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| The late LCMS former Synod President, like Jack Preus,
had an earned PhD.
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- Jack Preus became SP in 1969, with a lot of help from Christian News and Herman Otten.
- Ralph Bohlmann, also supported by Otten, became president in 1981, voted out of office in 1992.
- Al Barry became president, with a lot of secret help from Otten via Paul McCain, in 1992.
- Barry died in office in 2001 and Jerry Kieschnick became president. His ironic help came from Otten attacking "conservative" candidates.
- Matt Harrison was elected in 2010, after serenading Herman Otten in New Haven - "The Ballad of Herman Otten." McCain rejoiced in surprisingly unflattering photos at the Purple Palace. Harrison made it clear that McCain was being rewarded for doing another Al Barry operation.
I was most impressed with Jack Preus and his brother Robert. The brothers actually stood for something and willingly fought the battles, even if they were opportunists. The brothers Preus also had earned doctorates and used their credentials to advance Biblical and historical scholarship.
I am least impressed with Harrison, who could not manage to finish an in-house seminary doctorate but had time to spend life working with ELCA, as he continues to do today. His partnership with and protection of Paul McCain speaks volumes. Harrison's election proves that faux-Waltherians do well as chubby faux-Lutherans.
Jack Preus was the only SP to move the needle toward Lutheran doctrine. The rest of them ran toward Fuller Seminary with arms extended, tongues lolling, Other People's Money jingling in their pockets.
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| "Herman, don't tell anyone that I worked with you, even though I bragged to that blabbermouth Jackson." |
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| Visual proof that milk is very fattening, Roman Catholic propaganda addicting. |
Herman's son Tim once talked about all the SPs tugged through the rocky channel of LCMS politics by his father's tabloid. In each case - Preus, Bohlmann, Barry - contempt rather than gratitude was shown by the victor toward his enabler.
Paul McCain worked deceptively with Otten to send Barry materials early, so CN could feature them and make Barry a hero to displace the eeevul Bohlmann. But McCain did not tell Otten about his promotion from campaign manager/pastor to Purple Palace Plutocrat. No, I knew before Otten.
Gratitude Is Not a Fruit of Pietism
Pietism does not generate much gratitude, love, or cooperation. How could Pietism - while denigrating the Means of Grace, ignoring the efficacy of the Word?
I consider the universal shun a mark of Biblical orthodoxy. For example. Otten has a free copy of Thy Strong Word, but he has no space to mention it, no space for Lutheran doctrine.
The ELDONUTs were deeply offended - as Pietists should be - that someone donated Lutheran books at their conference. My books were ordered removed at once! They must be a good sign. Although they had the books for as long as eight months (draft form), they were still "not vetted." Oh how I long for the Imprimatur of His Holiness and the Nihil Obstat of his Torquemada.
At the latest LCMS-LCMS-ELS Emmaus Conference, no Martin Chemnitz Press books were allowed to be displayed. Previously, our man on the scene was not allowed to discuss - shhhh - Justification by Faith, the Chief Article, with anyone. That prepared the servile to listen to Jar Jar Webber present the ELCA dogma of UOJ, pretending it was Luther's rather than Rambach's.
Did Otten or his UOJ pal Jack Cascione thank me for exposing Paul McCaine's Roman Catholic plagiarism, ending Paul's blogging Reign of Error? No. Cascione just stopped linking all the saints notices that McCain posted as links to his stolen-without-credit blog posts.
