Laity Disgusted - No Struggle in WELS

Two WELS members gave this report of the district meeting they attended:

"One of the most "UN-pretty" things is that as a result of attending and observing the entire 2010 Convention of the District my spouse is saddened and has been driven away from joining any WELS congregation. He/We had high hopes of hearing some public outcry or at least acknowledgment regarding the disunity within WELS. Had we witnessed some public outcry my husband was seriously considering joining. He was hoping it would happen. We never witnessed it. There were numerous opportunities where men could have spoken out but their lips were sealed. I don't know why. The silence indicates approval to us.

He has been driven away from joining and I feel like I was punched by the delegates, pastors and teachers. I am the odd one out. I must have some weird kind of perspective on things. I was confirmed as an adult. They are driving away the very ones they once evangelized. I don't want to hear one complaint about Kelm, Jeske, Parlow, Ski, etc. The District obviously is happy and content with what they are doing. There are no issues in WELS. My husband is in disbelief. He took 3 vacation days from work so that he could attend this with me.

He really thought he might be able to join a local congregation after hearing some public speaking-out. The District Convention was like a bad dream, a bad joke. I'm sorry."

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GJ - All the district meetings were equally quiet. All the Changers are secure in their positions. CrossWalk and CORE are not problems. Leonard Sweet-hearts: ditto.

I agree with a pastor who thinks nothing will ever happen. There is a heart-felt desire for a false peace, an imaginary unity. The pastors, leaders, and delegates do not really value the Word of God. They hardly know the Confessions and remain content with their own ignorance.

Perhaps many have simply given up and no longer wish to work through the organization itself.

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west59wy (http://west59wy.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Laity Disgusted - No Struggle in WELS":

District Convention agendas are carefully constructed to attend to the business at hand without allowing for the slightest deviation off course. Those who presume District Conventions would provide a forum for thorough discussion of a doctrinal nature from the convention floor convention are at best naive or worst not sufficiently jaded. It pains one to have say that because that's exactly what a District Convention ought to allow for. But, alas, dissent is not to be voiced lest it give the impression we are not walking lock-step together. If there is any forum in WELS which might possibly offer a no-holds-barred discussion concerning the obvious departures in doctrine and practice, it could most likely be found at the circuit-level pastoral study groups. And that possibility is tendered with the proviso that the "brethren" are actually sticking to a course of study which is confessional, exegetical, and historical in content. But if the "guys" are into raving about books with the next best sectarian methodology from who knows where, then abandon hope all ye who enter there. At the end of the day, courage is demanded. What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, but loses his soul?

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viewpoint (http://viewpoint.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Laity Disgusted - No Struggle in WELS":

Almost any member of the laity attending a WELS conference gets to see the same thing. WELS has made a practice of expecting representatives of the churches and laity to rubber stamp the decisions of the synod leaders. This has gone on for at least thirty or forty years, maybe a hundred.

WELS leaders do not want any real input from the member churches and laity. The synod leaders presume to know best, and want things their way. This closed minded and incestuous approach has led to most of the problems being experienced today – including monetary problems and the debasement of doctrine.

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GJ - When they vote for someone like Englebrecht, who skips out on meetings, they deserve what they get. Ditto for Pope John the Malefactor. At least with the California-AZ yahoo, they asked him to step down as DP. And that man was the designated Church and Change candidate for Synod President - Paul Janke!

Lutheran Books Shipped

Arkansas take pride in its Priority Mail service.

I shipped four boxes of books today. I asked if they could send them faster. Max is doing fine, but Morris is down with hoof-in-mouth disease.

The Lenski will be sent soon. I am looking for the Romans volume.

Phase II will be the rest of the Lutheran books, history, literature, and some classic children's literature.

I will let people know on the blog first, then Facebook. I have to get the list ready.

New Ager Leonard Sweet Advises LCMS, WELS, ELS

New Ager Leonard Sweet is delivering a new load.
Paul Calvin Kelm--DMin, Concordia, St. Louis--
is the ideal man to lead the Synodical Conference into the 21st century.
WELS has recognized his genius
with many divine calls.

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "New Ager Leonard Sweet Advises LCMS, WELS, ELS":

Leonard Sweet teaches a Satanic New Age cosmic christ which is being consumed by the Emergent Church ~ horns and all. WELS is now teaching this to your children.

From the Church and Change discussion concerning Kelm's invitation for Sweet to teach the WELS.

One of the church’s most important and provocative thinkers.
No church leader understands better how to navigate the seas of the 21st century. A writer of vast imagination, poise and charm. I can’t imagine a Christian leader in America who hasn’t read one or more of _______ _______'s books.
Some statistician-types will drown you in doom and gloom. _______’s
message is uplifting, hopeful and relevant.

John Huebner


Thanks for the hint. I heard _____ speak at an "emerging church" conference this year and he didn't disappoint. Great choice!

Michael Borgwardt

How about Galatians two and Acts 15? Unless it can be demonstrated that inviting Sweet or Hunter is contrary to clear Scripture, may it be that those who are "hurt" and suffering "consternation" are like the Jewish Christians who wanted to impose their religious culture on the Gentiles? The reason to ask how someone outside our fellowship sees the mission field is that we may be viewing reality through the narrow window of our own church culture. Our church's theology, based on Scripture, must remain unchanged. Our church's culture, the product of our history and experience, narrowed by homogeneity, may benefit from an outside perspective.

Why are some offended when Church and Change invites an author to speak on contemporary culture, but NOT when the World Mission Board and Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary invite a Baptist seminary professor to TEACH a method of communicating the Gospel for two+ days at our seminary. Which has the greater likelihood of influencing our pastors? Is there another agenda here?

Paul Calvin Kelm

I issued no personal attacks. I raised questions ("May it be. . " "Is there. . .") Contrast this with the letter I responded to, which makes the charge "knowingly cause offense." Why is it permissible to question the love and theological integrity of those who believe there is value in hearing an expert from outside our fellowship describe the culture that is our mission field, but not permissible to question the legitimacy of these charges or the spirit that prompts them? I appreciate your passion. Try to appreciate mine.

I'm not on the Church and Change list serve. Others have forwarded SOME postings to me and posted my comments for me. You'll understand, therefore, if I'm no longer responding.

Paul Calvin Kelm

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viewpoint (http://viewpoint.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "New Ager Leonard Sweet Advises LCMS, WELS, ELS":

While the WELS leadership turns a deaf ear to parish pastors and the laity, it eagerly chases after heresy from outside WELS. Then they wonder aloud why people like me hold them in such disgust.

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GJ - I hear you, Viewpoint. These moronic leaders touted statistic growth and took their own church body into a fast reverse, not even keeping up with normal population trends. Gurgle was still yakking about how everyone had to evangelize when he left office for a secure undisclosed location. Now he is back, stealing a mission location from a fellow pastor.