DP Engelbrecht loves or hates Church Growth, depending on the audience of the moment.
Apostates tolerate no deviation from their agenda. Dissent means permanent excommunication. Conservatives think they are being kind, patient, and loving when they overlook the gross errors of apostates, because the apostates tell them so. Conservatives want to be liked and respected, so the apostates play up to this need.
Doctrinal Pussycats are pragmatists. They want to solve the problem of the moment, so that means giving in to apostates while silencing the conservatives. DPs are also the ultimate conformists. Once the apostates get a few, key people in place, the rest will follow along, thanks to re-education efforts.
For example, The ALC DPs (post 1960 merger) were re-educated in the fallibility of the Bible, using a book by a seminary professor (The Bible: Book of Faith, the same title but probably a different book today in ELCA). The Little Sect on the Prairie, WELS, and Missouri engaged in a constant re-education effort to make their synods safe for Church Growth apostasy, starting 30 years ago. All three have studied Church Growth and found it delightful. To question CG is to doubt the infallibility of the synod leaders.
The so-called conservative synods never admit the numbers of leaders trained at Fuller, Willow Creek, and other hives of apostasy. Larry Olson bragged about it once, in a journal no one but CG advocates would bother to read. The millions of offering dollars wasted on Fuller and WC will never be revealed. At one point the WELS DMB was sending mission pastors to WC for free. Another indication is the double mention of WELS in the catalogue of Trinity, Deerfield, where Larry Olson also studied on his way toward getting a DMin at Fuller. How much loot did Trinity get from WELS? That does not count if it was skimmed from Schwan and Thrivent.
Conservatives never face how bad things are. In the 1980s, I told SP Naumann's son that WELS was liberal because "Liberals are rewarded and conservatives punished." His response was to walk out of the room. John Seifert used the turmoil in Columbus--created by Mueller, Stolzenburg, Zehms, and Kuske--to become DP. One of his first acts as DP was to urge pastors to attend Tiefel's pan-denominational worship conference, where women taught men. Read Tiefel's Blended Worship That Works, to see if he is really part of the Patterson CG network.
Apostates work together to obtain the lion's share of the money, the best calls, board positions, and the key communication slots. The September issue of FIC features articles by three Shrinkers: Matek, Bivens, and Aderman. The Chicaneries all have keys to the synodical Xerox room. When they are not selling their articles to the periodical, they are publishing their horrid books or giving their dreadful conference papers. I remember WELS telling every congregation to buy Valleskey's CG manual, but I never saw them urging everyone to study the Book of Concord.
When people wonder at how bad things are, I hasten to point out how the Pastoral Epistles have proven to be exactly right. And there are many other Biblical passages illustrating the end times and false teachers.
KJV 1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; 2 Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron;
KJV 2 Timothy 3:1 This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. 2 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, 4 Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; 5 Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away. 6 For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts, 7 Ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. 8 Now as Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, so do these also resist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate concerning the faith. 9 But they shall proceed no further: for their folly shall be manifest unto all men, as theirs also was.
[GJ - "Lead silly women laden with sins" is a perfect description of CG gurus and their groupies. Not to worry, though. A CG pastor caught in flagrante delicto will be promoted to a consultant's position, with a raise in pay.]
KJV 2 Timothy 4:1 I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; 2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; 4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 5 But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry.
[GJ - WELS has spent more than $250,000 on The Core, to give Appleton WELS member more of what their itching ears want, as if Witte, Parlow, Glende, Kelm, Ash and the others were not doing a bang-up job of that already.]
KJV 2 Thessalonians 2:3 Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away [Greek word - apostasy] first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; 4 Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. 5 Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things? 6 And now ye know what withholdeth that he might be revealed in his time. 7 For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. 8 And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: 9 Even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, 10 And with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
KJV Matthew 7:14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. 15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
[GJ - Valleskey argued that we should steal the fetid doctrinal garbage of Fuller and gather figs from thistles, so the apostates elevated him to the presidency of their seminary.]
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Why Do Doctrinal Pussycats Betray Their Own Synods...":
"[GJ - Valleskey argued that we should steal the fetid doctrinal garbage of Fuller and gather figs from thistles, so the apostates elevated him to the presidency of their seminary.]"
Too many problems in WELS today go back to pastors kowtowing to Valleskey. The bootlicking was obscene.
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Kirk Francis has left a new comment on your post "Why Do Doctrinal Pussycats Betray Their Own Synods...":
Hello. I was researching WELS doctrine and stumbled upon your blog. I'm shocked at the caustic speech in every post. For someone who professes to be a pastor, you certainly fail at speaking the truth in love - unless comparing your enemies to members of the KKK qualifies as 'love.' Your efforts here seem to spill over from an abundance of self-indulgent malice. If you think you're doing God's work with this, think again - Satan may not like all of your content, but he sure likes your method of promoting it with these flippant, mocking entries.
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GJ - I am impressed that someone stumbled onto this blog and read over 3,000 posts so quickly. Every one is caustic? That is quite a record. If this writer, if he is non-WELS, ever stumbles onto a Bible, he will find Jesus comparing false teachers to wolves and thistles.
Paul compares false doctrine to cancer or gangrene. 2 Timothy 2:17
