Church Growth Super-flop Still in the News - WELS Ate It Up. LCMS Too!

 Fired Mars Hill Church Elder Breaks Silence : MATTHEW PAUL TURNER ✪ Believing.Doubting.Writing.Parenting.Laughing.Thinking.Creating.Hoping.Living.:

Tim Glende told his congregation they were going to a "pastor conference,"
but there was no WELS or ELS conference at the time
the trio went to Seattle and took this photo (minus Mark).

Recent article about Mark Driscoll - 

The star of Church Growth - like many other flops.

FIRED MARS HILL CHURCH ELDER BREAKS SILENCE

Posted by Matthew on Tuesday, January 31, 2012 · 42 Comments 

Bent Meyer was fired by Mark Driscoll and Mars Hill Church in 2007. He spoke up on Sunday here. Bent’s backstory is offered here.

It’s not a long comment, but what he says is quite eye-opening and telling about the intentional narrow ministry mindedness of Mark.

I hope more people like Bent will speak up. Their stories are priceless to those who are suffering Mark’s consequences now.

I’ve heard from two Seattle journalists over the last couple days. Both said that former Mars Hill members are coming out of the wordwork to share their abuse stories.

It’s sad. And it keeps getting sadder.

I am one of the men fired the day of Mark’s rant about two elders he felt needed broken noses. Someone asked what has happened since that day.
I am happy to say, the next Sunday my wife and I attended another Church with far better expository teaching and a community that authentically and generously helps the marginalized.

I also finished my master program and have a private mental health practice serving the Seattle and Eastside area. This was a very good and satisfying result.

Regarding whether I spoke up or not. I have not been silenced by any direct or implied threats of retaliation. It is clear that the one who possess the air waves controls the content and spin of a story, so there was not much to be done.

I thought a lot about how I would response and just what my motives would be. I chose not to be lured into a public argument through the Seattle Times asking me for a blow by blow description of the events I have documented. I have a tendency to keep material for years and years.

I did prepare my narrative, including supporting documents, for members only to read who came to me for explanation. They had to agree never to disclose any of it to the media. These people have been honorable. As best I know, none have. By doing this I opened up myself to their scrutiny and possible rebuke. I have received nothing but kindness and support.

As to my motives, I want Mark’s best. In my opinion he is a very troubled man. He is caught in his own hell. The consequence, of course, is the influence he has on others, which is mixed.

He, Lief Moi, and Mike Gunn, together the founders of Mars Hill Church, sent out to focus on those that were young, upwardly mobile and future leaders. They wanted to position themselves to influence their faith decisions and their life choices. This is a lesson for many church leaders to learn from and choose for themselves.

The downside is Mark’s pathology shows up in ways that are impulsive, aggressive, irascible, shut off from effective relational influence, and most apparent not respectful and submissive to anyone, though he claims otherwise.

I have hoped and still hope for something short of him destroying himself that would bring about substantial change for this ever increasing population of worshiper. Some have fretted there will be a great loss of Christians with the demise of Mark and/or the Church. I don’t think so. The church that comprises all of us will survive. The chaff will be blown away, but the church will remain.

I would speak a caution to all of us. There is much to be learn for the Mars Hill phenomena. Don’t dismiss the hunger and openness to be influenced represented in those ages 18 through 30. Invent content that is useful and distribute it freely on the web. Always incorporate creatively some explanation of the gospel at the end of every teaching session with an invitation to do business with Jesus.

Even though Mark’s portrayal of masculinity is more like a comic book superhero and women needing to be protected and rescued is his focus, young men coming into manhood is richly important. Absent fathers is epidemic. Think about what it is that has caused them not to attach to their families. Mark comes at it from the standpoint of duty and responsibility, which is mechanical, missing other primary questions. Why do so many men not attach to their families? Why do they abandon family so easily? Mark uses shame and intimidation as the means of gaining compliance, which has the appearance of working, but is not transformational in the long run, or creates other issues of abusive relationships related to power and control. In many men, the tendency is understood in the short saying, “Monkey see monkey do.” Don’t over react, young men need to mature.

I feel like I need to give attention to the needs of women with equal if not more space since women are marginalized and silenced in so many ways. But, I will leave that for another time.

I hope this will satisfy the primary curiosity of those who wonder what has happened to me. I will say, the other elder fired at the same times is a good friend and is doing well.

Thankful that Bent shared.

I found this here.

 ieatschwaemerei (http://ieatschwaemerei.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Investigating Universal Objective Justification":

This article will be interesting to you: http://matthewpaulturner.net/jesus-needs-new-pr/fired-mars-hill-church-elder-breaks-silence/

Thrivent and the Big Three at Work - ELCA, LCMS, and WELS

 

Another WELS Congregation Is Folding Up Faster Than a Cheap Tent

 

Watch Us Grow!

An abomination - WELSians were hotter than Georgia asphalt to buy the New NIV with "all are justified" in Romans 3.

Glende And Ski - The Legend Continues in WELS

Katy Perry and Lauren Sanchez are NOT astronauts: FAA rules say the Blue Origin crew don't qualify because the ship was entirely controlled from the ground.

 

Why Does Everyone Hate Katy Perry So Much?

Kevin Fallon

How Is WELS Different from Andy Stanley's Gay-Lesbian Training?

Protestia - Exclusive: Leaked LGBTQ Training Video From Andy Stanley’s Church Reveals Shocking Instructions 

Ski, Glende, Bishop Katie and other WELS clergy worshiped with Andy Stanley and other sect enthusiasts years ago. The Church Growthers imagined this was the height of reaching out. They have tried everything except the Means of Grace, Justification by Faith, the efficacy of the Word, and the KJV.

Cross-dressing is typical at WELS schools.

Oh my! That is Ski posing with Andy Stanley hisself. What a thrill!

Parent Connect exists to “inspire parents of LGBTQ+ children to follow Jesus by providing a safe environment where they can experience community and personal growth.” This is done through a series of meetings, get-togethers, mentorship, and curriculum studies with parents and their gay or trans kids. Recently, they had Queer Eye for the Straight Guy icon Mama Tammye in as a guest speaker and teacher.

As part of Parent Connect, North Point Church frequently partners with Embracing the Journey ministry, making it an integral part of her curriculum. According to Causey, they refer all out-of-state inquiries to them, and it has their unreserved support.

Embracing the Journey ministry is run by Greg and Lynn McDonald. They are a husband and wife team who are both long-term members at North Point, as well as leaders in Parent Connect.  The church recommends it as a trusted resource for congregants wishing to find answers and advice when their child comes out as LBGTQ+, along with navigating the emotional and spiritual complexities that the news brings.

Hello! My name is Amy. I identify as gay, my pronouns are she/her, and I’m the proud parent of three adult kids, one of whom also identifies as gay. Over the past ten years I had the privilege of meeting with hundreds of parents of LGBTQ+ children through my position on the Care staff at North Point Community Church. As more and more parents reached out to the church for support, I began meeting with them in their homes. Parent Connect was birthed, one of the first church-based ministries in the nation created specifically for Christian parents of LGBTQ+ kids.

Start at the Top - Wisconsin Sect - Denials and Lies Continue

 

Clergy and teachers of the Wisconsin Sect created the many examples they keeping hiding away. Their tiny synod high schools are limited to Michigan Lutheran Seminary and Northwestern. Their colleges combined by erasing the Dr. in Dr. Martin Lutheran College. Their shrinking seminary is Mequon.

The key is having the upper class men abuse and haze the youngest guys. As one WELS leader said solemnly, "That means they end up the same." Indeed. Verbal and physical abuse are considered therapeutic, but only on the receiving side. Anyone who objects to the abuse is guaranteed to get even more of it. If they quit - yippee! - they had it coming. They cannot tell their parents the truth and survive.

The parents are kept in the dark, unless they are synodical leaders.

Alcoholism is basic to being manly men. WELS clergy and teachers are noted for the volume used, the behavior noted. Cool. Since the synod educational leaders are so addicted, encouragement at all levels is a plus - and sobriety is scorned.

WELS is a culture of lying and abuse, keeping the secrets. WELSian clergy were furious that I  published facts about their secret hazing ritual aimed at the new seminary students. They said "GA" hazing no longer existed. Others said "only a few" participated. They have their own precious Grapevine, where scandals are erased and the innocent scorned. 

Note that WELS hazing - high school, college, seminary - is very much like secular university hazing: drink too much, pass out, force the youngest into dangerous situations. Pride and joy emanate from activities where lives are threatened and health permanently damaged. Yes, new studies show that drinking binges can wreck metabolism after only one unhinged bout.

Justin Liepert, age 35, attended Michigan Lutheran Seminary, Saginaw, one of two synodical high schools. Why is anyone shocked about MLS men dressed as women cheerleaders?

Why did Martin Luther College dorms compete with their obnoxious videos, including one wildly popular plagiarism - Party in the MLC - Fire Island Pines? Gay publications picked up on the Fire Island Pines theme... for some reason.

Police -  A 16-year-old student reported to police that they had been talking with a man on social media. The student described the man as a "married, Lutheran school teacher with a young son."

A WELS District President played the role of - yes - GA Pope - as the climax of their drinking and hazing. GA introduces the new seminary students to Mequon, and the seniors start by lying about whether GA is going to continue. Hint for each year - it is an annual deception. 

 

Wisconsin Synod Scandal Explodes - Multiple Victims of Justin Liepert

 

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel - Two Days Ago

According to the criminal complaint:

A 16-year-old student reported to police that they had been talking with a man on social media. The student described the man as a "married, Lutheran school teacher with a young son." That person was later identified as Liepert, the complaint said.

The two arranged to meet at the student's home in Wales. Liepert and the student engaged in sexual acts in Liepert's vehicle, which was parked at the end of the road near the student's home. They met three or four times in early 2024. Under Wisconsin law, children younger than 18 cannot consent to sexual intercourse.

The student also said that Liepert sent them a sexually explicit video of Liepert engaging in a sex act with a younger male, the complaint said.

"Reading from the criminal complaint, I think you can figure out that there will probably be more charges," said Liepert's attorney, Paul Bucher.

Bucher said "there's more to this case" that will be revealed as the case moves forward. There are two other cases linked to his client that are sealed, but "I have no idea what the heck those are," he noted.

***

GJ -  The Wisconsin Synod (supposedly Lutheran) schools have a clear standard about abuse - "Never tell about abuse - and - punish the person who tells." 

The men who back this up are Lutheran pastors/teachers and those finishing their teacher or pastoral certificates. No one "in the system" is going to tell the truth. Those complaining for good cause are given additional doses or forced out of the school. The bullies deny it, laugh about it, and double down on the abuse.

As one veteran WELSian explained it - "This is how we graduate - all the same."

Alcohol abuse is standard in their precious educational system, failing to realize that getting someone drunk often leaves their emotional habits and alcohol excess permanent. If they can "handle it" as teens, they often make it habitual. The WELS pastors and teachers who overlook this bacchanalia will always support the "cool guys," because they were too.

The abuse begins on the first day at Michigan Lutheran Seminary, Saginaw - one of their tiny private high schools - which is where Justin Liepert began as a student. WELS combined their two tiny colleges into one - Martin Luther College in New Ulm. One person described the student president of MLC as "someone so drunk he could not walk up the stairs."

The student dorms have produced their own videos and shared them everywhere. That is where the WELS students - and ELCA students at other schools - paraded their men acting as women. If anyone thinks Justin Liepert is an exception, they should start asking questions about reality in an abusive sect - WELS.

 

This ELCA seminary student videotaped his dance at the Luther Seminary chapel, with pals laughing and clapping. He was ordained and given a position - just like WELS.

Likewise, the Party in the MLC video was loved and promoted by their WELS college, the Triumvirate graduating for WELS teaching positions...years ago.

WELS Scandal Update - Justin Liepert -Teacher - Arrested

 

"Former WELS Lutheran High School teacher charged with sex crimes against a child."
He graduated from Michigan Lutheran Seminary, a synodical high school.
Total Ichabod views, which nobody reads - All Time11,676,769

Former high school teacher faces charges for child sex crimes

by WTMJ News

 

 February 19, 2025, 2:43 pm - Updated on February 20, 2025, 1:26 pm

WAUKESHA, Wis. — A former high school teacher faces multiple charges for engaging in sexual activity with a teenager.

35-year-old Justin Liepert of Waukesha was a teacher at Wisconsin Lutheran High School when he met the 16-year-old male working late on a theater production at school. He then messaged the teen to meet for sex using dating and social media apps from February to May 2024.

Liepert also used the apps to send sexually explicit videos to the teen.

Landon Zacharyasz, principal of Wisconsin Lutheran High School, issued the following statement on February 17:

On Friday, February 14, our administration was informed by the Waukesha County Sheriff’s Department that a WLHS employee was in custody due to illegal activity. The employee was absent from school on Friday and will not be allowed back on the premises.

We have since terminated this person’s employment with WLHS, as he has been charged with illegal activity that grievously violates the terms of our code of conduct at WLHS.

While we have no reason to believe the situation involved any WLHS students, we pray for any victims. Our school family is stunned and saddened by this discovery. We turn to our Savior to find strength and comfort, knowing he is with us during this difficult time.

The safety and well-being of our students, staff, and community is our highest priority. We want to assure our community that all hiring decisions include thorough reference and periodic background checks as required by DPI and robust evaluations. All candidates must meet the high standards expected at Wisconsin Lutheran High School. We share our expectations regarding our standards of conduct with all employees and execute regular trainings to ensure they are understood in practice.

Wisconsin Lutheran High School remains committed to its mission of preparing young adults for productive, Christ-centered lives in a diverse world.

Liepert was arrested and made an initial appearance in court on February 17. He’s charged with felony child enticement – exposing genitals/pubic area/intimate parts as well as 3 counts of misdemeanor sexual intercourse with child 16 or older.

Cash bond was set at $5,000 and his preliminary hearing is set for March 19.

Case against Liepert

What we know:

According to the criminal complaint, a Waukesha police detective made contact on Nov. 24, 2024 with a 16-year-old juvenile victim. That person reported he had communicated with an adult male via an app called "Sniffies" between February and March 2024. That teen had also communicated with the same person on Snapchat and Telegram. The victim described the adult male "as a married, Lutheran school teacher," the complaint says. The teen indicated he met with the defendant "about three or four times," the complaint says.

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When the detective checked the defendant's Snapchat account, it was discovered that "he is a teacher at a Lutheran school." The complaint goes on to say "records showed the user explaining that he teaches 9-12 grade at a private school." It also shows "the defendant's receipt of several sexually explicit videos" from the teenage victim," the complaint says.

The detective interviewed the defendant on Feb. 13, 2025. The defendant advised he has a Snapchat and Sniffies account. The defendant indicated he did not have his Sniffies account because he deleted it a few weeks prior, the complaint says.

The law enforcement conducted forensics on the defendant's phone. It "revealed that the defendant's map application reported the defendant visiting (the victim's) residence" on one day in March 2024 and two days in May 2024.

Martin Luther College's "Party in the USA" plagiarism was a big hit and very popular with all the students.

Wisconsin Lutheran High School statement

What they're saying:

Landon Zacharyasz, principal of Wisconsin Lutheran High School, issued a statement on this matter on Tuesday, Feb. 18. It reads as follows: 

"On Friday, February 14, our administration was informed by the Waukesha County Sheriff's Department that a WLHS employee was in custody due to illegal activity. The employee was absent from school on Friday and will not be allowed back on the premises.

"We have since terminated this person’s employment with WLHS, as he has been charged with illegal activity that grievously violates the terms of our code of conduct at WLHS.

"While we have no reason to believe the situation involved any WLHS students, we pray for any victims. Our school family is stunned and saddened by this discovery. We turn to our Savior to find strength and comfort, knowing he is with us during this difficult time.

"The safety and well-being of our students, staff, and community is our highest priority. We want to assure our community that all hiring decisions include thorough reference and periodic background checks as required by DPI and robust evaluations. All candidates must meet the high standards expected at Wisconsin Lutheran High School. We share our expectations regarding our standards of conduct with all employees and execute regular trainings to ensure they are understood in practice.

"Wisconsin Lutheran High School remains committed to its mission of preparing young adults for productive, Christ-centered lives in a diverse world."

The WELS pastor and council members cross-dressed and had children giving them female make-up.

Pastor Mueller is one of the WELS Church Growth advocates. "And the people sat down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play." Exodus 32

Liepert's role:

FOX6 News reached out to Wisconsin Lutheran High School to clarify Liepert’s title and role at the school. Officials said in 2020, Liepert was hired as a teacher at the high school. In June 2021, the school's previous librarian retired and Liepert had the background and qualifications to take on the role as librarian, to fill that vacancy.

What's next:

Liepert made his initial appearance in Waukesha County court on Monday, Feb. 17. Cash bond was set at $5,000.

Michigan Lutheran Seminary (prep) is where Liepert went to high school.
The cross-dressing is very popular.

WELS Gay Agenda

The Wisconsin Synod is an abusive sect that promotes anti-Biblical entertainment at their high schools, college, and seminary. Not long ago a WELS pastor and his elders provided a cross-dressing picnic, where children were encouraged to dress the pastor and elders as women and wear make-up. That was a public outdoor gathering photographed and published on the Internet.

One Martin Luther College dorm plagiarized a Fire Island gay copy of "Party in the USA" with dorm men playing women, which aroused gay groups everywhere. The future WELS graduates were even more gross than the Fire Island originals.

Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary likes to promote gay and physically abusive events. The students used to pretend to sodomize the Sprinter statue, which was moved to the Watertown college. The initiation of one seminary group had their "pope" dressed up in drag.

Michigan Lutheran Seminary (a very small high school) likes to dress the male students in women's outfits for entertainment. Liepert graduated from that school.