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| The Seven-Headed Luther is the basis for The "Facts" about Luther, a bitter and bigoted book of falsehoods about Luther, sold by Herman Otten as part of his Reformation package. |
Many Lutheran pastors consider themselves conservatives, but when tested by any issue, remain synod loyalists. In many cases they are stomach-loyalists, always considering the potential price of bearing the cross and thereby missing a meal.
They say they are believers, but really are not. They believe in the power of Holy Mother Synod - all powerful and wise - but not in the power of God, Who is treated as unable to take care of the faithful.
At the height of the conflict in the Fox Valley Circuit, several years ago, the Intrepid Lutherans said and did nothing at the district convention. I know someone who attended that meeting simply to witness something being done--or at least said--about the Anything Goes district of WELS. Tim Glende, Ski, and Deputy Doug excommunicated a long-time member of St. Peter in Freedom, Wisconsin, while pretending to discuss matters with him. The member, an attorney, was understandably upset about the two pastors plagiarizing Craig Groeschel in all their sermons. Tim even lied about this dishonesty, denying that he was stealing sermons from Groeschel and taking credit for doing the work of pastor.
Notice how the Mark Schroeder administration has protected and funded Tim Glende.
The circuit pastor who tried to do something about the plagiarism was replaced. The assistant pastor dishonestly hired to share in the stealing was allowed to take another call. The honest member was kicked out in a disgraceful and duplicitous manner. And Deputy Doug defended clergy plagiarism in his epic paper, A Clarion Call. The Intrepids, or some members of the group, were treated like dirt. But they said nothing and did nothing. Everything is fine.
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| Missing man formation. The missing man is Circuit Pastor Steve Spencer. |
Synod Pope Mark Schroeder wanted the Intrepids started as a lobby to back him and counter the influence of Church and Change, headed by Mark and Avoid Jeske. The first conference, this year, provided an excuse to break up the group, when Pastor Paul Rydecki gave a paper where he included a reference to justification by faith.
Suddenly, District Pope Jon Buchholz decided he had a monstrous heresy threatening to obliterate the entire synod - justification by faith. The same DP who could do nothing about Jeff Gunn in four years went hair-on-fire in four months to get rid of his circuit pastor, publicly calling him a false teacher while promising to study the matter in the coming months. Who appoints the circuit pastors in WELS? The DPs do. So Buchholz was trusted to be the Circuit Pastor for a period of time but was suddenly forced out after giving one paper? Bizarre and unstable behavior - by the DP.
Buchholz claimed that no other district pastor agreed with justification by faith, a claim that would be difficult to support anywhere in WELS. Many grew up with Gausewitz and also study the Book of Concord. Papenfuss admitted in Kokomo that he never heard of UOJ until he got to The Sausage Factory.
Some pastors in the district agreed with Rydecki, I have heard. No district discussion or study was allowed because Buchholz suspended Rydecki by mail--such courage!, such audacity! When Buchholz solemnly declared his latest version of UOJ, the district pastors said nothing at the meeting. Buchholz agrees with Roman Catholic doctrine - the pope is infallible and irreformable. His decrees are not subject to the consent of the Church. (Schaff, Creeds, II, p. 234ff. Cited in Heick, II, p. 313)
Whenever the infallibility of the Word is transferred to a person, there is a papacy. It is true, to quote Frosty Bivens, that WELS is small potatoes. And it is true that absolute power corrupts absolutely, but it also rocks absolutely.
I am dying to read their Reformation sermons, those pastors who agreed with justification by faith in secret but silenced themselves in public.
Will they praise Luther for his bold stand against the pope, risking his life for many years just for teaching the Word of God?
Will they sing ELCA's "Lift High the Cross" this Sunday?
I hope the synod-loyalists avoid real Lutheran Reformation hymns this Sunday:
- Zion Mourns - a real downer, very upsetting, pass the pizza and beer.
- A Mighty Fortress (which should be A Holy Mother Is Our WELS, A Source of Food and Housing).
- Selnecker's Lord Jesus Christ - bad news, a wobbly Lutheran became a Concordist.
- Lord Keep Us Steadfast in Your Word - inappropriate
- Any hymn by Gerhardt - that man was a fanatic!
