Are They Leaders or Followers?

One of the fallacies of the Lutheran Church is that voting gives power to people, as if democratic principles have a positive impact on a church organization. People fail to notice how carefully controlled those votes can be. The organization is in love with itself. The people who live from the proceeds need the institution to be strong in money and weak in ethics. When someone is elected president or bishop, the election is arranged, whether the sect is tiny and inconsequential or large and inconsequential.

Years ago, in one district of the LCA the president was elected by having a whispering campaign against the strongest candidate's wife. She was disabled, so he could not be a good president. The campaign worked, defeating the more capable candidate. Compassionate, liberal pastors did this.

The ELS has the WELS unwritten rule of the VP becoming president when the president finally retires. The new VP was a threat to the tradition of the ELS being the lickspittle of WELS, so John Moldstad was promoted to replace him. The lickspittle faction rejoiced that they ejected one person in favor of Moldstad, who soon became Pope John the Malefactor. ELS pastors politicking? Oh no! Bragging about it? Oh no! So the naive sheep are led around until they are fleeced.

The people who run the synods are never the noisy ones. The real leaders are the people who work behind the figureheads. They may brag about it from time to time, as Kincaid Smith does in the ELS, but they mostly keep their mouths shut. They have the satisfaction of seeing their plans accomplished over time. They get their children or siblings into the best positions and then pile on anyone, like hobos on a hotdog, if someone questions the actions or doctrine of another member of the lickspittle faction (or Church Growth faction in WELS, or Lavender Mafia in ELCA).

That is the basic problem, easily observed in ELCA, Missouri, WELS, the ELS, and mini-micro sects. Therefore, those who care about sound doctrine are wasting their time playing the devil's game in politics. They can never win because God works through the Word, and Satan works through politicking. One example will suffice. An orthodox Lutheran woman asked a WELS pastor to speak out about Church Growth. He said, "I am not going to, because I want a teaching position at the college." He silenced himself to get the job. Now he has the job and the college is vanishing faster than liquor at a WELS ministerial meeting.

Luther argued that we should teach the Word and accept the consequences. Satan teaches people to aim for their goals and bend the Word to meet their objectives. Women are teaching men, pit bands are in the chancel, Fuller graduates are professors, and you ask me who is winning?