bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "The LCMS Trashes Pastors, too. Dear Calling Congre...":
They keep stats on seminarians called, and yet to receive a call, etc. I think that they ought to keep stats on the CRM list, too. That might lead to some reform. For instance, how long is a person on the CRM list on average, and what are the chance of a CRM candidate ever receiving a call?
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GJ - I was thinking about this topic. It's time people quit waiting for overpaid, overstuffed DPs to do their jobs. Any man with the training--and desire--can start a congregation. All he has to do is organize a Bible study, expand into a congregation, and go from there. He may be a tent-maker, like Paul. That is better than simply working secular and hoping DP Hategood will finally give in.
Missouri could organize 50 missions around St. Louis, or care for the ones without a full-time pastor - if the lazy bums from the Purple Palace would get out on Sunday to help instead of preening and gossiping at the elite congregations. Harrison "took a call" at the Village of Ladue, one of the wealthiest zip codes in St. Louis. What a sacrifice!
I was told many of the Phoenix congregations grew out of Apache WELS missionaries doing some extra work on the side. The little mission starts grew into well established congregations.
There was a time when people did not have to beg for the blessing of apostate leaders to preach a sermon in Apache Junction, Bumble Bee, or Lead Flats.
The LCMC grew gradually from dissenters leaving the ELCA. The NALC was born almost overnight, from retired bishops deciding not to harvest the seeds they help to sow. They did not ask permission. They went against their own training, their own seminaries, their own colleagues. They remain a minority compared to ELCA, but they are free.
Clearly the synods are well organized to do exactly what they please, no matter what anyone says. To expect otherwise is to remain in a state of paralysis. As I told one man who ran for office the LCMS structure - do not attend anything; do not vote; do not give; do not object; just walk out.
bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Glad You Raised the Issue, Bruce Church":
If the CRM clergy knew the statistics, maybe they'd give up false hope of ever getting a call, or getting a call anytime soon, and they'd try to start up their own congregation, like Dr. Jackson suggests. Why wait until one is in a bad funk about not receiving a call for years before embarking on starting a new congregation?
Think about it. If Rev. Rolf Preus with his STM can't get back in the LCMS, what chance do some CRM M. Div. clergy have? Notice Rolf didn't resign his triple parish in the prairie (not forest) in anticipation of getting into the LCMS any time soon.
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GJ - I have read that CRM status should be called perma-frost. The last I heard, WELS made clergy beg for CRM status if they left a call for any reason. Of course, the buddies get absolution and many more chances if they know the right people.
