Nine years ago, I posted this material about WELS and its love for the Church Growth Movement from Fuller Seminary. When I reposted it a week ago, the material quickly gained almost 1,000 views.
I do not consider Google or Facebook numbers to be be infallible, but the numbers do indicate trends. Two categories get a lot of attention on this blog - doctrinal posts and quotations gleaned from the Megatron database, which - like the USS New Jersey - can be taken out of mothballs and activated at any moment.
Since Church Growth loves numbers so much, can they answer what they have done for the numbers? Look at how old these quotations are -
"The publication TELL ('The Evangelism Life Line') has been inaugurated to promote the cause of church growth." Ernst H. Wendland, "Church Growth Theology," Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly, April, 1981, 78, p. 105.
"In the light of church growth principles as they are promulgated in many mission schools these days, the question naturally arises as to whether or not our approach to world mission work is in need of reassessment or improvement." Ernst H. Wendland, "Church Growth Theology," Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly, April, 1981, 78, p. 108.
But wait - TELL began in 1977, so WELS has had 40 years to bestow the blessings of Church Growth on this little sect.
- Millions of dollars have been spent.
- Many Church Growthers have spawned lawsuits.
- The honest numbers are in the basement and going lower.
- The latest and worst Synod President is a Fulleroid and his First VP is a Fuller alumnus - Jim Huebner.
GJ - "Jim, where did you and Kelm and Larry Olson learn to be church consultants?"
Huebner, gulping - "Fuller Seminary."
