Pastor Kevin Hastings - About Historic St. John Lutheran Church, Milwaukee.

Pastor Kevin Hastings:
From St. John's: There came four daughter congregations, St. Peter's, St. Marcus, and Apostles and St. Philips. Three synod presidents served there: Streissguth, Bading and Brenner. The Synodical Conference held its first convention atSt. John's in 1872, which Pastor Bading chaired from 1872 - 1912. 

From St. John's church, the old Seminary on 60th St. was dedicated, and the "new seminary" and its budget was overseen by Pastor Brenner, with the result that the Synod did not go head over heels in debt after its dedication in 1929, the year the Great Depression began. St. John's shared Pastor Brenner as President Brenner from 1933 to 1953, the Depression years and War Years. 

It founded four other congregations, and operated, at one time, four mission schools. It's own mission school closed in 1960, 25 years after Grace downtown closed its school, ten years after Trinity, LCMS. In the 1980's, without proper facilities, the congregation conducted a VBS with up to 60 children in attendance.

Pastor Kevin Hastings:
Who wants this to end? Who wants to turn the back on so much that went before and established what once was? In the 1990's money "counselors" "received from St. John's more than the church had for itself, for "missions", unknown to the remnant of the congregation. 

I believe there is an astounding debt owed St. John's by its mission beneficiaries and by its Lutheran recipients of the orthodoxy established by Bading, and his beloved colleagues C.F.W. Walther and Adolf Hoenecke. Nor should those be forgotten who were so instrumental as leaders, classmates of long ago - John Brenner and J.P. Meyer. "Remember your leaders who spoke the Word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever." I remember 26 years, but I cherish from God the 118 years that went before. Do you?

Pastor Kevin Hastings:

The old federated Synod of Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota held its first convention at 8th and Vliet as well - celebrated 100 years later in 1992 with presentations by the sainted Professor Fredrich and John Brenner.

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GJ - Repeating its habits from the good ol' Protest'ant days, WELS kicked the pastor and congregation out of the synod. The DP who did this is one of the original Church and Changers, the same one who refused to do anything about Mark and Avoid Jeske.

David Rutschow endorsed Church Growth early, in TELL, and was elected DP - still is.
SP Schroeder also wrote an article for TELL.