ELCA Heckler at Valpo

ELCA NEWS SERVICE

January 8, 2008

Valparaiso University Names Mark Heckler, ELCA Member, Its Next President


CHICAGO (ELCA) -- Mark A. Heckler will become the 18th president of Valparaiso University, Valparaiso, Ind., on July 1. He will succeed Alan F. Harre, who will retire June 30 after 20 years as Valparaiso's president.

Heckler, 52, is provost and vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at University of Colorado (UC) Denver. He is a member of St. Philip Lutheran Church, a congregation of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) in Littleton, Colo. Valparaiso is an independent Lutheran university.

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GJ - Wisconsin Lutheran College (WELS) is called Wisconsin's Valpo.

WLC invited Archbishop Weakland to be their featured speaker in a series of public speeches where other Roman Catholic priests spoke. WLC also refused to dis-invite Martin Marty (ELCA) as a featured speaker, after the Michigan District asked them for that consideration. Pastor Guy Purdue's famous remark was, "WLC just gave the Michigan District the finger."

WLC begat Charis, which begat Church and Change, which begat the famously canceled Sweet Werning Conference of 2005. WLC graduates mourned the loss of that opportunity to hear giants in the field of apostasy at their tiny school.

Here is a little-known fact dug up by my extensive research - ELCA sponsored a big church event in 2007 where the speakers overlapped WLC's favorites:

Let the River Flow is a "connecting event" event for pastors, staff, and other leaders of large ELCA congregations and "anyone who feels they can benefit from this opportunity". The event will be June 18-21 at Prince of Peace Lutheran in Burnsville, Minnesota. Featured speakers include Martin E. Marty, Barbara Rossing, Reggie McNeal, Wyvetta Bullock, Leonard Sweet, Ken Medema, and Peter Eide. Registration is $150 (or $100 for registrations before April 13).

Marty spoke at WLC and for WELS/ELCA/LCMS in Florida. Sweet was invited but the party was canceled. (Concordia Seminary, St. Louis, venerated his New Age insights, taped them, and broadcast them.)

ELCA has a lot in common with WELS and Missouri, but the conservative synods act as if they are not in fellowship with the biggest and most dysfunctional synod.