jail, exile, humiliation,

execution--we would be the SWELS today, Schwaermer

Evangelical Lutheran Synod.

               IV.  Efficacy of the Means of Grace

The weakest area of Lutheranism today concerns the efficacy

of the Means of Grace, once the glory of Lutheranism and now

fading quickly into obscurity.

  For Christ wants to assure us, as was necessary, that the

  Word is efficacious when it is delivered by men and that we

  should not look for another word from heaven.  27

  In his Word he has revealed to us as much as we need to

  know in this life, and wherever the Scriptures in this case

  give us clear, certain testimony, we shall simply believe

  it and not argue that the human nature in Christ is not

  capable of it.  28

  For the Word through which we are called is a ministry of

  the Spirit--"which gives the Spirit" (2 Cor. 3:8) and a

  "power of God" to save (Rom.  1:16).  And because the Holy

  Spirit wills to be efficacious through the Word, to

  strengthen us, and to give us power and ability, it is

  God's will that we should accept the Word, believe and obey

  it.  29

  Every poor sinner must therefore attend on it, hear it with

  diligence, and in no way doubt the drawing of the Father

  because the Holy Spirit wills to be present in the Word and

  to be efficacious with his power through it.  And this is

  the drawing of the Father.  30

  The reason for such contempt of the Word is not God's

  foreknowledge but man's own perverse will, which rejects or

  perverts the means and instrument of the Holy Spirit which

  God offers to him through the call and resists the Holy

  Spirit who wills to be efficaciously active through the

  Word, as Christ says, "How often would I have gathered you

  together and you would not!" (Matt. 23:37) 31

Anyone who has tried to carry out mission work in an area

dominated by groups which despise Lutheran orthodoxy may well

succumb to the temptation of looking for guaranteed results

delivered for a specific cost.  The Book of Concord, echoing

the Bible, reminds us again and again to trust in the Word

and remain faithful to the Word.  Only the external Word,

preached and taught, and the visible Word, administered in

the Sacraments, will bring about justification and salvation.

This goes against the Enthusiasm of Old Adam and the venom of

the Old Serpent, but it is consistent with God's promises

throughout His Word.  His Word never returns fruitless but

always accomplishes His will. (Is. 55)  One may plant and one

may water, but God alone provides the growth.  The seed falls

everywhere, so our task is not to judge the soil, but

to sow with reckless abandon, following the example of the

inept sower (Mark 4).

Unfortunately, we have in our midst a group of pastors who

have adopted the Reformed perspective on the Word.  They

try to Lutheranize what they have learned from the

Enthusiasts of Pasadena, but their published writings reveal

their lack of trust in the efficacy of the Means of Grace.

This is also reflected in the Board of Home Missions (BoRaM,

1991) wondering in print what to do about "ineffective"

pastors.   The use of effective and ineffective is prima

facie evidence of Reformed doctrine.  We find it quite often

in WELS materials and Fuller Seminary materials.

Those who promote Enthusiasm in our midst claim that it is a

sin to disagree about doctrine, calling it slander and a

violation of the 8th Commandment.  They also object to naming

names.  They seem to forget that St. Paul confronted Peter in

public (Gal. 2:14) for Peter's public undermining of the

Gospel, that St. Paul named names in his apostolic letters,

(2 Tim. 2:17), that the Book of Concord identified people

with false doctrines--denouncing those doctrines, and Prof.

J. P.  Meyer in Our Great Heritage, vol. I, supports dealing

with the doctrine itself:

  We must bear in mind that we are not dealing with the

  person of these errorists.  We are not called to

  investigate their personal character...We are dealing with

  their confession, with the doctrine which they publicly

  proclaimed before the whole church, for which they stood,

  which they defended.  32

On the other hand, those of us who have tried to deal

directly with doctrinal matters, going through channels, have

met with personal attacks, puerile name calling, and attempts

to meddle in our congregations and remove us (in violation of

Scripture) from our calls.  It appears that some attempts

have been successful.

                           Nonsense

"While only the Word is efficacious, the methods we use to

minister to people with that Word may vary in their

effectiveness."

Pastor Lawrence O. Olson, Peace, Love's Park, Ill.,

"See How It Grows: Perspectives on Growth and the Church,"

EVANGELISM, February, 1991, p. 2.  Olson is a Parish

Consultant for the WELS Board of Parish Services  and his

district's Coordinator of Evangelism.  [Emphasis added.]

"We cannot add anything to the Word, but we may be able to

remove the human barriers which might be in the way of the

Word."

Pastor Lawrence O. Olson, ibid., p. 3.  [Emphasis added]

"What do people mean when they talk about effective church

growth principles?  Do we make God's kingdom come?  'God's

kingdom certainly comes by itself,' Luther wrote.  Ours is to

sow the seed.  We hamper the kingdom if we sow carelessly or

if we do not sow at all.  But we do not make it grow."

Mark Braun, "The Growing Seed, What Do People Mean When They

Talk about Effective Church Growth Principles?" The

Norwestern Lutheran, September 1, 1991, p. 300.  [Emphasis

added]

"We can't do a thing to make his Word more effective.  But

surely we can detract from its effectiveness by careless

errors and poor judgment.  It just makes good sense to

utilize all of our God-given talents, to scour the field for

appropriate ideas, concepts, and material, to implement

programs, methods, and techniques so that we do not detract

from the effectiveness of the gospel we proclaim.  Church

growth articles, books, seminars, and conferences can offer

such ideas and programs."

Pastor James Huebner, Spiritual Renewal Consultant,

Notebook, School of Outreach IV, p. 178. [Emphasis added]

"THE CHURCH ORGANIZED FOR ACTION.

1.  THEOLOGY - The Word of God...unchanging.  The Word of God

    is efficacious.  We are more or less effective

    administrators of the Word.  Steps 2 through 6 (below)

    assure that our theology is put into practice as ministry

    in the most effective way possible.

Outline of Pastor Paul Kelm's paper, reprinted in WELS

Mission Counselors' NEWSLETTER, Pastor Jim Radloff, editor,

April, '92, p. 16.  [Emphasis added; as mission counselor in

Texas, Pastor Radloff carried around a briefcase of C. Peter

Wagner's, Your Church Can Grow, to give away.  Wagner was

required reading for world mission pastors as well.]

The preceding selections from published WELS materials

represent the concept that the Word of God is efficacious,

but...  That is the same as claiming that the Word of God

becomes efficacious when we use the proper man-centered

methods.  One thing is worth noting: we seldom find the

word "faithful," but we often find the word "effective" in

current WELS materials.  The word "effective" is normative

in the publications of Enthusiasts, as noted in the Catalog

of Testimonies at the end of the paper.  Lutherans stress

faithfulness, and Enthusiasts emphasize effectiveness,

because Lutherans trust God's activity through the Means of

Grace, while Enthusiasts consider God's Word a dead letter

unless it is made attractive and relevant.  note

V. Women's Suffrage, Women in Authority over Men, Women

   Teaching Men

The ferment for women taking over spiritual leadership in the

Church has moved from the ALC and LCA to members of the

former Synodical Conference.  In recent years we have seen

many new approaches taken: a woman in charge of OWLS, a woman

in charge of lay ministry, and a woman as assistant editor of

The Northwestern Lutheran.  Women vote in the Twin Cities and

in Columbus, as well as other areas.  Women serve on boards,

in authority over men, and women teach men.  When I discussed

women teaching men with a former synodical official, he said,

"What's wrong with that?"  I started to quote what St. Paul

said in 1 Timothy 2:12, but he interjected, "What about

Priscilla?"  (He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When

Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their

home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

Acts 18:26)  I started to answer, but he changed the subject.

Many think that the role of man and woman will be reversed

through the influence of church leaders, the promotion of

suffragette pastors, and the lack of discipline.

WELS is the first Lutheran church body, to the best of my

knowledge, to have a woman write the editorial page for the

national magazine.  It was the Reformation issue of The

Northwestern Lutheran, 11-1-91.  Therefore, we have passed

ELCA in trendiness.  Our new hymnal will bow to the feminist

language demands, which is what the Lutheran Book of Worship

did in 1978.  Some think it is being written with Church

Growth Eyes.

The Book of Concord does not deal with these issues,

indicating to us that no one was trying to overturn Biblical

teaching at that time.  The upsurge of studies and special

commissions to deal with an issue is an indication of a

change in direction, which we are seeing - in WELS, in the

Ohio Conference, and in the Michigan District.  The promotion

of Enthusiast cell groups will complete the feminization of

the WELS.  Those of you who want your wives on church boards

and voting at the voters' meeting cannot possibly fathom what

this will mean in another generation.  Remember, much of your

required reading at Mequon was from ELCA pioneers.

The feminist pastors should not gloat that the Book of

Concord is silent on these issues and does not deal with

the Biblical texts which are at the center of the current

debate (1 Cor 11:1ff; 1 Tim 2:12f.)  The Confessors never

suggested that the Bible had gray areas which left doctrinal

issues open.  The false charge of Biblical vagueness was a

claim of the liberal Lutherans in the last century (General

Council and General Synod), who were content to leave as open

questions the issues of altar and pulpit exchange with

Enthusiasts, the Masonic Lodge, and millennialism.

                        Entertainment

The loss of trust in the Means of Grace is underlined by the

current WELS enthusiasm for imitating the Willow Creek seeker

service, for eliminating the liturgy, and for using "felt

needs" to draw people to church.  Those of us who read the

material printed by WELS about Willow Creek are horrified

that Pastor Robert Hartman and Pastor James Huebner would

endorse the seeker service--especially Pastor Dan Kelm's

version of it--on the evangelism training tape.  (The last

time I spoke to Bob Hartman, he began quoting Donald McGavran

to me.  I pointed out that The Donald should have studied

Isaiah 55.)

In their exegesis of 2 Corinthians 4:1ff.(Catalog of

Testimonies), Prof.  J.  P.  Meyer and R. C. H. Lenski have

both pointed out that the use of bait, lures, and

entertainment is equivalent to being ashamed of the Gospel,

adulterating the Word of God, and using devious methods to

achieve a supposedly worthwhile end.  We should not be

surprised, then, to learn that the chief theologian for

Fuller Theological Seminary is Karl Barth, an apostate who

moved his girlfriend, Charlotte Kirschbaum, into his house,

against the expressed wishes of Frau Barth, and spent every

summer with Charlotte in a mountain cottage, writing.

Barth's influence upon Fuller theolgians changed the modified

inerrancy stance of Fuller Seminary into a defiant errancy

position, before Donald McGavran moved there.  As Lenski

pointed out (see Catalog), those who are not trustworthy with

the Word are not trustworthy with anything else.  When we

read The World's 20 Largest Churches, Church Growth

Principles in Action, (written with Church Growth Eyes,

according to C. Peter Wagner), we can count a large number of

notorious anti-Christian teachers and a recently exposed

adulterer and anti-Christian teacher, Jack Hyles.  All of the

20 largest churches are centers of Enthusiasm, mostly of the

Pentecostal style.  The largest, Paul Y. Cho's, is occultic

and works closely with C. Peter Wagner and Robert Schuller.

In the Book of Concord, in Luther's writings, and in the

study of church history, we can find many examples of

Enthusiasts leading people astray and then falling into the

snare themselves.  Luther wrote:

  The peacock is an image of heretics and fanatical spirits.

  For on the order of the peacock they, too, show themselves

  and strut about in their gifts, which never are

  outstanding.  But if they could see their feet, that is the

  foundation of their doctrine, they would be stricken with

  terror, lower their crests, and humble themselves.  To be

  sure, they, too, suffer from jealousy, because they cannot

  bear honest and true teachers.  They want to be the whole

  show and want to put up with no one next to them.  And they

  are immeasurably envious, as peacocks are.  Finally, they

  have a raucous and unpleasant voice, that is, their

  doctrine is bitter and sad for afflicted and godly minds;

  for it casts consciences down more than it lifts them up

  and strengthens them. 33

The wonderful unity of false doctrine is concisely

illustrated in Sasse's comment on Karl Barth and the Means of

Grace, showing what a rotten foundation Enthusiasm offers:

  The means of grace are thus limited for Barth.  The

  preacher descending from the pulpit can never quote Luther

  and say with joyful assurance that he has preached the Word

  of God.  Of course, he can hope and pray; but he can never

  know whether the Holy Spirit has accompanied the preached

  Word, and hence whether his words were the Word of God.  To

  know this, or even to wish to know it, would be a

  presumptuous encroachment of man upon the sovereign freedom

  of God.  34

     VI.  Cell (Affinity, Koinonia, Share, Prayer) Groups

The lust for cell groups, which are the heart and soul of

Enthusiasm, is waxing in our synod.  The extensive support of

cell groups in WELS is shown in the Catalog of Testimonies.

Intelligent pastors, bombarded with propaganda about the

effectiveness of cell groups, are starting to explain how

they can Lutheranize this form of denying the Means of Grace.

Some points worth considering:

1.  Halle University was very successful as the center of

    Lutheran Pietism, which grew through the promotion of

    lay-led cell groups.  Halle Pietism was unionistic and

    therefore denied basic Lutheran doctrines.  Spener

    rejected the Real Presence and baptismal regeneration. 35

    The visible success of Halle and its charitable

    institutions is still worthy of note today.  In one

    generation, Halle became the center of rationalism.

    Pieper stated:  "Furthermore, it must be admitted that

    the Reformed teaching of the means of grace filtered,

    particularly through Pietism, also into the Lutheran

    Church." 36  Krauth showed how Enthusiasm turned into

    pure rationalism:  "...it is exceedingly difficult to

    prevent this low view from running out into Socinianism,

    as, indeed, it actually has run in Calvinistic lands, so

    that it became a proverb, often met with in the older

    theological writers--'A young Calvinist, an old

    Socinian.'  This peril is confessed and mourned over by

    great Calvinistic divines.  New England is an

    illustration of it on an immense scale, in our own

    land." 37

2.  The lay-led cell group creates a division between the

    disciples (or soul-winners) who go to a group and those

    who merely worship on Sunday.  When Enthusiasts use the

    term "disciple," they mean those who have reached a

    higher level of sanctification.  Have you noticed how

    often disciple is being used in WELS?  C. F. W. Walther

    had to work very hard at escaping the toxins of Pietism

    which clung to him and affected his sermons. This

    distinction of levels of Christianity led to the

    Pentecostal movement.  Pietism is cured by the large

    doses of the Book of Concord, rather than by large

    amounts of alcohol.  Pieper concluded about Pietism:

    "In so far as Pietism did not point poor sinners directly

    to the means of grace, but led them to reflect on their

    own inward state to determine whether their contrition

    was profound enough and their faith of the right caliber,

    it actually denied the complete reconciliation by Christ

    (the satisfactio vicaria), robbed justifying faith of its

    true object, and thus injured personal Christianity in

    its foundation and Christian piety in its very

    essence." 38

3.  The spiritual nature of women will lead to women teaching

    men, which has already happened at two churches in

    Columbus.  From that point we will move rapidly to

    women's ordination, which is de facto a practical reality

    today in the LCMS, with women preaching and consecrating

    Holy Communion.

4.  Pentecostals love to take over cell groups and teach

    people how to become "real Christians" by speaking in

    tongues and healing people.  President Robert Mueller, I

    believe, mentioned some time ago that the charismatic

    movement has popped up in WELS churches with cell groups.

5.  The Church Growth Enthusiasts in WELS are promoting cell

    groups and a repudiation of the Biblical role of man and

    woman.  The suffragette centers in WELS are also hotbeds

    of Church Growth.

6.  Because Enthusiasm is by nature unionistic, cell groups

    promote doctrinal indifference and persecute orthodox

    Christianity.  Cell group members adopt the sanctimony of

    the Enthusiasts, confronting and praying for orthodox

    pastors who "quench the Spirit."  Hell is paradise,

    compared to a Lutheran church split by Pentecostal

    Enthusiasts.  WELS pastors: do not ask to be baptized in

    this baptism and drink from this cup.

Those who enjoy saying that I am being extreme and rejecting

any use of anything outside Lutheranism should pay attention

to the following.  I think, under certain circumstances, a

layman may teach others, as long as he is directly

responsible to the pastor and held to the doctrinal standards

of orthodoxy.  Women may teach women and usually do a fine

job of expressing the Christian faith.  However, I am

disgusted and alarmed by the promotion of Schwaermer training

materials and cell group resources by WELS leaders.  If we

think we are going to have legitimate, orthodox, lay-led

groups which use Serendipity, Navigators, Intervarsity, and

Paul Y. Cho, then we are no better than wolves ourselves.

When I attended Paul Kelm's School of Outreach in 1987, Larry

Olson praised Cho and Schuller during the panel discussion on

Church Growth.  I stood up and said, "What are we doing, here

at Mequon, praising two false teachers, one who got his butt

kicked out of the Assemblies of God, which is not noted for

doctrinal discipline, and the other, who is in fellowship

with non-Christians?"  (This was during the Bakker and

Swaggert scandals, which the Assemblies of God allowed to

develop, even though certain top leaders knew all about the

allegations of adultery.)  No one said anything, although

Olson talked with me briefly afterwards.

All Enthusiasts have cell groups, so we find them in Reformed

denominations, in Pentecostal groups, in the Roman Catholic

charismatic movement, in all mainline charismatic movements,

and in anti-Christian cults.  We find the Means of Grace only

in Lutheranism, so the Book of Concord has much to say about

how we receive God's grace and how we are nurtured by the

Word.  Subsequent Lutheran leaders, until now, always taught

against the Reformed concept of prayer as a means of

grace.  39  They based their doctrine on the Book of Concord:

  It is indeed correct and true what Scripture states, that

  no one comes to Christ unless the Father draw him. [John

  6:44] But the Father will not do this without means, and he

  has ordained Word and sacraments as the ordinary means or

  instruments to accomplish this end.  It is not the will of

  either the Father or the Son that any one should refuse to

  hear or should despise the preaching of his Word and should

  wait for the Father to draw him without Word and

  sacraments." [See SD, II, 4, 80] 40

WELS leaders want to pretend that cell group Enthusiasts,

like C. Peter Wagner and his friend Waldo Werning, are in

our camp.  They should read Francis Pieper, who began his

ministry as a Wisconsin Synod pastor:

  Moreover, the advocates of this error [Reformed advocates,

  against the Means of Grace] are by no means always irenic

  people.  Rather, they go on the warpath and malign the

  Biblical truth in many ways. 41

               VII. Unionism and Open Communion

Fellowship principles are Biblical and well known to WELS

pastors, but fellowship now seems to be defined in terms of

what we can get away with and what we can excuse with

Pharisaic alibis and outright falsehood.  An orthodox

Christian simply does not want to participate in formal

religious activities with false teachers, due to his love for

the pure Word of God.  An orthodox pastor does not want to

support publicly any religious activity which suggests that

he condones false doctrine or is indifferent to it.  Prof.

Reu has wisely written that unionism creates doctrinal

indifference, doctrinal indifference leads to unionism. 42

They are inseparable, as we have seen already in cell groups

and Pietism, a predicament summarized by Bill Moyers as, "You

lie down with dawgs, you get up with fleas."

Yes, I do think we should study textbooks and journals by

false teachers, but we should, like Ulysses, be bound to the

mast of the Scriptures and have our ears treated with the

Book of Concord, to guard against listening to the Sirens of

Enthusiasm.  I think some pastors, like Robert Koester,

should attend Fuller to write a thesis against Church Growth.

But we have a large number of WELS leaders who have trained

at Fuller and endorse Fuller's doctrines and methods.  The

mission board pastors have trained at Win Arn's Church Growth

Institute in Monrovia, near Fuller.  Our district mission

board even sends pastors to D. James Kennedy to be trained in

Reformed decision theology.  When I was at Mequon in 1987, a

poster from Paul Kelm was outside the president's office,

inviting seminary students to attend Billy Graham's School of

Enthusiasm.  I had been at Wheaton 5 times (before colloquy)

and thought it very odd that WELS talked fellowship

principles and rushed to learn from those opposed to infant

baptism and Holy Communion.

The excuse is:  "We are so orthodox, we can separate the

wheat from the chaff."  The Catalog of Testimonies shows that

we are building on chaff, sowing chaff, and reaping

Enthusiasm.

Open communion belongs with fellowship questions, because

communion is the clearest sign of unity, a factor recognized

by the April 27, 1992 issue of Christian News, in the story

about "Four Protestant Sects" working toward joint communion:

ELCA and 3 Reformed groups.  In order to do this, the

Lutherans had to give up the Real Presence, which has always

filled Enthusiasts with wrath.

Schmauck, who worked against Enthusiasm in the Muhlenberg

tradition (ULCA), wrote:

  Is the Lord's Supper the place to display my toleration, my

  Christian sympathy, or my fellowship with another

  Christian, when that is the very point in which most of all

  we differ; and in which the difference means for me

  everything--means for me, the reception of my Savior's

  atonement?  Is this the point to be selected for the

  display of Christian union, when in fact it is the very

  point in which Christian union does not exist? 43

The Augsburg Confession makes doctrinal unity the basis for

peace in the Church.  Luther told the Evangelical

participants at Augsburg to go home rather than compromise

about the truth.  The Confessors wrote, risking their lives:

  The desire was expressed for deliberation on what might be

  done about the dissension concerning our holy faith and the

  Christian religion, and to this end it was proposed...to

  have all of us embrace and adhere to a single, true

  religion and live together in unity and in one fellowship

  and church, even as we are all enlisted under one

  Christ. 44

Fifty years later, after wars and persecutions, the

Concordists were not in a mood to explain under what

circumstances they could associate with false teachers:

  To dissent from the consensus of so many nations and to be

  called schismatics is a serious matter.  But divine

  authority commands us all not be associated with and not to

  support impiety and unjust cruelty.  45

Martin Luther clearly advocated closed communion when he

wrote the following, which is now our confession as well:

"So everyone who wishes to be a Christian and go to the

sacrament should be familiar with them [the benefits of the

sacraments].  For we do not intend to admit to the sacrament

and administer it to those who do not know what they seek or

why they come." 46

Pastor Paul T. McCain, LCMS, the editor of Kurt Marquart's

latest book, has written a fine booklet on Communion

Fellowship, A Resource for Understanding, Implementing, and

Retaining the Practice of Closed Communion in the Lutheran

Parish, (R. R. 3, Box 79, Waverly, IA, 50677-9517).  Some do

not practice closed communion in Columbus.  A Missouri pastor

told my friend in the ELS, "I went to a WELS church in

Columbus, and nothing was printed in the bulletin or said

during the service about closed communion.  You are in

fellowship with them.  How can you say we are liberal?"

Open communion is not simply a matter of bad practice but of

doctrinal indifference.  Refusing someone communion is not

loveless, but loving.  I gave one man a blessing instead of

communion and he is now an active member.  Someone asked,

"Would you refuse your own mother communion?"  I did, and she

is now an active member of WELS and a supporter of Lutherans

For Life.  Closed communion not a ball and chain for Lutheran

churches but a banner which says, "We place sound doctrine

above everything else: family ties, friendship, cell groups,

a balanced budget, and unity based on compromise and

deception."  When a Unitarian minister came to my Christmas

Eve communion service, in the LCA, I knew that I could not

practice open communion.  I did not have to refuse her, since

her principles prevented her from saying the Lord's Prayer,

singing certain hymns, and coming to the altar.  Liberals are

much better at doctrinal discipline than conservatives are.

The Unitarians would never let a Trinitarian speak at their

national convention, but we invite someone at war with our

doctrinal stance to be the preacher at our national youth

conference and national LFL convention - Pastor Richard

Stadler.

"Ephesians appears to be a circular letter, originally

written for a number of different congregations, and thus it

is addressed to a diverse audience.  So it is more likely to

express general principles that deserve wide application.

But a letter like I Timothy which is addressed to an

individual - or even I Corinthians which is addressed to one

specific congregation - is more like to apply such general

principles to a particular time, place, and situation.  We

who live in a different time and place will then have to

adjust the application accordingly - obviously without

compromising the general principles." ("Heirs Together of the

Gracious Gift of Life," by Richard H. Stadler, Michael J.

Albrecht, Iver C. Johnson, December, 1991, p.  3)

At the Snowbird Ecumenical Conference, the best ever,

according to Rev. James Schaefer, our council of presidents

and other leaders, 25 in all, were taught how to manage the

church by a woman.  They were taught what St. Paul says about

ministry by a Trinity Seminary professor, an advocate of the

historical-critical method.  They were told by a liberal

Reformed theologian that the radical left mainline

denominations were not becoming "sideline" denominations.

George Barna, Who's Who in Church Growth, also taught our

leaders at Snowbird, but they seem to know Barna's work quite

well already.  When Columbus WELS pastors invited ELCA to

discuss inerrancy, no one from Trinity Seminary showed up.

They understand fellowship.  But our synodical president

posed for photos with Rev. Herb Chilstrom, former Pietist,

who advanced himself by promoting the cause of homosexuality

and pornography-as-sex-offender therapy as bishop of the

LCA's Minnesota Synod.  A Lutheran troubled by false doctrine

in Missouri and ELCA would have to say, reading The Lutheran,

"They are all in it together."  Knowing the ELCA quota

system, I have to conclude that the very large ELCA

contingent included homosexual and lesbian pastors, certainly

a large group of women pastors and women executives.  Did we

not express our approval of this violation of Scripture, not

to mention the blasphemies of Braaten Jenson's Christian

Dogmatics, which is the standard ELCA dogmatics text?  47

Another insurance sponsored ecumenical endeavor, the Joy

radio show, put together by ELCA, LCMS, and WELS, has 3

versions about its development.  The one published in

Christian News, 12-9-91, p. 2) claimed it was the first joint

ministry among the three groups.  The synod office denied in

writing that we were involved at all and claimed that the

ELCA pastor had been corrected.  Another version, from ELCA,

is that John Barber was involved from the beginning and WELS

supported the joint religious program.  As of 1-10-92, no one

had informed the ELCA pastor who wrote the release that WELS

was not part of the program.  I spoke with him and with his

secretary at length.  ELCA sent out various publicity flyers

identifying our participation in a classic case of rank

unionism.  A third version of events came from the synod

office - that John Barber was sharing his great talents with

ELCA and LCMS.  Is that so bad?  The NWL denied WELS was part

of the program itself.  Since I was once part of the LCA's

enormous media program, as a writer and stringer for The

Lutheran, as chairman of the district committee, and as a

participant in a national conference with the LCA media

people, I was amused to learn that ELCA needed our man at

all. (Worthy of note: we are following Missouri and ELCA in

spending bundles of public relations and advertising - and

getting the same results.)

WELS has acquired a well-deserved reputation for rudeness to

outsiders over the years, but I do not think that public

relations and unionistic efforts will change anyone's

attitude toward us.  If we want to be loved and respected by

false teachers, then we must wallow in Enthusiasm with them.

If we want love, a fruit of faith, to flourish among us, then

we must believe, teach, and confess the true Christian faith.

As Lenski wrote, we cannot pick apples where there are no

trees.  Schwaermer trees will only produce large, wormy

apples.

                       VIII. Adiaphora

When I hear WELS leaders speak about adiaphora, I wonder if

they understand the meaning of Article X. of the Formula of

Concord.  Briefly, the section on "matters of indifference"

became necessary because of the compromises which Melanchthon

accepted under duress from the papal forces, claiming that

certain practices could be acceptable since they did not

involve the central doctrines of the faith.  First,

Melanchthon remained silent during the imposition--by force--

of the Augsburg Interim.  Pastors were deposed and jailed and

driven into exile.  Some pastors were killed.  48

"In Swabia and along the Rhine about four hundred ministers

were willing to suffer imprisonment and banishment rather

than conform to the Interim." 49  Then Maurice had the

Wittenberg and Leipzig theologians draw up the slightly

improved Leipzig Interim.  F. Bente explained reasons for

Melanchthon's treason, apart from his natural timidity:

"Evidently, then, Melanchthon consented to write the Interim

because he still believed in the possibility of arriving at

an understanding with the Romanists and tried to persuade

himself that the Emperor seriously sought to abolish

prevailing errors and abuses, and because the theological

views he entertained were not as far apart from those of the

Leipzig compromise as is frequently assumed." 50

The best summary of the Adiaphora article is found in a brief

paragraph:

  We believe, teach, and confess that at a time of

  confession, as when enemies of the Word of God desire to

  suppress the pure doctrine of the holy Gospel, the entire

  community of God, yes, every individual Christian, and

  especially the ministers of the Word as the leaders of the

  community of God are obligated to confess openly, not only

  by words but also through their deeds and actions, the true

  doctrine and all that pertains to it, according to the Word

  of God.  In such a case we should not yield to adversaries

  even in matters of indifference, not should we tolerate the

  imposition of such ceremonies on us by adversaries in order

  to undermine the genuine worship of God and to introduce

  and confirm their idolatry by force or chicanery.  It is

  written, "For freedom Christ has set us free; stand fast

  therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery."

  (Gal. 5:1) 51

The Formula of Concord is clear why this is so:

"Hence yielding or conforming in external things, where

Christian agreement in doctrine has not previously been

achieved, will support the idolaters in their idolatry, and

on the other hand, it will sadden and scandalize true

believers and weaken them in their faith." 52

Getting rid of our Lutheran name, which has happened twice in

the Michigan District (Pilgrim Community Church, Columbus;

Crossroads Community Church, Livonia) and also out west, is

excused as an adiaphoron.  The advocates forget to say that

they are following the sage advice of Robert Schuller and

Lyle Schaller, two Church Growth Enthusiasts.  The Michigan

District praesidium which approved Pilgrim Community Church

ignored the objections of pastors and laity, including

members from Beautiful Savior, Grove City, the sponsor.  For

many, it was a case of dishonesty, using bait to lure people

into Lutheranism (dolow, 2 Cor. 4:2).  For others, it

included the whole doctrinal stew of the Enthusiasts.

Examine for yourselves the bulletin for Crossroads, A

Contemporary Christian Church, January 12, 1992:

             Welcome

             Exaltation

             Announcements and Prayer

             Gifts

             Scripture Reading

             Song of Praise

             Drama

             Message "Honoring Relationships"

             Closing Prayer and Blessing

             Closing Song

The message, not sermon, is outlined thus:

             Philippians 2:1-5

             Honoring Relationships

             I.  Honor Received (v. 1)

             a.  Encouragement from________

             b.  Comfort from______________

             c.  Fellowship with___________

            II. Honor Returned (vs. 2-5)

             a.  Self-_____________________

             b.  Self-_____________________

             c.  Self-_____________________.

The expressed intent of Crossroads Community Church and

Pastor Dan Kelm's Divinity Lutheran Church is to imitate

Willow Creek Community Church, the Church Growth showpiece

which has no cross or religious symbols to offend the

unchurched.  Floyd Stolzenburg's plan for Pilgrim Community

Church was to abstain from ever using the name Lutheran.

Lutheran finally appeared in microscopic print.

Must we have Reformed entertainment services, with puppets

and drama in order to lure people into the Kingdom of God?

We are not ashamed to sit with ELCA at the feet of

Enthusiasts at Snowbird, but our praesidium claims that ELCA

has ruined the name Lutheran, so we are ashamed to use it in

Columbus.  (A thientific survey in Columbus showed nobody

cared.) The Book of Concord does not support our identifying

with the Enthusiasts in order to trick them into attendance.

The adiaphora article also forbids, in my opinion, our

coziness with ELCA and Missouri, where the Gospel is truly

persecuted.

                  IX. Optimistic Conclusion

The doctrinal crisis is so great in the old Synodical

Conference that pastors and laity are being aroused from

their self-satisfied slumbers.  The Ohio Conference refused

to receive my last paper "with thanks," although it was good

enough for the conclusion of Liberalism and was checked twice

over for doctrinal errors by NPH.  The "Cure" chapter, which

compares the Means of Grace to Enthusiasm, has been favorably

reviewed by everyone, including Dr. John Brug in the WLQ.

Clearly something is amiss.

Each new issue of The Northwestern Lutheran and the Mission

Counselors' NEWSLETTER proves that I have understated the

case here.  The Evangelical Lutheran Synod is declaring

itself against Church Growth, in the latest issues of the

Lutheran Sentinel and Lutheran Synod Quarterly.  The

Northwestern College faculty is teaching against the Church

Growth Movement in the classrooms and in the chapel services.

Missouri has a clear example papalism in the Robert Preus

case, which is directly related to Waldo Werning's work at

Ft. Wayne, and Preus' resistance to Church Growth Enthusiasm.

In addition, ELCA is being thrown into turmoil by their

mission board's open espousal of Church Growth tactics,

visions, and marketing techniques.

In my opinion, the vast majority of WELS pastors are faithful

to the Scriptures, sincere in their faith, and eager to serve

the cause of orthodoxy.  This is based upon hundreds of phone

calls and letters, from laity and pastors, encouraging me to

defend the Means of Grace against the Enthusiasts.  Our

leaders--the Council of Presidents, the synod administration,

and the seminary--have not guarded the sheep and kept away

the wolves.  I am optimistic because we have the polity to

work at this problem, parish by parish, circuit by circuit,

conference by conference.  The conventions themselves mean

nothing if we cannot deal with these matters as they occur

around us.  But this will not happen, if we continue to

ignore the safeguards against apostasy.  My circuit, for

instance, has two district officials in it, but has seldom

met in the last decade.  The constitution mandates regular

circuit meetings.  Church history shows than decline into

Enthusiasm begins with a lax attitude toward doctrinal

discipline.  False teaching, left alone, will flourish, while

sound doctrine needs constant attention and nourishment from

the Scriptures and Confession. Do we want to grow roses or

ragweed?

Many blessings will result from the defeat of Enthusiasm in

WELS, although it will always be in our bones and ready to

strike out in another form against the Means of Grace.  Some

obvious blessings from defeating Enthusiasm are:

1.   Pastors will be encouraged to be faithful to the

     Scriptures and Confessions and trust in the power of

     the Word and Sacraments to accomplish God's will.

2.   Worship services and sermons will improve by glorifying

     God and showing people the way to eternal life.

3.   Those who love orthodoxy will more than make up for

     those who run away to Schwaermer churches.

4.   We will stop recruiting pastors and teachers and instead

     begin culling from the masses who want to share in this

     wholesome and salvific work of God.

5.   The synod will send out reprints of John Schaller for

     free instead of Lyle Schaller for a license fee.

6.   Pastors will no longer resign in disgust and

     discouragement, thinking they are not handsome, clever,

     or political enough to be ministers.

7.   Teachers will be respected for their special calling.

8.   Parochial schools will flourish.

9.   People will give in proportion to their blessings,

     motivated by the Gospel.

10.  District presidents and mission boards will stop trying

     to get rid of pastors and will instead respect the

     divine call and the work of God through faithful

     pastors.

11.  Apostate pastors and teachers will be given the left

     foot of fellowship.

12.  The Northwestern Lutheran will be viewed as a godsend

     for parish work and evangelism.

Finally, Luther's words to Major should be framed and placed

above our desks, because they are aimed at us as well.  When

Major insisted that he was not addicted to false doctrine,

Luther replied:

  It is by your silence and cloaking that you cast suspicion

  upon yourself.  If you believe as you declare in my

  presence, then speak so also in the church, in public

  lectures, in sermons, and in private conversations, and

  strengthen your brethren, and lead the erring back to the

  right path, and contradict the contumacious spirits;

  otherwise your confession is sham pure and simple, and

  worth nothing.  Whoever really regards his doctrine, faith

  and confession as true, right, and certain cannot remain in

  the same stall with such as teach, or adhere to, false

  doctrine; nor can he keep on giving friendly words to Satan

  and his minions.  A teacher who remains silent when errors

  are taught, and nevertheless pretends to be a true teacher,

  is worse than an open fanatic and by his hypocrisy does

  greater damage than a heretic.  Nor can he be trusted.  He

  is a wolf and a fox, a hireling and a servant of his belly,

  and ready to despise and to sacrifice doctrine, Word,

  faith, Sacrament, churches, and schools.  He is either a

  secret bedfellow of the enemies or a skeptic and a

  weathervane, waiting to see whether Christ or the devil

  will prove victorious; or he has no convictions of his own

  whatever, and is not worthy to be called a pupil, let alone

  a teacher; nor does he want to offend anybody, or say a

  word in favor of Christ, or hurt the devil and the

  world.  53

Perhaps this is why the District Mission Board and the

Michigan District praesidium have criticized my extensive

quotations of Luther.  May God help us to lose our shame of

Luther and learn to take the strong medicine he offers our

ailing synod.

Thank you, brothers, for your encouragement.  May Christ be

glorified in our work.  Amen.  54

                            NOTES

1   "Grace, Means of," The Concordia Cyclopedia, ed. L.

Fuerbringer, Th. Engelder, P. E. Kretzmann, St. Louis:

Concordia Publishing House,  1927, p. 299.

2   Heinrich Schmid, The Doctrinal Theology of the Ev. Luth.

Church, trans. Charles A. Hay, Henry E. Jacobs, Philadelphia:

Lutheran Publication Society,  1889, p. 511.

3   Hebrews, James, Columbus: Lutheran Book Concern, 1938, p.

483.

4   That was the nickname for Bishop David Preus' declaration

of altar fellowship with the Reformed, affirmed by the ALC,

denied by the LCA, but now actively pursued, using the same

words ("the only difference is the mode of His presence," by

ELCA).

5   Smalcald Articles, VIII. Confession, 9-10.  The Book of

Concord, ed. Theodore G. Tappert, Philadelphia:  Fortress

Press,  1959 p. 313; hereafter cited as Tappert.

6   Formula of Concord, Smalcald Articles, VIII., Confession,

3-5, Tappert, p. 312.

7   "Grace, Means of," ibid.

"From these it is evident how unjustly and poisonously the

Sacramentarian enthusiasts [Sakramentschwaermer] ridicule the

Lord Christ, St.  Paul, and the entire church when they call

oral eating and eating on the part of the unworthy 'two hairs

of a horse's tail and an invention of which even Satan

himself would be ashamed,' just as they describe the majesty

of Christ as 'Satan's dung, by which the devil amuses himself

and deceives men.' These expressions are so terrible that a

pious Christian should be ashamed to translate them."

[phrases used by Theodore Beza and Peter Martyr Vermigli]

Formula of Concord, Epitome, Article VII, Lord's Supper, 67,

Tappert, p. 581f.

8   Francis Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3 vol., St. Louis:

Concordia Publishing House, 1953, III,  p. 117.  Hereafter

cited as Pieper.

9   Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article XIII, The

Sacraments, 13, Tappert, p. 213.

10  Heinrich Schmid, ibid., p.  505.

11  Adolf Hoenecke, Evangelische-Lutherische Dogmatik, 4

vols., ed. Walter and Otto Hoenecke, Milwaukee: Northwestern

Publishing House, 1912.  "6.  Likewise we reject and condemn

the error of the Enthusiasts who imagine that God draws men

to himself, enlightens them, justifies them, and saves them

without means, without the hearing of God's Word and without

the use of the holy sacraments."  Formula of Concord,

Epitome, Article II, Free Will, 10, Tappert, p. 471.

12  Formula of Concord, Epitome, Article II, Free Will, 46,

Tappert, p. 530.

13  Formula of Concord, Epitome, Article II, Free Will, 80,

Tappert, p. 536.  Dr. Luther: "Let a hundred thousand devils

and all the enthusiasts come along and ask, 'How can bread

and win be the body and blood of Christ?' I know that all the

enthusiasts and scholars put together have less wisdom than

the divine Majesty has in his little finger.  Here we have

Christ's word, 'Take, eat, this is my body...'" [Large

Catechism] Formula of Concord, Epitome, Article VII, Lord's

Supper, 22, Tappert, p. 573.

14  Theology of the Lutheran Confessions.

15  [WA 54:155, 156] Formula of Concord, Epitome, Article

VII, Lord's Supper, 33, Tappert, p. 575.  The Enthusiasts

called "crass fools" by Luther, Formula of Concord, Epitome,

Article VII, Lord's Supper, 103, Tappert, p. 587.

16  Martin Chemnitz, Examination of the Council of Trent,  4

vols., trans. Fred Kramer, St. Louis:  Concordia Publishing

House, 1971, I, p. 71.  Pastor David Jay Webber has

excellent, concise articles on Reformed and Roman Catholic

exegesis in Lutheran Synod Quarterly, March, 1989.

17  Apology of the Augsburg Confession, preface, The Book of

Concord, Tappert, p. 99.

18  Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article IV., 63,

Justification, Tappert, p. 115.

19  Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article IV.,

Justification, Tappert, p. 122.

20  Augsburg Confession, XXVIII, 43, German, Tappert, p. 88.

21  Large Catechism, Infant Baptism, 57, Tappert, p. 444.

22  Concordia preface, 1580 Tappert, p. 1.

23  Ibid., p. 8.

24  Formula of Concord, Epitome, Part I, 1, Tappert, p. 464.

25  Formula of Concord, Epitome, Part I, 2, Tappert, p. 465.

26  Schmauk p. 726.  "And where the preacher does not consent

to the confessions of the church, by whose servants he has

been ordained, he is no fellow-confessor, and certainly

cannot be a preacher of a confession which he does not

acknowledge.  In no event is the preacher individually any

more a witness to the truth than the common testimony of the

church in the symbols.  He is not above the symbols, nor

under the symbols, but a joint witness with them."  p. 86,

quoting Sartorius.

27  Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article XXVIII,

Eccles. Power, Tappert, p. 284.

28  Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article VIII.,

Person of Christ, Tappert, p. 601.

29  Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article XI.,

Election, Tappert, p. 621.

30  Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article XI.,

Election, Tappert, p. 629.

31  Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article XI,

Election, 41, Tappert, p. 623.

32  Lyle W. Lange, ed., Our Great Heritage, 3 vols.,

John P. Meyer, "Ancient Errors about God," from The

Northwestern Lutheran, 1940, Milwaukee:  Northwestern

Publishing House, 1991, I, p. 551.

33  What Luther Says, II,  p. 642 (W-T 2, No. 2152; SL 22,

1842).

34  Hermann Sasse, Here We Stand, trans. Theodore G.

Tappert, Minneapolis:  Augsburg Publishing House, 1946,

p. 161.  Can you imagine an ELCA leader translating Sasse

today?

35  Gregory L. Jackson, Liberalism:  Its Cause and Cure,

Milwaukee:  Northwestern Publishing House, 1991, p. 25.

36  Pieper, III, p. 143.

37  Charles P. Krauth, The Conservative Reformation and Its

Theology, Philadelphia:  The United Lutheran Publication

House,  1871, p. 489.

38  Pieper, III, p. 175.

39  "The Christian's faith trusts in the ordinary means.

Prayer is not a means of grace.  Means of grace are divine

appointments through which God uniformly offers blessings to

all who use them.  Faith is the means by which the blessings

are received and appropriated.  God gives us bread, when we

ask it, not through the channel of prayer, but through the

ordinary channels of His providence.  He gives us grace when

we ask it, not through prayer, but through the ordinary means

appointed for this end, namely the Word and Sacraments.  He

who despises these will as little have grace as he who

refuses to accept bread produced in the ordinary way of

nature.  Faith asks with confidence, and trusts in the

ordinary means of God's appointment for the blessings asked."

Matthias Loy, Sermons on the Gospels, Columbus:  Lutheran

Book Concern,  1888, p. 387.

40  Solid Declaration, Article XI, Election, Tappert, p.

628f.  "Our opponents hold that saving faith must be founded

on Christ Himself, not on the means of grace.  This

reasoning, common to the Reformed, the 'enthusiasts' of all

shades, and modern 'experience' theologians, assumes that

faith can and should be based on Christ to the exclusion of

the means of grace." Pieper, III, p. 152.

41  Pieper, III,  p.  162.

           Excursus: Calvin and the Means of Grace

"If the Spirit be lacking, the sacraments can accomplish

nothing more in our minds than the splendor of the sun

shining upon blind eyes, or a voice sounding in deaf ears."

John Calvin, Institutes, IV, xiv, 9, Benjamin Milner,

Calvin's Doctrine of the Church, ed. Heicko A.Oberman,

Leiden:  E. J. Brill,  1970, p. 119.  Hereafter cited as

Milner.

"...we are touched with some desire for strong doctrine, it

evidently appears that there is some piety in us; we are not

destitute of the Spirit of God, although destitute of the

outward means."

John Calvin, Commentaries, Amos 8:11-12; CO XLIII, 153.

Milner, p. 109.

"He also convinced them without the word, for we know how

powerful are the secret instincts of the Spirit (arcani

spiritus instinctus)."

John Calvin, Commentaries, Amos 4:12; CO XLIII, 68.

Milner, p. 108n.

"I grant that doctrines ought to be tested by God's word; but

unless the Spirit of wisdom (spiritus prudentiae) is present,

to have God's word in our hands will avail little or nothing,

for its meaning will not appear to us...." John Calvin,

Commentaries, 1 Jn 4:1; CO LV, 347-48.

Milner, p. 105.

"The word of God is not set before all men that they return

to soundness of mind; but the external voice sounds in the

ears of many, without the effectual working of the Spirit,

only that they may be made inexcusable."

John Calvin, Commentaries, Acts 28:26; CO XLVIII, 571,

Milner, p. 93n.

                    Pieper: On Calvin

"But according to the teaching of Calvinism this 'inner

illumination' is not brought about through the means of

grace; it is worked immediately by the Holy Ghost.  Modern

Reformed, too, teach this very emphatically.  Hodge, for

example, says:  'In the work of regeneration all second

causes are excluded....Nothing intervenes between the

volition of the Spirit and the regeneration of the

soul....The infusion of a new life into the soul is the

immediate work of the Spirit....The truth (in the case of

adults)[that is, the setting forth of the truth of the Gospel

through the external Word] attends the work of regeneration,

but is not the means by which it is effected."  [Hodge,

Systematic Theology, II, 634f.]

Pieper, III, p. 120

42 M. Reu, In the Interest of Lutheran Unity, Two Lectures,

Columbus:  The Lutheran Book Concern, 1940.  "In tolerating

divergent doctrines one either denies the perspicuity and

clarity of the Scriptures, or one grants to error the right

to exist alongside of truth, or one evidences indifference

over against Biblical truth by surrendering its absolute

validity; and (b) in allowing two opposite views concerning

one doctrine to exist side by side, one has entered upon an

inclined plane which of necessity leads ever further into

complete doctrinal indifference, as may plainly be seen from

the most calamitous case on record, viz., the Prussian Union.

Doctrinal indifference is at once the root of unionism and

its fruit.  Whoever accepts, in theory as well as in

practice, the absolute authority of the Scriptures and their

unambiguousness with reference to all fundamental doctrines,

must be opposed to every form of unionism." p. 20.

"Rationalism, unionism and nativism, both European and

American, have been the cause of the bulk of the trouble in

the Lutheran Church in America.  Perhaps the most insidious

and treacherous of these ostensible friends has been

unionism."  Schmauk, p. 855.

43  Theodore E. Schmauk and C. Theodore Benze, The

Confessional Principle and the Confessions, as Embodying the

Evangelical Confession of the Christian Church, Philadelphia:

General Council Publication Board, 1911, pp. 905ff.  Schmauk

was the president of the (conservative) General Council.

44  Preface, Augsburg Confession, 2-3, Tappert,

p. 25.

45  Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article X. Church

Usages, 23, Tappert, p. 615.

46  Large Catechism, Fifth Part, The Sacrament of the Altar,

2, Tappert, p. 447.  "The real question is not what do you

subscribe, but what do you believe and publicly teach, and

what are you transmitting to those who come after?  If it is

the complete Lutheran faith and practice, the name and number

of the standards is less important.  If it is not, the burden

of proof rests upon you to show that your more incomplete

standard does not indicate an incomplete Lutheran faith."

Schmauk, p. 890.

47  I have known the editor of The Lutheran since 1978, wrote

for him often, and met with him when he was in the

neighborhood or at the same conference.  When the Snowbird

photo and stories ran in The Lutheran, I could imagine

Trexler saying, "You are in fellowship with us, Gregg, on our

terms."

48  Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing

House, 1921, p. 96.

49  Ibid.

50  Ibid., p. 99.

51  Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article X, 10-11,

Tappert, p. 612.

52  Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article X.

Adiaphora, 16, Tappert, p. 613.  "Shall we permit this to be

done! in the name of Christian unity! and by a

latitudinarianism that is our own heritage, which rises ever

anew from the embers of the past to find such veiled support

and strength in the citadel of Zion that Confessionalism is

told to whisper low in Jerusalem lest she be heard on the

streets of Gath." Schmauk, p. 941.

"We should not consider as matters of indifference, and we

should avoid as forbidden by God, ceremonies which are

basically contrary to the Word of God, even though they go

under the name and guise of external adiaphora and are given

a different color from their true one."

Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article X.  Adiaphora,

5, Tappert, p. 611.

"Nor are such rites matters of indifference when these

ceremonies are intended to create the illusion (or are

demanded or agreed to with that intention) that these two

opposing religions have been brought into agreement and

become one body...."

Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article X.  Adiaphora,

5, Tappert, p. 611.

"4. Likewise we hold it to be a culpable sin when in a period

of persecution anything is done in deed or action to please

enemies of the Gospel contrary and in opposition to the

Christian confession, whether in things indifferent, in

doctrine, or in whatever else pertains to religion."

Formula of Concord, Solid Declaration, Article X.  Adiaphora,

29, Tappert, p. 615.

53  Concordia Triglotta, p. 94.

54  The extensive quotations were made possible by the

initial work of my wife, Christina, on our first database of

doctrinal material: Ortho-Docs.  Advice and source material

has been provided from all over Lutheranism.  Our son Martin

has helped revise the manuscript and check for factual

errors.

      POSSIBLE CONFERENCE PAPERS ON THE BOOK OF CONCORD

"The Difference between the Priesthood of All Believers and

the Public Ministry"

"Law and Gospel, Contrition and Forgiveness"

"Election and Evangelism"

"Freedom of the Will and Original Sin"

"The Relationship between the Book of Concord and the

Patristic Church Fathers"

"The Lives and Contributions of the Concordists"

                 Brief Bibliographical Sketch

The most useful book of all is NPH's Concordance to the Book

of Concord.  Bente's historical introduction to the Concordia

Triglotta will put steel in anyone's spine.  Lenski is a

perfect companion to any passage cited, since he knew the

orthodox fathers and always dealt with the history of

doctrine in reference to disputed passages.  The best Luther

sources are the 8 volume sermons, Baker Book House, and

What Luther Says, Concordia.  The best Luther biography is

Ewald Plass, This Is Luther.  Many others could be called

This Is Luther?  Walther's Law and Gospel is a fine laxative

for Enthusiasm, if one section is read carefully at a time.

Our Great Heritage, a best seller at Wisconsin Lutheran

Seminary, reminds us what our fathers taught us.

John Brenner and Paul Prange have both written outstanding

papers about Pietism.  James Langebartels (2906 24th Street,

Hopkins, MI  49328) has translated volume I of Timotheus

Verinus, about Pietism's war with Orthodoxy.  Robert Koester

is completing volume II.

                            NOTE:

This is the second printing of the conference paper, due to

demand from all over the United States.  Letters of

appreciation have arrived from many different readers,

pastors and laity alike.

Some typos from the first printing were corrected and two

quotations were added: one from Richard Stadler and another

from Kincaid Smith. Martin H. Jackson provided invaluable

help in proofreading.