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| Read this carefully - this is most certainly true. |
http://www.intrepidlutherans.com/2013/09/whither-blog-fellowship.html#comment-form
Daniel,
I think you have just illustrated the issue. Pastors swear an oath to defend the confessions. They do NOT swear to uphold WELS confessions. The WELS "This We Believe" is not a confession. It was written in the last 30 years. It is a statement and nothing more.
A pastor has the duty to defend the Lutheran Confessions (circa 1580...not 1932 or 1980). If the body they belong to strays from them, I'd say every pastor should bring the matter to attention. You rightly say that if WELS severs fellowship with said pastors it has that right. I agree whole heartedly. I think every pastor kicked out should wear that as a badge of honor. It is a statement. I am happy for those who stand up for Biblical truth and the confessions.
Their removal is a testimony that WELS now has its own confession. That is what pastors must now confess to stay in fellowship. (ELCA also has this...the gap between their "confession" and the BOC is just a touch wider than the new WELS "confession")
I am not sure of your age, but I was confirmed using the Gausewitz catechism. I grew up with KJV and TLH. Do you know that you could not be confirmed with that catechism in the WELS anymore? If I confessed my faith according to that catechism to Pastor Bucholz he would deny my confirmation. There is no mention of UOJ in it. Do you know how many hymns in CW are changed overtly or subtlely to soften it's focus on Justification by faith? It's alarming.
So my apologies to Pr. Rydecki but I don't care that he got removed. The jackboot of fellowship is a gift. It shows the WELS has their own confession and they will not even take time to discuss the possibility that this new contrived confession is not in accordance with the actual Lutheran confessions.
I only wish more would get removed for the same reason.
Tim Niedfeldt
I think you have just illustrated the issue. Pastors swear an oath to defend the confessions. They do NOT swear to uphold WELS confessions. The WELS "This We Believe" is not a confession. It was written in the last 30 years. It is a statement and nothing more.
A pastor has the duty to defend the Lutheran Confessions (circa 1580...not 1932 or 1980). If the body they belong to strays from them, I'd say every pastor should bring the matter to attention. You rightly say that if WELS severs fellowship with said pastors it has that right. I agree whole heartedly. I think every pastor kicked out should wear that as a badge of honor. It is a statement. I am happy for those who stand up for Biblical truth and the confessions.
Their removal is a testimony that WELS now has its own confession. That is what pastors must now confess to stay in fellowship. (ELCA also has this...the gap between their "confession" and the BOC is just a touch wider than the new WELS "confession")
I am not sure of your age, but I was confirmed using the Gausewitz catechism. I grew up with KJV and TLH. Do you know that you could not be confirmed with that catechism in the WELS anymore? If I confessed my faith according to that catechism to Pastor Bucholz he would deny my confirmation. There is no mention of UOJ in it. Do you know how many hymns in CW are changed overtly or subtlely to soften it's focus on Justification by faith? It's alarming.
So my apologies to Pr. Rydecki but I don't care that he got removed. The jackboot of fellowship is a gift. It shows the WELS has their own confession and they will not even take time to discuss the possibility that this new contrived confession is not in accordance with the actual Lutheran confessions.
I only wish more would get removed for the same reason.
Tim Niedfeldt
000
Mr. Niedfeldt'
Thank you for stating so succinctly what I have been unable to put into words. I was also schooled with the Gausewitz catechism and TLH. I have noticed how many in the WELS are very adamant and vocal about cultural/moral/political issues. But, when you would like to talk to them about the downward slide in the WELS, you are either ignored or treated like you just insulted someone's mother. Many of these members are "WELS connected". They take it personally as they have friends and relatives in places in the WELS.
Thank you for stating so succinctly what I have been unable to put into words. I was also schooled with the Gausewitz catechism and TLH. I have noticed how many in the WELS are very adamant and vocal about cultural/moral/political issues. But, when you would like to talk to them about the downward slide in the WELS, you are either ignored or treated like you just insulted someone's mother. Many of these members are "WELS connected". They take it personally as they have friends and relatives in places in the WELS.
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| This has been read over 52,000 times. Notice how it parallels H. Jacobs' statement, using different words. |
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| I posted this against Wilken to refute the UOJists on Facebook. They erased it, but the Wilken-McCain-Harrison claque - they are the real Lutherans! |
