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BATH, Maine – Engaged in a frenzied firefight and outnumbered by the Taliban, Navy Lt. Michael Murphy made a desperate decision as he and three fellow SEALs fought for their lives on a rocky mountainside in Afghanistan's Kunar Province in 2005.
In a last-ditch effort to save his team, Murphy pulled out his satellite phone, walked into a clearing to get reception and called for reinforcements as a fusillade of bullets ricocheted around him. One of the bullets hit him, but he finished the call and even signed off, "Thank you."
Then he continued the battle.
Dan Murphy, the sailor's father, said it didn't surprise him that his slain son nicknamed "The Protector" put himself in harm's way. Nor was he surprised that in the heat of combat his son was courteous.
"That was Michael. He was cool under fire. He had the ability to process information, even under the most difficult of circumstances. That's what made him such a good SEAL officer," Murphy said.
A warship bearing the name of the Medal of Honor recipient will be christened Saturday — on what would have been Murphy's 35th birthday — at Bath Iron Works, where the destroyer is being built.
Murphy, who was 29 when he died, graduated from Pennsylvania State University and was accepted to multiple law schools, but decided he could do more for his country as one of the Navy's elite SEALS — special forces trained to fight on sea, air and land — the same forces that killed Osama bin Laden this week in Pakistan.
Heightened security will be in effect as Murphy's mother, Maureen, christens the ship by smashing a bottle of champagne against the bow of the 510-foot-long warship as Murphy's father, brother and others watch.
Murphy, of Patchogue, N.Y., earned his nickname after getting suspended in elementary school for fighting with bullies who tried to stuff a special-needs child into a locker and for intervening when some youths were picking on a homeless man, said Dan Murphy, a lawyer, former prosecutor and Army veteran who served in Vietnam.
Maureen Murphy said he thought he was too young to take a desk job as a lawyer. Instead, he went to officer candidate school, the first step on his journey to become a SEAL officer. He was in training during the Sept. 11 attacks, which shaped his views.
His view was that there are "bullies in the world and people who're oppressed in the world. And he said, 'Sometimes they have to be taken care of,'" she said.
On June 28, 2005, the day he was killed, Murphy was leading a SEAL team in northeastern Afghanistan looking for the commander of a group of insurgents known as the Mountain Tigers.
The Operation Red Wings reconnaissance team rappelled down from a helicopter at night and climbed through rain to a spot 10,000 feet high overlooking a village to keep a lookout. But the mission was compromised the following morning when three local goat herders happened upon their hiding spot.
High in the Hindu Kush mountains, Murphy and Petty Officers Marcus Luttrell of Huntsville, Texas; Matthew Axelson of Cupertino, Calif.; and Danny Dietz of Littleton, Colo.; held a tense discussion of the rules of engagement and the fate of the three goat herders, who were being held at gunpoint.
If they were Taliban sympathizers, then letting the herders go would allow them to alert the Taliban forces lurking in the area; killing them might ensure the team's safety, but there were issues of possible military charges and a media backlash, according to Luttrell, the lone survivor.
Murphy, who favored letting the goat herders go, guided a discussion of military, political, safety and moral implications. A majority agreed with him.
An hour after the herders were released, more than 100 Taliban armed with AK-47 assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades opened fire, attacking from higher elevation, and maneuvering to outflank the SEALs, said Gary Williams, author of "Seal of Honor," a biography of Murphy.
Dan Murphy said his son made the right call.
"It was exactly the right decision and what Michael had to do. I'm looking at it from Michael's perspective, that these were clearly civilians. One of them was 14 years old, which was about the age of his brother. Michael knew the rules of engagement and the risks associated with it," the father said.
As the only survivor, Luttrell has pangs of regret for voting to go along with Murphy, his best friend; he now believes the team could've survived if the goat herders were killed.
In his own book, "Lone Survivor," Luttrell wrote that Murphy was shot in the stomach early in the firefight, but ignored the wound and continued to lead the team, which killed dozens of Taliban attackers. The injuries continued to mount as the SEALs were forced to scramble, slide and tumble down the mountain in the face of the onslaught.
Three of the team members had been shot at least once when Murphy decided drastic action was needed to save the team, Luttrell wrote. With the team's radio out of commission, Murphy exposed himself to enemy gunfire by stepping into a clearing with a satellite phone to make a call to Bagram Airfield to relay the dire situation. He dropped the phone after being shot, then picked it up to complete the phone call with four words: "Roger that, thank you."
By the end of the two-hour firefight, Murphy, Dietz and Axelson were dead. The tragedy was compounded when 16 rescuers — eight additional SEALs and eight members of the Army's elite "Night Stalkers" — were killed when their MH-47 Chinook helicopter was shot down by a rocket-propelled grenade.
It was the largest single-day loss in naval special warfare history. All told, 33 SEALS have been killed in action since the Sept. 11 attacks, officials say.
Luttrell, who was blown off the mountain by a rocket-propelled grenade and knocked unconscious, evaded capture until he was taken in by villagers who protected him until he was liberated five days later by special forces. He has since left the Navy, gotten married and launched a foundation; he's unable to attend Saturday's event because his wife is in the final days of pregnancy, a spokesman for Luttrell said.
Navy Cmdr. Chad Muse, commanding officer of SEAL Delivery Team 1 in Hawaii, noted one of Murphy's favorite books was Steven Pressfield's "Gates of Fire," an account of outnumbered Spartans and their epic battle against hundreds of thousands of invading Persians nearly 2,500 years ago at the Battle of Thermopylae.
Like the Spartans, who were ultimately slaughtered, Murphy had a spirit that didn't give up. "It's about sacrifice and the Spartan ideal — and valor and heroism in battle," Muse said.
ICHABOD, THE GLORY HAS DEPARTED - explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, to attack Objective Faithless Justification, Church Growth Clowns, and their ringmasters. The antidote to these poisons is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Isaiah 55:8ff. Romans 10. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the Left-wing, National Council of Churches denominations.
Saturday, May 7, 2011
Luther Rocks Again
Joe Krohn is back blogging. Above is the priceless video he is linking again for our amusement and edification.
I love the condescending tone of the narrator and the utterly ridiculous example offered for our benefit. It reminds me of the entire Church Growth enterprise, fraudulent from the beginning, shameful for Lutherans to emulate.
The Church Growth Movement moved into Emergent Church status, reminding us that "the devil in departing is accustomed to leave a foul stink" (Chemnitz, Examination, IV, p. 147).
Church Growth/Emergent Church - both aromas are a shame for all Christians, because they violate the basic principle of the Scriptures, that we should not adulterate the Word and use shameful practices to attract people.
Emmaus Photograph
John Moldstad, Little Sect on the Prairie, and Matt Harrison, LCMS.
No One with the Word of God Is Powerless
No institutional solution exists for Lutheran apostasy. Voting is a political process, and the results are always political.
AC V got me started on doctrinal quotations embedded in graphics. The growing list is on the left.
Everyone should study the quotations I have provided, to the point of memorizing them. That is just the starting point. Every single person is responsible for his own knowledge of the Christian faith. Whatever is lacking in the family or congregation or sect is no excuse. The books are there. The Word of God is so plain and powerful that the Holy Spirit will train that person to discern the what is good and truthful.
We only need a few authors to guide us. The Book of Concord is a selection of the best. If we do not know our way around it, but can sing along with any pop tune, whose fault is that?
The very best theological authors are: Luther, Melanchthon, Chemnitz, and Chytraeus.
Luther is best studied in his Small Catechism, Large Catechism, and Smalcald Articles. Is the last title new? It is right there in the Book of Concord. If a percentage of Lutherans knew the Smalcald Articles, there would be no Church Growth Movement in the Lutheran sects.
Melanchthon is best in his Augsburg Confession and the Apology of the Augsburg Confession.
Chemnitz was the chief editor of the Book of Concord, the senior writer for the Formula of Concord. The Formula addresses every current doctrinal issue.
We can also study Chemnitz through his Examination of the Council of Trent, his Loci, and his writings against the Calvinists.
American Lutherans should be last on the list, because they began with names I just mentioned. Starting with Walther, for example, is like studying the U. S. Constitution by watching Judge Judy on TV. Walther has his good and bad points. He is not the ultimate theologian, but rather a Pietist with some Lutheran tendencies.
Some good American authors are: Hoenecke, Schmauk, Krauth, H. E. Jacobs, and Reu. Each one struggled against the weaknesses and unionism of Pietism.
Nevertheless, the prerequisite for all this is a thorough knowledge of the Book of Concord. Faithful Lutherans will also consign their NIVs, NNIVs, ESVs, and Living Bibles to the archives.
The most Luther-like translation is the King James, which is slightly modernized from the very first one. There are some amended editions of the KJV. I believe the KJV 21st century is the least edited. I use and quote the KJV because it is quite clear and never changes. If I need to explain a word or two, I can do that.
Politicians and Bankers Are Not Shepherds
Doctrinal Pussycats and Sect Pussycats have one thing in common: they are powerless to do anything about false doctrine. Working together, with their mightiest effort, they could not knock the skin off a pudding. That is how weak and helpless they are. But give them another 30 years and a boatload of money and things might change.
That is utter rubbish, of course. The synodical leaders are destroying the laity and the few faithful pastors remaining.
By acting like politicians and bankers, the Lutheran sect leaders are letting the laity be wounded and slaughtered by the wolves. As John Brug brags in his book, The Ministry of the Word (sic), no one in WELS is disciplined for false doctrine. He should know, since The Sausage Factory faculty consists of Shrinker advocates or Shrinker no-see-ums like Brenner.
Mequon, Mankato, St. Louis, and Ft. Wayne train men to buy their books from false teachers, to copy their sermons verbatim, and to abandon the Confessions. Not everyone faces toward Fuller or Willow Creek to bow in adoration. Some are trained to genuflect to Mary and Constantinople.
Brett Meyer, Church of the Augsburg Confession,
Emmaus Conference Wrap-Up
President Schroeder completed his conference essay this morning, Walking together with Jesus, Church Fellowship and its Implications for Confessional Lutherans. Much of the 57 page essay, or sermon as he referred to it, covered the history of the Synodical Conference and the issues leading to it's breakup.
There were many fine and strongly Scriptural and Confessional statements made by President Schroeder. For instance he quoted Walther approvingly, "We will have nothing to do with them [leaders of heterodox churches], and because of what they are, we must withdraw from many a dear person of whom we are convinced that he has the true faith. Because they are connected with false teachers, one can have no brotherly fellowship with them, but only bemoan to God the fact that there also a dear brother is captive." [page 27]
Later regarding a loose requirement for communion on page 36 which read, "trust in the Lord's Words, repent of all sin, and forgive and love as he (h)as loved us" which was footnoted by his statement, "160 - A worship bulletin notice such as this is not an example of loving pastoral "discretion." It's an example of pastoral irresponsibility." I fully agree with his statement and another footnote he placed with approval quoting John Brug which stated, "The principles that govern our practice of fellowship with individuals are no different from the principles that govern our public relationships with groups of Christians…If they cling to that doctrine in spite of our admonition, we must not practice fellowship with them. It makes no difference if they are family or friends. We cannot place family ties ahead of our loyalty to God and his truth." [page 45]
Yet he goes on to relate a situation where a young WELS pastor was faced with a decision to allow a congregation member's tearful sister to commune with her even though the visiting sister was a member of the Lutheran Church of Canada. Pastor Schroeder states, "He knew that to say "no" would be devastating to the faith of these two believers. He also knew that there was little, if any, possibility of any public offense." The WELS pastor allowed the sister to commune with the congregation and her sister. Pastor Schroeder finished this example by stating, "But it was an exception that a loving application of fellowship principles allowed - even demanded - him to make." [page 46]
There are multiple problems with this.
This same approach was used by DP Buchholz to defend the reading of the liturgy by women in the church. Love and loving have become the ingredient that "demands" Christ's Word be set aside. That holding to Christ's Word is the thing that can damage someone's faith. This is a grave error that reverberates through the Synods problems dealing with the growing New Age Emergent doctrines and practices in it's churches and activities.
Interestingly, President Schroeder supplies the corrections to these statements elsewhere in the essay for instance, page 33, "But when the sole standard of absolute truth is abandoned (even partially), doctrine will inevitably be shaped only by good intentions, responses to changing social norms, or the dictates of human wisdom." Page 27
[Jay Webber gave his approval for this quote in the Brief Statement], "The orthodox character of a church is established not by its mere name nor by its outward acceptance of, and subscription to, an orthodox creed, but by the doctrine which is actually taught in it's pulpits, in it's theological seminaries, and in its publications." I would add to this that the public practices of it's churches and institutions also establishes it's true character.
If the current state of doctrine and practice in the (W)ELS reflects it's actual confession and character then Jeske's New Age Church and Change hydra and the Change or Die conference, Time of Grace unionistic non-Lutheran aberration, New Age Taize and Contemplative Prayer practices, support of abortion funding Thrivent, MLC homosexual approving video promotion, promotion and continued confession of the false gospel of Universal Objective Justification and ongoing support for United Nations and population control efforts through Lutheran World Relief are substantial, ongoing and growing examples.
There are many fine points made in this essay, unfortunately those same Scriptural and Confessional benchmarks for orthodoxy are muted or non existent in the most outspoken and active areas of (W)ELS ministry.
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The reactors to Pres. Schroeder's conference essay were ELS President Moldstad and LCMS President Harrison.
President Moldstad's statements can be found here http://www.megaupload.com/?d=TVBO8CGX.
His statement on page 6 was quite revealing, "Free Conferences in particular, are a start toward any concerted effort that might result in seeing the fertile soil of the old conference blossom once again." It was quickly followed by this retelling of a letter he sent to former President Kieschnick in 2003, "In our estimation, the doctrinal differences that originally separated our two synods still remain…If it were the case that recent decisions and actions in the LCMS would appear, from our perspective, to indicate a sincere attempt to return to the scriptural position on the doctrine of church fellowship, we would be interested in holding intersynodical discussions. However, this is not the case." To further establish his agenda he follows these statements on page 7, "Sincerely demonstrated efforts to adhere to clear teachings of Scripture are necessary for church bodies currently not in fellowship with each other to begin holding official doctrinal discussions with a view toward unity."
President Harrison's reaction was not printed so I'm unable to provide direct quotes. There were a few statements that were significant though. He did comment that of all the groups which the LCMS explores fellowship and unity with the ELS and WELS should certainly be among them. Pres. Harrison stated that he didn't know if these conferences would ever lead to unity between the three synods but that the new edition of Walther's Church and Ministry that he was editing could be "a common book for all three synods to understand The Ministry anew." (http://wittenbergtrail.org/profiles/blogs/defamation-of-jt-mueller-in).
Oh, and ask someone what question was asked by a (W)ELS pastor that caused the WELS synod president to do a four-finger face palm.
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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Brett Meyer, Church of the Augsburg Confession, E...":
Another statement made by ELS President John Moldstad was significant. There was a question regarding women being able to vote in the congregations. Pres. Moldstad stated that although women are currently not allowed to vote in the congregations there may be ways to formulate the governance of churches that would then allow them to actively participate in the decisions. Although I threw up a little bit in my mouth, no one else seemed phased by his recommendation. Instead of working to further the understanding of Christ's doctrine and help people cherish God's will on this issue, he is working to find a way around God's command so that people are not offended. Shameful.
I shared Luther's compilation of statements with a woman at the conference who was struggling with this doctrine which Christ clearly states in 1 Timothy 2:12, But I suffer not a woman to teach, nor to usurp authority over the man, but to be in silence. Luther's statements that can be found here http://www.angelfire.com/ny4/djw/LutherGenderMinistry.pdf
Friday, May 6, 2011
Grabbing the Money Hose
Bruce Church has left a new comment on your post "Militant Hmong Sought Who Threatened WELS Pastor":
Pastor Jackson's standard line was that WELS and ELS pastors were eager for overseas missions opportunities for the travel opportunities. Apparently there's more to it than that. It's a chance to aim the WELS money hose, but some mis-aim it.
BTW, the LCMS has a mainline church mentality so naturally it is not too interested in missions. Of course, you'll get all the yada-yada no-fault excuses as to why they only have 49 missionaries with a multi-billion dollar budget, even from President Harrison. In the LCMS one doesn't have to go on missions to get ones hands on a money hose.
Money Hose:
http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/4c8811a47f8b9afd4b480100-547/in-heres-the-money-hose.jpg
Shep has a hot potato question for the WELS about possible misuse of the ToF/WELS money hose there:
http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2011/01/john-shep-has-question-for-elswels.html
Here's one place Pr. Harrison makes excuses for the LCMS' low number of missionaries:
The Financial Picture in the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, 27 Apr 2011:
Pastor Matt Harrison, President of the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod
http://issuesetc.org/archive/page/2/
http://www.podtrac.com/pts/redirect.mp3/issuesetc.org/podcast/738042711H1S2.mp3
Summary:
Tri-Synod Conference in Emmaus
Brett Meyer represented the Church of the Augsburg Confession. He distributed 50 copies of Luther versus the UOJ Pietists: Justification by Faith and an equal number of Jesus Priceless Treasure.
Brett said he enjoyed the chance to talk to so many different laity and pastors. Very few people have seen all three synod presidents (LCMS, WELS, ELS) at the same time. People were unfailingly polite. Brett was impressed that people brought their friends over to talk to him and get more copies of the books. Most were not aware of the UOJ versus justification by faith debate.
I will let Brett comment directly on his experiences. He sent me SP Schroeder's address, which can be downloaded here as a PDF file.
The purpose of this conference was to set the stage for mutual cooperation among the three synods. One reason is the failing economy and its effect on colleges. Another reason is the repugnance expressed by people for Missouri and WELS working so closely with ELCA.
My Response to the Schroeder Paper
I am not going to pretend I read it all. I could not. Here are my initial impressions.
He began by talking about his trip to talk to an ELCA congregation bothered by the homosexual situation. Since he has been unable or unwilling to take down the Martin Luther College homosexual video, Party in the MLC, I saw no reason why he would criticize ELCA on that topic.
Secondly, he expressed sadness that the ELCA congregation resisted WELS when they could not have their joint VBS program with the Methodists. Anyone who reads Ichabod or uses Google can figure out that WELS is just as eager to worship with the Methodists and plagiarize them.
WELS starts with fellowship rules because the sect is legalistic and hypocritical. The leaders are the ones who break the rules the most.
When Lutherans begin with sound doctrine and the Book of Concord, they do not need to legislate fellowship rules. Those who love the pure Word and value the Sacraments will not worship with the anti-Confessionals (ELCA, Methodist, Baaabtist, Roman Catholic). They will not have Roman Catholic bishops lecture at their colleges (Bethany and WLC). They will not organize trips to pan-demon Shrinker conferences (VP Patterson). They will not plagiarize Swindle (Bethany, Appleton) and Groeschel (Glende, Ski, et al).
When a sect teaches salvation by works, as WELS does, the rules will be used to pound some people and to absolve others. Legalism has a way of being oppressive to some while becoming Antinomianism for the select few.
Militant Hmong Sought Who Threatened WELS Pastor
bruce-church (http://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Stole from WELS Too, But All Is Forgiven in Advanc...":
So Leon Peipenbrink would not have rec'd any scrutiny had it not been for his erratic behavior and outrageous claims?! You'd think the irregular accounting from 2007 to 2001 would have set off red flags before that. This occurred all under President Schroeder's watch, in case people are wondering.
Grumpy Explains How To Deal with Issues the WELSian Way
grumpy has left a new comment on your post "Stole from WELS Too, But All Is Forgiven in Advanc...":
Rules regarding events such as this:
Rule #1. If the person is a called worker, you are in immediate violation of the 8th commandment if you discuss this matter and do NOT have the following:
- The called worker present
- Everyone involved with the issue present (in this case, theft from a congregation would mean the entire congregation)
-Questions and declarations must be made in a loving manner. Questions and declarations NOT made in a loving manner are considered invalid. The called worker will determine the "lovingness" of said questions and declarations.
Rule #2: If the person is laity, it is essentially a free fire zone. Thinly veiled references to laity can be made during sermons, council meetings, and informal talks with other members with impunity, especially if it is perceived that laity's action would be viewed as an attack or challenge to the church body.
Rule #3: If people have issues with rules #1 or #2, why...er....why would anyone disagree with rules #1 and #2 ?
Grumpy "be a wise steward, not a wise guy" Lutheran
Faith Is Counted (Reckoned) As Righteousness.
Apology of the Augsburg Confession, III
"Scripture thus uses the term 'faith,' as the following sentence of Paul testifies, Romans 5:1: 'Being justified by faith, we have peace with God. Moreover, in this passage, to justify signifies, according to forensic usage, to acquit a guilty one and declare him righteous, but on account of the righteousness of another, namely, of Christ, which righteousness of another is communicated to us by faith...1 Corinthians 1:30. 2 Corinthians 5:21. But because the righteousness of Christ is given us by faith, faith is for this reason righteousness in us imputatively, i. e., it is that by which we are made acceptable to God on account of the imputation and ordinance of God, as Paul says, Romans 4:3, 5: Faith is reckoned as righteousness."
Apology of the Augsburg Confession, III. #184. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 205f. Tappert, p. 154. Heiser, p. 60. Romans 5:1; 2 Corinthians 5:21; 1 Corinthians 1:30; Romans 4:3,5.
Melanchthon: The Gospel Teaches That By Faith We Receive Freely, For Christ's Sake, The Remission of Sins And Are Reconciled to God
"The Gospel teaches that by faith we receive freely, for Christ's sake, the remission of sins and are reconciled to God." Apology of the Augsburg Confession, XV. #5. Human Traditions, Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 317. Tappert, p. 215. Heiser, p. 96.
"Truly, it is amazing that the adversaries are in no way moved by so many passages of Scripture, which clearly ascribe justification to faith, and, indeed, deny it to works. Do they think that the same is repeated so often for no purpose? Do they think that these words fell inconsiderately from the Holy Ghost? But they have also devised sophistry whereby they elude them." Apology Augsburg Confession, IV. #107. Justification. Concordia Triglotta, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1921, p. 153. Tappert, p. 122. Heiser, p. 41.
Conference Comments from Catechesis
Catechesis has left a new comment on your post "Synod Trifecta Going Well":
Looks like 'bout 100 people there. There are certainly more than that as members of the sponsoring churches.
"Exhibitors: Table space is available on a "first come, first served" basis and at the discretion of the Board of Directors of The Emmaus"..."The Justification by Faith information table can be seen in the far right side of the photo above. It was the only table offering information at the event."
Participants are not exactly beating down the door, seems to me. Presenters not a big enough draw? "Fellowship" a dead issue?
Stole from WELS Too, But All Is Forgiven in Advance.
Wait a Sec, This Is Money, the WELS-god.
Great Financial Controls at the Love Shack
Inver Grove Heights Pastor Accused of Stealing $67,500 From Synod
Leon Piepenbrink, 51, faces seven felony charges of theft by swindle.
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Afraid for his life, Leon Piepenbrink allegedly told his superiors that he needed bulletproof glass and a gun to defend himself from violent members of the Hmong community.
But police say his claims weren’t true, and that Piepenbrink himself — an Inver Grove Heights pastor working with the Hmong community — was spinning an elaborate tale to conceal the theft of $67,500 from the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Church Synod (WELS).
Piepenbrink, 51, was charged with seven counts of theft by swindle in an amended criminal complaint filed on Thursday by the Dakota County Attorney’s office. If convicted on a single theft by swindle charge, he could face a maximum of 10 years in prison and $20,000 in fines.
According to the complaint, WELS officials grew suspicious of Piepenbrink and contacted Inver Grove Heights police after the pastor requested reimbursement for security systems, bulletproof glass and a gun — all for self-defense.
Piepenbrink allegedly told his superiors that members of the Hmong community had threatened him, and that he had been driving near Hastings in 2010 when the occupants of another vehicle shot at him.
But WELS officials couldn’t find the police reports that Piepenbrink claimed he filed. The synod also checked with the businesses from which Piepenbrink claimed to have purchased personal protection equipment, and found that many of his claimed expenditures were fabricated, the complaint said.
Officials confronted Piepenbrink about his claims, at which point the pastor allegedly admitted he had falsified documents and stolen money from the synod.
Because of his position, police say Piepenbrink had access to two separate synod funds. The thefts took place over a three-year span, beginning in May 2007 and ending in June 2010, police said.
The Star Tribune reports that Piepenbrink’s position at the church was terminated in Aug. 2010. According to his Facebook page, Piepenbrink graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 1986.
Piepenbrink has not yet been booked into Dakota County Jail. His first court appearance is scheduled for May 23.
But police say his claims weren’t true, and that Piepenbrink himself — an Inver Grove Heights pastor working with the Hmong community — was spinning an elaborate tale to conceal the theft of $67,500 from the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Church Synod (WELS).
Piepenbrink, 51, was charged with seven counts of theft by swindle in an amended criminal complaint filed on Thursday by the Dakota County Attorney’s office. If convicted on a single theft by swindle charge, he could face a maximum of 10 years in prison and $20,000 in fines.
According to the complaint, WELS officials grew suspicious of Piepenbrink and contacted Inver Grove Heights police after the pastor requested reimbursement for security systems, bulletproof glass and a gun — all for self-defense.
Piepenbrink allegedly told his superiors that members of the Hmong community had threatened him, and that he had been driving near Hastings in 2010 when the occupants of another vehicle shot at him.
But WELS officials couldn’t find the police reports that Piepenbrink claimed he filed. The synod also checked with the businesses from which Piepenbrink claimed to have purchased personal protection equipment, and found that many of his claimed expenditures were fabricated, the complaint said.
Officials confronted Piepenbrink about his claims, at which point the pastor allegedly admitted he had falsified documents and stolen money from the synod.
Because of his position, police say Piepenbrink had access to two separate synod funds. The thefts took place over a three-year span, beginning in May 2007 and ending in June 2010, police said.
The Star Tribune reports that Piepenbrink’s position at the church was terminated in Aug. 2010. According to his Facebook page, Piepenbrink graduated from Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary in 1986.
Piepenbrink has not yet been booked into Dakota County Jail. His first court appearance is scheduled for May 23.
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First WELS Hmong pastors ordained
Jesus came into the world to be the “light for revelation to the Gentiles” (Luke 2:32). Our mission work is based on that truth. There are moments in mission work when we see a spectacular showing of a powerful and loving God fulfilling this promise.
Oct. 16, 1999, was one of those moments. Pheng Moua and Jay Lo were ordained as the first two WELS Hmong pastors at Emanuel, West St. Paul, Minn. Over 300 people worshiped the Lord on this historic
occasion, including over 100 Hmong—members at Emanuel and Divinity, St. Paul, Minn.; First German, Manitowoc, Wis.; and relatives and friends.
Pheng, reflecting upon the ordination, commented, “Being a pastor is not the most impressive thing to people in the world, but it gives me a sense of privilege to proclaim the gospel to people and to rescue them from Satan’s hands. It makes me happy to be called as a pastor in the Wisconsin Synod.”
This service came only after years of hard work, prayer, and some tears. WELS mission work to the Hmong began 15 years ago when then Vicar Loren Steele reached out to a Hmong community in Manitowoc, Wis. Steele continued this work when he was assigned as pastor at Emanuel in 1986-87. Slowly but surely the light of the gospel reached the hearts of the Hmong. Then Ger Yang, a Hmong believer, expressed his desire to become a pastor and began studying in 1992. Three years later he died on a mission trip to Thailand.
Pheng and Jay, good friends of Ger, began studying for the ministry so they could continue that work. Along the way they experienced obstacles common to other ministerial students—struggling to learn biblical Greek and Hebrew, striving to overcome financial challenges. There were also additional trials—keeping up with English comprehension, dealing with ostracism and scorn by relatives, and even threats to their lives. But the light of the gospel burned brightly in their hearts and minds, too brightly to be extinguished by obstacles or enemies.
Both men have been called to minister to the Hmong community in St. Paul. Pheng is serving the Hmong congregation of 70 souls that meets at Emanuel. Jay is starting a new Hmong mission congregation at Divinity. Both also serve as resource people for Hmong mission efforts by other congregations.
Jay’s wife, Panyia, shared an important reminder after the ordination: “Remember that a fisherman catches living fish, and they die; an evangelist catches those who are dead in spirit and shows them how to have life.”
Leon Piepenbrink
GJ - These would be the violent, threatening Hmong?
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Inver Grove Heights Pastor Charged with 7 Counts of Theft
An Inver Grove Heights pastor who worked with the Hmong community and claimed members were out to attack him has been charged with seven counts of theft, according to a criminal complaint filed Thursday in Dakota County.According to the criminal complaint, Leon Piepenbrink allegedly stole $62,500 from the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Church Synod (WELS), the group he was employed by as a pastor.
Click here to read the full criminal complaint posted on the Dakota County website.
More Details On Latest WELS Embezzlement.
WELS Says He Is Already Declared Innocent by UOJ.
Court Differs
Inver Grove Heights Pastor Charged With Swindling Church
Updated: Wednesday, 04 May 2011, 7:00 PM CDT
Published : Wednesday, 04 May 2011, 11:19 AM CDT
INVER GROVE HEIGHTS, Minn. - A pastor at an Inver Grove Heights, Minn. church has been charged with fabricating expenses to the tune of more than $55,000.
Leon Edwill Piepenbrink, 51, of St. Paul, is charged with seven counts of theft-by-swindle for fabricating expenses and stealing money from the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Church Synod.
The church grew suspicious of Piepenbrink last summer when he started to talk about his safety and that members of the Hmong community he was working with were threatening him. Piepenbrink claimed he had been shot while driving on highway 55 near Hastings on June 16, 2010.
Piepenbrink had access to two separate church funds, and started to request reimbursement for security-related expenses, including a gun, bullet proof glass and a security system.
The church looked into Piepenbrink’s claims and learned they were all fabricated. When confronted with the discrepancies and misappropriation of funds, Piepenbrink admitted to stealing from the church. Piepenbrink went through bank statements with a church financial officer and pointed out each fabricated expense.
From May 2007 through July 2010, Piepenbrink stole $57,250 from Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Church Synod.
Each theft-by-swindle charge carries a maximum penalty of up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine.
Read more: Inver Grove Heights Pastor Charged With Swindling Church | Leon Piepenbrink http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/minnesota/inver-grove-heights-pastor-swindle-may-4-2011#ixzz1LaKlc1jJ
Chemnitz on Justification by Faith
"We must note the foundations. For we are justified by faith, not because it is so firm, robust, and perfect a virtue, but because of the object on which it lays hold, namely Christ, who is the Mediator in the promise of grace. Therefore when faith does not err in its object, but lays hold on that true object, although with a weak faith, or at least tries and wants to lay hold on Christ, then there is true faith, and it justifies. The reason for this is demonstrated in those lovely statements in Philippians 3:12: 'I apprehend, or rather I am apprehended by Christ' and Galatians 4:9: 'You have known God, or rather have been known by God.' Scripture shows a beautiful example of this in Mark 9:24: 'I believe; help my unbelief.'" Martin Chemnitz, Loci Theologici, 2 vols., trans. J. A. O. Preus, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1989, II, p. 503. Philippians 3:12; Galatians 4:9; Mark 9:24
"Therefore God, 'who is rich in mercy' [Ephesians 2:4], has had mercy upon us and has set forth a propitiation through faith in the blood of Christ, and those who flee as suppliants to this throne of grace He absolves from the comprehensive sentence of condemnation, and by the imputation of the righteousness of His Son, which they grasp in faith, He pronounces them righteous, receives them into grace, and adjudges them to be heirs of eternal life. This is certainly the judicial meaning of the word 'justification,' in almost the same way that a guilty man who has been sentenced before the bar of justice is acquitted."
Martin Chemnitz, Loci Theologici, 2 vols., trans. J. A. O. Preus, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1989, II, p. 482. Ephesians 2:4
"For we are not justified because of our faith (propter fidem), in the sense of faith being a virtue or good work on our part. Thus we pray, as did the man in Mark 9:24: 'I believe, Lord; help my unbelief'; and with the apostles: 'Lord, increase our faith,' Luke 17:5."
Martin Chemnitz, Loci Theologici, 2 vols., trans. J. A. O. Preus, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1989, II, p. 506 Mark 9:24; Luke 17:5
"But because not doubt but faith justifies, and not he who doubts but he who believes has eternal life, therefore faith teaches the free promise, which relies on the mercy of God for the sake of the sacrifice of the Son, the Mediator, and not on our works, as Paul says in Romans 4:16: 'Therefore it is of faith, that the promise might be sure according to grace.'" Martin Chemnitz, Loci Theologici, 2 vols., trans. J. A. O. Preus, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1989, II, p. 507. Romans 4:16
"Thus when we say that we are justified by faith, we are saying nothing else than that for the sake of the Son of God we receive remission of sins and are accounted as righteous. And because it is necessary that this benefit be taken hold of, this is said to be done 'by faith,' that is, by trust in the mercy promised us for the sake of Christ. Thus we must also understand the correlative expression, 'We are righteous by faith,' that is, through the mercy of God for the sake of His Son we are righteous or accepted." [Melanchthon, Loci Communes, The Word Faith] Martin Chemnitz, Loci Theologici, 2 vols., trans. J. A. O. Preus, St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 1989, II, p. p. 489.
Valleskey versus Luther
Valleskey graduated with James Radloff, who may have been even more fanatical about Church Growth than Valleskey, who bragged about studying at Fuller Seminary and also denied it. Key Valleskey co-dependents include Paul Calvin Kelm, Larry Olson (Fuller drive-by DMin), and Frosty Bivens.
Valleskey's classmate, DP Ed Werner, went to state prison for molesting members of his congregation. According to Valleskey, he was already forgiven.
Luther's statement clearly repudiate's Valleskey's, but WELS teaches Valleskey's opinion. Werner led an evil life as a pastor, but Valleskey did far more damage by teaching evil doctrine.
Jay Webber (ELS), Rydecki, and Lindee all support Valleskey's opinion.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Luther - Wherever the Word of God Is Proclaimed,
The Fruits of the Same Must Exist
"A third answer to our enemies is: We are certain that wherever the Word of God is proclaimed, the fruits of the same must exist. We have the Word of God, and therefore the Spirit of God must be with us. And where the Spirit is, faith must obtain, however weak it may be." Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids Baker Book House, 1983, VIII, p. 274. Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity Ephesians 3:13-21.
The Word Judges Us, But the World Sees Fools and Fanatics
"The Word is too sublime to pass under our judgment; it is the province of the Word to judge us. The world, however, while unwilling to be judged and convicted by us, essays to judge and convict the Word of God. Here God steps in. It would be a pity for the worldly to see a godly Christian, so God blinds them and they miss His kingdom. As Isaiah says (26:10): 'In the land of uprightness will he deal wrongfully, and will not behold the majesty of Jehovah.' For this reason, few real Christians come under the observation of cavilers*; the latter, in general, observe fools and fanatics, at whom they maliciously stumble and take offense. They are unworthy to behold God's honor in a godly Christian upon whom the Lord has poured out Himself in fulness of blessing."
Sermons of Martin Luther, 8 vols., ed., John Nicholas Lenker, Grand Rapids Baker Book House, 1983, VIII, p. 274. Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity Ephesians 3:13-21; Isaiah 26:10.
*To cavil means to make petty or unnecessary objections
Luther Rocks Likes the Conference Information
LutherRocks has left a new comment on your post "Synod Trifecta Going Well":
This is cool...and it rocks...in a BoC kind of way...you go Brett!!! (Insert ELCA head bishop dude here)
Synod Trifecta Going Well
Brett Meyer reports that the first session went well. He spoke to a lot of laity and pastors. Most were quite friendly and interested. Some were friends of mine, some by Internet, others from way back to Mequon.
I expedited 60 copies of Luther versus the UOJ Pietists: Justification by Faith to Brett. They left Memphis just before the flood warnings began to arrive. About half the copies were given out the first day. Brett also had an equal number of Jesus Priceless Treasure. They also were picked up by participants.
Brett's commute was 30 miles! He will be back tomorrow. Some synod officials are there in addition to the named speakers.
Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Synod Trifecta Going Well":
I thoroughly enjoyed the first day. Many people were extremely polite and friendly. I had a chance to speak to many people from the WELS, ELS, LCMS, CLC and ELCA.
Most who came to my table were unaware of any struggle for a sound doctrine of Justification in the Lutheran Synods and appreciated the free books and material. Some even brought other people back multiple times to share the information.
Pastor Buchholz brought Pastor Rydecki over to meet me. It was an unfortunate that I was talking to a old friend of Pastor Jackson at the time and I asked them to come back. I hope to have a chance to talk with him tomorrow.
All books and material were given out for free and along with the books noted in the post above were 5 page comparison of doctrinal statements by the Synods and theologians promoting UOJ and the Book of Concord and Martin Luther teaching Justification by Faith alone to the exclusion of UOJ, and a one page comparison of two versions of the Gausewitz Small Catechism without UOJ and the Kuske revision showing the insertion of the doctrine by the (W)ELS. The Justification by Faith information table can be seen in the far right side of the photo above. It was the only table offering information at the event.
Looking forward to the conference tomorrow.
You Might Be a Lutheran - Catechesis Says
Catechesis has left a new comment on your post "The Secret Revealed - Youth Do Not Want Pop's Musi...":
If "the Mass is retained among us, and celebrated with the highest reverence"..., you might be a Lutheran.
If "Nearly all the usual ceremonies are also preserved...."..., you might be a Lutheran.
If your parishioners "are also advised concerning the dignity and use of the Sacrament, how great consolation it brings anxious consciences, that they may learn to believe God, and to expect and ask of Him all that is good,"..., you might be a Lutheran.
If "public ceremonies, for the most part like those hitherto in use, are retained"..., you might be a Lutheran.
If you "quia" subscribe to the Augsburg Confession Article XXIV quoted above in not only doctrine, but also practice, then you are a Lutheran.
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GJ - The quia subscription is meaningless today. WELS has repudiated it in print, while Missouri has repudiated it in practice. Quia's do not run off to Fuller to figure out how to make the Gospel effective. They do not hide the name Lutheran. They do not hide the Sacraments and even the signs of the Sacraments (altar and font) in church.
I suggest a chia subscription as the best term to use for the current situation.
Michael Murphy - Warship Named After Him
AP – This undated file photo released by the U.S. Navy shows Navy Seal Lt. Michael P. Murphy, from Patchogue, … Book Review - The Rite of Sodomy, by Randy Engels
The Rite of Sodomy: Homosexuality and the Roman Catholic Church. Volume I. Historical Perspectives from Antiquity to the Cambridge Spies.
New Engel Publishing, Export, Pennsylvania.
Paperback, 366 pages.
By Randy Engel.
Order from:
Reviewed by Gregory L. Jackson, PhD
Engel’s book will focus on the Roman Catholic Church in the second volume, which is still being finished. Delusional people think this book applies only to Catholics or those gay activists in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
WELS Hypocrisy
For example, Wisconsin Synod President Mark Schroeder has publicly criticized the ELCA for its approval of homosexual ordination. But Schroeder has done nothing about Martin Luther College (WELS) students uploading their own gay video to YouTube and promoting it with a Facebook page:
Party in the MLC - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kSdADOIG3Y –
was filmed as a frame by frame copy of
Party in the Fire Island Pines - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ezfk7s1NyY
The differences between the two videos are slight, except for a WELS student grabbing his crotch, in the outdoor scene with the slide, which appears again in another version in the outtakes at the end of the video. Both scenes would be enough to arrest the man for public indecency, but WELS thought he should be a Lutheran school teacher.
The MLC video came to my attention via a member of the synod, who was too disgusted to watch more than a few seconds. I posted it on my blog. The MLC students attack me for posting it and claimed in print (Wisconsin Lutheran College paper) that they had no idea they were copying a gay video filmed at a gay resort. They pulled the video but it was already appearing on the websites one would expect to find it. Next they posted a Facebook page – Bring Back Party in the MLC. The video was uploaded a second time to YouTube, and nothing has been done since that time.
LCMS Hypocrisy
The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod had a “study” posted on their website, a few years ago. Studies are a wonderful Lutheran tradition. Horrible ideas can be promoted without claiming any official actions will follow. Studies can appear and disappear without notice. This particular study was gayer than lavender hose, an Amen chorus to everything going on in ELCA. Homosexuals were more talented, loving, and sensitive than heterosexuals.
Randy Engel, Author
Randy Engel is a woman who began in the field of Viet Nam studies, working with refugees, starting in the mid-1960s. In 1970, she received the Distinguished Service Medal for “exceptional and meritorious service to Vietnam.”
She moved into pro-life issues and the destructive effect of sex education. She has published in many different Catholic periodicals. She found great resistance, even among conservatives, when moving into this area of research. She is a meticulous researcher and a fine writer. Fortunately, she spares us many details, although the section on Oscar Wilde contains enough facts to keep anyone from reading him again.
My Background
I attended Notre Dame and earned a PhD in theology in 1982. This gave me informal training in Roman Catholicism in America. Teaching and publishing have given me a broad historical background in the areas covered by Engel’s book.
E. Michael Jones was fired as a professor at the sister school, St. Mary’s across the road from Notre Dame, because he was pro-life.
He provided the information below in one of his published articles in Fidelity magazine.
One worship professor at Notre Dame “committed suicide.” He was a homosexual and an atheist. His homosexual atheist friend (also a professor of worship) became his spokesman post mortem. The dead atheist did not want a funeral, so Notre Dame gave him two. Evidence pointed to murder, but that would have been unpleasant, since the professor was seen hanging out with a biker leather gang. He left behind a bowl of melting ice cream. No one shoots himself when a bowl of ice cream is on the table.
History of Homosexuality
Engel has attempted an extensive history of homosexuality, as a prelude to the second volume on the Roman Catholic Church. Her thesis is - a homosexual network has taken control of her denomination, aided by the election of a homosexual pope. Massive cover-ups have protected homosexual offenders all over the world.
The only section lacking is one on the Muslim world. That would probably involve another volume by itself. The rapid increase of Muslims in the West, and their monetary influence on the media, will lead to additional propaganda efforts.
Engel has a detailed chapter about ancient Greece. Many people associate that era with unbridled homosexuality. The issues are more complicated. Societies set up rules for vice, such as excusing prostitution. Likewise, Greece had its rules, but they would not be appealing to the typical reader.
Engel unearths a wealth of valuable resources for those who want to pursue the topic. So much propaganda is being produced by gay activists that this book is a necessary counter to their claims.
Early Christianity
Much of what we value in the Western tradition has come from the Christian faith, where the Creation of the family by the Word was honored. Engel has many important quotations for anyone doing research on this topic.
I knew the game was up in the Lutheran Church in America when their national magazine (The Lutheran) published a critique of homosexuality (against natural law) and changed to active promotion of the agenda, which was officially started by Lutherans Concerned and funded by The American Lutheran Church. I was being interviewed at the Philadelphia seminary for a job when I heard seminary professors congratulate their colleague on his published critique.
As I wrote in another review, Carl Braaten shared that view. He wrote in his memoirs that every faculty member who disagreed with the gay was threatened into silence. His LSTC colleague from Seminex was arrested for soliciting a male policeman in a St. Louis park, and the Seminex faculty which trooped into their new location (Chicago) had already
The mainline academics are now providing a new history of the Christian Church, one which overlooks the very material Engel has reproduced.
Renaissance
Various factors led to an emergence of the Greek homosexual culture in Renaissance Italy. The Black Death was one, leaving devastating effects on the entire population. Savonarola campaigned against corruption and also against the abuse of teen-aged boys from the spread of homosexuality.
Engel has plenty of material about charges of homosexuality aimed at various Roman Catholic figures. She is even-handed about her sources and analytical about the facts known. Anyone can follow the debate from her chapter on the Renaissance, and read the many works she cites in the chapter. The footnotes are also illuminating. For instance, the note on Christopher Marlowe, the playwright, details reasons for charges against him and his mysterious death.
The Modern Secular State
Engel blames Protestantism for dividing the Church and hampering its authority, a claim diminished by what happened in the Medieval Church. As Luther observed, “People worshiped those cardinals as gods if they were satisfied with a woman.” Protestantism, led by Luther, established the parsonage family as the ideal, instead of holding up a vow of chastity that few could follow.
The loneliness created by the vows of Catholic religious has always fostered immorality rather than holiness. Ironically, the Catholic religious have elevated emotional tension by making normal relations a sin, so the closeness of the clergy enables them to cloak what they are doing.
Engel has observed what British histories often describe – homosexuality spread through the ease and luxury of the upper classes. They had the time, money, and upper class protection to allow it to happen.
Engel’s treatment of the Oscar Wilde scandal is a good example of her mastery of detail. She allows her research to show what actually happened, a picture contrary to the popular imagination. Wilde and his boyfriend engaged in the prostitution of minors to satisfy their whims and lusts. The father of “Bosy” taunted Wilde into suing him for slander, which was disproved by Wilde being examined in court. As the lawyers say, it is not slander if the charges are true. Wilde was perhaps protected from additional penalties because Bosy was engaged in the same crimes – using underage boys. Wilde went to prison, not entirely repentant, leaving a wife and children in shame. Wilde has become a modern homosexual hero with a fairly frank movie made in his honor.
Cambridge Spies
Those who read about government intelligence services will invariable run across the Cambridge spy ring, made up of homosexuals at the top of the British intelligence. They worked together to undermine Western governments while serving their Soviet masters. The five included Kim Philby, Donald Maclean, Guy Burgess, Anthony Blunt, and perhaps John Cairncross. Each one of the five did enormous damage through their activities. Philby said he only worked for one intelligence service his entire life – the Soviet’s.
The Soviets took advantage of the decadence of the wealthy British and their American friends. The Profumo affair involved prostitution (Christine Keeler), British officials, and a doctor (Stephen Ward) who served as a pimp, party arranger, and abortionist. Ward, a homosexual, included Hugh Montgomery in his circle. Engel’s book closes with the charge that Montgomery engaged in a homosexual affair with Msgr Giovanni Montini, later Pope Paul VI (1963-1978). If true, the Soviets had a channel into the Vatican and the power to manipulate the pope.
I did a search for rumors about Pope Paul VI and found plenty of published material. The most significant, in my opinion, was his own public denial of homosexuality. This is the final paragraph from the Wikipedia article:
“Pope Paul VI caused considerable surprise in 1968 when, to the consternation of his aides, he publicly denied rumours of "scandalous behaviour". Though rumours had circulated periodically in anti-papal and anti-Catholic publications as to Paul's sexual orientation and possible homosexuality, with suggestions of a past relationship while he was an archbishop with a priest who had served as his secretary, when what Paul called these suggestions began to feature in some elements of the Italian media, he made the controversial choice of issuing a public denial. It was the first time in the modern era that a pope had commented in any way about his sexual identity.[120]” [Peter de Rossa, Vicars of Christ: The Dark Side of the Papacy (Corgi, 1989) p.538]
Goodbye Good Men is a good parallel study, showing that American Catholic seminaries have become recruiting grounds for homosexual priests. For many years, a few authors have tried to show Catholics that their church has been taken over completely. Efforts to reform the situation has been met with conservative denial and activist opposition.
Vast amounts of information are available, but both sides resist the conclusion. The conservative Catholics do not want to admit how badly corrupted Holy Mother Church has become. They do not want Protestant converts to be repelled by rumors and facts. The liberal Catholics and gay activists love their new-found freedom, which they are not going to surrender to their ecclesiastical enemies.
Audience
Any serious student of the modern church should read this volume and its upcoming companion. Few authors have the ability to research and discuss the vast amount of detail provided in The Rite of Sodomy. The topic is unpleasant but all around us, because many secular authorities and church authorities endorse the gay agenda, whether covertly or overtly.
Lutherans will find many parallel efforts among the synods. I visited Trinity Lutheran Seminary [ELCA] in Columbus in the 1980s, where I found materials provided to future pastors, about how to answer evasively the ordination committees when asked about their orientation. One suggested answer was, “I appreciate your concern about this issue and I agree with you about how important it is.” In 25 years the ELCA has moved from playing games to apologizing to all those excluded merely for being homosexual or lesbian.
The issue affects the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and the Evangelical Lutheran Synod. All three groups work closely with ELCA on a variety of religious projects. The agenda is always ELCA’s, because ELCA is the largest and richest of the four.
Breaking News:
They Finally Arrest a WELS Pastor
Fox Twin Cities
Minister in Theft Case Speaks with FOX 9
Leon Piepenbrink charged with theft by swindle
Updated: Wednesday, 04 May 2011, 11:55 PM CDT
Published : Wednesday, 04 May 2011, 11:55 PM CDT
Published : Wednesday, 04 May 2011, 11:55 PM CDT
by Leah Beno / FOX 9 News
Minister Leon Piepenbrink hardly seemed concerned about the seven felony counts filed against him when he spoke with FOX 9 about the case.
“The facts will come out on that,” Pienpenbrink said. “There were some differences as far as accounting and so forth and so, we'll take care of this.”
Dakota County prosecutors filed theft by swindle charges against Piepenbrink, who is accused of stealing more than $100,000 from the Shepherd of the Hills Church in Inver Grove Heights.
Pienpenbrink worked at the church for five years where his primary role was as the Hmong Ministry Coordinator.
Investigators say Piepenbrink told his church he was being threatened by the people he was working with. He claimed he was shot at while driving down Highway 55 last June and needed money for security at his St. Paul Home. According to the complaint, Piepenbrink was reimbursed for expenses ranging from bullet proof glass to a gun.
“I probably should decline to say anything about that. There were certainly security issues, “ said Piepenbrink.
Dakota County Prosecutor Jim Backstrom said he can’t remember the last time he filed criminal charges against someone in the ministry.
“It is a rare occurrence when charges are filled against someone in the ministry,” said Backstrom. “It's our obligation to pursue charges regardless who is involved.”
Shepherd of the Hills is part of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Church Synod (WELS), which is the third largest Lutheran Church in the Country. In a statement, the church told FOX 9 the case was a "unique and isolated incident in which someone had direct access to synod funds without proper protocols and oversight."
Piepenbrink said he’s confident the charges will be resolved and he looks forward to continuing his more than 25 years doing ministry work.
‘It's still my church. It's still my church and I want to do right by them,” he said. “I want to settle whatever we need to settle on this.”
“The facts will come out on that,” Pienpenbrink said. “There were some differences as far as accounting and so forth and so, we'll take care of this.”
Dakota County prosecutors filed theft by swindle charges against Piepenbrink, who is accused of stealing more than $100,000 from the Shepherd of the Hills Church in Inver Grove Heights.
Pienpenbrink worked at the church for five years where his primary role was as the Hmong Ministry Coordinator.
Investigators say Piepenbrink told his church he was being threatened by the people he was working with. He claimed he was shot at while driving down Highway 55 last June and needed money for security at his St. Paul Home. According to the complaint, Piepenbrink was reimbursed for expenses ranging from bullet proof glass to a gun.
“I probably should decline to say anything about that. There were certainly security issues, “ said Piepenbrink.
Dakota County Prosecutor Jim Backstrom said he can’t remember the last time he filed criminal charges against someone in the ministry.
“It is a rare occurrence when charges are filled against someone in the ministry,” said Backstrom. “It's our obligation to pursue charges regardless who is involved.”
Shepherd of the Hills is part of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Church Synod (WELS), which is the third largest Lutheran Church in the Country. In a statement, the church told FOX 9 the case was a "unique and isolated incident in which someone had direct access to synod funds without proper protocols and oversight."
Piepenbrink said he’s confident the charges will be resolved and he looks forward to continuing his more than 25 years doing ministry work.
‘It's still my church. It's still my church and I want to do right by them,” he said. “I want to settle whatever we need to settle on this.”
Read more: Minister in Theft Case Speaks with FOX 9 http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/dpp/news/minnesota/minister-in-theft-case-speaks-with-fox-9-may-4-2011#ixzz1LUC0fKEV
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GJ - Actually, I can think of many WELS church workers arrested or caught in crimes: Ed Werner (molesting girls in his parish); Scott Zerbe (affair with a minor girl in vicarage, Fred Adrian, supervisor); Al Just (murdering his wife in bed with a steak knife); William Tabor (his mistress killed his wife, but he moved to a new call; the WELS presidium should have been arrested for felony obstruction of justice); Worship Professor James Tiefel (drunk driving, conviction overturned). A staffer at Michigan Lutheran Seminary was skimming the tuition money while people marveled at how well he lived on such a tiny salary; a Columbus pastor tried to mate his car with a telephone pole, DUI, but this was kept secret from everyone.
Frank Sinatra was once arrested for adultery (The Smoking Gun), but WELS promotes pastors caught in adultery, from lowly parish pastor to mission counselor. When Gurgle was confronted by a journist about this practice, he went around saying, "Do you tell him?" One of those pastors said, "Did you tell the journalist?"
Does that sound like a denial to you Ichabodians?