Norm Teigen has raised his consecrated and consecrating hands, blessing the Church and Change Conference, scheduled on purpose to ruin my birthday.
The explanation for his blessing is a howler:
The 'Church and Change' title seems a little loopy to me but then I may be inclined to see loopiness in many places. When I heard that one of my friends, a former pastor of mine actually, was going to be a participant in this conference, I called him up and went out to see him.
This pastor told me that he had visited with responsible ELS officials (whom I trust for their authority and their wisdom) and offered to step down from participation since he did not want to cause offense.
This pastor was told that he need not step down because the WELS has administrative controls in place. The point is that a loopy church organization that goes off on its own is questionable, but if the church has some procedures in place to retard loopiness, then there is no offense. I like that response.
I do not want to condemn my ELS pastor friend for going to a meeting where he meets with other Christian people. I don't fear for the future of the church in such a situation. Why, he might actually learn something that we could all use. That would be a desirable thing.
So, my ELS friends, let the WELS burb and belch about Church and Change. It need not rock the little ELS rowboat.
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WELS has administrative controls in place? That means Lawrence Olson, D.Min. Fuller, will be there!
Administrative controls:
- The same that took the largest bequest ever and turned it into insolvency?
- The same that lost $8 million?
- The same that managed the MilCraft estate?
- The same that "watched" the Church Growth Movement?
- The same that encouraged Floyd Stolzenburg to become a WELS pastor?
- The same that continues to promote forgiveness-without-faith?
Now I feel much better.
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GJ - I copied this from Trouble in Paradise:
Norman Teigen
Is that you Robbie? Are you blogging now?
I was concerned about the ELS pastor and Church & Change so I went out to see him. He told me that Church and Change does have WELS administrative controls. I confirmed this in a responsible way and that was good enough for me. We're in fellowship with WELS and so we accept the situation as it is, for now at least. . There's no problem in talking about ideas, Rob. Ideas and free exchange are good.
Christian Life Resources (CLR) does not have any administrative ties and so there is a difference between C&C and CLR. I think that CLR practices religious fraud. C&C might be a lousy organization but it doesn't hurt to talk, does it?
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GJ - ELS Bad Boy is not Rob or Bob. I have no insights on the matter, but I do enjoy reading Trouble in Paradise.
