From a WELS member:
Several binders were out of reach in our office, mostly about evangelism, training lay minsters, or promoting cell groups.
One was a WELS evangelism training binder from 1989. It took place in Columbus, and had some familiar names (Zehms, Free, Stolzenburg, Glende) as presenters. My guess is that you were invited to attend this seminar, since this was during your time in Columbus.
I paged through to get a feel for what was happening when I was a youngster in the WELS. All the usual suspects are referenced and adored and suggested for further reading: Paul Kelm, James Huebner, Win Arn, C.P. Wagner, Fuller, Bill Hybels, Willow Creek, TELL, relational evangelism, ways to present more effectively the efficacious gospel, Kent Hunter, Jim Aderman, thriving churches, things that greeters and ushers should do to not turn off visitors, copies from Methodist evangelism newsletters, felt needs, they come for sociological reasons and stay for theological reasons, and the list goes on. I wasn't sure whether to laugh, cry, or vomit.
***
A former WELS pastor phoned today. We had a long, enjoyable discussion. He knew about my warnings going unheeded in the Michigan District, starting around 1988, which is now 23 years ago.
Like the other shape shifters, John Seifert feigned doctrinal concern but only used the turmoil to become a Doctrinal Pussycat, Robert Mueller the Second.
Decades later, Naumann spoke with trembling voice about how fabulous the NNIV Cheerleaders were but maybe, just maybe, that was not the best translation to use. Decades ago I was sitting in his parsonage, telling him what was really happening in Columbus. Seifert, Naumann, and many others were well informed, with documentation, but they spent their time feathering their nests or quaking in their rabbit warren, terrified of the WELS Thought Police.
I did not just write to people, meet with people, and document all these things. I published the proof in about 300 Christian News articles. Jay Webber was always telling me what I should write, which gave him no time to oppose anything in writing. I was a ghost writer for the ELS.
Herman Otten went out of his way to support Valleskey, to sell Valleskey's atrocious Church Growth manual as a "doctrinal book," and to do the bidding of his WELS controllers.
The lazy-bones and cowards--all in office today--have purchased their current situation by undercutting anyone who threatened the WELS Shrinker team. The get-along-go-alongs get to watch the collapse from the top story of Pewaukee Towers or whatever their new office building is called.
Downsize? - not royalty.
