How Church and Change Apostasy Happens

The WELS group promoting anti-Lutheran and anti-Scriptural views is called Church and Change. They caused so much trouble that the word went out - Church and Change is no more. Does that remind anyone of Wayne Mueller being voted out of office - and then voted in again?

Fifteen years ago, there was no Church Growth Movement in WELS, according to Wayne. People were dull enough or conditioned by infallibility to accept the denial. Now the same apostates no longer need to deny it. Now they can say to Norman Teigen, "We have administrative controls," and that explanation is accepted and proclaimed.

How does apostasy happen?

First of all, pastors lose faith but they still need a job that suits their Old Adam. As apostates, they hate what they formerly claimed to be their confession.

Second, pastors and synodical leaders sit on their hands rather than do or say anything that would rock the boat or criticize the synod. The only real sin is criticizing the synod - a sure sign of rot from the top.

Third, seminary professors are chosen through politics, so they go along with anything promoted by the Love Shack (or the Little Sect on the Prairie, or the Purple Palace, or ELCA). These tame rabbits know they have a lifetime of little work, no scholarship, and great benefits if they stay silent.

Fourth, everyone gets used to the status quo, no matter how ridiculous that might be. Then the apostates push their agenda another step and another step. What might have started a blaze a few years before is no longer enough to force a murmur.

***

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "How Church and Change Apostasy Happens":

I am confused. You say "Church and Change is no more" but www.churchandchange.org is still up and advertising their upcoming interfaith event. The "administrative controls" don't appear to have taken effect yet.

***

GJ - That is easy to explain. WELS lied. Under the Gurgel administration, every deviation was welcomed. Church and Change was way cool. When a storm brewed over one particular conference and speaker, the C and C conference was called off, as I recall. Pastors were told that C and C was dissolved, so they were quiet. Someone told me to lay off because there was no C and C. So I asked, "Then why is their next conference advertized on the WELS.net website?"

Ditto the secret initiation rite at Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary - GA. I was told that there was no GA anymore. (I did not believe. Help thou mine unbelief. GA is based on deceit, so how could anyone believe that line? So GA has two versions now. One is a bit sanitized and out in the open. The other one is very secretive. No one has sued over a knocked out tooth or a broken leg, as far as I know. WELS better hope that nothing else like that happens again. Of course the litigant and his entire family would be buried alive by WELS slander if they did expose a GA injury or its cult-like weirdness and manipulation. Yes, I have been there, Ichabodians. I am an eye-witness.