VirtueOnline - News - Exclusives - The Covenant is Dead. Long Live the Jerusalem Declaration

Bishop Bennison was eye-witness to his brother having sex with a minor,
but did nothing.
A conservative Lutheran would notify the police, wouldn't he?
But UOJ claims every child rapist is forgiven.

VirtueOnline - News - Exclusives - The Covenant is Dead. Long Live the Jerusalem Declaration:


It should be apparent by now to most Anglicans that the Covenant - the brainchild of the Archbishop of Canterbury - designed to hold the communion together, is dead in the water. The proposed Covenant that was designed, in some sense, to hold the world-wide Anglican Communion together amid divisions over homosexuality and same sex unions has, to all intents and purposes, failed.

The Covenant will be presented at TEC's GC2012 in Indianapolis, but there is little hope for its passage. Liberals and revisionists alike will trash it as they balk at any attempt to hold them accountable with disciplinary Section 4 hanging over them like a Damoclean Sword. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori has already declared that the Covenant is "past its shelf life" which is surely the kiss of death. Few if any in the HOB or HOD will challenge her.

Among the many reasons it has gone the way of the Dodo bird is that those who read it thought it ceded too much power to the Archbishop of Canterbury who might act in a papal like manner by declaring who was in violation of the Covenant and then act accordingly. But that would require a set of ecclesiastical cojones he does not possess nor would exercise even if he had them. Dr. Williams' style has never been confrontational or coercive. He has preferred to raise questions he would not answer.

Of course no one can tell a partnership of autonomous provinces with some theological diversity what to do and think. The Anglican Communion is not the Roman Catholic Church with Papal authority backed up by a Magisterium to deal with "scandalous and ungodly behavior". The Anglican Communion is more of a federation tied loosely together by the 39 Articles of Faith, Holy Scripture (when it is not being disemboweled on a phallic revisionist cross), a creed (that many bishops say with their fingers crossed behind their cassocks), and a neutered Prayer Book.

The truth is the covenant has been trounced in one diocese after another in the UK and USA. It is a death by a thousand cuts. A majority of diocesan synods have defeated the Covenant which means that it cannot be debated by General Synod - the diocesan synods have killed it by a majority of roughly 2 to 1.

Canon lawyer Allan Haley said the Covenant was designed to resolve disputes and strengthen unity, yet it is clear that Anglicans do not do "punitive action" (or unity) very well: we do not even do suspension, preferring instead the euphemistic "withdraw from public ministry". So we can forget anathematization or excommunication.

It is more than probable that when Dr. Williams exits as Archbishop of Canterbury in December, the Covenant will finally die with him. If all 38 Provinces in the Communion do not unanimously approve the Covenant, it cannot be authoritatively accepted.

THE JERUSALEM DECLARATION

By contrast, the Jerusalem Declaration is explicit where the Covenant is implicit. The Declaration affirms: "We rejoice in the gospel of God through which we have been saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit. We believe the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments to be the Word of God written and to contain all things necessary for salvation. We uphold the four Ecumenical Councils and the three historic Creeds as expressing the rule of faith of the one holy catholic and apostolic Church. We uphold the Thirty-nine Articles as containing the true doctrine of the Church agreeing with God's Word and as authoritative for Anglicans today. We gladly proclaim and submit to the unique and universal Lordship of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, humanity's only Saviour from sin, judgment and hell, who lived the life we could not live and died the death that we deserve. Not least the Declaration acknowledge God's creation of humankind as male and female and the unchangeable standard of Christian marriage between one man and one woman as the proper place for sexual intimacy and the basis of the family. We repent of our failures to maintain this standard and call for a renewed commitment to lifelong fidelity in marriage and abstinence for those who are not married."

The last sentence is the clincher as it separates the covenant from the GAFCON Declaration.

The liberal progressive, revisionist western Anglican provinces would never sign on to such a statement. That is the very reason why it should be on the agenda and pushed in London this week. It is the only hope for the Anglican Communion.


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Stand Firm: The Four Stages of Church Growth Disease

Stand Firm: The Four Stages of Church Growth Disease:


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More on Luther's Sermons

Martin Luther is still reviled today - especially by "Lutherans."

Luther's Sermons are especially important for Christians today. The Reformer was not interested in his name or his organization, but Biblical preaching. He knew that the Apostolic Church grew by preaching the Word of God.

Lenski is the only Lutheran leader I can quote in agreement with Luther - in the last century. Lenski (a former parish pastor and district president) said that programs come and go. The church is built on the Word alone.

Church officials today have manipulated the members and pastors into thinking that their synods need more buildings, magazine, and bureaucrats. They take men out of the preaching ministry, give them assistants, and pay them the highest salaries. No wonder that district and synod headquarters eat up all the money raised in the name of missions. They should rename the offering for the synod - The Emissions Offering, because they are just paying for more emissions from the synod drones.

Norma Boeckler mentioned that our little group does not need to own a building to send Luther's Sermons all over the world.

The laity can use these sermons as Bible studies, meditations, and supplements to the Sunday sermon. If I post my blog right each Saturday I will have the current Luther sermon or sermons linked on that page. That will make them easier to find.

I challenge anyone to say, "I know these sermons so well that I no longer need to read them." I was reading a volume today in the waiting room (everyone's fine). I kept thinking, "What a good point about those few words." I have read many of the volumes to my wife. I have studied them for quotations, copied their quotations, and gone over the quotations in preparing various articles and books.

But I enjoy Luther's sermons now even more than before.

The sermons are keyed to the historic pericopes, which Luther preached on. Once he preached on the Gospel of John. Those sermons are masterpieces, even though he took on that job reluctantly when he wanted to be retired. He was my age when he died. I hope I have many more years to do more Luther publishing on the Net.

Pastors can use these sermons as their Biblical and doctrinal studies. Luther's sermons are meditations, devotionals,  and doctrinal confessions - all at the same time. Luther towers over all other preachers and theologians, not for being difficult, but for being in complete harmony with the Word of God.

Luther encourages pastors to be faithful and to trust in God. He is a spiritual doctor as well as a Biblical doctor. He earned his doctorate at a Catholic university instead of Fuller, but he is still the best.

Dual Post: Autism Awareness Day – Necessary Roughness

Dual Post: Autism Awareness Day – Necessary Roughness:


The better half made some comments on Facebook today that I thought needed some syndication. After her comments, I added some of my own.

Today is World Autism Awareness Day as well as Light it Up Blue for Autism Speaks Day. The entire month of April is Autism Awareness month. This all sounds great, right? As the day has gone on, I have grown more angry, frustrated, and sad – the most I have been since April of 2006. Awareness and advocacy are great words, but as CDC released new numbers just days ago, it seems there is NOTHING behind these words. As I sat at advocacy training last week with other parents and professionals, the level of desperation that exuded from these parents and professionals was unbelievable. The fact that ALL of our Ohio legislators were then invited to a cocktail party and approximately 4 or 5 of them even bothered to show up shows a height of APATHY that is extraordinary. The fact that there is no help, no funding, no services, no insurance, and we can’t get more than 4-5 of our legislators to come for free drinks and snacks for 30 minutes to listen to our stories, should tell us all something.

I listen to other autism moms who have had to sue the state in order to get the services they need for their children, the mom in a neighboring school district whose 3.5-year-old’s IEP has just been taken away so the district won’t have to pay for the autism scholarship, the older mom whose 25-year-old is living in a group home and now isn’t sure that the group homes are going to be funded appropriately in Ohio and she can’t DIE because she doesn’t know what will happen to her child. I watch my child take handfuls of pills in the morning and evening and when we go to the doctor, the question is, “What are we missing?” I feel her head press against mine in church and her push my hand over her ear so tightly that it causes pain to my hand and know that she is feeling physical pain from the music and knowing there is nothing I can do to help her. I speak out for her as well as other special needs children and I watch myself get “unfriended” on facebook as these special kids might bother your typical kid from learning.

So instead of just being AWARE, we NEED to take the next step. I don’t know yet what it is, but we have to come up with something more. Something for the 1 in 88 across the nation, the 1 in 32 boys in Utah, the 1 of 2 at the house.

Not that anything needs to be added to the better half’s remarks, but I would like to add that there have been successes here at the house just from watching one kid when she’s healthy or sick, when she’s having a terrible day or a great day at school, etc., that there have been successes in our kid’s IEP (Mom’s a good fighter), that the other day she asked me if I was OK and offered to rub my back when it popped heinously…and if this family can have some level of success just by reacting, how much success can the right company with the right study have?

Surely there has to be people smarter than we are who with the right salary, motivation, etc., can put the two-and-twos together to break the mysteries that are the Autism Spectrum Disorder wide open, if one mom’s vigilance can put a significant dent in a child’s autism.

Think how much money could be made by a company whose customers are no longer forking money out for supplements, occupational therapists, speech therapists, tutors, special education teachers, guardians, homes, etc., etc., etc., and buying their beneficial treatment that works with a demonstrable pathology. The people that find the cure(s) will put Apple and Pfizer to shame, and they would have the undying gratitude of millions. Do it for the money. Do it for the gratitude. Do it because finding answers is what we human beings do. But do it. Please.


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rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "Dual Post: Autism Awareness Day – Necessary Roughn...":

Thank you for posting this. Our youngest son is Autistic. Our family has been neck deep in this for the past 12 years. I have seen a lot of carpetbaggers come and go, thinking that they can make a quick buck off of the hardship that they families must endure. I call Autism "The Great Equalizer". One benefit that I have received from this is sharp discernment. When I speak to someone about dealing with Autism, I can tell within 30 seconds if they get it or not. Their body language tells it all. My wife and I found this out when we tried to get our son to be enrolled part time at our congregation's Lutheran Elementary School. Only one member of the Board of Education actually listened to us. The rest were empty suits who were fidgeting and glassy eyed during our meetings. My wife now home schools our son because that was the only alternative left. Quite frankly, I think that Autism Awareness Month is a big waste of time. Politicians will only look to the next election. The quality of special education varies between school districts. Some parents just give up because the effort is so overwhelming. Every day can be a challenge and you are always on your toes.

***

GJ - People may think the Bruce Church comment below is out of place. It is one way he sends me material, but it fits perfectly here. The Church Shrinkers always boast about how much they love Jesus, but they are hot air merchants who diminish what is done for others.

It used to be that a congregation felt they had a special purpose for children and adults who were outside the norms. No longer. They want CPAs and lawyers with two perfect children and a double income. Church Shrinkers always have dollar signs in their eyes.

In congregational work I have had agencies bring people to my church, because of the attitude in the parish. I also have had the privilege of having disabled students in my classes at the college level. One young man took computer science from me, although he was blind, without legs, and left with one arm - from a shooting. His cousin was wheeling him into the crowded classroom, bumping his stumps on every desk-chair. I said, "Don't worry. He's already disabled." He laughed with me. We taught the class to lighten up.

He showed me his video of parachuting from a plane, something I would hesitate to do.

Congregations will open the door to many new experiences if they display the first fruit of the Spirit - love. If they are lacking, it may be the result of no faith.

8. For the nature of faith is that it expects all good from God, and relies only on God. For from this faith man knows God, how he is good and gracious, that by reason of such knowledge his heart becomes so tender and merciful, that he wishes cheerfully to do to every one, as he experiences God has done to him. Therefore he breaks forth with love and serves his neighbor out of his whole heart, with his body and life, with his means and honor, with his soul and spirit, and makes him partaker of all he has, just like God did to him. Therefore he does not look after the healthy, the high, the strong, the rich, the noble, the holy persons, who do not need his care; but he looks after the sick, the weak, the poor, the despised, the sinful people, to whom he can be of benefit, and among whom he can exercise his tender heart, and do to them as God has done to him.
Luther, First Sunday after Trinity

Amazon.com: The Harmony of the Four Evangelists, volume 1 (9781468166118): Martin Chemnitz, Polycarp Leyser, John Gerhard, Richard J. Dinda: Books

Amazon.com: The Harmony of the Four Evangelists, volume 1 (9781468166118): Martin Chemnitz, Polycarp Leyser, John Gerhard, Richard J. Dinda: Books:

Four volumes in all - a monumental work. P. Leyser helped with this, and he rebuked Huber's UOJ.

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Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel has left a new comment on your post "Amazon.com: The Harmony of the Four Evangelists, v...":

I've grow weary of attending Lutheran funerals. Somehow the officiating pastor (or pastors) don't have a clue or realize the wonderful opportunity there is to preach to not only believers, but, especially some unbelievers. Funeral services are a mixed bag crowd, whether some pastors care to admit it or not.

It's been my experience that funeral occasions present wonderful opportunities to Christian pastors to zero in on the unbelieving (non-Christian) crowd. But, what invariably transpires, is that the unbelieving crowd is given the impression that the Scripture readings of comfort and the sermon of comfort offered to the Christian family survivors, are for them, also. Please note:

"God is not your heavenly father unless you are one of His children" - thechristianmessage.org

http://www.thechristianmessage.org/2010/10/god-is-not-your-heavenly-father-unless.html

Such, is the treachery and unfaithfulness of Christian pastors to offer the religious impression that all will eventually be recipients of God's holy heaven and its glorious treasures. Whether that is actually stated or not - much of the time that is the impression that is given to unbelievers. These unfaithful pastors need to realize that they are not only responsible, for what they say, but the [their bumbling] impression they leave upon the needy unbelieving souls in their very midst!

Pastor Jackson - I've not been a long time visitor to your website, but I genuinely appreciate the emphasis which you spend, pointing out the unfaithful Christian practice of preaching what the Scripture does not teach - namely, UOJ - "Universal Objective Justification," coupled with the lack of emphasis on faith and the Holy Spirit's working.

Finally, I'm convinced that the Ephesians 2:1-10 Scripture sums up the correct teaching of Salvation - especially verses 8 and 9:

"For by grace ye are saved, through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast."

The sinner is justified by grace, for Christ’s sake, through faith. That process with the Holy Spirt working that faith into the sinner's heart, is not complicated. [Luther's explanation of the Third Article of the Apostle's Creed] The process is straight-forward, to those who have the ears to hear.........

Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel

http://www.thechristianmessage.org

http://moralmatters.org

***

GJ - Thank you, Pastor Bickel. I just try to point people to Luther. I do that in my academic religion classes, and everyone appreciates it. I quote Gerhardt there too. But the "conservative Lutherans" hate Luther's doctrine and haul out Gerhardt once every 100 years. The Synodical Conference (tm) leaders cannot comprehend the spirit of Luther or Gerhardt.

Evading Arrest Like Walther - Obare a Synod Conference Man!Therefore be on your guard, there are many lecturers who want to teach faith and conscience, and know less about them than a common blockhead---Moral Schizophenia.

Walther left early for America, to evade arrest warrants for kidnapping.
However, his future mother-in-law went to the hoosegow for his crime.
She got out and sued the authorities.

Therefore be on your guard, there are many lecturers who want to teach faith and conscience, and know less about them than a common blockhead---Moral Schizophenia.:

By WAHOME THUKU

Police are looking for the head of Evangelical Lutheran Church after a warrant of arrest was issued against him for contempt of court.

Bishop Walter Obare Omwansa was being sought at the church headquarters on Luther Plaza along Nyerere Road in Nairobi.

The Chief Magistrate’s Court in Kisii District had ordered the bishop not to proceed with elections of church officials pending a suit filed by some leaders.

The civil suit was filed last year by three clergymen against the church trustees and eight other persons, including Bishop Obare.

The court heard that the church head had proceeded with the elections even after being served with the order.

A warrant was issued on February 20 and sent to Nyamira CID headquarters. The area CID boss wrote to his Nairobi Central Division counterpart to assist in the arrest.

"If arrested, please detain him and inform this command for collection," the Nyamira DCIO requested.

Bishop accused of selling church assets

http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/InsidePage.php?id=2000053613&cid=159&currentPage=2

Bishop Obare and John Nunnes

Bishop sought for contempt of court

http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/news/InsidePage.php?id=2000052968&cid=159&

Published on 07/03/2012

Related Stories 

By Paul Gitau

A row is simmering between the Evangelical Lutheran Church Malindi Parish and its head office over church assets worth millions of shillings.

Malindi Parish leaders are accusing the head office, under Bishop Zacharia Wachira, of selling and privatising parish assets without their knowledge.

In a signed memorandum to Coast PC Ernest Munyi, 20 church elders claim the head office has sold the parish house to a businessman, who is running a private school.

The group also alleged that the head office was also leasing out the Lutheran Guest House.

Right channel

The elders claimed the assets were established by donors to raise income for the parish and expressed disappointment that all the income has been going to the head office.

But Bishop Wachira dismissed the claims, saying documents for the church assets had not disappeared, but were at the head office.

He asked the parish elders to follow the right channel to air their grievances instead of rushing to the media.

"If they have no faith in me there are channels, which include the General Assembly and Executive Council that they could have used to air their concerns," he noted.

Wachira said privatisation of the church guesthouse was just a proposal, which had not even been implemented.

He confirmed the parish house had been given to a private businessman, as the parish was not using it.

Malindi parish elders also accused the head office of claiming ownership of the two facilities, which were lying in a prime area.

Mysterious circumstances (cw-page break)

They said the ownership documents were lost under mysterious circumstances and parish members read mischief in it. Some alleged the bishop had used them to secure personal loans from the banks.

The elders appealed to the PC and CID officers to intervene as the building tension was threatening to wreck the church.

Church followers in the district have threatened to hold a demonstration, saying they have no faith in the head office.

cw-Link down, but a valid “hit” on Google Search.

1.BREAKING NEWS, LATEST ARTICLES AND GREAT COVERAGE ...

www.thekenyanpost.com/2012/.../corrupt-bishop-shame-on-you.htm...

Mar 8, 2012 – Posted by The Kenyan DAILY POST ... private school is being run from after being sold to a businessman in the town. The Malindi group also accuses the head office of leasing out the LutheranGuest House also in the parish.

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“Truth toward reconciliation, second mailing” by Rev. Robert Green went down the memory hole, for now.......

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bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Evading Arrest Like Walther - Obare a Synod Confer...":

The Africa synod sounds like the ever-growing bureaucracy of the synodical conference. Money was given to the HQ to dispense to the seminaries, but then they bought/built nice HQ buildings (Purple Palace and WELS two HQ bldgs) and populated those HQ buildings with highly paid staff members who don't do much that's transparent enough for laymen to see. Then the seminaries barely get any money from the synod.

Quote: The elders claimed the assets were established by donors to raise income for the parish and expressed disappointment that all the income has been going to the head office.

***

GJ - The Ebony Palace?

Tracing the Marvin Schwan Influence.Did LCMS-WELS-ELS Sell Schwan Indulgences For His Guilty Conscience?

This is the only photo of Marvin Schwan that I could find on Google Images.

Herman Otten sent me two messages about Marvin Schwan's first wife committing suicide after their divorce - and leaving a suicide note. I did an extensive search about Schwan but found very little - strange for one of the richest men in America. Even the New York Times, no friend of conservatives, had nothing to say about his first wife.

I was the one who broke the news to Otten that Schwan died. Someone I knew was going to meet with him, but the appointment was called off  because Schwan met his Maker instead.

I knew that Schwan divorced his wife to marry the wife of one of his managers. Only recently, John Shep told me that Schwan had a weakness for women and Cadillacs. Forbes ran an article about Schwan and his company, including the note that he divorced his wife for $1 million and a Cadillac. Given his net worth at the time of the divorce, Schwan gave her a pittance. They had four children.

The Evangelical Lutheran Synod was extremely upset that Otten ran the Forbes article in Christian News.
Jay Webber was anxious to tell his superiors that I sent the article. He shared his overlords' dismay. I said, "It was not exactly a secret." Jay said, "No one reads Forbes." There is the ELS mindset in a sentence.

Jay Webber at the Marvin Schwan Retreat Center.
Your daily knee-slapper. Who has tolerated and even promoted Church Growth in  the ELS!
Who advocates communing ELCA members "because it is easier?"
Answer - Jay Webber, another shape-shifter.

Wayne Laitenen, son-in-law of Chief Rascal Ted Hartwig, explained to me that Marvin had a "Scriptural" divorce. In WELS and the Church of Rome, that means an adulterer with a lot of money. He compared Schwan favorably to another rich adulterer who kept WELS (and many denominations) on the pad. Wealthy  adulterers love the Church Growth Movement, and the Church Growth Movement loves them.

Schwan trucks seem to be everywhere.

WELS had a panic attack when Schwan died at the age of 64. One of my sources said that Schwan checks came to The Love Shack and were booked separately,  not on the synod's books. When the staffer, in charge of writing down donations, objected to an executive taking the check away, the WELS official said, "I will take care of it."

No one will nail this down for me, but Schwan was probably the major donor for the Martin Luther College Cathedral - $8 million and no air-conditioning. That $8 million disappeared and Gurgle was replaced by Schroeder. The cathedral was built. Was that borrowed money from endowment? I cannot follow the money trail.

John Shep said that Schwan would leave him with multi-million dollar checks. I recall that Thoughts of Faith consumed about $15 million before Jay Webber and Roger Kovaciny organized a coup. Shep joined ELCA as a pastor, which seems to be where ELS pastors go.

Schwan Foundation
St. Marvin relieved the fears of WELS, Missouri, and the ELS by giving his privately-held company to his foundation, with the foundation and company both managed by his brother. The company would fund the foundation by buying back the shares. The children objected, but someone made it known that Marvin did not think much of his adult children. Obviously he did not think much of their mother, either. Some settlement was reached and the children stopped suing.

The flood gates opened. I began following the donations through guidestar.org, which keeps track of all charities. One can look up basic facts by registering.

The foundation had about a billion in net worth, so enormous gifts began flowing to the ELS, LCMS, and WELS. Bethany Lutheran College threw up all kinds of palatial buildings on their tiny campus, including a giant seminary building for an almost non-existent seminary, sparse calls. The last call day had one sem student called, two waiting.

The avalanche of gold made me wonder about Marvin's anxieties. Few billionaires give it all away to church bodies.

All those "conservative" Lutheran leaders must have known about Marvin and his first wife. I think they took advantage of his guilt by selling him forgiveness, proving that Lutherans offer indulgences to day - just as the Catholic Church still does.

Robert Rahn, Phil Giessler, Beck Bible
Robert Rahn is celebrating his life in Christian News. He brought up the God's Word to the Nations Bible Society and Phil Giessler, while omitting many pertinent facts.

Herman Otten urged Phil Giessler to do a re-write of the Beck Bible, assuming that Phil would take a call to a smaller congregation and work on it part-time. Instead, Phil resigned his call, organized the GWTN Bible Society, and got lavish funds from Marvin Schwan. I understand it was about $800,000 a year.

Phil's first wife got tired of his mistress and said, "Either she goes or I go." Phil picked his mistress, who was also the mother of his son (he thought). Since he was running a Bible society, that was a problem. He resigned and announced his own excommunication, since he was unrepentant.

Phil married his mistress, but she left him when the lavish loot ran out. It turns out the boy was not his son after all.

Later, Otten told me, "Phil Giessler was in here with his wife." I said, "His third?" We had to go over the details, because either he was on his third marriage or he had re-married Wife 1 or Wife 2. Yes, Otten had to admit, it was Phil's third wife. But no matter - Phil was trained in Missouri so he was A-OK.

Herman said, "He is very good at teaching the Bible." That made me think of the Wicked Bible, where the printer omitted the "not" in Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery. The Wicked Bible is supposed to be very rare, but it is quite popular in the Synodical Conference - a must read, in fact.

So Phil, living in adultery, got money from a wealthy adulterer, to produce a Bible which ate up $6 million and became a fiasco. There are all kinds of stories about it. Rahn says the million dollar building was sold, but the enterprise still exists in some form.

GWTN Wiki

Cascione, never particular about the facts, said this:

So who is going to produce a “Lutheran” translation after Luther?  We are all relieved that the ELCA has no interest in Bible translation.  The LCMS had its chance with Beck, but dropped out and promoted the Reformed NIV and now the revised RSV called the ESV.

In the 1980’s Luther Bible Society, just outside of Cleveland, with millions of dollars from Schwan and the Schwan Foundation made a run for it.  They got as far as the NET New Testament, but got bogged down with personal scandals.  They also got bogged down with rogue translators who thought “justified by faith” was a thing of the past.  They refused to heed warnings from Dr. Robert Preus who said “justified because of faith” is false doctrine.  Regardless of Preus’ warning, they went ahead and published “God’s Word” translation that Lutherans, who know better, have totally avoided.  In other words, the whole thing bombed and Luther Bible Society shut down in the early 90’s, and somewhere between 6 to 10 million dollars was wasted.  The devil and hubris took down Luther Bible Society.

Having been part of Luther Bible Society from 1985 to 1990, I saw firsthand the kind of infighting that takes place when pride, ambition, ego, false doctrine, and money all take center stage when attempting to promote a Bible translation.  Just ask Herman Otten and Rue Beck what they have been through in attempting to promote a translation.

Did any of these translation geniuses study under Luther and Melanchthon?
The KJV never comes up. Tyndale translated the first English Bible - modeled after Luther's German Bible.

How can a Bible built on adultery-times-two amount to anything? But Phil is still active in raising funds and being a big deal.

Africa - Phil comes back to his Cleveland call to talk about Africa - and polygamy?

Creation Museum - Phil is a "respected Lutheran theologian and scholar."

Conclusions
The LCMS has not changed since its Perryville founding, based on personal loyalty, Pietism, and clergy adultery.

Adultery is not a deal-breaker in the Synodical Conference, provided one has the right connections.

Neither is false doctrine.

Do not question the tyrants who run the business or their precious UOJ - both attitudes inherited from Bishop Martin Stephan, STD.