The Great Synodical Land Confiscation - You Pay, They Cash In. And They Liquidate Your Estates, Too!

 

 In a few decades there will be plenty of cash locked up in endowments, foundations, and similar hidey-holes, but few active congregations left. The right family name - or orientation - gets to lounge around at headquarters, if they still exist.

A pastor (name withheld) reminded me of the fantastic scheme all the synods have conjured up. They may start with some prospects for an area, or just bring in a pastor to get started.  The land and the first unit are decided by the synod, and the mortgage burden is given to the congregation. 

In some areas, values go up so quickly that the land can be sold for a juicy profit. The members have paid their share, often for years. The synod says, "Sadly, we have to close you down, but we will let you vote on the cash from the value of the property, where it goes." My eyes are already tearing up.

Here is another scheme, which I mentioned before. The synod eyes a million dollar property with only a few members. Or - they will put in an incompetent pastor who will drive down the membership to almost nothing. One way or another, they invested only a little money and saw a bountiful bundle of cash. 

A pastor might be the last full-time worker, and the synod might let the problem be handled with pulpit supply. They look at those situations with gimlet eyes. Over cocktails staff will say to one another, "Give it a few years and we can sell the property for a bundle."

If that is not enough, the synod will visit wealthy members and sell Irrevocable Charitable Trusts (aka Annuities) to them. Once the contract is signed, nobody can change it, which is the meaning of Irrevocable. The federal gubmint is a bit strict on such things, a real bonus for the liars selling the annuities. The synods recruit people to do this, thereby enriching "Giving Counselors" and themselves.

One of my contacts told me the "Giving Counselors" had to earn an insurance license first (Thrivent, another gubmint law). They tend to leverage their amateur treasure-seeking to expand their client lists and their financial futures. The "Giving Counselors" always get paid a commission for annuities old - another gubmint law.

WELS sicced "Giving Counselors" on DP Nitz' members, not telling him, of course. He was not happy, but only objected in a muffled, timid way. 

 

WELS managed to go broke while splurging from Marvin's Schwan Song.

Did the LCMS consider future overhead for the Purple Palace International Center?
The swan is an uncomfortable reminder about their favorite donor. Refrain from Marvin
Schwan's Forbes interview, please.

Which two bosses are prone to nervous eating?
All three work as one with Thrivent Insurance and Irrevocable Trusts,
not to mention evangelism, worship, etc.

The Trouble with Lemon Meringue Pie - Denominations Today, Especially the Lutherans

 

All lemon meringue pies are divided into three parts. The ideal crust is homemade and a delicacy by itself. Now that pie crusts are available on their own, the homemade, fresh crust is rare. 

The lemon filling itself can be obtained from many sources. 

Home-made meringue? A package deal is more likely today.

The Church Growth Movement is a lasting reminder of the lemon meringue pie, even at its best, when mothers made them from scratch for the big events. Any child will say, "What is this white stuff?" They are expected whipped cream and get whipped air instead.

"Oh, that is meringue, vey difficult to do exactly right." 

"But it's nothing but air, Auntie."

That is the first ingredient in the Church Growth Movement and related magic acts. They pretend to be something and are nothing at all, once examined.

The filling of a lemon pie is a strange balance between the lemon flavor and the aftertaste. Lemon and acid may work well together, but the background taste is often bad and lasting. 

All the efforts of the Church Growth swamis leave a definite sour aftertaste, one that is difficult to remove. One congregation president listed all the things his previous congregation did for evangelism, and it was a long list. I asked, "How did it work out?" He said, "Nobody came because of it," and he was trying to argue that we should do the same things. In fact, we had people drive from 50 miles away because a genuine Lutheran church was difficult to find in Columbus.

The crust of a pie is similar to the foundation of a parish. The best ingredients and the right care will turn out a pie crust that rivals the rest of the dessert. A congregation needs the correct Bible, the KJV, not a Burglar Bible where key doctrines are stolen by the skillful knives of the "modern" translations. Hymns and worship should highlight the Means of Grace rather than entertainment, soft drinks, and snacks. Preaching, teaching, and visiting are basic to the work of the Gospel. 

Daily Luther Sermon Quote - Water into Wine - "This is the way of faith, it pictures God’s goodness to itself in this manner, never doubting but that it is really so; therefore it makes bold to bring its petition and to present its need."

 Paolo Veronese, 1563

Click here -> Complete Sermon - Changing Water into Wine - Second Sunday after Epiphany 

10. What then is moderation? Reason should teach that, and cite examples from other countries and cities where such pomp and excess are unknown.

But to give my opinion, I would say a farmer is well adorned if for his wedding he have clothes twice as fine as he daily wears at his work; a burgher likewise; and a nobleman, if he have garments twice as costly as a townsman; a count, twice as costly as a nobleman; a duke, twice as costly as a count, and so in due order. In like manner food and drink and the entertainment of guests should be governed by their social position, and the purpose of the table should be pleasure not debauchery.

11. Now is it a sin to play and dance at a wedding, inasmuch as some declare great sin is caused by dancing? Whether the Jews had dances I do not know; but since it is the custom of the country, like inviting guests, decorating, eating and drinking and being merry, I see no reason to condemn it, save its excess when it goes beyond decency and moderation.

That sin should be committed is not the fault of dancing alone; since at a table or in church that may happen; even as it is not the fault of eating that some while so engaged should turn themselves into swine. Where things are decently conducted I will not interfere with the marriage rites and customs, and dance and never mind. Faith and love cannot be driven away either by dancing or by sitting still, as long as you keep to decency and moderation. Young children certainly dance without sin; do the same also, and be a child, then dancing will not harm you. Otherwise were dancing a sin in itself, children should not be allowed to dance. This is sufficient concerning marriage.

II. THE DOCTRINE AND EXAMPLE OF LOVE AND OF FAITH.

12. In the second place, to return to. our Gospel lesson, we here see the example of love in Christ and his mother. The mother renders service and takes the part of house-keeper: Christ honors the occasion by his personal presence, by a miracle and a gift. And all this is for the benefit of the groom, the bride and the guests, as is the nature of love and its works.

Thus Christ lures all hearts to himself, to rely on him as ever ready to help, even in temporal things, and never willing to forsake any; so that all who believe in him shall not suffer want, be it in spiritual or temporal things; rather must water become wine, and every creature turned into the thing his believer needs. He who believes must have sufficient, and no one can prevent it.

13. But the example of faith is still more wonderful in this Gospel. Christ waits to the very last moment when the want is felt by all present, and there is no counsel or help left. This shows the way of divine grace; it is not imparted to one who still has enough, and has not yet felt his need. For grace does not feed the full and satiated, but the hungry, as we have often said. Whoever still deems himself wise, strong and pious, and finds something good in himself, and is not yet a poor, miserable, sick sinner and fool, the same cannot come to Christ the Lord, nor receive his grace.

14. But whenever the need is felt, he does not at once hasten and bestow what is needed and desired, but delays and tests our faith and trust, even as he does here; yea, what is still more severe, he acts as though he would not help at all, but speaks with harshness and austerity. This you observe in the case of his mother. She feels the need and tells him of it, desiring his help and counsel in a humble and polite request. For she does not say: My dear son, furnish us wine; but: “They have no wine.” Thus she merely touches his kindness, of which she is fully assured. As though she would say: He is so good and gracious, there is no need of my asking, I will only tell him what is lacking, and he will of his own accord do more than one could ask.

This is the way of faith, it pictures God’s goodness to itself in this manner, never doubting but that it is really so; therefore it makes bold to bring its petition and to present its need.

More ELCA Youth Shenanigans - Protestia - From Tom Brock

ELCA Bishop Liz Eaton and her friends took over their synod and got their rewards. The synod moved downward from 5.3 million members to half that number. Thrivent and the Siebert Foundation gather ELCA, LCMS, and WELS managers for many joint teaching opportunities. PS - My editor tells me, "Don't say leaders. They are not leaders. They are managers."

Copied from Protestia post by Tom Brock

For 2024, the Teen Gathering theme will be “Created to Be”. “We are created to be free—to work for justice for all our siblings”. You will notice the ELCA now shies away from calling people “brothers and sisters” because that is too binary and excludes transgender people, so instead we get “siblings”. Teens are told to introduce themselves in this way, “Hi, my name is ________ and I use the pronouns __________.” Teens are told to “honor everyone by calling them by the name and pronouns they feel comfortable with…You might be surprised to learn that someone in your group has been longing to introduce themselves to you in this way!” 

Sessions of the Teen Assembly will begin with a “Land acknowledgement”, stating that the Assembly is being held on land stolen from Native Americans.

A big theme of the Youth Gathering will be to teach teens to become “disruptive to injustice”. Teens are told to discuss “what injustices you have experienced” and are told “We are created to be disruptive, to work for justice for all our siblings”. Youth are taught “interrupting phrases” such as “We don’t say things like that here” to “help them disrupt an unjust situation”.

In a nod I believe to the LGBT movement, teens are told to “be authentic and bring our whole selves”. Then comes this strange statement: “Our host city, New Orleans, has always been its true, authentic self…. New Orleans was built to host and be a city where all God’s children come together.” I’m not sure how the ELCA knows this. Teens are asked in small groups “What would it mean for you if your congregation became a Reconciling in Christ congregation?” Reconciling in Christ is the movement that promotes all things LGBT in the ELCA. It is no secret how the ELCA wants to influence teens here.

 ELCA clergy-critters wait eagerly for the next generation.