Monday, February 1, 2016

From Kevin Hastings, 2012 - About Historic St. John Lutheran Church in Milwaukee.
The Two Men Who Stole the Congregation and Its Endowment
Want Back into WELS.
The Welcoming Committee Is Tickled Pink


Pastor Kevin Hastings:
From St. John's: There came four daughter congregations, St. Peter's, St. Marcus, and Apostles and St. Philips. Three synod presidents served there: Streissguth, Bading and Brenner. The Synodical Conference held its first convention at St. John's in 1872, which Pastor Bading chaired from 1872 - 1912. 

From St. John's church, the old Seminary on 60th St. was dedicated, and the "new seminary" and its budget was overseen by Pastor Brenner, with the result that the Synod did not go head over heels in debt after its dedication in 1929, the year the Great Depression began. St. John's shared Pastor Brenner as President Brenner from 1933 to 1953, the Depression years and War Years. 

It founded four other congregations, and operated, at one time, four mission schools. Its own mission school closed in 1960, 25 years after Grace downtown closed its school, ten years after Trinity, LCMS. In the 1980's, without proper facilities, the congregation conducted a VBS with up to 60 children in attendance.



Pastor Kevin Hastings:
Who wants this to end? Who wants to turn the back on so much that went before and established what once was? In the 1990's money "counselors" "received from St. John's more than the church had for itself, for "missions", unknown to the remnant of the congregation. 

I believe there is an astounding debt owed St. John's by its mission beneficiaries and by its Lutheran recipients of the orthodoxy established by Bading, and his beloved colleagues C.F.W. Walther and Adolf Hoenecke. Nor should those be forgotten who were so instrumental as leaders, classmates of long ago - John Brenner and J.P. Meyer. "Remember your leaders who spoke the Word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith. Jesus Christ the same yesterday and today and forever." I remember 26 years, but I cherish from God the 118 years that went before. Do you?


Pastor Kevin Hastings:
The old federated Synod of Wisconsin, Michigan and Minnesota held its first convention at 8th and Vliet as well - celebrated 100 years later in 1992 with presentations by the sainted Professor Fredrich and John Brenner.




***

GJ - Repeating its habits from the good ol' Protest'ant days, WELS kicked the pastor and congregation out of the synod. The DP who did this is one of the original Church and Changers, the same one who refused to do anything about Mark and Avoid Jeske.

David Rutschow endorsed Church Growth early, in TELL, and was elected DP - still is.
SP Schroeder also wrote an article for TELL.
Welcome back into WELS, brothers.
Sam Birner will sing, "Run from the WELS."




Zak Stowe came out a few minutes after graduation
from Martin Luther College, WELS.
Party in the MLC
Rummaging through MLC closets, Bluestem has stumbled over an old social media tale that involves student self-censorship after a popular dorm homecoming video hit YouTube.  The September 18, 2009 MLC Update High School edition reported in Dorm Videos:
For Homecoming festivities, the four dorms put together a video to entertain the student body. (Well, not Augustana— they must have forgotten.) Concord, the frosh and sophomore men, starred Nate Wordell (West) in a series of misadventures to arrive at chapel on time. Centennial, the frosh and sophomore women, featured Claire Czaplewski (KML) and a team of students on a mission to conquer the Swine Flu Sprite. By far the crowd favorite was the Summit men’s video rendition(pictured)  of “Party in the USA” by Miley Cyrus.
That sounds innocent enough in the pre-twerking days of 2009.
Here's the video preserved on the Facebook page Bring back the MLC version of party in the USA!!!!

Why did the video--which received over 80,000 hits before its makers pulled it--need to come back?
The Martin Luther College  (MLC) parody of a Fire Island Pines (FIP) parody
The "Party in the MLC video was based on the Fire Island Pines (FIP) parody tribune video of the Miley Cyrus music video for "Party in the USA."   Fire Island Pines:
. . .has been a jewel in the gay community for over 60 years, and continues to be the premier vacation destination for residents and vacationers. Located just 50 miles east of New York City, The Pines is home to the most expensive real estate in Fire Island.

Source -

Sep 29, 2013