The Syn Conference reminds me of the meltdown of Grant's, once a major retailer. At a meeting of managers, one of them asked a question.
"You're fired. Get out of the room. Next question?"
There were no more questions. They were liquidating, the most successful stores, first.
The Syn Conference is running true to its Pietistic roots, so its Calvinism and unionism have become dominant. Do not ask questions. A few jibes are permitted, as long as everyone says, "We are a confessional synod" with long, solemn faces.
The graduates of the Sausage Factory are famous for not using the library, known for partying their way through school. They laugh about telling people how difficult seminary is when Mequon is really quite easy. They sharpen their deception skills on Zion Hill.
The Doctrinal Pussycats are good examples of the cream of the crop. They welcome all attacks on Lutheran doctrine, but threaten anyone who questions Whorely Mother Synod.
Church workers murdering their wives? That was a long time ago. One denied it (and confessed privately). He was convicted and married his kids' babysitter. One went to his new call without his wife, even though his mistress faced a murder conviction. He escaped man's law. But that was a long time ago, as one WELS pastor said. His wife should forgive and forget, since he is a grieving widower.
As one wit said, "They are more Evangelical than Jesus."
Of course, their forgiveness extends only to their buddies, as the recent excommunications of Krohn and Techlin have shown. Patterson asked Joe Krohn to be an elder, refused to deal with any doctrinal questions, and excommunicated husband and wife after trying to intimidate both of them. Rick Techlin had similar experiences with Tim Glende and Deputy Doug Englebrecht.
One can hardly imagine a more vindictive set of clergy. The Changers are all "passionate about Jesus" blah blah. They do not visit their own members or welcome doctrinal discussions. The passion must extend only to posting those words on the Net.
Writing a letter, which they demand, is the first step in being excommunicated.
The Eighth Commandment cops do not write letters to me. Patterson sent one email in which he called me a fool and a liar.
Glende clogs the Net with his anonymous blogs. Both Changers used to write comments, until I tightened security and identified the Garland, Texas and Appleton comments. Patterson is not a Changer, but he went to their last conference. Just sayin'.
When a Lutheran congregation--of any stripe--has to tell people the parish will have live bunnies at the Easter service, the time for sackcloth and ashes has arrived. Pastorsl posing with Playboy bunnies is no less cool.
When the pastor posts a photo of steering his boat...
When the media pastor spouts New Age paganism and everyone fusses over synod straddling...
When SPindoktor Mark Schroeder and his obedient servant Herman Otten blow smoke about a gay video, still posted on YouTube...
And did I mention? The Syn Conference is too inept to teach justification by faith, as Luther taught, as the Book of Concord confesses. Try to read Romans 10 (the Means of Grace chapter) with UOJ in mind. Or read Isaiah 55 (another Means of Grace chapter) with UOJ in mind.
But they are also too frightened to deal with enormous gaps in their entire scheme of forgiveness without faith. They cannot deal with Gausewitz, Robert Preus, the KJV catechism (LCMS) still in print, their old catechism, or the reality of plagiarism from Knapp's Pietism.
They cannot teach, so they excommunicate, anathematize, and shun.
Apt to teach is a requirement for pastors.
I am thankful these brave pastors have chosen to do the God-pleasing thing and offer you Holy Communion. I will continue to keep them as well as you in my prayers.
Scott E. Jungen
The under-shepherd District President is demonstrably less generous and yielding with your employ of words, Mr. Techlin, than with his own musings. You see, he insists that your words need to be taken “at face value,” and that they bear “consequences” not readily shorn. Yet he says that the opinions of “your former pastors” should be consulted, before you are allowed to secure the consolation of the Cup of the new testament in the Lord’s blood, which is shed for you.
What sort of innovation is this, to Lutheran practice? If his friends are indeed your “former pastors,” they have no say in guiding you with their crooks (or with their borrowed Power-points, as it is). Our Lord Himself observes that “No man can serve two masters.” Other under-shepherds have the pastoral obligation to examine, and serve as the gateway to the meal at which heaven meets earth. You former pastors do not, at the moment, as their meandering leading of their flock has accomplished. The word “former,” too, has “consequences.”
It may be an excess of meticulousness to demand such precision in fluency, but we must grant this: even the titanic struggles of the Nicene fathers hinged greatly, over the matter of an iota. If we can’t get the communication down right, the mischief will continue, affecting others who sympathize with your struggles, until things are completely ripped apart.
By the way: I think clerics should find the time to respond to the open mouths of the flock, in reasonable time, or seek other employ as ones being skilled in the marks of hirelings.
Michael L. Anderson MD, PHD
Either you and the Pastors and congregations who commune you are wrong, or President Englebrecht and the Pastors and congregation of St. Peter are wrong. It has to be one of the other. There is no “half-way” in this case.
I believe the case is clear. Thus, I support you thoroughly and completely.
God bless you and keep you!
Pastor Spencer
In Christ,
Rebecca
No, the “sin” here is not that Mr. Techlin’s words were misunderstood by some unidentified people. The “sin” is that the words were made public to begin with, and we all know that nothing of importance can be discussed in WELS outside of official and closed meetings.
I’m glad that there are at least some pastors up there who are not afraid. Thank God for them.
Dr. Aaron Palmer
Your treatment by your former parish and your DP is outrageous. I left the WELS for Eastern Orthodoxy for doctrinal reasons, but rest assured — I never witnessed anything remotely like this.
How, exactly, are the former “pastors” who, let us remember, “commend[ed] you to your own spiritual care,” in any position to give their “blessing” to anything? They kicked you out! And they did so in such a manner as to exhibit raw, naked exercise of power over and against the Gospel of Christ. If you are commended to your own spiritual care, what say do these so-called “shepherds” have in whether or not another communes you? And why should the DP take sides in their favor and against you when the issues you have raised have not even been dealt with?
Your faithfulness to your own principles and the Lutheran Confessions is to be commended. May the Lord be with you as you bear His cross. I am pleased there are good pastors in your area willing to act in accordance with their Office instead of their ambitions.
Kyrie eleison.
I have heard that one of the reasons to deny women the vote in the congregation is because of the possibility of Excommunication. How, the reasoning seems to be, can we allow women the vote if someday we might have to excommunicate someone? How, indeed.
I suppose that all of us at some time or another might be heretics deserving of excommunication. How can one not be of an inquisitive nature and not find something which we do not understand? How can we be thinking persons and not find something that seems strange to us? How can we be certain that, apart from the Scriptures and the Lutheran Confessions, we are told things that make sense?
Well, I do not know the circumstances of your situation and do not wish to intrude where I have no understanding. I do wish you well in your life, and as one who might be as guilty as you are, I stand in the door and wait for the knock from the church police to take me away. There is an open area near my home where a bonfire could be made.
Norman Teigen
Hopkins MN