One of the most difficult stories I've ever covered - TODAY'S TMJ4:
Thursday was a tough day for me professionally.
My assignment: To do a follow up story on Joel Hochmuth, the (now former) communications director for the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, who was charged with possessing and distributing child porn.
The problem: Joel and I know each other. We worked side-by-side years ago at CNN, producing segments on a show called "CNN Student News".
Fate led us both to Milwaukee. It also forced our paths to cross in the worst possible way...
I believe child porn is one of the worst things that happens in this world. I think people who want to see a child victimized in this way is sick, and should be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.
'via Blog this'
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.
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Sunday, November 20, 2011
One of the most difficult stories I've ever covered - TODAY'S TMJ4
Labels:
Joel Hochmuth,
WELS
Churchmouse Campanologist
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ChurchMouse family vacation |
Churchmouse Campanologist:
GJ - His posts are always worth reading.
'via Blog this'
Labels:
ChurchMouse
WELS Ex-Director of Communications Joel Hochmuth Due Back in Court December 16.
Who Is Paying His Attorney?
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Joel Hochmuth, WELS. Who found him the best criminal defense attorney in the state? Who is paying the fees? |
A $20,000 bond has been ordered for a Lutheran church leader charged with possessing hundreds of images of child pornography. 52-year-old Joel Hochmuth is due back in Waukesha County Circuit Court December 16th. A judge will decide whether there’s enough evidence to put him on trial for three felony count of child porn possession. Hochmuth is the communications director for the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. According to prosecutors, he admitted being addicted to watching porn videos of young males – and after his wife caught him doing it, the couple went to get counseling. Authorities said they seized several hundred images from his home computer, plus 310 photos and 38 videos from his office computer. Synod president Mark Schroeder says the church is “shocked and devastated” by Hochmuth’s arrest. He’s being suspended, and the church is reviewing his employment status.
Labels:
Joel Hochmuth,
WELS
The Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity:
The Unforgiving Servant.
Matthew 18:23ff
The Twenty-second Sunday
after Trinity, 2011
Pastor Gregory L. Jackson
Bethany Lutheran Church, 10
AM Central Time
The Hymn #39 Praise to the Lord 3:1
The Confession
of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual 1 Thess 4:13-18
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual 1 Thess 4:13-18
The
Gospel Matthew 24:15-28
Glory be to
Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #36 Now Thank We 3.40
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #36 Now Thank We 3.40
The Meaning of
Forgiveness
The Hymn #316 O Living Bread 3.45
The Hymn #316 O Living Bread 3.45
The Preface p.
24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #354 In the Cross 3.84
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #354 In the Cross 3.84
KJV Philippians 1:3 I thank
my God upon every remembrance of you, 4 Always in every prayer of mine for you
all making request with joy, 5 For your fellowship in the gospel from the first
day until now; 6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a
good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ: 7 Even
as it is meet for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart;
inasmuch as both in my bonds, and in the defence and confirmation of the
gospel, ye all are partakers of my grace. 8 For God is my record, how greatly I
long after you all in the bowels of Jesus Christ. 9 And this I pray, that your
love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 10
That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and
without offence till the day of Christ; 11 Being filled with the fruits of
righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.
KJV Matthew 18:23 Therefore
is the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account
of his servants. 24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him,
which owed him ten thousand talents. 25 But forasmuch as he had not to pay, his
lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had,
and payment to be made. 26 The servant therefore fell down, and worshipped him,
saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. 27 Then the lord
of that servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the
debt. 28 But the same servant went out, and found one of his fellowservants,
which owed him an hundred pence: and he laid hands on him, and took him by
the throat, saying, Pay me that thou owest. 29 And his fellowservant fell down
at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I will pay
thee all. 30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till he
should pay the debt. 31 So when his fellowservants saw what was done, they were
very sorry, and came and told unto their lord all that was done. 32 Then his
lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I
forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: 33 Shouldest not thou
also have had compassion on thy fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34
And his lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay
all that was due unto him. 35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto
you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY
AFTER TRINITY
O almighty, eternal God: We
confess that we are poor sinners and cannot answer one of a thousand, when Thou
contendest with us; but with all our hearts we thank Thee, that Thou hast taken
all our guilt from us and laid it upon Thy dear Son Jesus Christ, and made Him
to atone for it: We pray Thee graciously to sustain us in faith, and so to
govern us by Thy Holy Spirit, that we may live according to Thy will, in
neighborly love, service, and helpfulness, and not give way to wrath or
revenge, that we may not incur Thy wrath, but always find in Thee a gracious
Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the
Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
The Meaning of Forgiveness
Every so often someone reminds me about using theological
terms that may not be so clear to everyone. One example is “justification.”
We may say, “Stop justifying yourself,” but we seldom use
the noun in a sentence. Every so often, someone will say, “I felt justified.”
The term comes the justice system, naturally enough. How is
someone judged innocent, forgiven of sin, in the eyes of God?
This does not happen by itself, although the Universalists
claim it does. They say everyone is forgiven because God is so gracious. The
grace of God is beyond our comprehension, but the Bible also teaches about
God’s Law and condemnation of evil.
The idea that there is no right and no wrong comes from Carl
Rogers, who claimed that he invented a new religion. He was right in a sense.
That concept prevails in our culture, across all boundary lines. However, those
who claim this lack of boundaries also severely condemn anyone who disagrees.
I had fun with two hippies in seminary. They made this claim
in their role as guest speakers. They also condemned people who had color TVs,
for reasons unknown to me.
I said, “There is no such thing as right and wrong.” They
said, “Correct.” So I added, “So why do you condemn color TVs?” That perplexed
and angered them.
Every philosophy or religion teaches some kind of
forgiveness. By default, our fallen nature likes to think we can atone for our
own sins, by doing good works to make up for the harm we have done.
But this teaches that Christ did not die for our sins. If He
did, His atonement was not sufficient for our sins. I have pointed this out to
Roman Catholics. Their system is an attack on the Gospel, and there is no
escape from that charge.
The Bible does not teach universal forgiveness or universal
condemnation, except to say that unbelievers are condemned already. That
condemnation is not universal because of the Means of Grace, the Word and
Sacraments.
Jesus is the source of all forgiveness, but that does not
make Him another Mr. Rogers. (The man who played Mr. Rogers was very much like
the character on the TV show. When he spoke at the Yale Child Study Center,
where my wife worked, he got a parking ticket while there – from the Yale
University police. Instead of blowing his stack, he said, “Well, isn’t that the
way?” In other words, he did not have to act, he was like that all the time.)
Jesus is the Gospel incarnate, but He also taught the Law,
especially when it came to lack of trust in Him and reliance on works for
forgiveness.
Therefore, this funny and touching parable shows exactly
what Jesus means, in a forceful way.
Matthew 18:23 Therefore is
the kingdom of heaven likened unto a certain king, which would take account of
his servants. 24 And when he had begun to reckon, one was brought unto him,
which owed him ten thousand talents.
The king represents God and
the unforgiving servant, as he is called, is Everyman. The funny part of this parable is the debt
owed – 10,000 talents. In real money, it was all the tax revenue gathered from
the province for an entire year. In essence, the servant owed the king billions
of dollars.
25 But forasmuch as he had
not to pay, his lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and
all that he had, and payment to be made.
Every creditor has a right
to settle debts. In this case, it is the debt of sin. “Forgive us our debts,”
as we pray. The best way to raise money from an insolvent person was to sell
him and his family into slavery. That was just as bad as it sounded. The slave
at that time had no rights and was used however the owner wished. The Roman
Empire had a rule that if one slave in a household committed a murder, every
single slave had to be executed. That was done – they called it Roman justice.
Slavery for the whole family
was horrifying, so the servant begged for mercy.
26 The servant therefore
fell down, and worshipped him, saying, Lord, have patience with me, and I will
pay thee all.
This is ironic humor,
because no servant could pay off this enormous debt, not even the interest.
This shows us how our debt of sin looks in the eyes of God, without
forgiveness.
It emphasizes how we cannot
pay off that debt by doing good works. No one can work off the debt, and
thinking so is dangerous, hardening, blinding. The denominations like to work
this scam, so they let it be known that forgiveness comes with large estate
gifts. The rich person will make up for leaving his wife for his girlfriend by
building a new library or music building. And they will name it after him. And
he will dedicate his own building himself while they praise him into heaven.
27 Then the lord of that
servant was moved with compassion, and loosed him, and forgave him the debt.
The king should have scoffed
at the servant, but instead He had mercy on him and took away the entire debt.
This is the Atonement, the reconciliation.
We owe God because of our
sins, and we cannot pay. Therefore, to reconcile the account, God has provided
a payment, literally a redemption for our sins.
This message can be taught
over and over, yet rude minds think of it only in the sense of being allowed to
do whatever they want at any time. They are like dogs who consume Holy
Communion and do not know what they have, as Luther wrote.
The servant heard the
message of reconciliation, his debts forgiven, but the meaning never reached
his heart. He remained unchanged by that mercy.
28 But the same servant went
out, and found one of his fellowservants, which owed him an hundred pence: and
he laid hands on him, and took him by the throat, saying, Pay me that
thou owest.
Notice that the debt owed
him was nothing, coffee money, while the debt he owed was beyond comprehension.
His hardness of heart was shown by his violent behavior toward his fellow
servant. Surely he knew what it meant to be in debt. The king did not seize him
by the throat, but gave him mercy when he absurdly promised to work off the
debt.
Even worse, he was eager to
exact justice for that tiny bit of money, even though his fellow servant asked
for mercy and patience in repayment –
29 And his fellowservant
fell down at his feet, and besought him, saying, Have patience with me, and I
will pay thee all. 30 And he would not: but went and cast him into prison, till
he should pay the debt.
Debtors’ prison seems to be
an odd concept to us. Charles Dickens lived in one with his family. It meant
that they lived in locked quarters and ventured out during the day to work. It
was humiliating, so much that Dickens never admitted to it until later in life.
He worked like a slave, as a child, in a terrible factory, to help pay down the
family debt.
31 So when his
fellowservants saw what was done, they were very sorry, and came and told unto
their lord all that was done.
The forgiven servant is
unforgiving, so his fellow servants reported on him. The results were
unpleasant.
32 Then his lord, after that he had called him, said
unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou
desiredst me: 33 Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy
fellowservant, even as I had pity on thee? 34 And his lord was wroth, and
delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him.
35 So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts
forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.
The universal forgiveness
people forget two foundational concepts of the Bible.
One is the efficacy of the
Word, which means the Holy Spirit works only through the Word of God and never
apart from the Word of God.
The second foundational
concept is the Means of Grace. God gives us His grace, forgiveness, love, mercy
only through the Word and Sacraments.
These concepts are
completely integrated in the Bible, from beginning to end, everything in perfect
harmony, all heresies anticipated and defeated in advance.
The Word of God can be Law
or Gospel. The Holy Spirit works in both. For Law, most people think of the
sins of the flesh, which are obvious, and seldom about the spiritual sins that
lead to carnal sin.
For instance, coveting is
behind many sins. No one can see coveting, but they see the results of
coveting. One pastor’s wife wanted a church job, so she took it away from the
assigned worker, with flimsy excuses. Pastors do the same thing. They covet a
call and undermine the man serving that congregation.
But all sin begins with
unbelief. Lack of trust in the mercy of Christ leads us into variations upon
the unforgiving servant’s role.
KJV John 16:8 And when he is
come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment:
9 Of sin, because they believe not on me; 10 Of righteousness, because I go to
my Father, and ye see me no more;
To translate the parable –
the servant did not trust in the mercy of God, so in his unbelief he seized his
fellow servant by the throat.
The Office of the Keys is an
example of how people are not simply forgiven in the name of love and warm
fuzzy feelings.
The cruelest thing to do to
someone enslaved by sin is to say, “You are already forgiven. You were forgiven
and righteous before you even confessed.” That hardens the heart and blinds the
person.
The unrepentant are not
forgiven. One sign of lack of repentance is continuous lying, making excuses
(self-justification), and acting persecuted. True, we cannot see a person’s
heart, but we can see the actions stemming from the heart.
Both Law and Gospel work
against sin. The Law holds up the mirror of God’s teaching and says, for
example, coveting is just another form of stealing, if you entice another
person’s servants or another’s wife or another’s pastor’s members.
The Gospel works against sin
by providing healing medicine. We are weak, frail, and always wandering like
sheep into the wilderness. The Gospel reclaims us as forgiven because the Good
Shepherd gathers us and carries us home rejoicing. He knows His own, and we
listen to His voice.
This is continuous.
Believers feel their sin and seek the Means of Grace. They listen to the
Shepherd’s voice and no other.
This we should take to heart
– Luther’s advice about forgiveness. Those who are aware of their sin, humble,
eager for healing, trusting in Christ – they should take comfort in the
complete and free forgiveness provided in the Means of Grace.
Extra Nos: Gross: LCMS-WELS-ELCA-Catholic Kilcrease calls Leyser and Hutter heretics
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Wayne Mueller said the same thing as Huber at the WELS Youth Rally in Columbus, Ohio. I heard him speak. His sons are deep into UOJ and Fuller philosophy. |
Extra Nos: Gross: Kilcrease calls Leyser and Hutter heretics:
'via Blog this'
Labels:
Jack Kilcrease,
LPC
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Failure to Supervise at WELS Headquarters.
Failure of Counselor To Report Felonies
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Joel Hochmuth was arrested on Tuesday and confessed. He was fired on Friday. WELS DPs are known for walking into a pastor's office and firing him on the spot. |
SuzieQ has left a new comment on your post "Warning to the WELS - From Head Elder and SusieQ":
I would suggest you read the criminal complaint and you will have a better understanding why I find the Synod President's slow actions in firing Hochmuth puzzling. The complaint is extremely graphic and describes in detail what was depicted in the videos. I would have fired him in 30 seconds after reading it. The more important thing right now is looking for victims.
The only purpose to carry a flash drive with graphic man/boy child pornographic video and photos would be to view the information you have stored on that. It's not used to prop to open the door or to clean your fingernails.
It would certainly deter anyone from looking at children performing sex acts on grown men if they knew their employer could access their their computer at anytime. This is the case in most large corporations and educational institutions.
It is not an invasion of privacy. When you are at work you have no expectation of privacy, concerning anything you bring into the work place. This includes CDs, flash drives, emails. IM and web browsing.
As I covered previously in this response. There would be no reason to bring child sexual pornography to work unless you were going to access it using your employers computer. He wouldn't have been holding it up to the light to look at it.
And in hind sight it would be advisable for WELS Synod to monitor their employees more closely, thus lowering the level of temptation. And to quote a famous person, "What have you got to hide?"
It is obvious to me that Hochmuth had this child pornography at his Synod Office out of fear his wife or son may find it. So it does look like WELS Synod was the weak link.
WELS has the obligation to be swift and firm. For your information his office at WELS is not in his home, so all your rigamarole and misquoting of the law is useless babble. If the FBI finds reason to search other offices and computers at Synod I am confident they will.
The FBI knows exactly who Joel was sharing the child pornography with. And they don't even need his cooperation or anyone elses to prove him guilty.
They have his confession and evidence, he's going away.
***
GJ - Some basic questions are:
- How did the local area network administrator at 2929 Mayfair Road manage to overlook the use of images and videos that are a federal crime to view, let alone share?
- When did this counseling take place? Before or during Hochmuth's tenure at 2929 as director of communications?
- Why did the counselor, who worked with Mr. and Mrs. Hochmuth, fail to report the crime, as required by law?
- Was it through WLCFS?
- Pastors Glende, Ski, Patterson, and Gurgel have recently excommunicated members for questioning them. Is child pornography also an excommunication offense, or is that a trivial matter in comparison?
- Hochmuth lawyered up fast, with the best criminal defense attorney in the state. Who is paying those enormous fees?
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Martin Spriggs |
I am a general technologist with a public ministerial background. Together the two form a mix that supports ministry efforts within WELS that involve the use of technology. My primary goal is to share the love of Christ with as many people as possible through whatever means are available.
Specialties
Graphic design, web design, programming, project management, management, leadership
Martin Spriggs's Experience
Chief Technology Officer Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod October 2004 – Present (7 years 2 months)
Provide vision for and management of technology within WELS. This includes infrastructure and applications development, communication tools, and general web presence.
Consultant Unisys Public Company; 10,001+ employees; UIS; Information Technology and Services industry 2004 – 2004 (less than a year)
Director of Operations Qwest Communications Public Company; 10,001+ employees; Q; Telecommunications industry 1999 – 2004 (5 years)
Manage the consulting practice and general operations for Midwest Office
---
AC V has left a new comment on your post "Failure to Supervise at WELS Headquarters. Failure...":
"Mind Like Water":
http://wlsce.net/course/262
---
HOME › COURSES ›
Mind Like Water: A Productivity System for Shepherds
In karate the position of perfect readiness is described with the imagery of “mind like water.” A still pond reacts appropriately to a rock that is tossed into it regardless of the size of the rock or the force with which it was thrown. It then returns to a calm state. It doesn’t overreact or under-react. That is the state of mind that every pastor needs to be productive in the often chaotic pastor’s offices of today. We all struggle with getting to a state where we always react appropriately and are as productive as possible. When we don’t, we waste time and potentially sabotage relationships with unclear communications - essentially poor stewardship.
Using established time and talent management methodologies this course mixes the sciences of technology and the art of productivity, all from a Christian perspective. The end result will be a system every pastor (or any called worker) can use to be a good steward of time and talent. Topics include 1.) Getting your inbox to zero…and keeping it there; 2.) Determining what to do next…with confidence; 3.) Turning your to do list into something you can actually “get done”; and 4.) Getting others to be as productive as you are.
Martin Spriggs
Martin Spriggs has served as the synod’s Chief Technology Officer since 2004. A former pastor serving in Milwaukee, WI and Summerville, SC he now seeks to blend technology with its effective use in ministry.
***
GJ - Spriggs gave sermons in Summerville that were verbatim copies of Hybels, Willow Creek. Even the inflections were copied. He promised to stop, but started again. He was not removed for false doctrine but for being dishonest.
WELS fed me a story through a friend that Spriggs was getting another pastoral call. I checked out the story and found it false. The idea was to plant a fake story so WELS could call me a liar. They tried it again, with a story of a prominent pastor being an adulterer. WELS is allergic to the truth - typical of an abusive sect.
Spriggs was in charge of the LAN at The Love Shack when Church and Change was registering WELS members and pastors from the WELS.net website for their next conference. One pastor said, "But SP Gurgel told me that Church and Change does not exist anymore."
I said, "Here is the link. Try it for yourself." I believe that clever addition to the WELS.net website was taken down by Mark Schroeder. I would have enjoyed the Come-to-Jesus meeting about that link. I heard Church and Change was furious that they had to report their activities to the Synod President. The idea!
Since Spriggs teaches for The Sausage Factory, he should add this to his bio: "Asleep at the switch when the local area network I manage was being used for child porn."
That would be the best he could do, because if he knew and did nothing...
---
From 29A: My wife said ... [comment deleted by request]. Women do not like that kind of stuff and when he goes up the river, neither will the other cons. Cons usually get these or give these kind of guys the justice system did not do, if you know what I mean.
The question now becomes how many others at the Love Shack knew about this and also in the synod schools and even throughout the local congregations?
Also is the Appleton and Texas gangs going to call you a liar about this when it is all over the media? Does that mean the FBI agents are liars too? The WELS may want to be very careful on this issue because they could end up on the wrong side of the law themselves.
Labels:
Joel Hochmuth,
WELS
Assault victim sues school, synod - JSOnline
Assault victim sues school, synod - JSOnline:
A civil lawsuit was filed Wednesday on behalf of a girl who was sexually abused by a religion teacher at Wisconsin Lutheran High School beginning when she was a freshman there in 2001.
The lawsuit accuses the school and church officials of negligence and of covering up the episode. It seeks unspecified damages.
The teacher, Brent Biesterfeld, now 35, was sentenced in July 2002 to 18 months in prison on two counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child for assaulting two female students both on and off school grounds.
The lawsuit seeks damages from Biesterfeld, the school, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod and the school principal, as well as four insurance companies.
Robert L. Habush, a lawyer representing the girl, who was identified under the alias of Jane Doe, has asked that the lawsuit not reveal the girl's name because of the humiliation, distress and other injuries she has suffered.
According to the lawsuit:
School and church officials should have been aware of a 1999 criminal report on file with the Milwaukee Police Department that accused Biesterfeld of engaging in illicit sexual activities with a minor. No charges were brought as a result of that report.
School and church officials had a duty to disclose the past allegations against Biesterfeld, who was hired by the school in November 1998, the lawsuit states. He was also the basketball and soccer coach for the school, 330 N. Glenview Ave.
The assaults that led to charges against Biesterfeld began in the spring of 2001 when the girl was 15 and in the second semester of her freshman year at the school, according to court records. She was a student in Biesterfeld's religion class and was a member of the teams he coached. According to the lawsuit, Biesterfeld had ongoing sexual contact with the girl between April 2001 and March 2002, when Biesterfeld was arrested.
'via Blog this'
***
GJ - I published information about this, here -
http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2008/05/wisconsin-synod-facing-another-lawsuit.html
A civil lawsuit was filed Wednesday on behalf of a girl who was sexually abused by a religion teacher at Wisconsin Lutheran High School beginning when she was a freshman there in 2001.
The lawsuit accuses the school and church officials of negligence and of covering up the episode. It seeks unspecified damages.
The teacher, Brent Biesterfeld, now 35, was sentenced in July 2002 to 18 months in prison on two counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child for assaulting two female students both on and off school grounds.
The lawsuit seeks damages from Biesterfeld, the school, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod and the school principal, as well as four insurance companies.
Robert L. Habush, a lawyer representing the girl, who was identified under the alias of Jane Doe, has asked that the lawsuit not reveal the girl's name because of the humiliation, distress and other injuries she has suffered.
According to the lawsuit:
School and church officials should have been aware of a 1999 criminal report on file with the Milwaukee Police Department that accused Biesterfeld of engaging in illicit sexual activities with a minor. No charges were brought as a result of that report.
School and church officials had a duty to disclose the past allegations against Biesterfeld, who was hired by the school in November 1998, the lawsuit states. He was also the basketball and soccer coach for the school, 330 N. Glenview Ave.
The assaults that led to charges against Biesterfeld began in the spring of 2001 when the girl was 15 and in the second semester of her freshman year at the school, according to court records. She was a student in Biesterfeld's religion class and was a member of the teams he coached. According to the lawsuit, Biesterfeld had ongoing sexual contact with the girl between April 2001 and March 2002, when Biesterfeld was arrested.
'via Blog this'
***
GJ - I published information about this, here -
http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2008/05/wisconsin-synod-facing-another-lawsuit.html
Lutheran official charged with three counts of child porn possession - TODAY'S TMJ4 - Police Looking for Victims.
Video Report Linked
Lutheran official charged with three counts of child porn possession - TODAY'S TMJ4:
By The WTMJ News Team
CREATED NOV. 16, 2011 - UPDATED: NOV. 17, 2011
WAUKESHA - 52-year-old Joel Hochmuth, the Director of Communications for the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, has been charged with three counts of possessing child porn.
According to a criminal complaint, FBI agents found at least 310 pictures and at least 38 videos of child pornography located on Hochmuth's computer and thumb drives.
Also, authorities report at one point, the Hochmuth's wife caught him viewing these images, and they had gone to counseling as a result.
The Waukesha County District Attorney's office was working Thursday to draft a criminal complaint with child pornography charges against a high-ranking official with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
Waukesha Police detectives report they found several images of child pornography inside Joel Hochmuth's home. Authorities say he may have been distributing child pornography as well.
He was to face a judge in a Waukesha County courtroom on Thursday afternoon.
Police took Hochmuth, 52, into custody at the Waukesha County Jail. He is the Director of Communications for WELS.
Hochmuth was arrested at his home in Waukesha on Wednesday evening.
According to a Waukesha Police Sergeant, the FBI cyber crime task force discovered someone at Hochmuth's home downloading child porn.
That sergeant told TODAY'S TMJ4 a significant number of child porn images were found in Hochmuth's home and investigators are discovering more Wednesday night, as they go through additional hard drives.
TODAY'S TMJ4's Steve Chamraz also spoke with the president of the WELS church.
He told TODAY'S TMJ4 on the phone, that "this is not in keeping with the Joel Hochmuth he knows. And he is praying it is all some kind of misunderstanding."
'via Blog this'
By The WTMJ News Team
CREATED NOV. 16, 2011 - UPDATED: NOV. 17, 2011
WAUKESHA - 52-year-old Joel Hochmuth, the Director of Communications for the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, has been charged with three counts of possessing child porn.
According to a criminal complaint, FBI agents found at least 310 pictures and at least 38 videos of child pornography located on Hochmuth's computer and thumb drives.
Also, authorities report at one point, the Hochmuth's wife caught him viewing these images, and they had gone to counseling as a result.
The Waukesha County District Attorney's office was working Thursday to draft a criminal complaint with child pornography charges against a high-ranking official with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
Waukesha Police detectives report they found several images of child pornography inside Joel Hochmuth's home. Authorities say he may have been distributing child pornography as well.
He was to face a judge in a Waukesha County courtroom on Thursday afternoon.
Police took Hochmuth, 52, into custody at the Waukesha County Jail. He is the Director of Communications for WELS.
Hochmuth was arrested at his home in Waukesha on Wednesday evening.
According to a Waukesha Police Sergeant, the FBI cyber crime task force discovered someone at Hochmuth's home downloading child porn.
That sergeant told TODAY'S TMJ4 a significant number of child porn images were found in Hochmuth's home and investigators are discovering more Wednesday night, as they go through additional hard drives.
TODAY'S TMJ4's Steve Chamraz also spoke with the president of the WELS church.
He told TODAY'S TMJ4 on the phone, that "this is not in keeping with the Joel Hochmuth he knows. And he is praying it is all some kind of misunderstanding."
'via Blog this'
Labels:
Joel Hochmuth,
WELS
Warning to the WELS - From Head Elder and SusieQ
Head Elder has left a new comment on your post "Wisconsin Synod President Claims Uncertainty 48 Ho...":
WARNING to the WELS:
It's time for us all to revisit the slippery slope. Notice - you are all on it.
Criminal facts are not gossip and attempts to call them gossip are only meant to deflect from the truth.
Continually stating the obvious that we are all sinful is an attempt to deflect sin itself. Also statements of "who are we to judge and don't judge until you walk in other people's shoes," are contemptuous to God's Words and warnings.
- If you see a crime being committed and you do nothing and use the excuse "who are you to judge, you are as guilty as the person committing crime.
- If you really believe in the "who are you to judge" philosophy -
- then hire a pedophile as a babysitter.
- Since - who are you to judge.
If you are a member of the WELS for the warm fuzzy of the Gospel and you ignore the law, you might think about changing churches. Since there are many church denominations that run solely on "Who am I to Judge" and "you can't walk in their shoes" and "everyone should love and forgive everyone regardless", even the unrepentant. You should have no problem finding that kind of church.
God's Word is absolute and clear.
***
GJ - Two teens in my Michigan congregation died, struck down by drunk drivers. One was just recovering from his personal problems. The young woman was becoming a champion swimmer, the pride of her family.
A local WELS pastor was so drunk that he piled his car into a utility pole, injuring himself and the pole. I asked who it was. That was a secret, the circuit pastor said. Nothing was done. I had already asked the responsible people to help an obvious out-of-control situation. The lack of concern for this person's family was quite disturbing. I did what I could, and that was used against me.
Covering up for the guilty is doubly wrong when fake severity is used to get rid of laity and pastors.
The message of WELS has been - "The bigger the crime, the more we will cover for you, if you remain faithful to Holy Mother Synod."
No wonder Wisconsin Lutheran College invited Roman Catholic archbishop Weakland to lecture to them. He was a deviant who blamed child molestation on the children, had an affair with a young man, and embezzled church funds to pay blackmail to his lover.
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SuzieQ has left a new comment on your post "Wisconsin Synod President Claims Uncertainty 48 Ho...":
Synod President the Rev. Mark Schroeder issued a brief statement "praying for all who have been affected by the events"
Why not say who those souls are? Children forced into sexual bondage to be sexually abused and used in terrible ways. Souls he should care about and want to help, not sweep under a rug.
Why was it allowed into the Synod offices? They are all very learned men - they often say so. They know the Devil exists. So why not stop the temptation as other schools and businesses do?
Every Sunday I listen to how I was born sinful and need to examine myself daily. Do you think they might apply this to the Synod Headquarters?
I hope Joel Hochmuth the ex-communications director has opened wide the door for the FBI to come in and do a clean sweep of the whole Synod.
Begin honoring your positions and stop allowing students to post videos feigning homosexuality online. It's not funny. It's disrespectful and harmful to other people. It's not acceptable behavior for our future Pastors and teachers.
Quit talking out of both sides of your mouths and act accordingly. If you can't do it with Jesus sitting in front of you DON'T DO IT!
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SolaSister has left a new comment on your post "Warning to the WELS - From Head Elder and SusieQ":
I couldn't say a louder AMEN to this post. As refugees from the WELS and LCMS both, we became sick to the teeth about hearing the "Good news of God's Luv" without a solitary word about hell, judgment and the wrath to come. (Why we need the Gospel in the first place.) Sermons were a joke. Literally. At St. John's Lutheran, Wauwatosa, home to numerous seminary faculty, our family of 7 were treated to a sermon still joked about today. It was centered around Green Eggs and Ham, written by the great theologian, Dr. Seuss. My children began laughing quietly until the whole pew was shaking. We never went back. The insult of climbing into that venerable old pulpit and giving us Dr. Seuss about says it all. Pale, ineffectual, passionless men in skirts--having a form of godliness, but with zero power.
We are familiar with the church that Mr. Hochmuth attends. It was the first church we visited when moving to Waukesha a few years ago. We were interested in their school also for our children. We walked in and were greeted with the sight of a drum set. Bad sign. We looked at the worship folder to learn that one of the hymns was Bette Midler's, You are the Wind Beneath My Wings. We got up and walked out. Trinity Lutheran is afflicted with the same disease as all the other Lutheran churches. It's all grace and not a word about the law. So parishioners in these churches are increasingly lawless. I could go on for hours. I weep over this. Our children have been harmed by this spiritually. Imagine laughing at the content of a sermon. Welcome to the WELS and the LCMS.
***
GJ - Faithful pastors and laity in the Olde Synodical Conference have to listen to snide comments about the Means of Grace liturgy, the "boring and irrelevant" Book of Concord, and real sermons.
One WELS pastor said, "It is very difficult to be in ..." I could name the place, but fill in the blank. One pastor told me he is the only one who is NOT a Shrinker at his meetings.
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rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "Warning to the WELS - From Head Elder and SusieQ":
I am not convinced that this will be the straw that breaks the camel's back for the WELS. As those who have posted have said, there really is not any condemnation from the Law taking place from official synod mouthpieces. There seems to be this veiled denial as if to say, "there must be some sort of misunderstanding".
Law enforcement and prosecutors are certainly capable of making mistakes. However, there are also trained not to move forward unless they are fairly certain that an arrest will not end up in an easy acquittal. Most cases end with a plea bargain. Even if it is all just a big mistake, law enforcement will never admit to a mistake for fear of reprisal and loss of credibility.
The images and videos seized are enumerated. Whether you like sting operations or not, it has been developed into case law and it would be highly unlikely that the charges would be dropped on a technicality.
As has been pointed out here on Ichabod, there is this sentiment within the WELS that those who are on the payroll are above reproach.
Facts are stubborn things. It may also be that so many within the WELS want to be part of something bigger, that being the synod. Just look at how the synod minders get all worked up in a lather over the smallest of criticisms. This is how die-hard sports fans behave about their favorite team. An example would be how nutty Packer fans can act in public.
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Moi? |
Labels:
Joel Hochmuth,
WELS
Luther Rocks: Pure Gold
Luther Rocks: Pure Gold:
Pure Gold
Much ado about the WELS in the news and the blogosphere as of late. It reminded me of a blog post by my pastor last April. May those who struggle find some comfort...Read on...
A Primer on Anfechtung | St. Antony’s Cave: A Primer on Anfechtung Posted on April 18, 2011 by Rev. Paul R. Harris
As Jerry’s fellow comedian says, “That’s pure gold Jerry; pure gold I’m telling you” when Jerry tosses him a joke as a bone to his sycophantic friend. Well my friends I toss not a bone but the whole steak. First I whet your appetite with this appetizer from Johann Gerhard: “; [T]hus does God the Lord also often allows the members of Christ to experience such anguish, so that they think nothing other than that God has forsaken them and will no longer look upon them in grace. We find such examples of temptations especially in David and Job. And with such temptations God more often assails, not the ordinary Christian, but rather the greatest saints, who have increased more than others in the knowledge of God” (History of the Suffering, Gerhard, 275)...finish the article here.
Pure Gold
Much ado about the WELS in the news and the blogosphere as of late. It reminded me of a blog post by my pastor last April. May those who struggle find some comfort...Read on...
A Primer on Anfechtung | St. Antony’s Cave: A Primer on Anfechtung Posted on April 18, 2011 by Rev. Paul R. Harris
As Jerry’s fellow comedian says, “That’s pure gold Jerry; pure gold I’m telling you” when Jerry tosses him a joke as a bone to his sycophantic friend. Well my friends I toss not a bone but the whole steak. First I whet your appetite with this appetizer from Johann Gerhard: “; [T]hus does God the Lord also often allows the members of Christ to experience such anguish, so that they think nothing other than that God has forsaken them and will no longer look upon them in grace. We find such examples of temptations especially in David and Job. And with such temptations God more often assails, not the ordinary Christian, but rather the greatest saints, who have increased more than others in the knowledge of God” (History of the Suffering, Gerhard, 275)...finish the article here.
Extra Nos: Why ex-Calvinists fall for Walther
Extra Nos: Why ex-Calvinists fall for Walther:
One will notice that ex-Calvinists becoming Lutheran get attracted to C. F. W. Walther.
Why is that the case?
Because most ex-Calvinists becoming Lutherans had the sad experience of being burnt by Calvinists teachings. You can read about their testimonies in the Internet. However, in their excitement to hurriedly know Lutheranism, rather than scrutinising the Book of Concord and going through the Scriptures evaluating if the Confession complies with Scripture, they are coached instead to read C F Dubya's works. The light starts to burn specially bright when they get to read how C F Dubya hated Calvinism.
Calvinism is not just confined to TULIP, but it is a whole world view, a paradigm, a spirit of doing theology. It is no mystery but it is well documented in history books that Lutherans have had issues with Calvinists as well as Zwinglians alike.
Where I came from, we have a funny saying, it is not the cops who hate thieves, but fellow thieves themselves.
Of course, when Lutherans read of Walther's critique of Calvinism, the Lutheran hears him singing their refrain. Walther did not like Calvinism, but his paradigm in collapsing atonement with justification and in his belief in unconditional election, makes him a psychological Calvinist himself. What is a psychological Calvinist? It is someone who operates in Calvinistic paradigm without realising or being conscious of it.
Unfortunately, only a few well educated and astute American Lutherans can see and recognise this in Walther. Those that protests and who point this out are ganged up, bullied and hurriedly shut up.
'via Blog this'
One will notice that ex-Calvinists becoming Lutheran get attracted to C. F. W. Walther.
Why is that the case?
Because most ex-Calvinists becoming Lutherans had the sad experience of being burnt by Calvinists teachings. You can read about their testimonies in the Internet. However, in their excitement to hurriedly know Lutheranism, rather than scrutinising the Book of Concord and going through the Scriptures evaluating if the Confession complies with Scripture, they are coached instead to read C F Dubya's works. The light starts to burn specially bright when they get to read how C F Dubya hated Calvinism.
Calvinism is not just confined to TULIP, but it is a whole world view, a paradigm, a spirit of doing theology. It is no mystery but it is well documented in history books that Lutherans have had issues with Calvinists as well as Zwinglians alike.
Where I came from, we have a funny saying, it is not the cops who hate thieves, but fellow thieves themselves.
Of course, when Lutherans read of Walther's critique of Calvinism, the Lutheran hears him singing their refrain. Walther did not like Calvinism, but his paradigm in collapsing atonement with justification and in his belief in unconditional election, makes him a psychological Calvinist himself. What is a psychological Calvinist? It is someone who operates in Calvinistic paradigm without realising or being conscious of it.
Unfortunately, only a few well educated and astute American Lutherans can see and recognise this in Walther. Those that protests and who point this out are ganged up, bullied and hurriedly shut up.
'via Blog this'
Labels:
C. F. W. Walther,
LPC
Joel Hochmuth Update - Disavowed by Former Employer
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Joel Hochmuth taught at Kennesaw State University and gave a presentation at the WELS Youth Rally, 2009. |
The Preliminary Hearing is at 10:00 AM December 16, 2011.
These are terms of his bond:
Not to use or possess any computer or any instrumentality that can access the internet. Not to use or possess any pornography. Defendant to have no unsupervised contact with any minors under the age of 18 (except his own children).
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http://web.kennesaw.edu/news/stories/kennesaw-state-university-statement-joel-hochmuth
Kennesaw State University Statement on Joel Hochmuth
KENNESAW, Ga. (Nov. 18, 2011) – Kennesaw State University Provost W. Ken Harmon issued the following statement today to the campus community:
“News reports from Wisconsin media outlets have come to the attention of Kennesaw State University officials regarding a former instructor employed at the university from 2003-06, who has been charged with child pornography.
Joel W. Hochmuth, 52, presently resides in Waukesha, Wisconsin.The former employee has not been affiliated with the university since 2006.
KSU officials have not been contacted by law enforcement officials or by the media in connection with this case. However, we thought it appropriate to alert the campus community to these media reports.
During 2003 and 2004, Hochmuth worked at KSU as a part-time instructor in the Communications Department. He was appointed and served as a full-time temporary instructor in the same department for the 2005-2006 academic year. He was reappointed to that position for the 2006-2007 academic year, but resigned voluntarily from the university, effective December 31, 2006.
As with all KSU employees, Hochmuth underwent a background check prior to his initial 2003 employment. That background check indicated no criminal record.
No personnel issues were identified during Hochmuth’s association with the university. He resigned and departed in good standing.”
Labels:
Joel Hochmuth,
WELS
The New Rome - How Denominations Destroy Themselves Today - Their Revolt against the Word
A WELS member sent me the link to the Joel Hochmuth arrest, which was already in a newspaper. Today a search on the story, via Google News, yields 37 or more media listings. The brain-washed do not realize that most of my information comes from within. The rest is on the Net, especially since the worst characters cannot help bragging about themselves.
When District President Ed Werner was arrested and sent to state prison for molesting girls in his own congregation, WELS only admitted to it in that region, because it was in the newspapers. However, the vast majority knew nothing about it. DP Free's son (now at The Love Shack) offered the WELS cover story as soon as Werner was arrested.
But no news is local now. I can look up the smallest local paper and find out who died and what is being offered in the school lunch program. The Survivors' Network for those Abused by Priests (SNAP) had their first successes by combining information across the country, tracing where abusive priests were moved. Many of those scandals in the Roman Catholic Church were erupting in the 1980s. The same pattern continues, but reporting is putting a crimp in the plans. One prelate is in trouble because he is remembered for praising a bishop who covered up gross child abuse by one priest. "He supported this priest, a son of the Church."
Denominations are the New Rome. They are obsessed with themselves and hate their own doctrine, whatever it might be. Institutional secrecy, felonious cover-ups, shunning, and excommunication mark their Gospel work. They all gather at Fuller Seminary, which is only good at one thing - flattering idiots into thinking that business methods do the work of the Holy Spirit. Priests train there too.
The Book of Concord shows no interest in denominations and the visible church of its time. However, Church Growth is based on business management theories and marketing, so it is obsessed with institutions. Any large congregation is good simply because it is large. Faithful members and pastors are wolves, according to a founder of Jeske's Church and Change lobby, an employee at Parlow's plagiarizing church.
The Roman Catholic Church is very good at what they do - not that we should emulate them. They allow any teaching, any deviancy, but no criticism. The Church of Rome is indefectible, they claim. A priest can be a New Ager like Jeske, but he will not be touched, no matter what absurdity he teaches, as long as he remains loyal to Rome. A priest can get himself into any kind of trouble, but he is still a priest and likely to pop up again, like Fred Adrian or Floyd Luther Stolzenburg. Money talks, doctrine walks.
The Roman Catholic leaders live like royalty and court the wealthy. The Lutheran leaders also have their trotters in the trough, with first dibs on the offering money, the Thrivent and foundation grants. A Lutheran who is faithful to Holy Mother Synod can expect to travel around the world on offering money. He can almost destroy his sect - like Pope John the Malefactor - and still travel like the Secretary of State. But if he criticizes the New Rome, he will be pushed out of his parish, treated as a leper by all, and see his family trashed at every opportunity.
The synods need a Book of Concord approach if they are going to last a few years more. The clergy and laity will need to tremble at the Word, not at the voice of the DP.
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How many Lutheran leaders know who Chytraeus is - or care who he is? |
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LutherRocks has left a new comment on your post "The New Rome - How Denominations Destroy Themselve...":
I believe it is the fulfillment of prophecy...from Revelation 17: " 1 One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls came and said to me, “Come, I will show you the punishment of the great prostitute, who sits on many waters. 2 With her the kings of the earth committed adultery and the inhabitants of the earth were intoxicated with the wine of her adulteries.”
3 Then the angel carried me away in the Spirit into a desert. There I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast that was covered with blasphemous names and had seven heads and ten horns. 4 The woman was dressed in purple and scarlet, and was glittering with gold, precious stones and pearls. She held a golden cup in her hand, filled with abominable things and the filth of her adulteries. 5 This title was written on her forehead:
MYSTERY
BABYLON THE GREAT
THE MOTHER OF PROSTITUTES
AND OF THE ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH.
6 I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints, the blood of those who bore testimony to Jesus. "
Labels:
Joel Hochmuth,
WELS
Dr. Lito Cruz on Walther, Zwingli, and Calvin
LPC has left a new comment on your post "Intrepid Lutherans: Some musings on the article of...":
Listen to what Walther said... C.F.W. Walther wrote in 1868: "…you often hear pastors preach, 'You are saved if you believe.' What they should be saying is, 'You are saved so that you might believe."
Now compare this with what Zwingli said...
"Faith itself does not save, speaking accurately, but it is a sign of salvation and election. The Father's drawing saves and justifies, and the operation of the Holy Spirit: faith, however, is the sign of all the Elect".
Can you see the difference? I don't. Of course, Walther was a sub-conscious Calvinist (and Calvin never broke free from Zwingli). He spoke like a true Zwinglian also.
In Calvinism as in UOJ, you are justified first then you have faith. This is all the result of unconditional election. Your faith is just the manifestation of justification which in eternity you already have even before you were born.
Walther said, you are saved so you might believe.
Now excuse me, where did Jesus say that?
LPC
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LPC has left a new comment on your post "Intrepid Lutherans: Some musings on the article of...":
"The doctrine that teaches such a particularism[absolute election] according to which God elected unto eternal life only certain particular persons directly without regarding faith, merely because it so pleased Him, --- this we consider Calvinistic and unchristian"--
Polycarp Leyser
(emphasis mine)
LPC
Friday, November 18, 2011
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests Issued a Statement to WELS
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WELS headquarters - Hochmuth had pornographic photos and videos of young boys here. |
SNAP Response
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests released a statement on this case.
"If the charges against Hochmuth turn out to be credible, it is important to know what steps the Synod president is going to implement to protect children. (The synod president) should immediately notify the congregations of the Synod of the charges that have been made against Hochmuth," SNAP said.
Read more: http://www.wisn.com/news/29790392/detail.html#ixzz1e7mE5HLS
SNAP News
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Journal Sentinel Update
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Viewing is possession, the court rules.
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Faith Watch
Labels:
Joel Hochmuth,
WELS
Wisconsin Synod President Claims Uncertainty 48 Hours after Hochmuth Confessed to Federal Crimes.
Hochmuth Fired Friday
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WELS Synod President Mark Schroeder |
AC V has left a new comment on your post "Readers' Comments on the WELS Child Pornography Ca...":
Time line:
Thursday night, Schroeder "Together":
"We take allegations such as these very seriously and emphasize that WELS has absolutely no tolerance for the kind of behavior that has been alleged. Hochmuth’s employment with the synod has been suspended until the facts of the case are fully known."
Wednesday night, various news sources:
"The Rev. Mark Schroeder, president of WELS, said he learned about Hochmuth’s arrest Wednesday evening ... The church official knows limited details about Hochmuth’s arrest, he said, mostly gained from a police report and information in the media."
Tuesday, various news sources:
"A Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod employee was arrested Tuesday on child pornography charges, according to Waukesha police."
"Hochmuth told authorities that the number of images found on his computer in Waukesha 'was nothing compared to what they would find in his office,' the complaint states."
----
Criminal Complaint:
Tuesday:
...and officers obtained a warrant to search the defendant’s residence on November 15, 2011...
The defendant admitted to using the home computer in the
basement to upload and download these images at least once. At one point, the defendant’s wife caught
him viewing these images, and they had gone to counseling as a result...
Officers then executed a search warrant at the defendant’s office, and they located a computer as well as three thumb drives.
---
by Michele McCormack
Story Created: Nov 18, 2011 CST
Story Updated: Nov 18, 2011
WAUKESHA- On Friday, Joel Hochmuth, the communications director of a local church group posted bail after being arrested on child porn charges.
Bail had been set at $20,000 Thursday after the 52 year old was formally charged with three counts of possessing child pornography.
Within hours, The Rev. Mark Schroeder, president of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, released the following statement:
"We immediately suspended Mr. Hochmuth after learning of this matter and effective today his employment was terminated. Communication duties have been reassigned internally, and we are moving forward with our work and our ministry.
"WELS holds it employees to high ethical and moral standards; we will not and cannot tolerate behavior that goes against these principles. As we've shared with our Church leadership nationwide, we continue to pray for all who have been affected by these events, and we are cooperating fully with the authorities as this matter works its way through the legal process."
The criminal complaint say Hockmuth admitted to struggling with a pornography problem.
His lawyer later qualified the statement that it was an adult porn addiction not child porn.
Investigators executive a search warrant on his Waukesha County home Wednesday and say they found multiple images of child porn.
---
Criminal Complaint:
"The defendant stated that he has been struggling with an addiction to viewing pornographic photos and videos of young boys in sexually explicit poses."
Labels:
Joel Hochmuth,
WELS
Catholics are buying bankrupt Crystal Cathedral megachurch | The Lookout - Yahoo! News
Catholics are buying bankrupt Crystal Cathedral megachurch | The Lookout - Yahoo! News:
'via Blog this'
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Schuller started the Church Growth Movement. Now he is watching the monument to his ego sold to the Roman Catholic Church. If only Paul Kelm had organized his cell groups there... |
'via Blog this'
Intrepid Lutherans: Some musings on the article of election
Intrepid Lutherans: Some musings on the article of election:
GJ - The article on election in the Formula of Concord should be studied and re-read by everyone.
'via Blog this'
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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Intrepid Lutherans: Some musings on the article of...":
Note that there is additional significance to the Book of Concord addressing the doctrine of Election.
Those who defend and promote the false gospel of Universal Objective Justification know that the teaching is not taught in the BOC. When challenged on this they will invariably state that the BOC was only intent on addressing the Roman Catholic Church's false gospel of Work Righteousness by teaching Subjective Justification and as such never addresses Objective Justification. This is a baseless lie since the doctrine of Election was not under contention but included in the BOC in order to make a clear confession. If the authors of the BOC clarified their confession on the unchallenged doctrine of Election why didn't they clearly and fully document their confession of UOJ? UOJ is even more offensive to the RCC since it declares not only those with faith forgiven but the whole unbelieving world forgiven and righteous -regardless of works.
UOJ isn't in the BOC because it isn't taught in Scripture and in fact contradicts and perverts Christ's pure Word.
***
GJ - Because the Book of Concord is not taught adequately, few realize the genius level of the theologians around Luther. God certainly provided two or more generations of faithful, orthodox, prolific Gospel leaders.
This is significant because the men from the Book of Concord generation slapped down the ridiculous UOJ of Samuel Huber and kicked his Enthusiastic rear off the faculty at Wittenberg.
Leyser, who wrote the biography of Chemnitz, was one of those men. Huber taught that every single person was justified, forgiven, saved.
GJ - The article on election in the Formula of Concord should be studied and re-read by everyone.
'via Blog this'
---
Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Intrepid Lutherans: Some musings on the article of...":
Note that there is additional significance to the Book of Concord addressing the doctrine of Election.
Those who defend and promote the false gospel of Universal Objective Justification know that the teaching is not taught in the BOC. When challenged on this they will invariably state that the BOC was only intent on addressing the Roman Catholic Church's false gospel of Work Righteousness by teaching Subjective Justification and as such never addresses Objective Justification. This is a baseless lie since the doctrine of Election was not under contention but included in the BOC in order to make a clear confession. If the authors of the BOC clarified their confession on the unchallenged doctrine of Election why didn't they clearly and fully document their confession of UOJ? UOJ is even more offensive to the RCC since it declares not only those with faith forgiven but the whole unbelieving world forgiven and righteous -regardless of works.
UOJ isn't in the BOC because it isn't taught in Scripture and in fact contradicts and perverts Christ's pure Word.
***
GJ - Because the Book of Concord is not taught adequately, few realize the genius level of the theologians around Luther. God certainly provided two or more generations of faithful, orthodox, prolific Gospel leaders.
- Luther and Melanchthon were two of the greatest theologians of all time.
- Both men trained Martin Chemnitz, senior editor of the Book of Concord.
- Chytraeus wrote works that were kept in print over 100 years.
- Polycarp Leyser also served as an editor of the Lutheran Symbols (as they are sometimes called).
- Chemnitz worked with J. Gerhard, co-authoring a giant work.
- Gerhard produced some of the finest works of Christian theology, now available in English through Repristination Press.
This is significant because the men from the Book of Concord generation slapped down the ridiculous UOJ of Samuel Huber and kicked his Enthusiastic rear off the faculty at Wittenberg.
Leyser, who wrote the biography of Chemnitz, was one of those men. Huber taught that every single person was justified, forgiven, saved.
Labels:
Book of Concord
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