 |
| Mark Jeske sits on the board of directors, for great justice. |
LPC has left a new comment on your post "SP Harrison's Testimony before Congress...And Luth...":
Pr. Greg,
I think the point is the hypocrisy. Seems like this point you are making is being missed.
LC-MS ministers constantly bag ELCA (see McCain on how he bags them), yet officially in the upper level, their synods are in cahoots, with LC-MS receiving Thrivent money etc.
It is like someone receiving money from abortionists while he criticises abortionists themselves.
In short, the moral high ground is really and simply - just grandstanding.
I suspect that is what Lutherans got with SP Harrison.
LPC
---
"Dear Friends, AAL is committed to helping Lutherans and assisting Lutheran congregations. That has long been a primary purpose of the organization, as stated in AAL's articles of incorporation. In pursuing this intention, we've often gathered information that helps us to better serve Lutherans and their institutions." Richard L. Gunderson, Church Membership Initiative, Narrative Summary of Findings, 1993, Aid Association for Lutherans, 4321 N Ballard Road, Appleton, WI, 54919-0001, 414-734-5721, June 30, 1993.
"To the reader: This binder contains a summary of activities and findings of the Church Membership Initiative funded by AAL. A meeting in February, 1993 at Orlando involving congregational participants and church executives was phase three. This summary focuses on the findings of phases one and two. As is the nature of such studies, emphasis is on research and statistical analysis. Such studies do provide helpful indicators. Such an approach, however, cannot directly reflect spiritual reality, which must remain with the judgment of those dispensing the means of grace. Phase four--utilization of information coming out of the first three phases--is open ended for whatever church body [ELCA, WELS, LCMS] will determine such use to be."
Rev. Wayne Borgwardt [WELS], Church Membership Initiative, Narrative Summary of Findings, 1993, Aid Association for Lutherans, 4321 N Ballard Road, Appleton, WI, 54919-0001, June 30, 1993. Five copies at Martin Luther College (WELS). BV 4523 .C48 1993 c.5
"In 1970 there were 500,000 more baptized members of Lutheran congregations than was the case in 1990. The Church Membership Initiative project was undertaken to understand and address this decline... Contact:
- Rev. Mary Ann Moller-Gunderson, Executive Director, Division for Congregational Ministries, Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, 8765 W Higgins Road, Chicago, IL, 60631, 312-380-2570;
- Rev. Lyle Muller, Executive Director, Board for Evangelism Services, The Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, 1333 S Kirkwood Road, St. Louis, MO, 63122-7295, 314-965-9000;
- Rev. Wayne Borgwardt, Administrator for Worker Training, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, 2929 N Mayfair Road, Milwaukee, WI, 53222, 414-256-3236;
- Mr. Douglas Olson, Aid Association for Lutherans, 4321 N Ballard Road, Appleton, WI, 54919, 414-734-5721." Church Membership Initiative, Narrative Summary of Findings, 1993, Aid Association for Lutherans, 4321 N Ballard Road, Appleton, WI, 54919-0001, June 30, 1993.
"The IMAGINE 2000+ A.D. symposium involved the gathering of 61 growing congregations to describe their ministry. The congregations were grouped with other congregations of similar size and ministry setting."
Church Membership Initiative, Narrative Summary of Findings, 1993, Aid Association for Lutherans, 4321 N Ballard Road, Appleton, WI, 54919-0001, June 30, 1993. p. 12.
"Four people from each of 61 growing congregations gathered to share their congregational development experience, to react to the utility of toolbox items uncovered in Sections 2B and 2C above, and to exchange views with church body officials. Approximately 125 church body officials [ELCA, WELS, LCMS] and other guests observed these congregations and participated in the discussions."
Church Membership Initiative, Narrative Summary of Findings, 1993, Aid Association for Lutherans, 4321 N Ballard Road, Appleton, WI, 54919-0001, June 30, 1993. p. 20.
"This does not mean that judicatory (ELCA synods, LCMS districts, WELS districts) and national expressions of the church bodies are not involved. They can play key roles in assisting congregations." Church Membership Initiative, Narrative Summary of Findings, 1993, Aid Association for Lutherans, 4321 N Ballard Road, Appleton, WI, 54919-0001, June 30, 1993. p. 5.
"In-person interviews were held with ELCA, LCMS and WELS national office personnel who are responsible for evangelism, outreach, North American activities, and ministries to people of color." Church Membership Initiative, Narrative Summary of Findings, 1993, Aid Association for Lutherans, 4321 N Ballard Road, Appleton, WI, 54919-0001, June 30, 1993. p. 5.
"Congregational growth, stability, and decline patterns were analyzed for all Lutheran congregations within each of three church bodies (ELCA, LCMS, WELS)."
Church Membership Initiative, Narrative Summary of Findings, 1993, Aid Association for Lutherans, 4321 N Ballard Road, Appleton, WI, 54919-0001, June 30, 1993. p. 9.
***
GJ - I used to publish all these examples of joint ELCA-LCMS-WELS ministries. They even had a joint worship program on the radio, called "Joy" or was it "The Joy of Sects"? I forget.
The WELS defense of the radio show was two-fold - "It's a lie!" That sounds familiar. Another defense was, "There was music on the program but no words sung."
WELS was very upset that I got the truth from ELCA on this. I even had an official denial on SP Mischke's letterhead (from a source).
After various verbatim examples published in Christian News, including the ELCA-LCMS-WELS leadership meeting at Snowbird, the blabber in the insurance magazines was suddenly stilled. It was like walking outside with locusts singing away, then becoming silent at once. Ominous.
All the while WELS and Missouri continue to look down their Pinocchio noses about the horrid sinfulness and unionism of ELCA. They praise God they are not unionistic like ELCA.
Many more projects happen on the local level too. The money goes into one pot. The three or more synods sit on local management boards and pass out the loot, some of it to themselves, of course.
Nothing has changed, although most of the unionism is hidden.
 |
| Change or Die missing. Ten Talents for Christ - missing. Ichabod effect - or server maintenance? |
Mark Jeske has third Change or Die! conference coming up, with ELCA-WELS-LCMS jointly leading their three synods in jet-ski ministry hallucinations. [GJ - Note the URL for Ten Talents for Christ - Change or Die is not working at all. Has it been Kilcreased or is it just site maintencance? Aren't you glad I preserved the agenda?]
Change or Die 2012
Stories from Lutheran Ministries that Are Growing
Thursday, February 23
The Harley Davidson Museum Conference Facility
Agenda
1:00 p.m. Registration
1:30 Welcome, Introductions, Thanks, Instructions ….Rev. Mark Jeske
1:45 The Story of St. Andrew’s, Middleton and Waunakee ….Rev. Randy Hunter
2:15 Discussion
3:30 The Story of Hephatha, Milwaukee ..…..Rev. Mary Martha Kannass
3:00 Discussion
3:15 Break
3:30 The Story of Faith, Milwaukee …Revs. Richard Peterson and Richard Suerro
4:00 Discussion
4:15 The Story of Risen Savior, Milwaukee .…Rev. Ken Fisher
4:45 Discussion
5:00 Roundtable Reflections (Cocktails)
5:30 Dinner
6:30 The Story of LINC Twin Cities …..Mrs. Sue Hewitt
7:00 Discussion
7:15 The Story of Shepherd of the Hills, Pewaukee …..Rev. Tom Wink
7:45 Discussion
8:00 Wrap-Up
***
GJ - Hephatha, Milwaukee is ELCA. Here is one link from their ELCA partner.
Here is an ELCA news story mentioning Hephatha.
Randy Hunter is well known in WELS for the Latte Church - with the woman pastor "administering the Means of Grace."
Ken Fisher is the WELS expert on getting grant money, not that Jeske is slack on using Other People's Money.
LINC seems to be a front for ABCD, whatever that is or does.
Shepherd of the Hills is a Missouri Synod cell group congregation.
Faith, Milwaukee is another ELCA parish:
"Richard Suero student at Lutheran School of Theology in Chicago, and member of our Mission partner congregation, Faith/Santa Fe Lutheran Church in Milwaukee (The pastor at Faith/Santa Fe is a “son of Augustana,*” Richard Peterson) the Grow-Hanson family ELCA missionaries in Senegal."
*Augustana is a Reconciled in Christ congregation.
***
The most disturbing question should be, "Why are Missouri and WELS so eager to show their unity with ELCA?"
The only answer can be - doctrinal indifference. UOJ is the perfect stance for unionistic work with any denomination, any religion.
Mama sow does not have separate spigots for each sect, so they can keep separate. Mama sow has one - because they are all working together. If it is so wonderful, why do Missouri and WELS lie about it? If ELCA is so horrible, why is this an ongoing issue?
