ELCA Partners with WELS, ELS, and LCMS - With the Help of SP Mark Schroeder, Pope John the Malefactor, and Matt the Fat Harrison

Sam Birner, Martin Luther College (WELS) graduate, December, 2014

ELCA Bishops Hold Panel Discussion of Placement of LGBTQ Candidates

Revs. Jason Glombicki and Jen Rude

This past weekend ELM was invited to participate in a panel at the Conference of Bishops to talk about placement of LGBTQ candidates for rostered ministry. The panel included Proclaim pastor, Rev. Jason Glombicki, ELM program director Rev. Jen Rude, Bishop Mark Holmerud, Bishop Ralph Jones and ReconcilingWorks Executive Director Emily Eastwood. The panel was organized and facilitated by Bishop Jon Anderson. Each panelist shared from a unique perspective to further the conversation.

Some of the things we shared from ELM’s perspective:

+ We have 150 members of Proclaim, publicly identified lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer Lutheran rostered leaders, seminarians and candidates
+ 45 synods are represented in Proclaim
+ 39 of our members are seminarians
+ Our community has tripled in size in the past 3 years and we are continuing to grow
+ 2 weeks ago, 8 of our members received assignments. These 8 join 13 other members of our community who are still awaiting first call, some after years of waiting.
+ 15 members of Proclaim are on internship this year and will be looking toward assignment next year.
+ God has indeed blessed our church with an abundance of gifts in these leaders!

Things are shifting – the Spirit is moving in our church. During Q & A, bishops asked thoughtful and honest questions about how to best work with LGBTQ candidates. They shared stories of creative ministry, accompanying congregations becoming open to the gifts of LGBTQ leaders, and some bishops even shared parts of their own journey toward becoming more open.

Leading up the panel we shared the topic and collected thoughts from members of Proclaim, asking, “What would you like to say to a room full of bishops?”

Here are some of those thoughts we shared with the bishops:

1. Affirm our whole selves. During the assignment process, candidates want you to be talking about them as whole people, including, but not only, their sexual orientation and gender identity. In call processes, be in communication with candidates about how and when they want to come out to congregations.
2. We are qualified candidates. You are not being asked to take inferior candidates. LGBTQ candidates have fulfilled their requirements and have heard a call as strongly as their straight counterparts and have often endured a different kind of scrutiny in answering that call. LGBTQ candidates are a gift in our church, not a problem to be solved.
3. Help open possibilities. Be open and attentive to the gifts of your congregations, especially the gifts they may not have noticed themselves. We have experienced that some congregations may not have self-identified as being open to an LGBTQ candidate, but with thoughtful and open conversation with a bishop, they realized possibilities they had not imagined before.
4. Help provide access. Be sensitive to the reality that there are more limited call opportunities for LGBTQ people, and, unless there is some clear reason not to, allow a candidate’s paperwork to be seen by congregations, especially if the pastor or candidate has taken the time to review the congregation’s published info and contacted the synod office regarding that specific call.
5. Be aware of the legal landscape. State laws regarding marriage equality and protection for adopted children of gay and lesbian parents may be a factor for a candidate and their mobility. One candidate was assigned a synod where she would have no legal protection as the adoptive mother of her and her wife’s small child. They have since moved to a state that recognizes her family, but she is still awaiting first call after 3 years.
6. Help us do ministry in the waiting. Encourage your candidates to supply preach so they can be better known in the synod and so the church can receive their gifts. One member who was awaiting first call in the New England synod teamed up with a retired pastor – he offered to preside anytime she was invited to preach (and he let her keep the check!).
7. Our prayers are with you. One of our pastors who recently received a first call and will be ordained later this month shared these words for you: “Do not be afraid, but continue to walk with your clergy and candidates as the pastor to the pastors you are called to be, trusting also your call and the Spirit’s presence to guide you.”

The conversation continues. ELM continues to be a resource for synods, candidates, rostered leaders, and congregations working to celebrate the gift of LGBTQ people called to rostered ministry in the Lutheran church. Thanks for your partnership in this Spirit-filled work!

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Proclaim

One of ELM’s main programs is Proclaim, the professional community for Lutheran pastors, rostered lay leaders, candidates, and seminarians who publicly identify as LGBTQ.  

ELM & Proclaim: Interested in knowing more about the roots of ELM and Proclaim? Read this interview on the history of ELM and how Proclaim became a program of ELM.

Photo by Emily Ann Garcia

Proclaim is a living witness of Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries’ core belief that ministry by people who publicly and joyfully identify as LGBTQ is one way to change the church and society to become a place more fully inclusive of all people. We believe God’s Great Welcome Table is open to all, and that all kinds of people, including those of all sexual orientations and gender identities, are called to receive and share God’s gifts.

Proclaim gathers annually in retreat (usually 2 weeks after Easter).  We move the gathering around the country and alternate between dates over a weekend and dates during the week.  More information about the retreat HERE.  

Seminarian Gus Barnes, Jr. and Rev. Angela Nelson leading worship.  Photo by Emily Ann Garcia.

Proclaim was officially launched April 2, 2011 at a gathering of nearly 60 LGBTQ Lutheran rostered leaders, seminarians and spouses.  The 2nd Proclaim retreat was  in April of 2012 in Stony Point, NY. The 2013 Proclaim Retreat was April 12-15, 2013 at the Bishop’s Ranch in Sonoma, CA (group photo above).  The 2014 Proclaim Retreat was May 4-7, 2014 at Heartwood Retreat and Conference Center in Trego, WI.

The 2015 Proclaim Retreat will be April 17-20, 2015 at Stony Point Retreat Center in Stony Point, NY.  

Proclaim is open to rostered leaders, candidates, and seminarians, all Lutheran denominations and rosters (for example, ELCA,ELCIC, LCMS, ELM). This community welcomes all who fit this criteria and who wish to join.

Proclaim is funded by individual donations and through dedicated support from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation and the Phillip N. Knutson Endowment.

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Joseph Graumann featured in Living Lutheran

Wednesday, November 28th, 2012

Joseph Graumann, an MDiv candidate at Gettysburg, Fund for Leaders recipient, and Proclaim member is featured in a Living Lutheran article, and on the home page of the ELCA.  Read his full article ” Called Through Love” here. 

Joseph writes offered this reflection on Proclaim & the importance of community:

As a gay future pastor in the church, I am so proud to be a part of Proclaim.  Without the work of Extraordinary Lutheran Ministries, my education — let alone my participation in the Fund For Leaders program — would not be possible.  While in Chicago, I met with Amalia to discuss how best to further Proclaim at Gettysburg seminary, and I was happy to find that there was such a vital community to be found in the organization. Even better, I was able to connect some LGBTQ-identified classmates with Proclaim’s resources and meet a fellow Proclaim-er at our annual Luther Bowl football tournament.  Because of your work, I have found a welcome place both at Gettysburg and in the wider church.

For more on ELM’s Proclaim program go here: http://www.elm.org/proclaim/

Church of England Accelerates Decline While Shouting "Help!"

Congregational cross-dressing - that's the key.
Wayne Mueller's son Adam, a Church and Changer,
has the answer. He is the one in the green dress and make-up.

Church of England Must Rethink its Approach to Numeric Decline or Face Death
Church cannot carry on as it is unless decline "urgently" reversed -- Welby and Sentamu
NEWS ANALYSIS
By David W. Virtue DD
www.virtueonline.org
January 19, 2015

The Church of England is finally coming to terms with the fact that it has been invaded by a spiritual cancer and is facing inevitable death if it doesn't find the right spiritual solution to its rapid decline and ultimate extinction.
Former Archbishop Rowan Williams never really addressed the issue as he was more concerned trying to keep the Primates from imploding every time they met. Not so with Justin Welby. He is the prince of reconciliation. While he has reconciled no one and nothing to date, it is his guiding mantra and the star in his firmament of hope.
The Church of England will no longer be able to carry on in its current form unless the downward spiral of its membership is reversed "as a matter of urgency", the Archbishops of Canterbury and York have warned. That's honest talk. Typical Sunday attendances have halved to just 800,000 in the last 40 years -- although the Church has previously claimed the decline has been levelling off in recent years. This in a nation of 60 million where more Catholics and Muslims worship God than Anglicans on any given weekend.

The Church of England could also face a dramatic shortage of priests within a decade as almost half of the current clergy retire, according to Archbishops Welby and Dr. John Sentamu of York.
Dwindling numbers in the pews will inevitably plunge the Church into a financial crisis as it grapples with the "burden" of maintaining thousands of historic buildings, they insisted.
Their blunt assessment of the Church's prospects came in a paper for the members of its ruling General Synod, which meets in London next month, setting out the case for an overhaul of finances and organization aimed at turning its fortunes around.
Income from donations in the offering plate has risen slightly in the last few years as declining congregations dig deeper. In American economic terms, that's called "dead cat bounce". For the unenlightened, this is a temporary recovery from a prolonged decline or bear market, followed by the continuation of the downtrend. A dead cat bounce is a small, short-lived recovery in the price of a declining security, such as a stock, or, in this case, a church.
Last year, Bishop Christopher Goldsmith (St. Germans, in Cornwall), warned that the church in some areas is facing a "death spiral" unless parishioners put more money in the offering plate.
Truth is, increased offerings will change nothing if people don't come back to the church, or if they don't want renewal enough to come back. Aging congregations and their aging priests (40 per cent of parish clergy are due to retire over the next decade) will be gone in that same period of time.
The two archbishops gave their backing to a series of reports calling for administrative changes in the Church to be debated by the Synod next month, but added, "Renewing and reforming aspects of our institutional life is a necessary but far from sufficient response to the challenges facing the Church of England. The urgency of the challenge facing us is not in doubt.
"Attendance at Church of England services has declined at an average of one per cent per annum over recent decades and, in addition, the age profile of our membership has become significantly older than that of the population."
So what is to be done?
Church of England leaders think they have a solution. The two archbishops think the church can be turned around by investing more in building up its presence on social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter to get its message across online as part of a "major program of renewal and reform".
Maybe. This is an example of focusing on the medium and not the message. Twitter and FACEBOOK only have as much value as people place on those they twitter. Actors, actresses, world leaders, and football players have millions of tweets. What does your local bishop have to offer that competes with that unless his message is distinctly different from them and the world around him. Being trendy won't cut it. Foppish priests, self-outed gay priests, and gay marriages in parishes make temporary news tweets, but hold nothing for the long haul either spiritually or ecclesiastically.
Some years ago, Archbishop Williams told his clergy to take on the "new atheists." He vowed to fight "new atheism" in an attempt to combat the rise of secularism and defend Christianity in Britain. Apparently, it hasn't been terribly successful as one of the fastest growing churches in England today is the new atheist church.
Recent efforts by the present Archbishop of Canterbury to send senior clergy on leadership courses look like a winner. But is it?
A 34-page report, entitled, "Talent Management for Future Leaders and Leadership Development for Bishops and Deans: A New Approach", recommends a "new and dynamic curriculum" to create a "broad and appropriately equipped pool of candidates with exceptional potential for the senior leadership roles" in the Church of England.
It proposes offering senior clerics a 12 to 18-month course with modules on "Building Healthy Organisations", "Leading for Growth" and "Reshaping Ministry." It also recommends a mini-MBA, "targeted primarily at deans" which could be extended further down the church hierarchy.
The report came under fire from the Very Rev. Prof. Martyn Percy, dean of Christ Church, Oxford, who called it a "dish of basic contemporary approaches to executive management with a little theological garnish". He's probably right bearing in mind that the whole idea will cost as must as $3 million with no guarantee of success. Critics said the proposal was full of 'executive management speak,' barely mentioning God. Newer techniques for reaching the masses will not necessarily translate into church growth.
"If the Church of England is to return to growth, there is a compelling need to realign resources and work carefully to ensure that scarce funds are used to best effect," say the archbishops. Again, this misses the point. The question still remains with all the resources the Church of England has, what is its compelling message!
This writer has been crossing the Atlantic for over 45 years watching as the whole Anglican ship of state has slowly been sinking beneath the waves. One bright hope was the emergence of ALPHA, through which the Archbishop of Canterbury was himself converted. Many believe ALPHA has run its present course and an ALPHA 2.0 is needed to reawaken the masses. Easier said than done.
One really positive idea, but not necessarily a solution, is calling on those mega-church pastors who are currently successful in Britain and ask them how they do it.
It would cost only a few thousand pounds to bring the top 23 pastors and priests in England (both Church of England and non Church of England) together for a week long gabfest.
Here are some facts:
The largest churches, some five percent of all the 37,500 churches in England, are collectively responsible for almost one-third of churchgoers. These churches are therefore a significant element of English Christianity.
There are many Catholic churches whose Sunday congregations are over one thousand people, but among other denominations, the chief ones are:
10,000 Kingsway International Christian Centre, Hackney
5,500 Kensington Temple, West London
5,000 Hillsong in Central London
4,000 Ruach Ministries, Brixton
2,500 House of Praise, Woolwich
2,500 St. Thomas Crookes, Sheffield
2,490 Holy Trinity, Brompton, West London
2,200 Jesus House for All Nations, Brent
2,000 All Souls in Central London
1,680 Holy Trinity, Cheltenham
1,450 Basingstoke Community Church
1,400 Community Church, Southampton
1,400 St. Andrew's, Chorleywood
1,400 Renewal Christian Centre, Solihull
1,200 Kingdom Faith Church, Horsham
1,100 Woodlands Church, Bristol
1,100 Trinity Baptist Church, West Norwood
1,080 St. Ebbe's, Oxford
1,030 Jesmond Parish Church, Tyneside
1,000 Christian Centre, Nottingham
1,000 St. Saviour's, Guildford
1,000 Altrincham Baptist Church, Manchester
1,000 Gold Hill Baptist Church, Chalfont St. Peter
Nine of these twenty-three churches have more than two thousand attendees on a Sunday; fourteen have between one and two thousand. Among the nine, five are Pentecostal (all with substantial black congregations), three are Church of England, and one is Independent. Among the fourteen, five are Church of England, four are New Churches, three are Baptist, and two are Pentecostal.
By comparison with church sizes in the United States and other parts of the world, these would not be called "mega-churches." In terms of churches in the U.K., these are, in effect, our mega-churches, said one report.
Virtually all the 1,900 churches with more than 350 people in their congregation are either Catholic (1,350) or evangelical (460); the remaining seventy are considered broad or liberal.
There are also virtually no churches with 350 or more in rural areas; just thirty spread across numerous commuter rural areas (and all between 350 and 400 people). There are one hundred churches of this size in city centers, 310 in inner city areas (many of which are Roman Catholic), 165 on council estates, 920 in suburban areas, and 350 in separate towns.
With these facts in hand, there are some success stories, even as England grows more secular with each passing day. Why not ask them how and why they are successful? Perhaps the Archbishop of Canterbury could invite Tim Keller from New York City and Rick Warren from Saddleback, California, to come on over to address the issue of England's spiritual malaise.
Both men have different churchmanships. Keller is Presbyterian; Warren is Southern Baptist. No matter. Both are successful church planters. Tim Keller is a theologian and Christian apologist. He is best known as the founding pastor of Redeemer Presbyterian Church in New York City, New York. Rick Warren is author of The Purpose Driven Life that sold some 40 million copies and pastor of 40,000-strong Saddleback church. He is also author of The Purpose Driven Church. Clearly, both men have a story worth listening to and pointers on how to bring spiritual renewal back to England.
American and British cultures are not that far apart anymore, so clearly Church of England leaders could learn from them. At least six of the group are Anglicans. -- Holy Trinity Brompton and All Souls Langham Place are centers of evangelical power in London.
Church of England leaders will have to eat humble pie listening to non Church of England leaders tell them how to do it, but who cares. English Christianity is in its death throes. If the Church of England doesn't want its dwindling parishioners to race for the lifeboats, it had better listen to those who have made it work. Part of that clarity is a clear conviction on what the gospel is. The real issue is how to present it to Millennials and Nones who have no interest in believing something, anything that does not touch their lives.
END

Rebuking the Unbelieving Cowards

Take that!

More hilarity from the WELS Documented Blog:

AnonymousJanuary 18, 2015 at 9:53 PM

Spencer calls himself "Father" and defends Jackson. That says it all about him.

Reply

***

GJ - Pastor Steven Spencer has no trouble writing or phoning me. I have no trouble writing him and signing my name.


The culture of deceit, encouraged by WELS GA hazing (now HB hazing) is clearly revealed by this kind of comment, an unwarranted, silly, and sissy accusation.

This is an extreme close-up of an anonymous writer of comments
or maggot. I forgot to label the graphic carefully.

WELS Documented Blog - Matthew 18 and the Eighth Commandment

Monday, January 19, 2015

Matthew 18 and Rebuking Public Sins

Matthew 18:15-17 - (NIV)
15 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. 16 But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’ 17 If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

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Private Sin

"If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over." – Matthew 18:15

In today’s passage, Jesus is speaking about the personal ministry which we have with and for other Christians.  When we see a Christian slip into sin and continue to live impenitently in that sin, Jesus wants us to do something about it.  Jesus' concern is not that we try to reform a fellow Christian's irritating habits or change his personality quirks.  He is speaking about living impenitently in a particular sin which defies the Word of God.  The word Jesus uses here for sin means "missing the mark."  The erring person has missed the mark of God's Word.  He or she is defying the will of God.  Can we dare to become apathetic about a person who is in danger of eternal separation from God?  Hardly!

Jesus says, “Go and show him his fault, just between the two of you.” Take the initiative. Don't wait for the person to come to you.  And go alone at first.  Keep the matter as private as possible.  Jesus doesn't want sin spread around.

When you have pointed out someone's sin, and he listens to you and agrees, then assure him that God forgives him and so do you.  Then be sure to leave the sin behind.  If not letting go of someone else's past and forgiven sins is something you struggle with, take this to God in prayer.  Ask your heavenly Father to help you forgive and forget the sin of others just as he has dealt with your sin through Christ.
 - Read the WELS Daily Devotion in it's entirety

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Public Sin

Called Workers Who Commit Public Sin
Manitowoc Pastoral Conference, Zion, Morrison, WI, November 18, 1991
by Jonathan L. Rossman

[note: the discussion examples cited were not in the original paper] 

 “Called Workers Who Commit Public Sin” It might seem strange that we should talk about such a topic. Isn’t everything within the ivory towers of the church pure? Aren’t called workers more perfect than other people? Aren’t all their sins at least done only in private? Of course, the answer to all those questions is “no.” I don’t have to remind any of you that called workers do fall into public sin. Perhaps it has become so common that it doesn’t shock us as much as it used to, or as much as it should. Most of you have probably been involved in at least one case of a called worker who committed a public sin.

I have not been out in the ministry all that long. Yet in my short life, I’ve seen how the public sin of a called worker has affected four different congregations in one way or another. Perhaps there was a pastor who had a drinking problem or whose greed tempted him to steal from the church. Maybe there was a lady teacher who got pregnant outside of marriage or one who was not faithful to her calling. Possibly there was a male teacher charged with child abuse or one who promoted false doctrine among the lambs of Jesus’ flock. Called workers do fall into public sin, and it happens all too often.

...The focus of this paper is not on the private sin of called workers. Paul reminds us that “...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God...” (Rom. 3:23) We aren’t called to peek inside bedroom windows. We aren’t called to turn over every rock in search of sin. We aren’t called to be spies sent on a mission of dredging up dirt on our brothers and sisters who are called into the ministry. God hasn’t called us to be the Reverend Sherlock Holmes. He has called us to preach the Gospel of Christ. Even though he hasn’t called us to search for sin, we aren’t called to ignore it either. 

When a sin is made public, it must be dealt with. For instance, you might know that a fellow pastor is having a marriage problem. This certainly won’t be dealt with in a public way, but when a divorce is filed then the sin becomes public.

[WELS Example: Likewise, if a pastor sexually harasses his secretary in his office, it would be a private sin; but then if HE chooses to file a restraining order against the victim's husband; would that not make it a public sin and open for public rebuke, as stated in the paragraph above? Why or Why Not?] 

A young teacher might sin against the sixth commandment in secret, but it becomes public where God blesses that sinful union with a child.

[WELS Example: If a pastor and a congregation choose to have a male beauty contest where the pastor and elders dress as women it would be a private matter; however if they then choose to post those pictures publicly on the Internet and in their newsletter which apparently caused offense to some; would that not make it a public issue then and open for discussion on the appropriateness of doing that in order to examine if the potential is there to cause offense? Why or Why Not?]

A teacher might have questions and doubts about certain doctrines, but when he publicly and persistently proclaims false doctrine we must deal with it.

[WELS Example: If WELS promotes a publicly advertised conference that contains aspects that some view as veering from God's Word - “Change or die” is not a Scriptural concept - would that not make it a public matter then and open for discussion based on the statement above? Why or Why Not]

When talking about public sin, we should keep in mind that we are not speaking about every time we see a called worker sin in weakness. I’m sure we have all been guilty of doing this. Perhaps we lost our temper with a delinquent. Maybe we said something which should not have been said. Possibly, we treated our family in a way that is not in keeping with the office of the ministry. For these sins, we must humbly go to our Father in heaven, and ask him to forgive us.

We also must remind ourselves of the fact that the life of a Christian reflects on our Savior. He tells us all to “...let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16) When a public sin is committed, a different light emits, one that reflects poorly upon the true Light of the World. This is true of laymen and especially true of those called workers who are representing him in his work on earth. Yes, God does expect more of called workers. Whether we like it or not, he tells us, “That servant who knows his master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” Luke 12:47,48

Since he loved us and hates sin, we must also feel that same way. We can’t condone sin, but we must condemn it. We can’t hide it, but we must confess it. We can’t ignore it, but must abhor it. We can’t just let the public sin of a called worker pass by.

Love for our Savior moves us to hate sin like our Savior hates sin. We can’t ignore the very thing which caused our Savior to die. We can’t underestimate that very thing which cost him so much. We must call sin, sin. We can’t just sweep it under the carpet and ignore it any more than God could sweep sin under the carpet and ignore it. When a called worker falls into sin, our love for the Savior will move us to call a spade a spade. Our love for our Savior will move us to condemn sin with the same power that he condemned sin.

[WELS Example: In what manner should a public rebuke be carried out? If the above two paragraphs are true, then is it right that conversations on Facebook discussion groups are discouraged as was this one when Bryan wrote: Admin(s), I must say I'm disappointed. I certainly hope that the admin who took Christian's post and my post down is writing an explanation as I'm typing. What was wrong with the discussion in Christian's thread? Why or Why Not?] 

When dealing with the public sin of a called worker, we must also remember our love for Scripture. Scripture defines sin. We certainly don’t want anyone to think that Scripture doesn’t mean what it says. If the called worker is caught in a sin and we ignore that sin, it could give the impression that the Bible doesn’t really condemn that certain sin, or that the Bible doesn’t condemn any sin at all. It could raise questions like: Did God really say that premarital sex is a sin? Did God really say that a husband and wife should be married until God parts them? Did God really say that drunkenness is a sin? Did God really say that child abuse is wrong? The list could go on and on.

In our day and age Scriptures are being attacked. People are again and again posing the question, “Did God really say?” As his people, we don’t want to add fuel to that fire by ignoring the public sin of a called worker. We don’t want people to think that the Bible has changed. We don’t want people to think that it is outdated. Our love for the truth of Scriptures will move us to be very careful that we don’t cause people to misunderstand the truth.

Great care must be taken that we don’t offer the comfort of the gospel to someone who is still quite comfortable. We must be careful that we don’t give the water of life to someone who is not thirsty. We will have to make greater use of the law on the called worker who is still making excuses for his sin, or for the congregation who is self-righteously breaking the eighth commandment in their condemnation of the called worker, or for the congregation who regards this certain public sin too lightly.

When applying the law and gospel, we must take into account their attitude and their response to our admonition. Just look at the response of Jimmy Swaggart to his alleged public sins. The first time he got up before his congregation, and made a tearful confession and request for forgiveness. The second time he told them that what took place was none of their business. Perhaps there wasn’t a sin in his latest escapade. (Always try to put the best construction on everything.) Even if there wasn’t, it was the congregation’s business because there was an allegedpublic sin. There seems to be some real resentment to the admonition that was given to him. In that case, the gospel was not needed yet, but the cutting edge of the law.

God also reminds us that we should be concerned with the littlest saints, the children. Before Jesus gives us his steps for church discipline, he reminds us of the danger in causing one of his little children to sin. “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.” (Matt. 18:6) This was brought to my attention very vividly when a fifth grade boy came up to me before catechism class, and asked if it was a sin for two people to live together outside the estate of marriage. He knew two people who were doing this. He wanted the reassurance that this was still a sin. When called workers fall into sin, we do not want one of these little ones to underestimate the seriousness of the sin, especially if it is a public sin. If we as church leaders give the impression that sin is no big deal, it will affect our children, our grandchildren, our nieces and nephews. We want to give them a strong testimony against sins and on behalf of forgiveness.

If the worker has clearly reputed of the sin, should they be asked to resign? Here is where we must look at each individual case. We have no canon laws which state when a person should remain in office or when they should be dismissed. We must be concerned not only about the sinner, but also others. If his or her sin is such that it could bring harm to others in the future, such as child abuse or sexual abuse,surrendering the call might be the only answer even if that person has sincerely repented. The same thing will be true if the sin is one that will cause offense to the saints or discredit the church in the eyes of the world.The pastor or teacher will have to weigh how remaining in office will affect other people. If it is obvious that continuing in the call will hurt others in body or soul, it would be better for all involved to surrender the call.

[WELS Example: If a pastor sexually harasses his secretary and subsequently resigns from the ministry only to be given CRM status a short time later and returns to the ministry in a different district; would that potentially hurt the souls of others who saw that happen, even if he is sincerely repentant? Would it cause offense to the saints and discredit the church in the eyes of the world? Why or Why not?]

If there isn’t a resignation, then at least there should be a public rebuke for the public sin. Notice what Paul told Timothy in 1 Tim. 5:19-21. “Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. Those who sin are to be rebuked publicly, so that the others may take warning. I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.”

[WELS Example: It has been suggested on some Facebook discussion groups that the synod leadership plays favorites based on someone's last name which would be contrary to the statement above; would the same criteria be used for rebuking a Called Worker if his last name wasn't as popular in the synod? Why or Why not?]

-  Read "Called Workers Who Commit Public Sin" in its entirety 

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Brotherly Admonition
By Lowell Smith
Presented to the Arizona-California District Pastoral Conference,Mesa, Arizona, October 28-30, 1980

Pastors in attendance at a conference hardly need to be told that they have a human nature inclined to sin. None of us would question this truth. But perhaps when we are personally involved and have become the object of an admonition, the clarity of consciousness about our own sin becomes blurred. Just at such a time as this it must be remembered that the church is not some kind of mutual insurance company whose object is to protect its pastors in every situation. Rather, it is a fellowship with a purpose of representing Christ to the world and demonstrating truth and righteousness. Christ’s honor has been committed to the church’s keeping. Therefore the integrity of the pastorate must be kept, even if a personal admonition is required.

[WELS Example: When a layperson in Texas questioned how his pastor, who was also a district president, preached about justification, he was eventually faced with excommunication and told this: "Since we do not believe we have erred on any of these issues that you have sited, we cannot acknowledge that we are still in doctrinal agreement with you. Therefore, we should not commune together. In keeping with a consistent practice of the doctrine of fellowship you should mark and avoid us as persistent errorists and we are marking and avoiding you as persistent errorists as well. (Romans 16:17-18)." Would a criticism such as this by a layperson cause a pastor to immediately be on the defensive and therefore not look objectively at what the lay person was trying to say? Why or Why not?]

Pastors, because they are human, are influenced and tempted by the immoral posture of society. They have TV’s in their homes. They too hear of the types of movies, magazines and entertainment available “out there.” Some in our American culture today are dedicated to turning human beings upside down by making the cerebral subordinate to the visceral or to the genital. Often what they describe asavant-garde, bold, daring, or creative is simply turning the human being upside down. Pastors can become tainted by this thinking.

Perhaps one of the “biggest” temptations to the clergy is the “numbers” game. The desires to have the fastest growing church, more members than another, more confirmations or baptisms or raising more funds than a neighboring church are a few of the temptations of pride that lurk in us all.To attain these higher numbers it will require some shortcuts or deceptive practices. It is truly amazing how the human mind can rationalize the need for deception to gain an advantage “for the Lord.” One such example comes to mind concerning a certain evangelist who hired students to come forward for the altar call to “prime the pump.” Another is about the cleric who asked his audience to bow in prayer and then invited those present who wanted to “receive Christ” to raise their hand. Then he said “Thank you, I see your hand, I see your hand,” when in fact no one had yet responded. Of course, eventually a few hands went up, but only after some manipulation for the Lord. Have you ever wondered if the Lord would approve of all the numbers reported in the Statistical Report?

How about this metric, Stroh?
You and the Jeske mob have reduced WELS to a starving, broke synod
clawing for funds from Thrivent and a dead adulterer.
You are a disgrace to polyester suits, ugly ties,
and dumb presentations everywhere.

[WELS Example: At the Christian Leadership Experience Conference that recently took place in Arizona, there was a workshop titled "Do Metrics Belong In The Church?". One of the presentation slides said - The question is not...“Should we use metrics?” but...“What metrics should we use, how, and why?”; do classes like this help create that temptation described above therefore making it easier for pastors to fall into public sin? Why or Why not?]

- Read "Brotherly Admonition" in its entirety

Links for further reading on the examples cited:

• Do Metrics Belong In The Church?
• Christian Leadership Experience Backpack
• WELS Discussions Group on Facebook
• Bryan's Post on WELS Lutherans Facebook Group & Comments
• Among the Hidden: The fear of speaking out against the WELS
• WELS Cross-Dressing: When does fun cross the line?
• Change or Die Conference
• Dear Pastors Jeske and Ski: You are clearly in the wrong - 38 signers
• Excommunication - An Open Letter to the Members of Holy Word Lutheran Church
• A Pastor with a backbone vs Pastor for sale
• Holy Word Pastor Saves Souls?
• Austin WELS Pastor becomes vindictive

Vines for the Hummingbirds and Butterflies. New Feeder and Job One for the Garden

Honeysuckle - Scentsation - Lonicera.

The time has come to try various vines. I know the trees will be trimmed to give more sunlight, so I have two living tree candidates, one dead tree (best of all for sun), and one baby tree. I have no idea what the last one is - one of those tall but useless plants that appear in untended yards.

I was tempted to saw it down, but then I saw the plant as a living trellis, much cheaper than buying one, much easier than building one.

The three best guesses are pictured here, and I ordered them. Trumpet vine was the easiest first choice. I have seen it growing and climbing. Everyone names it as a great hummingbird plant. I was looking for two others that grow well, make butterflies happy, and attract hummingbirds.

I like the baroque complexity of the Maypop flower. Honeysuckle vine has a good reputation for attracting birds and butterflies. In Phoenix we had a Honeysuckle bush that produced orange flowers and hummingbirds all the time, growing from a sprout to a 9 foot tall bush.

Diversified planting helps because blooms develop at different times and favored species like a variety of food.

Some others in this category (but not vines) are Butterfly Bush, Butterfly Weed, dill, Bee Balm, and various herbs like borage.  Queen Ann's Lace is officially a weed, but I like its dill-like flowers and appeal to bees.

Maypop or Passion Flower - Passiflora.

Trumpet Vine - Campsis.

Some of you fill hummingbird feeders. I grow them.

New Bird and Squirrel Feeder
I found a filing cabinet to replace the free one I got from LI. The pull out drawer struck me as a good device for bird and squirrel feeding. The top level keeps seed dry. The drawer tempts the squirrel inside for additional treats.

They took to the new feeder at once. Starlings, blue jays, and cardinals are happily feeding every morning, along with chickadees, doves, and some other species.

Peas - Plant for the Cold
The bulbs are not even peeking out of the soil yet, reason to plant snowflakes, snowdrops, or crocus, to build up gardening self-esteem.  But I did not, so I need to plant some peas. Rain will be coming but insects are not inclined to come out when nights are near freezing.

So I will plant peas today, God willing, and have a new set of plants to watch. At the very worst I will be adding nitrogen to the soil and softening it for beans, but I imagine it will be more like, "Do you want some peas?" Mrs. I "No! Not another pod until next year."

Which Lutheran Seminary?

Someone has been asking me about which Lutheran seminary to attend. The synods project a mirage glimmering on the horizon. Surely with their approval, the candidate who does all his work will have a call and serve in the Kingdom!

Just the opposite is true. The synod school will grab all the money and  force someone out, leaving him with a mountain of student debt and a useless degree. "But," some object, "What if I graduate and get a call?" That is no better. The DPs are eager to wipe out new pastors to make room for the next herd to be slaughtered.

WELS and the Little Sect are known for this, but so is the LCMS. Just remember - an MDiv from a synod school is a worthless degree, although one at the same price from a divinity school could be valuable. Yale Divinity School graduates are known for not serving congregations after graduation, but doing many other things instead - graduate school in Asian literature, social work, business school, doctoral degrees in theology.

Any Lutheran MDiv is equal to the rest, so a cheaper degree from a Pietistic school or Canadian one is a better deal than St. Louis, Ft. Wayne, the Sausage Factory, or the Little Schoolhouse on the Prairie. Whether someone serves a parish is a gamble, no matter what. The origin of the degree seems immaterial, since the synodicals have no qualms about brutalizing their own graduates, pastors, and teachers.

Let the buyer beware, or as Jesus said, "Count the cost first."

St. Ignatius
Someone has asked me about the ELDONA seminary start-up, St. Ignatius. The total cost is very low, and the pastors in that group are the most intellectual of the Lutheran entities I know.

ELDONA is the only organized Lutheran group to teach justification by faith and reject Universal Objective Justification (aka Universalism).

Book about St. Ignatius.

A Blessed St. Ignatius Day from St. Ignatius Lutheran Theological Seminary!

The world continues to ask the devil’s question, “Has God indeed said…?” By the power of God’s Holy Spirit the Church continues to answer the world with boldness and clarity as it faithfully believes, teaches, and confesses all that Christ Jesus has taught in the Holy Scriptures. St. Ignatius Lutheran Theological Seminary is established for the very purpose of this holy work. The Church must continue to train men in the Word so they may faithfully give the divine gifts of the Gospel and the Sacraments to all nations, for all generations to come until Christ comes again in glory.

The Evangelical Lutheran Diocese of North America (ELDoNA) is currently accepting applications for enrollment for St. Ignatius Seminary Here candidates for the pastorate will be trained to hold fast to all that Christ has taught the Church. They will be taught to rely on the Word of God, to apply the faithful teachings of the Lutheran Confessions, and to observe the historical practices of the one holy, Christian and apostolic Church that proclaim God’s truth. They will be equipped so that they may be worthy candidates for Christ’s Holy Office of the Ministry, rather than being timid hirelings or those who are conformed to the world.

St. Ignatius Seminary is named for Saint Ignatius of Antioch, who is remembered for his faithful contributions to teaching doctrine and practice in the Church. The example of this bishop and martyr is a valuable asset to the Church as he exemplified both wisdom and humility in Jesus Christ. (Please note, St. Ignatius is not to be confused with Ignatius of Loyola, who was canonized by the Roman church for waging war against the teachings of the Reformation.)

As the Augsburg Confession states, it is taught among us that we receive forgiveness and “become righteous before God by grace, for Christ's sake, through faith,” (AC IV) and that God has instituted His Holy Office through which He provides the preaching of the Gospel and the administering of the Sacraments, the gifts by which His Holy Spirit produces such faith. (AC V) St. Ignatius Seminary is founded on these teachings as it trains men for this office. 

For more information on St. Ignatius Lutheran Theological Seminary, please visit http://saintignatiusseminary.com Enrollment applications for the 2014/2015 school year are now being accepted. Contribution information is also available for those who would like to financially support this work, which endeavors to ensure the faithful preaching of life in Christ crucified to all who will hear.

***

GJ - If the idea is studying theology with believers who appreciate the scope of Christian theology, then St. Ignatius is a good idea and far less expensive than the Thrivent salesman farms. One also has to calculate lost income, which I why I went through college and seminary in six years, earning a new degree when my peers at seminary were still finishing (partying).

In this age of technology, there is nothing keeping a faithful man from serving a group and building a congregation. The mighty Episcopal Church has 50% of its priests in part-time calls, and they have a (failing) seminary with a $66 million endowment. Clearly, money and tradition are not the answers. I can only guess what their other failing seminaries have in the bank.

A Lutheran pastor can gather a congregation with blogging, Ustream broadcasting, visiting, etc. God will provide. The destruction of traditional Lutheran worship will certainly make a segment of the population eager to participate in Means of Grace liturgical services, which are now rarer than an honest DP.

I suggest:
1. Meeting with those who have direct experience with a given educational choice.
2. Looking at and preparing for alternative sources of income, not unlike Paul, who made tents to avoid burdening tiny congregations.
3. Comparing costs.

God will provide for faithful servants, and Satan will provide for the rest, so this is a win/win situation.