Virtue Online - Charismatic Leader Dies - Omitted: How the Holy Spirit Works Through the Word

Rev. Terry Fullam Episcopal Charismatic Figure Dies

By David W. Virtue DD
www.virtueonline.org 
March 15, 2014

One of the most important figures of the Charismatic Movement of the late Twentieth Century died today. The Rev. Terry Fullam was the former rector of St. Paul's Church, Darien, Connecticut where he served for 17 years, ministering renewal to clergy and laity. He was 84.

The Charismatic movement in The Episcopal Church began with the Rev. Dennis Bennett's experience of the Holy Spirit while he was rector of St. Mark's Church in Van Nuys, California. In 1960 the second most important figure in the late Twentieth Century was unquestionably Terry Fullam.

In an interview I conducted with Fullam in 2004, he said Dennis Bennett opened him up to the work of the Holy Spirit in a more personal way and that was experientially wonderful. "I had been a believer, but through his ministry, I found a deeper, richer life. The other person was my mother. She was the world's finest Bible teacher, and it was through her ministry that I was grounded in Holy Scripture."

For over 30 years he influenced a whole generation of Episcopalians. In 1972, he accepted a call to become rector of St. Paul's parish in Darien, CT. Under his leadership, St. Paul's became one of the most active and fastest growing churches in the United States. At St Paul's Fullam placed special emphasis on renewal for clergy and laity through Charismatic renewal.

His reputation as a dynamic renewal leader resulted in his receiving and accepting numerous invitations to teach around the nation and the world.

In 1980, author Bob Slosser wrote a book about Fullam and the St. Paul's parish ministry titled Miracle in Darien. The book was reprinted and revised in 1997 and is recognized today as a leading text on church renewal.

Fullam was born in Montpelier, Vermont, to Rex Fullam and Mary Fullam (nee: Mary Frances Tewsksbury). After graduating from high school in Barre, VT, in 1948, he began his college studies at the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY. During his time there, he was also choirmaster at a nearby Methodist church, whose pastor gave Fullam a copy of the book Deeper Experiences of Famous Christians by James Gilchrist Lawson. Fullam credits the book with helping him to change the direction of his life. He withdrew from Eastman and enrolled at Gordon College in Wenham, MA, where he graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in philosophy. He later did graduate work at both Harvard University and Boston University, subsequently obtaining a Master of Arts in philosophy from Harvard in 1955.

For the next 16 years, Fullam held various teaching positions in a number of universities and colleges. He concluded his academic career as a professor at Barrington College in 1972.

Fullam never attended seminary, but he was ordained in 1967 as an Episcopal priest by the Bishop of Rhode Island and was appointed Rector of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Darien, Connecticut in 1972.

In 1984, Fullam received a Doctorate of Divinity from Barrington College. In 1990, he was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters from Gordon College.

In 1989, Fullam resigned his position as rector at St. Paul's to allow him to better focus on ministering around the world. He conducted missions in more than 25 countries, including more than 50 travel and teaching missions to Israel and the Middle East. In 1998, Fullam suffered a stroke and had to discontinue his teaching missions.

He wrote seven books: Living the Lord's Prayer (Ballantine Books); Fit for God's Presence (Chosen Books); Facets of Faith (Episcopal Radio/TV Foundation); Riding the Wind - Your Life in the Holy Spirit (Creation House); How to Walk with God (Thomas Nelson); Thirsting - A Study on the Presence of God (Thomas Nelson); and Your Body God's Temple (Chosen Books). He also authored an audio teaching library, "Life on Wings", which contains more than 750 titles.

Alongside that Charismatic renewal, Evangelicals in the Episcopal Church, which had long been a small and beleaguered minority, began to find new life and strength, along with a sense of their own identity. They were aided in their self-discovery by Evangelicals from the UK, Australia, and elsewhere. There were organizations dedicated to promoting renewal in the Episcopal Church, but there were numerous, seemingly spontaneous examples of spiritual renewal popping up all over the Church as well. Several entire dioceses began to take on the character of the renewal movement. Those who had been touched by the Charismatic renewal and the Evangelical resurgence came to grips with the realization that no existing Episcopal seminary was capable of training biblically faithful, Spirit-filled clergy to serve and lead parishes. This realization led to the founding of Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry. 

Over time, as the Episcopal Church became polarized over faith and morals, those affected by spiritual renewal and those being led in the direction of theological heterodoxy began to diverge. In large part, this divergence occurred as theological liberals in the Episcopal Church became even more radical and began to act in ways contrary to the biblical and historic faith and order of the Church. The Rt. Rev. Thad Barnum chronicles the liberal trajectory of the Episcopal Church and the orthodox response in his marvelous book, Never Silent.

The Rev. Christopher Leighton current rector of St. Paul's, Darien said Fullam was a prince and a great man.

"St. Paul's was his only rectorship, and he served here from 1972 to 1989. Equally important was his service to other churches and denominations. He led the way in renewal, which meant personal evangelism of those in the church, a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit, and a restructuring of parishes to go forward with Jesus Christ as the Head of His Church. He loved to preach and teach the Scriptures, and he did so with conviction and clarity. My wife Janet and I would come here in the '70s and '80s to see what the Lord was doing in evangelism, lay leadership, worship, and koinonia - fellowship. In those days, teams from St. Paul's came to us and to so many others to initiate changes that would lead to lasting fruit to the Father's glory.

"We are saddened by the death of this great leader for Christ. We remember that God moved mightily in him and through him and those who served with him. We pray for the comfort of the Holy Spirit upon his family and friends and the many who were touched through his ministry. Along with our sadness, we have a much greater joy: Terry has fought the good fight, he has won the victory, and he is now with his Lord Jesus Christ."

On hearing of his death, the Rt. Rev. Gregory Brewer (Central Florida) a charismatic evangelical wrote, "Terry Fullam had a profound impact on a generation of Episcopalians as a widely travelled and deeply respected teacher of the Scriptures, and also as an ambassador at large for charismatic renewal. In the 1970's and '80's literally thousands of people made their way to St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Darien Connecticut where he served as Rector, hungry to discover the power of the Holy Spirit which they so eagerly proclaimed and lived."

Former Dean of Nashotah House, the Rev. Dr. Robert Munday wrote, "Terry Fullam was, in many ways, the personification of the renewal movement in the Episcopal Church. Through his prophetic leadership and powerful biblical teaching, he impacted countless thousands in the Episcopal Church and beyond."

Fullam was a supporter of VOL. He grew deeply disillusioned at the downward moral and theological spiral of the Episcopal Church.

I asked if he was still a believer in the local church as the placed of spiritual growth and nurture, Fullam replied, "Yes, I believe in the local church warts and all. The tragedy is that thousands of Episcopal churches are not offering a real closer walk with Christ with sound Bible teaching. A Christian without a church is a dying Christian."

During the 2004 interview, I asked him what he thought were the key themes of his ministry. He replied, "The transforming work of the Holy Spirit in a persons' life, when believers learn to cooperate with the Holy Spirit instead of fighting the Spirit. It takes a while after conversion before you learn to follow the urgings and voice of the Holy Spirit.

Asked at the time if he thought the Episcopal Church was finished as a major Christian denomination in America, he replied, "I think ECUSA is finished."

Asked on whom he put the blame, he replied, "I blame the seminaries, because they do not give proper instruction. The process has been a gradual breakdown but it has accelerated over time, and so I don't believe The Episcopal Church can be reclaimed. I would like to be proven wrong, but I see little sign of hope. I think Trinity Episcopal School for Ministry and Nashotah House hold out the best hope for any kind of renewal if there is going to be one."

Details of his burial were not available at this time of writing.

END

Meet the DP-in-Waiting, Anything Goes District - WELS

Joel Zank, Mequon 1987 - the class was
a treasure trove of Shrinkers.

Update from NWD 1st VP Joel Zank:

Dear Brothers,

I have just returned from visiting Doug Engelbrecht. He is doing amazingly well given the severity of his heart attack. He was sitting up in a chair and had hopes of being released from ICU to a regular room within the hour. I had a devotion with him and Gayle as well as their two children. We encouraged each other with the Lord’s love and promises. The family is so grateful for the ministry they are receiving from Pastor McKenzie and their church family at Trinity.

The course of Doug’s recovery will depend, in part, on what an ultrasound test reveals this afternoon. It’s my understanding that the surgeon’s first order of business was to restore blood flow to Doug’s heart. That was done by repairing one artery at this time. The other arteries remain blocked and will, most likely, be the target of future treatments. We should know more relatively soon.

I assured our dear brother that prayers on his behalf are being offered throughout the district and across the synod. He and His family send their thanks for those prayers!

As you might imagine, between his congregation and all of us, there could be a steady stream of visitors to his hospital room. Doctors are advising against that at this time. They want our brother to rest and regain his strength. I told Doug that I would pass along the doctors’ concerns and he reluctantly agreed that such a thing would seem best. He knows that you are thinking of Him and would want to visit Him if it was at all advisable.

In the meantime, if you have district business for Doug, please direct that to me or to one of the other members of the presidium. We will do our best to help you in any way that we can.

Please share this note with the men in your circuit. I tried sending a district-wide e-mail yesterday, but Google threatened to disable my account. I’m working to remedy that, but for now, your help is greatly appreciated!

I join all of you in thanking our gracious God for sparing Doug’s earthly life. We commend His Holiness to the care of Him who has plans to bless us and not to harm us, plans to give us hope and a future – here and hereafter.

Yours in Christ Jesus,
Joel

The other Joel, Joel Lillo, thinks ill of my posts - but he had no problem with the Glende staff, with Tim in the lead, suing a church member for telling the truth, or St. Peter in Freedom excommunicating another one for identifying Tim's plagiarism and lies.

All this underhanded slander and abuse goes unreported, because no one wants to step on the third rail, WELS infallibility. Thus an incompetent and unworthy DP has been allowed to promote clergy who make him feel good about his limited skills. 

Why did no one resign from the praesidium when Doug forced the CRM status of Ski and had a call waiting for him seconds later?

Reminiscere Sunday, The Second Sunday in Lent, 2014.Matthew 15:21-28. The Canaanite Woman

Reminiscere Sunday, The Second Sunday in Lent, 2014

Pastor Gregory L. Jackson

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/bethany-lutheran-worship

Bethany Lutheran Church, 10 AM Central Time

The Hymn #652   I Lay My Sins on Jesus              1:24

The Confession of Sins
The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual       

The Gospel              

Glory be to Thee, O Lord!
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn # 454            Prayer Is the Soul's Sincere Desire     1:41

God's Grace Is Concealed at Times

The Hymn # 281                 The Savior Calls               1:29

The Preface p. 24
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn # 374                 Grace Tis a Charming Sound 1:91

KJV 1 Thessalonians 4:1 Furthermore then we beseech you, brethren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received of us how ye ought to walk and to please God, so ye would abound more and more. 2 For ye know what commandments we gave you by the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God,even your sanctification, that ye should abstain from fornication: 4 That every one of you should know how to possess his vessel in sanctification and honour; 5 Not in the lust of concupiscence, even as the Gentiles which know not God: 6 That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter: because that the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also have forewarned you and testified. 7 For God hath not called us unto uncleanness, but unto holiness.

KJV Matthew 15:21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us. 24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table. 28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Second Sunday In Lent

Lord God, heavenly Father, grant us, we beseech Thee, by Thy Holy Spirit, that He may strengthen our hearts and confirm our faith and hope in Thy grace and mercy, so that, although we have reason to fear because of our conscience, our sin, and our unworthiness, we may nevertheless, with the woman of Canaan, hold fast to Thy grace, and in every trial and temptation find Thee a very present help and refuge, through Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.

God's Grace Is Concealed at Times

KJV Matthew 15:21 Then Jesus went thence, and departed into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And, behold, a woman of Canaan came out of the same coasts, and cried unto him, saying, Have mercy on me, O Lord, thou Son of David; my daughter is grievously vexed with a devil. 

The questions we ask of a text will shape the answer. Often the wrong questions are asked. Normally this text is used to ask, "Why was Jesus being so difficult with this woman?" A better question is, "Did Jesus ever turn down a request for healing?"

The answer to the better question is, "No, He never did." That shapes the other question, which becomes, "What are we supposed to learn from this?"

The ELCA published a book called The Bible - Texts of Terror, which was designed to help people realize how oppressive the Bible is. But the Bible is a book of comfort, written for our benefit  and preserved with miraculous accuracy.

I have a book Alias Shakespeare because they are still debating who wrote Shakespeare's plays. We know who wrote the Bible, and we know even the most minor details are confirmed (when available) by archaeological finds.

So this Canaanite woman's desperate plea should make us long to find the comfort offered in this miracle. Jesus healed in various ways and conducted Himself differently in those miracles that are preserved for us - there were many others. Since groups of miracles were summarized, why are certain miracles offered in such detail? Answer - because each miracle has a different teaching emphasis.

This malady is heart-wrenching, because this is a mother pleading for her daughter. She has a daughter but does not - the vexation takes her daughter away from her and causes them both enormous suffering.

23 But he answered her not a word. And his disciples came and besought him, saying, Send her away; for she crieth after us.

The response seems cold and even worse - the disciples say - "Dismiss her! Heal her daughter and make her go away." They are annoyed and not friendly. We know that only friendly churches grow. I would not let the disciples be greeters or ushers.

At the point where people want to twist this the wrong way, we are to find the comparison with our own lives.

If no one has experienced this, then I am surprised. We face a difficult situation, especially concerning someone we love. We pray about it - and we see no results. In fact, we continue to pray about it, and it seems no better. In fact, people are scornful that this difficult malady or problem (of another sort) has been laid on our shoulders with no relief. They are gleeful and make matters worse - and still it continues. People even wonder out loud why believers suffer especially.

False teachers say, "You must pray our way, to get good results." They will even offer their techniques, which always work for them. As one person said, "I will send our healing team over to impose our healing oil."

Because of these experiences, the Canaanite woman's plight is noteworthy.

24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel. 25 Then came she and worshipped him, saying, Lord, help me. 

Although there is pressure on Jesus from the woman and the disciples, He answers by saying - "You do not belong to the right synod." Some will think I am mocking the text, but Jesus did bring up something irrelevant. But this a good parallel to the synodical franchise system of today. Each one says that the others are not worthy, not kosher. That cannot even be questioned, even though the label is completely off the mark. No one asks, "Does this person trust the Word of God? Does this person have faith in Christ?" Instead they ask, "Is this person certified by our synod, a sect controlled by false teachers and an insurance company?" 

When the woman hears the challenge, she responds with faith - she worshiped Him and said again, "Lord help me."

Luther often made this point - that God exercises our faith to make it grow. When people are left unchallenged or run from the challenge, their faith shrinks to nothing. That is the fate of the clergy and laity who crave the approval of others. 

So one part of the lesson is to continue to have faith, even if we seem to be getting no answers. Patience in abiding in Christ (John 15) will bear fruit, and bear fruit abundantly. 

26 But he answered and said, It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it to dogs. 27 And she said, Truth, Lord: yet the dogs eat of the crumbs which fall from their masters' table.

Here is the question of worthiness. When we meet with silence after earnestly praying, we feel our unworthiness. Others seem to do much better. They seem to be beloved while we feel like outcasts. 

In hearing the worst kind of rebuke, the woman answers with faith. Is Jesus calling her a dog? He is making a rhetorical statement. I might say to a class, "Maybe we should have your parents write a big check and print out a diploma. Then you will not have to study any more."

The bluntness of the term "dogs" is met by the optimism of faith - even the little dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master's table. The least little bit of favor would suit her. 

28 Then Jesus answered and said unto her, O woman, great is thy faith: be it unto thee even as thou wilt. And her daughter was made whole from that very hour.

Jesus praised her faith, which is another lesson to be learned. When people attack a word for a long time, the term accumulates a bad reputation regardless of its real meaning. For example, a considerable number of people react against such things as BBQs, gasoline engines, and wood fireplaces. So much propaganda has been unleashed about global warming that they think those things are inherently evil. 

A faction among Lutherans have done the same with "faith." But this woman is an example of faith. And there is nothing bad about faith in the Bible - only in the imaginations of false teachers. 

Faith is trust in God, in His love and mercy. Faith does not emphasize the person but God. Faith is not a work, except it is a work of God, Who creates and sustains faith in us.

DP Engelbrecht Suffers Heart Attack - Undergoes Open Heart Surgery

At 2:00 a.m. this morning, District President Engelbrecht suffered a major heart attack. Surgeons were able to open blockages to his heart and he is resting comfortably in the ICU at Theda Clark in Neenah. 

Friday, August 23, 2013

District President Doug Engelbrecht's Email Supporting James Skorzewski's (Ski's) Return to the Ministry

Brothers,

The perpetual adolescence of WELS pastors is
captured well by the Facebook photos
of Glende and Ski with a scantily dressed Katy Perry.

          A number of weeks ago you received a set of documents from two laypeople in the district who were involved in a situation that ultimately led to the resignation of one of our pastors.   This situation was handled by the Northern Wisconsin District Presidium and the congregation(s) involved according to synod protocols, and reasonable and appropriate action was taken.  A number of you have expressed deep concerns about the content and purpose of the mailing that you received, including the fact that it came out under the aegis of two pastors in the district from whom the couple was receiving counsel.  Your Presidium decided that, since the information the pastors in the district received raised a number of questions, and since it obviously presented only the viewpoint of the couple that sent the information out, it would be good to call a meeting of our circuit pastors to give them a report of the situation from the viewpoint of the Presidium, to answer any questions they might have,  and to help them answer any questions the men in their circuit might bring to them.  That meeting was held on June 18^th at Maribel.  A good share of our circuit pastors were able to be in attendance.  Others, who were not there, already had some involvement in the situation and previously had the information that was shared at that meeting.  President Engelbrecht presented a fairly detailed account of the events that led to the eventual resignation of the pastor involved and of the protocols that were followed.   He explained the plan of discipline and restoration that was developed, which included a suspension of ministry and periodic reviews to determine whether or not a return to the public ministry would be possible at some time in the future.

 It became clear that the use of the term “suspension” in connection with that plan of discipline/restoration was a poor choice of words on the Presidium’s part, since the action that was taken was not consistent with the use of that term in our circles and may have given some the impression that what had taken place was not serious or that the action taken by the Presidium amounted to merely a slap on the wrist.  The circuit pastors came to the understanding that such was not the case, but that the Presidium considered what had taken place to be serious and something that needed serious action.  While the suspension of ministry that was called for did remove the pastor from all ministry, not only in his congregation, but throughout the WELS as well “until further notice”, (as is basically  the case with any resignation) it was misunderstood by those who did not have all the information relative to the case.   As a result, and after consultation with WELS President Mark Schroeder and President Engelbrecht, the pastor made his suspension from ministry more clear by tending a letter of resignation.  That was then reported via the weekly call report.  Although President Schroeder expressed his approval of the plan that was developed for the pastor by the District Presidium that could lead to possible return to pastoral ministry, he felt that the term “suspension” caused both confusion and questions that could be avoided by a standard “resignation”.    The pastor, who thereupon  willfully submitted his resignation, has continued to follow the original plan of discipline/restoration developed for him by the Presidium, recognizing it as a beneficial program for his physical, spiritual, and emotional well-being.   Since all too often when a called worker in our synod resigns there is no program put in place that helps him or her to be restored spiritually, emotionally, and physically, it is hoped that the program developed by the Presidium in this case might serve as a model for dealing with such situations that arise in our synod in the future.

 

The circuit pastors expressed their appreciation for the more detailed explanation of the situation and asked if, in the future, there might be better communication with them in such situations to avoid any misunderstandings or misinformation.

The circuit pastors in attendance at the meeting in Maribel then expressed their concern over the documents that were sent out to all of the pastors in district by the couple, as well as the involvement of the two pastors mentioned in those documents.  The consensus was that the sending out of those documents was inappropriate, since it served only to do further damage to the reputation of the pastor involved, following his resignation.   It was also the consensus of the circuit pastors present that, apart from the initial involvement of the one pastor in bringing the allegations to the attention of the proper individuals, the two pastors had overstepped their bounds in continuing to be involved, since neither of them at the time served as the pastor of the couple nor as a circuit pastor, and neither of them served in any official capacity in the district that would justify their further involvement.    The circuit pastors asked that the Presidium meet with the two pastors mentioned in the mailing to convey that message to them and to ask to what extent they knew about the mailing that was sent out.    Such a meeting was held the following day on June 19^th and the concern of the circuit pastors about their involvement was conveyed to them.   The two pastors did state that, as far as the mailing was concerned, they were not aware of it being sent out and did not encourage or OK it.   The Presidium thanked them for their willingness to meet with us and to listen to our concerns, and also thanked them for their obvious concern for the spiritual and emotional well-being of the couple who were involved.   We encouraged further meetings of the couple and the Presidium to help them in their healing process. 

          It needs to be stated at this point that at no time did the leadership and pastoral staff of St. Peter/The CORE take lightly the incidents and events that took place which led to the resignation of their pastor or try to cover them up in any way.   They stated that sin is sin and it was acknowledged as such by those involved where sin occurred, and where poor decisions and lapses in judgment occurred they were also acknowledged and addressed.    The moment these incidents were brought to the attention of the responsible officials, the proper procedures, as laid out by our synod policies for situations like this, were followed both by the District Presidium and by the leadership of St. Peter/The CORE.     While the general nature of the incidents that led to the resignation of their pastor were shared with the members of St. Peter/the CORE, specific details of the incidents (including names) were not shared in order to protect primarily the couple involved and also the pastor, as well as others mentioned in statements that were made during the investigation.    Since the couple, however, chose to disclose the specific details through the mailing they sent out, the matter of protecting the reputations of those involved from further damage became a moot point.  A special meeting was held recently with the members of St. Peter/The CORE and a summary of all that has taken place in the past 11 months, including specific details, was presented to them. 

         

 Should you wish to have a fuller explanation of what occurred, how it was handled by the district, and specific details, you are encouraged to contact President Engelbrecht.  

          We also hope and pray that all those who have been involved in this situation will soon find peace in the forgiveness of sins through our Lord Jesus Christ and strength in Word and Sacrament to live in harmony with one another and serve their Savior to the glory of God.

NOTICE OF REQUESTS FOR CRM STATUS

          One of the reasons for the special meeting with the members of St. Peter/The CORE and for this letter to you is to give everyone more specific and accurate information on what has transpired in the past 11 months, especially in the light of a formal request that has been made by the pastor who resigned from the CORE for CRM status.    Our Wisconsin Synod does have a process for re-entry into the public ministry after a resignation/suspension/termination.   It involves:

·      a period of time away from the ministry (often a year, although in some cases it may be less), for the specific purpose of addressing the things that led to the resignation/suspension/termination

·      a formal written application for CRM status submitted to the District Presidium in the district in which the resignation took place,

·      notice being sent out to the district of the request and a solicitation for responses, either positive or negative

·      letters of recommendation from individuals designated by the District Presidium who could give an evaluation of the progress made by the applicant in resolving the issues that led to resignation/suspension/termination

·      a meeting with the District Presidium to discuss the request

·      a possible period of supervised service or internship as outlined by the District Presidium

·      a decision on granting CRM status by the District Presidium, after the interview and a review of all the material that has been submitted

According to the synod constitution the District Presidium has the sole responsibility for making a determination on granting CRM status.   In order to make that decision comments from those who wish to make them are taken into consideration.   

There are two such requests before our Presidium at this time.  James Skorzewski and Paul Fanning have requested consideration for CRM status.  Paul Fanning has been out of ministry for approximately a year and resigned from his call at St. John – Kaukauna, WI  when he remarried and moved to Nebraska.     James Skorzewski has been out of ministry since January 2013, (his resignation was requested and accepted by the District President at the end of December of 2012),  but has been addressing issues that led to his resignation for almost three years through Crosstrain Ministries.   

           

Comments on the two men seeking CRM status at this time may be sent to the District Office:

          welsnwpd@aol.com  or 249 E. Franklin Ave – Neenah, WI 54956

         

Doug [Engelbrecht]

***

Doug’s email: nwdp@wels.net

 

home phone: 920-722-3218

 

cell phone: 920-841-2809

  

Oh, and the newsdesk of the local newspaper:

 

pcnews@postcrescent.com 

GJ - This email shows what a joke the Anything Goes District has become under Deputy Doug Engelbrecht.

Ski resigned last December? Strange, it did not really happen until the April following -

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2013/04/ski-has-resigned-effective-4-12-2013.html

Ski has been working on his problems through Crosstrain Ministries? That is another cancerous tumor from Church and Change, the WELS Fuller Seminary lobby that pretends to disappear when convenient, only to emerge again: larger, worser, meaner. 

These are the Jelly-Tele-Tubbies, apparently waving bye-bye,
but really smirking over their capture of WELS.

DP Patterson is one their coaches and charges a fee to coach people. I want to know how to organize parish spiritual retreats where the ladies bet on who is going to puke her guts out from alcohol first. Could I hire one of them coaches? Kudu Don Patterson is probably booked until the Second Coming, given his skills.

Ski was on the board of Church and Change until I published the names and photos of everyone on the board. It just happened that three Mark Jeske staffers were on the board - a co-inky-dink.

The letter identifies only one sin committed - the sin of dealing with the issues of pastoral alcoholism and repeated sexual harassment. Some have expressed wonder that I knew the facts involved in Ski's situation. DP Jon Buchholz knew all about it and laughed it off, back in 2009, when I brought it up to him.

Many realize this is a safe outlet to deal with matters, while the Mark Schroeder prescription of writing a letter is just another step toward being kicked out for the sin of writing a letter or trying to meet with the furtive Deputy Doug Engelbrecht. Therefore, I often receive information about the false doctrine and disgusting behavior of WELS pastors and teachers.

Those new to the situation should recall that Glende and Ski excommunicated a member, Rich Techlin, for correctly identifying both pastors as dishonest plagiarists. Naturally, Deputy Doug supported Glende and Ski 100%.

WELS endorsement of plagiarism:

http://vdma.wordpress.com/2012/05/18/dp-engelbrecht-on-plagiarism/ 

---

WELS Bethany in Appleton caught plagiarizing Swindoll:

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2010/08/bethany-appleton-wels-caught.html

Ski and Glende are disciples of Babtist Andy Stanley,
but if anyone is identified as reading this blog - Anathema sit!

The Preus Franchise Strikes Back - Robert Was Always UOJ - Claim Refuted Repeatedly by This Blog

Pastor Rolf David Preus (Rolf) Senior Member Username: Rolf Post Number: 7298 Registered: 5-2001

Posted on Thursday, March 13, 2014 - 2:24 pm:       Speaking of Robert Preus, ELDoNA falsely claims that he changed his position on objective justification before he died. The ACLC included responses from my brother Daniel and me to this false accusation against our father in appendix four of their official response to ELDoNA. Here is what I wrote: The Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America – comprised of pastors who received their theological instruction in either the LCMS or the WELS – has now formally rejected the pure gospel they received from their teachers in these synods, attacking the doctrine of objective justification. Living in the land of the sects, we are accustomed to witnessing the formation of heterodox church bodies devoted to their pet heterodoxies. ELDoNA’s slide into formal heterodoxy might go unmentioned were it not for a specific calumny they are promoting in an effort to obtain credibility for their false doctrine. I am referring to their claim that my father, Robert Preus, changed his position on objective justification and rejected this teaching before he died. I do not boast when I say that no man alive is more familiar with my father’s teaching on this topic than I. He was not only my father; he was my teacher. I studied under him both formally and informally. I have read everything he wrote on the topic of justification. I took his class on justification and have his class notes, which I have studied thoroughly. He and I discussed theology with each other every time we talked and we talked often. We spent many hours talking about objective justification. I hereby state categorically and without any reservation that my father did not change his position on objective justification. He affirmed and confessed objective justification until the day he died. I have neither the time nor the inclination to respond to every error ELDoNA promotes in its formal statement on justification. Suffice it to say that they think they have discovered in the Lutheran dogmatic tradition a refutation of the doctrine of objective justification as taught by the Missouri Synod, the Wisconsin Synod, and the Norwegian Synod. Since Robert Preus was an authority on Lutheran orthodoxy, ELDoNA seeks credibility by claiming him for their cause. Their “proof” that Robert Preus rejected objective justification before he died was his essay, “Justification and Rome,” in which he faithfully and meticulously set forth the classical Lutheran doctrine according to the historic language of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Since the men of ELDoNA imagine a conflict between this language and that used by the Synodical Conference of nineteenth century America, they leap from this alleged conflict to the conclusion that Robert Preus had to reject the latter in order to affirm the former. This illustrates their own ignorance of Robert Preus’s lifelong teaching on the subject. As a matter of fact, he had always relied more on the classical language of the orthodox Lutherans than he did on the terminology that arose out of the nineteenth century controversies in America. But he saw no conflict at all in the substance of what they taught. ELDoNA insists that there is a difference between the acquisition of forgiveness and the pronouncement of forgiveness. Robert Preus was the chief author of the CTCR document of 1983 (approved by the 1986 convention of the LCMS) in which we read: “God has acquired the forgiveness of sins for all people by declaring that the world for Christ’s sake has been forgiven. The acquiring of forgiveness is the pronouncement of forgiveness.” These words from my father’s class notes on Justification help explain his position on this matter. The notes read: “Our Confessions are teaching universal justification whenever they say that remission of sins and justification are apprehended by faith.” He quotes Martin Franzmann to make the point that objective justification and subjective justification go together: “Though we distinguish between objective and subjective justification, it does not occur to us to separate them . . . We do not speak of two justifications; objective and subjective justification refer to the same act of God . . .” My father would frequently illustrate the importance of the doctrine of objective justification by asking the question: “Should I believe that if I believe my sins will be forgiven? Or should I believe that my sins are forgiven?” For him it was a vital, personal, and pastoral concern. Perhaps those who did not know my father might assume that he affirmed objective justification simply because it was the thing to do and that he hadn’t really given it sufficient thought until the end of his life and then rejected it when he examined the teaching of the sixteenth and seventeenth century dogmaticians. No one familiar with my father and his theology could come to such a conclusion. Dad’s devotion to objective justification was never merely academic. It was deeply personal. It never wavered. The notion that my father’s last written work on justification, “Justification and Rome,” differs in substance from his earlier writings is without foundation. Those who claim that my father changed his teaching on objective justification before he died simply display their own ignorance of what my father taught and how the Synodical Conference tradition is thoroughly grounded in the tradition of the orthodox Lutheran dogmaticians, and, more importantly, in the clear Scriptures that teach that God, for the sake of the vicarious satisfaction of his dear Son Jesus, has declare the entire world of sinners to be justified. To deny this is to deny the universal redemption, atonement, propitiation, and reconciliation – indeed, the very idea of universal grace is lost if God did not justify all those whose sins Jesus bore on the cross. To deny objective justification is to turn faith into itself. Such a pietistic fideism is a necessary byproduct of a truncated atonement that doesn’t atone and a redemption that doesn’t redeem. My father was a lifelong enemy of pietistic fideism! Those who claim that my father changed his teaching on objective justification before he died bear false witness against him. As his son and student who received his best instruction from him and who continues to teach the pure gospel he taught, I call on these men to cease with their deceptions and distortions of a faithful teacher’s teaching. Claim their error for themselves, if they must – and bear the consequences – but don’t pretend that my father shared it. Rev. Rolf David Preus January 17, 2014 Pastor Rolf David Preus