Forget the Dow-Jones Average going up. The catastrophic news continues. The front page of the WS Journal today told a tale of one bank collapsing and all the damage being done in one community. That is in Colorado. Meanwhile, Georgia leads the US in toxic banks blowing up from bad loans on over-valued properties.
To make us feel even better, Obama and the Swimmer are proposing a $1 trillion takeover of the medical system. The bad news is going to continue for at least a year. By that I mean a steady stream of new horror stories.
Meanwhile, the damage continues to be felt in WELS and all other denominations. WELS is finding the current giving off from predictions, which were fairly glum anyway. That means even more cuts than expected.
I do not have the exact figures, but I hear Schwan is cutting back and deficits are widening in the years to come.
As one reader noted already, WELS missionaries are coming home without calls, income, or housing--except Bivens, who had two. Some are doubling up with pastoral friends or relatives.
Meanwhile, the worst DMB chairman in history, Fred Adrian, has a call again. He presided over the Scott Zerbe debacle, where the married vicar had an affair with a minor girl in the congregation. Fred knew or did not know, depending. He filed two different reports. Scott went to the Michigan hoosegow and WELS got sued to a fare-thee-well. Fred wrote his congregation, "Don't worry. We have insurance." And the synod lawyers promptly appealed the amount awarded. That's what they call The Michigan Spirit.
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "WELS Financial Picture More Dire Than Expected":
Bivens: It is not what you know. It is who (sic) you know.
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Anonymous has left another cowardly stinkbomb on your post "WELS Financial Picture More Dire Than Expected":
I'm wondering, Greg, how someone who loves such beautiful music and who appears to be so intelligent, can spew forth such demonic venom. Your "humor" is more offensive (because you pretend to be a spokesman for God,) than David Letterman's "joke" about Sarah Palin's daughter. You literally turn my stomach, "Pastor" Jackson.
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GJ - A new record of sorts: sanctimony, name-calling, guilt by association, and de-ordination - all in two sentences. I wonder how the Michigan District could approve Adrian for pastoral duties. When doctors or teachers fail to report child abuse, that is the end of their careers.
Perhaps the writer is goaded by the lovely pictures of all the people who teach WELS/ELS pastors the Word of God.
KJV Luke 16:10 He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. 11 If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?
The children of Schwan and his two widows must chortle over WELS getting all that loot and going into insolvency. There is a connection between not handling money well (unjust in the least) and not handling doctrine well (unjust in much).
Many have silenced themselves in the name of protecting Holy Mother WELS/ELS. Loyalty to an institution would be more touching if it were equaled by loyalty to the Word and the Confessions. But only one thing can be in first place. Mammon looks pretty good compared to the cross.
Do the ravening wolves of false doctrine think there will be no retribution for their crimes against the Word and against the laws of the nation?
Slick Brenner said many years ago, "WELS is facing a great judgment."
