Ichabod - Am I the Loose Canon? Or Is WELS the unrepentant Loose
[Universalism] Canon? [I think so]
This (past) week
I've received two emails from WELS president Rev. Mark Schroeder. I gain the
impression that he is taking exception to my public remarks here on
Ichabod. But, how could that be since
[I understand] WELS has apparently cursed Ichabod and spreads that same
anathema to whomever WELS pastor or member should access your website! Perhaps,
though, President Schroeder arbitrarily and capriciously, in universalism
fashion, absolved himself from such a bureaucratic pronouncement ban.
The SP Schroeder First Email:
The first email was
of a vague and general nature. Basically, it stated that I should go to the
horse's mouth if I have “concerns” or “criticisms" of the WELS
presidential leadership and the synod's doctrinal stance. Also, he seemed to be
speaking for my congregation's pastor, [who has basically shunned me] - saying
that if I had any "questions" or “concerns” of “his preaching” or
“other actions” that I should speak in private with him. And, Rev. Mark
Schroeder ended the email with him urging me to phone him.
My Email Response:
I then responded
with the following email follow-up:
Rev. President Mark
Schroeder,
I found your recent
email to me [yesterday - found, below] to be of a general nature. Could you
spell out that which (apparently) concerns you? Please be specific.
Sincerely,
Nathan M. Bickel -
emeritus pastor
SP Schroeder's 2nd Email Reply [Response] to
my sole email:
So, I received in
my email box the synodical president's reply. And, that too, was of a general
nature. This time again, he urged me to phone him. He still was unspecific and
vague, but, he did mention that I have "voiced criticisms and
concerns" about him, ["synodical 'leaders'"]. Also, that I had
"voiced criticisms and concerns" about "synodical matters
(including doctrine)." He then urged me to call him so that if I would
critically speak anymore in public, that I would have some "factual
information." [Aka - the official synodical party line] He then concocted
an analogy of a church member directly speaking to his pastor of any concerns
and applied that to himself and me, as a synodical member.
Ichabod - You just published my comment about how it is a one way street
with WELS synodical bureaucratic officials and their lock-in-step pastors.
Here, is the link for anyone to read:
“Some People
Appreciate the News:”
I’m convinced that WELS
bureaucracy and bow down pastors feel free to disseminate their false doctrine
and encourage it in public. But, woe to any peon of synod [membership] who
publicly mentions what is being preached and taught by them in public. To synod
officials and to certain synod pastors, it is a one-way street. They want their
cake; and they want to eat it too. They want the liberty of publicly teaching,
preaching, and promulgating their universal objective justification
anti-Scriptural; anti-Confessions; and anti-Lutheran false doctrine. But, woe
to anyone who stands in their way calling them to account. That person is then
anathema and is to be taken in private and slapped up by their secretive closed
door work-over.
No - Ichabod, I am not foolish enough to be taken to the
WELS bureaucratic shed and forced to whip myself, each time by shouting at
myself: "Bad! Nathan!” “Bad! Nathan!” I will not allow anyone from WELS to
scold or hound me - especially when those with whom I highlighted, have not admitted
and repented of the errors of their universalism false teaching ways!
Rather, than deal
with what I've called attention [to] on Ichabod, I gain the impression that
WELS (as represented by its synodical president) isn't repentant of its
doctrinal error. No, - instead I will be chosen to be a (smoke-screen) boogeyman
for them to exploit and stereotype as a loose canon, - all the while WELS
leadership, its publications and (certain) pastors continue spreading false
teaching contrary to Scripture; the Book of Concord and Luther; - all contrary
to the clear teaching of Holy Writ which concisely states that a human soul is
justified by God's grace through faith! [Ephesians 2:8-9] Instead, sadly, they
make Christ’s Atonement to be everything and scratch [out] the Holy Spirit’s
beginning to end work in the human soul’s regenerating process. [John 3:1-21 in
context] Then, as a fall-out result, the false teaching brings into the church
all sorts of negative and destructive implications:
"UOJ Questions
Answered: Enthusiasm Breeds Enthusiasm: Church Growth and Pentecostal:"
Finally -
Just to make it
easier for the web reader; - they [you] may access some of my published
articles here on Ichabod by typing in my name in the search box. Here,
following, is an example where I offer 3 specific occasions at my Bethel
Lutheran Bay County, Michigan WELS congregation, the false teaching of
universal objective justification. I could provide some other examples, but why
make this article any longer?
"Pastor Nathan
Bickel on UOJ in WELS. Aaron Frey Still Preaching in WELS. How Far Will He Go?”
Also:
"Pastor Nathan
Bickel on UOJ:"
In conclusion, there are many articles and comments here
on Ichabod [other than my own] which are rich in value. Thanks, again, Ichabod and
those commenting for trumpeting the error of UOJ - universal objective
justification!
Nathan M. Bickel –
emeritus pastor
www.thechristianmessage.org
www.moralmatters.org
P.S.
-- A
note to those who may feel intimidated by a pastor, teacher or bureaucratic
church official over your voiced concern of false teaching:
Never allow someone
to defraud [cheat] you of your opinion when you have in good conscience voiced
that concern, based upon the teaching of Scripture. And, beware of those who
“say” they subscribe to Scripture and the church’s confessions. Listen closely to
what they preach and teach; and watch what they practice and promulgate.
