Someone said the lack of math training is the reason WELS stumbles from financial crisis to financial crisis.
I will offer some better reasons, since the financial sector of the world economy is run by math wizards. Most think a blind monkey could do better than these MBAs, CPAs, and JDs.
Most of the offering money comes from the grandparent generation, for good reason. When the kids are out of the house and people have established positions, there is more available cash. Retired people tell me they have lost 40% or more of their savings since the mortgage and banking collapse.
Deliberate Alienation
Another part of this is the deliberate alienation of the older members in the quest for young members in WELS. The feminist hymnal, Church Growth (sic) Movement, and rock and roll services are sad attempts to copy the big non-denominational churches. Oddly, Schuller's Hour of Power is losing viewers because it is more traditional than the newer versions of apostasy.
The rock and roll WELS churches will go their own way in a few years. They will nestle in the bosom of the LCMS or show a little more honesty by joining the Evangelical Covenant or Evangelical Free sects. Both sects are historically related to the Augustana (Swedish Lutheran) Synod, which had its roots in the Pietism of Sweden. The WELS mission started with DP Robert Mueller's blessing, CrossRoads in South Lyon, is now a member of the Evangelical Covenant sect. They run North Park College in Chicago, if that means anything. I recall the denomination put a lot of money behind a couple of men who were going to strike gold in Alaska. They did not happen and the money was lost.
The E-Frees, as they call themselves, are a little better known than the Covenants. Chuck Swindoll was a best-selling author about 25 years ago. Remember him? He had clever book titles. The same stuff is recycled by the new generation. WELS' first known DMin from Fuller Seminary, Larry Olson, studied at the E. Free Seminary Trinity in Deerfield, Illinois.
Both sects started with some whiff of Lutheranism in the background, so that may explain their appeal to Lutherans who want to jump ship. More likely, the Pietism at the core of both groups made the transition from sour legalism to Church Growth legalism a snap. I grew up in the capital of the Augustana Synod. I recall those sects as the two which claimed the Augustana Synod had lost its former strictness, even though the college banned dancing on the campus until after WWII.
In the glory days of Augustana College, possession of playing cards was reason enough to expel a student.
WELS had similar Pietistic origins, which were slow to dissipate, if they ever did. Pietism is anti-Confessional.
Money Men
WELS put most of its hopes in a few huge gifts. They organized Tetzels to run around selling indulgences. As one reader said, that put too much emphasis on special gifts in the millions and too little on regular giving. Marvin Schwan divorced his wife and married the wife of one of his managers. WELS said, "No problem. For $1 billion, we will call that a Scriptural divorce." The ELS leaders, wetting their pants for some of that dough, said nothing. The Left Foot of Fellowship is reserved for those who disobey the 11th Commandment - Thou shalt not disagree with the Synod Pope. The new Mrs. Schwan became a Lutheran, so that was an evangelism gain of one. Then St. Marvin died and she reverted to Romanism.
The synod grew from LCMS defections and then betrayed the conservatives who left the Missouri Synod to escape liberalism. From that point on, the only thing that grew was The Love Shack.
The first synod office was a room at the bottom of the stairs at Northwestern Publishing House. Mischke was Synod President. His wife was his secretary.
Now the synod funds a coven of Church Shrinkers (Church and Change) who think they are in charge of everything. The Love Shack, excluding the Synod President, is all Church Shrinkage. They are good at shrinking the synod. They have grown in number every year. The synod has lost communing members every year.
So the synod-salaried Church Shrinkers use their connections to shovel offering money into their own projects. They run their own conferences through Church and Change. They are a law unto themselves.
"O Lord, Look Down from Heaven, Behold"
by Martin Luther, 1483-1546
1. O Lord, look down from heaven, behold
And let Thy pity waken:
How few are we within Thy Fold,
Thy saints by men forsaken!
True faith seems quenched on every hand,
Men suffer not Thy Word to stand;
Dark times have us o'ertaken.
2. With fraud which they themselves invent
Thy truth they have confounded;
Their hearts are not with one consent
On Thy pure doctrine grounded.
While they parade with outward show,
They lead the people to and fro,
In error's maze astounded.
3. May God root out all heresy
And of false teachers rid us
Who proudly say: "Now, where is he
That shall our speech forbid us?
By right or might we shall prevail;
What we determine cannot fail;
We own no lord and master."
4. Therefore saith God, "I must arise,
The poor My help are needing;
To Me ascend My people's cries,
And I have heard their pleading.
For them My saving Word shall fight
And fearlessly and sharply smite,
The poor with might defending."
5. As silver tried by fire is pure
From all adulteration,
So through God's Word shall men endure
Each trial and temptation.
Its light beams brighter through the cross,
And, purified from human dross,
It shines through every nation.
6. Thy truth defend, O God, and stay
This evil generation;
And from the error of their way
Keep Thine own congregation.
The wicked everywhere abound
And would Thy little flock confound;
But Thou art our Salvation.
Hymn 260
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Ps. 12
Author: Martin Luther, 1523
Translated by: composite
Titled: "Ach Gott vom Himmel, sieh darein"
Tune: "Ach Gott vom Himmel"
1st Published in: Enchiridion
Town: Erfurt, 1524
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GJ - An anonymous WELS member has started a blog to defend Lutheran Rock and Roll Churches. Here is is: An Apology for a 'Rock and Roll' Lutheran Church.
Some of you think I make this stuff up.
