I Meant Four Stooges, Not Just Three Stooges

Jordan Bellfort - see the Thrivent extravaganza in his honor - above.

As the Golden Sun Sets Slowly in the West, We Wave Goodbye And Bid a Fond Adieu to Our Friends in Chicago, Windy City of the World

 

The LCA and ALC were vacuumed into the joyride called ELCA on January 1, 1988, fulfilling their task in 2009. Those who know their synodical dates realize they can never return or even dream about the past.

Next in line - the Four Waltherians will struggle to maintain the little bit they have, from the luxuries of the overpriced Purple Palace to the Little Schoolhouse on Prairie, minus Marvin Schwan. The CLC is invisible.

1. Lutheran Church Misery Synod
2. Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod
3. Evangelical Lutheran Synod
4. Church of the Lutheran Cabal

Farewell to ELCA - This Is the Last Straw - Enough To Make Liz Eaton Spit Up. Ichabod - The Glory Has Departed - The Fragments Are Swirling Downward.

 

The real episcopal story did not come up at all at the convention, because camouflage worked its wonders and the truth was ignored. It was there all along, just like the Ruby Slippers.

ELCA Bishop Strickland (he, him, his) has been published in several worship and preaching journals and books. In April of 2021, he was inducted into Morehouse College Martin Luther King, Jr. College of Ministers.  He and his spouse, Robby, are excited about what God has in store for the Southeastern Synod of the ELCA and look forward to walking this journey together.

"The love that dares not speak its name" is now the one that never stops speaking its name.

At first the female bishops had to bide their time, just a tiny minority among 66 male bishops. The female bishops did not have to be hetero, and no one had to mention anything.

ELM is one of those efforts to do whatever they want, so there.

At the 2009 ELCA Convention, A Violent Storm Rose Up Against the OK Gay Vote

 

https://www.alpb.org/Forum/index.php?topic=2188.0

Rev Dr. Quickie-Bishop Guy Erwin was promoted to President of the United Lutheran Seminary after the cross 2009 convention. ELCA gave him every official role short of "official acolyte".

Back to the amendment, Guy Irwin, SW CA, opposed the amendment because it undercuts the nuance of the statement as a whole. Luther was the "greatest sexual revolutionary" in Christian history (because of his challenge to celibacy). Lutherans offer Christian realism; to some this is apparently still a scandal. And with that, it was necessary to move to the orders of the day for the college corporation meetings. (Some of the Lutheran colleges have designated that the CWA would be their legal corporation, and so the CWA has to take certain legal actions relative to those colleges.) 

The Presiding Bishop announced that a tornado had touched down on the roof of part of the convention center; the steeple of Central Lutheran damaged; the tent at Central Lutheran was blown down, and event to be held there will be either cancelled or moved inside—a "pub" in the tent will be closed tonight, to which, PB said, my mother who was a staunch member of the WTCU would say "praise God." No one was hurt in either building.)

Social Gospel Movement - Church Growth Movement

 

We are soon finishing the Acts of the Apostles Zoom and broadcasting Revelation, the Social Gospel Movement (two episodes) inbetween.

The juxtaposition struck me as amusing, because the Social Gospel Movement of the early 20th century had the similar rah-rah of the recent Church Growth Movement, now fast fading away. I find failed fads...moving.

Walter Rauschenbusch gave the Social Gospel Movement lectures at Yale Divinity in 1917; he died in 1918. The SGM label disappeared quickly but the agenda continued. Rauschenbusch was a complete apostate in doctrine, a striking parallel with Donald McGavran, who also opposed the Scriptures and created quite a fan-base, which drew all denominations plus ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic).

This might seem odd to many readers, but the results have proven to be astonishing. Pushing aside the content of the Scriptures, the charlatans offer an alternative to the revealed Word of God.

The mainline denominations have folded with devastating speed. They are equal at the bottom, so friendly they have nothing left to say.

Essential List for The Big Five Apostates - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic)

 

The spiritual list is posted somewhere but is not available at the moment. The Big Five Apostates reject the spiritual list altogether.

Easy Part - Great Love and Gushiness for Materialism

Clergy? - The men are women and the women are men.

Land  - best placed in the suburbs and mortgaged heavily.

Buildings - extra-large to please the Growthers. (But the Hour of Power, the skirt-chasing Willow Creekers, and many more of the same ilk!)

Costumes - robes of rainbow-colored materials, fish-hats, silver and gold used lavishly, synodical statues, incense, bronze plaques for Growther idolatry.

Merch - cheap-looking but expensive uniforms to enchant the tourists. Expect the merch fad to expire soon.

Extraneous businesses - special coffees and beverages, providing needs like repairing the family car during family worship. Barista? add extra fake whipped cream.

Readings should avoid the truth in favor of the buzz.

Spiritual - Not Bought and Sold 

Preaching and teaching the efficacious Gospel 

Studying Luther

Husbands and wives teach the children

Baptism for all ages

Providing Holy Communion 

Praying and meditating

No wonder the Five Apostates loathe Luther and mock the 500th Anniversary.

Note How Identical Are the ELCA-WELS-LCMS-ELS-CLC-Sects!

 

There are solid reasons why the Big Five Apostates - ELCA-LCMS-WELS-ELS-CLC (sic) are material rather than spiritual.

The numbers ooze from their own spreadsheets.

Remember when ELCA was officially merging on January 1, 1988 with 5.2 million members? Lyle Schaller, the all-purpose synodcal expert, said, "Twenty percent of ELCA will flow into LCMS-WELS etc." 

Ha! I knew from experience how snooty and self-centered Missouri and WELS leaders were, how family-tree-centered the Little Schoolhouse on the Prairie was.

Oh! how they lusted after bigger and better buildings! Third-rate insurance and mobile ice cream treats made it happen and silenced any qualms they had.

Spiritual - Not Material. 

Means of Grace Rather Than Disgrace

The 500th Anniversary of the Reformation was DOA because few had any use for Luther, Biblical Teachers, Prayers, the Liturgy or Hymns.

"What to Know: 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly The 2025 ELCA Churchwide Assembly will take place July 28–August 2 in Phoenix, Arizona. This triennial gathering is the ELCA’s highest legislative body, bringing together voting members from across the country to worship, reflect theologically, and make decisions about the future of our church. Here are some key highlights for our synod to know:  Leadership Transitions This year’s assembly includes the election of a new Presiding Bishop and Secretary of the ELCA. Bishop Elizabeth Eaton and Secretary Deacon Sue Rothmeyer will retire at the end of their current terms."

ELCA has become the lust of the mainlines, eager to copy the Unitarians, Episcopalians, and United Church of Christ. Let's not overlook the ELCA Sparkle Creed, borrowed from a lady minister who was eased out of one denomination and accepted into another.

Schocking News Gushing Out of the ELCA Assembly in Cool, Refreshing Phoenix

 

Our future! ELCA will work with us to share their Fuller $eminary Church Growth in$ights. Thrivent will fund it too, with Marvin $chwan, who dearly loved his version of eve-angelism, kinda like "Eve, you're an angel."

Whee! Be. Schocked!

As most know - but refuse to admit - 99% of the Lutheran entities have been going downhill since the 1988 January 1st ELCA merger. More than one ALC-LCA group rushed out of  ELCA before the merger papers were dry.

Now they look around in dismay because they are all sinking faster than butter left on the stove.

 Where was the GROWTH!?

What was more effective, Wayne Mueller's son leading a bi-sexual church picnic with young children? Or Olson denying Fuller Seminary thrice while earning his laughable Church Growth DMin?

The Roman Catholic "Lutherans" Should Be Starved, Driven Out, Threatened by Dogs, And Showered with Manure.

 

No wonder the name Luther gets such withering sneers - whenever his name comes up among the apostates. If the Scriptures alone are so powerful and clear, the sewage from the Church Growth Movement fumes should drive the Gerasene demoniacs off the cliff. But wait, the overpaid synod leaders have built a wall of apostasy around their crumbling castles. They are doomed unless they return to the effective Word instead of the alcoholics last hope.

"They promised unlimited success. Don't get in our way!"

I only quote Luther because no one else will. The best they could do for the 500th anniversary of the Reformation included -

ELCA's Heated Assembly in Phoenix To Pat Itself on the Back For Left-wing Extremism And Drooling Apostasy

 

For the Life of the World

The first Council of Nicaea was convened 1,700 years ago, beginning the process of setting forth Christian convictions in what we know today as the Nicene Creed. The creed proclaims the life-giving truth of the triune God and our steadfast faith in Jesus Christ “for … the life of the world to come.” These convictions continue to live and breathe among us in word and sacrament.

Early in her tenure, Presiding Bishop Elizabeth Eaton set forth her own convictions to guide the members of the ELCA in understanding our unique identity, and these convictions have become a recognized way of articulating who we are:

• We are church.
• We are Lutheran.
• We are church together.
• We are church for the sake of the world.

We are church for the sake of the world — for the abundant life promised by God and fulfilled in the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ for all creation.

We recognize the wisdom of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, who said, “The church is the church only when it exists for others.” Our constitution’s “Statement of Purpose” boldly proclaims this commitment to be a people “called and sent to bear witness to God’s creative, redeeming, and sanctifying activity in the world.”

Rooted in the ancient creeds, we are called to live boldly in service to a world longing for healing, justice and hope. We will continue to faithfully pursue God’s mission of reconciliation for the life of the world.

Why Not Try Sanity?

 

 This was Episcopalian a few years back.

 Some of us wonder why circus costumes are so appealing.

I try to figure things out for the future, because the denominational leaders are extinguishing their futures. My friend from high school said, "According to the statistics, Greg, there won't be any churches left in 50 years." He had a big laugh over the newspaper account I was mentioning. We were both in college at that time - different Lutheran colleges - and he eventually retired in Mexico.

I checked on the home church just now. The staff consists of three women, one of them listed as Pastor Sue.

Latest bulletin - "Reconciling in Christ - Wendy Hilton-Morrow updated the process and Welcoming Statement. Vote to recognize Salem Lutheran Church as a Reconciling In Christ Church approved by paper ballot 48-1."

The congregations will continue to play word games, just in time for the ELCA shindig in Phoenix at the end of July. 

Denominational agendas are filtered in advance. That was proved by ALC-LCA merging into ELCA, WELS and Missouri copying ELCA as quickly as possible. Note that dozens of Bible "translations" harmonize so well with continued confusion.

Could you have imagined this 50-60 years ago?

What We Have Here Is a Division

 Downtown Phoenix in late July strikes a chord for low-cost ELCA assemblies and their final collapse into boiling hot apostasy.

Luther was the largest ELCA seminary, until it began carving up chunks of land to stay in the black. They are on the move now, but no one knows for sure.

 Archbishop Elizabeth Eaton spent 12 years chopping up ELCA seminaries and faculties. Her work is done now, with the shrunken faculties mostly female, the student populations online.

"Did they move the LSTC compost drum to its new location a rental Roman Catholic building?" Long ago, they really did move a compost drum into the LSTC chapel, to make a stink statement about the environment.

The four initial ELCA bishops must be asking, "Do we keep the leadership female or go back to the Dark Ages when men ruled the roost?"

The media did a big story on only-women bishops, the Holy Spirit being locked up and trying to get out, and best of all - the ruling female bishops now at 60% and male at 40% in ELCA.

Nadia Bolz-Weber may be the solution for the Phoenix melt-down.

But One Does Not Simply Absolve the Entire World, As Readers Noticed in Dr. Robert Preus' Final Book

 

 The laughable and unreadable dogmatics effort was Dead On Arrival, like the famous ship Concordia that ran aground.

Benke never stops saying, "It's OK to pray," relieving himself of the alternative.

 This Concordia cruise ship captain killed passengers with his ineptitude but got off the ship safely... for himself.