Monday, June 6, 2011

Join Me in Signing the Petition about Mark and Avoid Jeske

 This is the link.

Synod Convention Memorial - Time of Grace

Memorial to the Synod in Convention Re: Time of Grace Ministry Whereas (1) Time of Grace Ministry has actively sought and obtained the status of a Recognized Service Organization (RSO) from the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod (LCMS); and Whereas (2) Time of Grace is listed in the Yearbook of the LCMS as a Recognized Service Organization; and Whereas (3) Leaders and representatives from Time of Grace regularly appear at LCMS events and congregations to promote the ministry of Time of Grace; and Whereas (4) The administrative board of Time of Grace includes at least one member of the LCMS; and Whereas (5) The LCMS, according to its official bylaws and policies, considers its RSOs to be “valued partners of the LCMS,” views the services of its RSOs as “a profound extension of the LCMS’ mission and ministry,” and expects its RSOs to “respect and not act contrary to the doctrine and practice of the Synod” and to “foster the mission and ministry of the Synod and engage in program activity that is in harmony with the programs of the boards of the Synod;” and Whereas (6) An organization cannot truthfully and honestly carry out joint mission and ministry with two synods that are not in fellowship with one another, pretending to “walk together” with both; and Whereas (7) The practices of Time of Grace are examples of the very unionism over which the bond of church fellowship between the WELS and the LCMS was formally severed in 1961; and Whereas (8) The speaker and chief writer for Time of Grace is Pastor Mark Jeske, who with his congregation, St. Marcus Evangelical Lutheran Church of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is a member of the WELS; and Whereas (9) Time of Grace maintains that it is not affiliated with any denomination or part of any denominational structure; and Whereas (10) Such an arrangement implies that it is possible to be a member of the WELS while leading a religious organization which will confess no denominational ties; and Whereas (11) Time of Grace has established a presence in most (if not all) of the Twelve Districts of the WELS; and Whereas (12) Time of Grace has pursued the introduction of its services and ministry into the world mission fields of the WELS; and Whereas (13) Scripture instructs us to present a clear confession of our doctrine and practice and to affiliate ourselves only with those church bodies whose doctrine and practice conform to the entirety of God’s Word (Romans 16:17; 1 Timothy 4:16); and Whereas (14) The Southeastern Wisconsin District presidium is charged with oversight of doctrine and practice of the pastors, teachers, congregations and other entities of our fellowship within its district; and Whereas (15) Time of Grace has not provided to the Southeastern Wisconsin District presidium documentation from the LCMS regarding the non-RSO status of Time of Grace; and Whereas (16) The Southeastern Wisconsin District presidium, in two years of dealing with Time of Grace, has been unable to convince Time of Grace of the need to withdraw its RSO status or change its unionistic practices; therefore be it RESOLVED (a) That the Synod in convention recognize Time of Grace’s relationship with the LCMS as unionistic, confessionally unclear, and therefore unscriptural; and be it finally RESOLVED (b) That the Synod in convention encourage the presidium of the Southeastern Wisconsin District to take immediate measures of loving Christian discipline toward Time of Grace and its leaders, calling on them to terminate their LCMS RSO status and to return to biblical practices and a clear confession regarding their walk together with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. 
 
Mr. Mark Bannan - Salem, Owosso, MI Rev. Thomas J. Bernthal - Peace, Sahuarita, AZ Rev. Theodore G. Bodjanac - Resurrection, Phoenix, AZ Rev. John F. Boehringer - St. John's, Watertown, WI Rev. Luke Boehringer - Gethsemane, Davenport, IA Rev. Jon D. Buchholz - Emmanuel, Tempe, AZ Rev. Johann Caauwe - Trinity, El Paso, TX Rev. Michael T. Carr - St. Peter, Clovis, CA Prof. (em) Daniel Deutschlander - St. Mark's, Watertown, WI Rev. Rodney E. Dietsche - Peace, Green Lake, WI Rev. Christopher S. Doerr - Grace, Waupun, WI Rev. Ross Else - Emmaus, Phoenix, AZ Rev. Paul C. Fetzer - St. John's, Clare, MI Rev. Thomas Fischer - Loving Shepherd, Milwaukee, WI Rev. Lester G. Fritz - Zion, Van Dyne, WI Michael Hefti - Faith, Radcliff, KY Rev. Roy W. Hefti - St. Paul's, Bangor, WI Rev. Stephen Hein - Christ, Prescott Valley, AZ Mr. Kenneth S. Jamka - Trinity, Sierra Vista, AZ Mr. Kurt W. Knurr - Trinity, Sierra Vista, AZ Rev. Ronald G. Koehler, III - Grace, Tucson, AZ Rev. John R. Koester - Trinity, Temple, TX Rev. Robert Koester - NPH, Milwaukee, WI Rev. Roger L. Kuerth - St. Luke, Watertown, WI Rev. Paul J. Lidtke - Bethlehem, Oshkosh, WI Mr. Harold I. Mears - Emmaus, Phoenix, AZ Mr. Kevin Needham - St. Paul's, Saginaw, MI Rev. David A. Nottling - St. John, Fox Lake, WI Rev. Mark D. Ochsankehl - Trinity, Winslow, AZ Rev. Aaron Odya - St. Peter's, Eldorado, WI Rev. David J. Salinas - St. John, Victorville, CA Rev. Paul Schaefer - St. Peter's, Plymouth, MI Rev. Neal Schroeder - Divine Peace, Renton, WA Rev. Paul Schulz - Grace, Safford, AZ Rev. David R. Seager - Loving Shepherd, Milwaukee, WI Rev. Gregory Sluke - Trinity, Redgranite, WI Rev. James Strand - St. Paul, Bloomer, WI Rev. Johnold J. Strey - St. Mark, Citrus Heights, CA Rev. Jeffrey W. Suhr - St. John, Appleton, WI Rev. Donald Swartz - Mt. Olive, Monroe, WI Rev. Benjamin Tomczak - St. Mark, Duncanville, TX Rev. Clayton G. Welch - Faith, River Falls, WI
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