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.

By David Henke | Email the author | May 5, 2011

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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.

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First WELS Hmong pastors ordained

Author: Leon Piepenbrink

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

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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.