I have heard from many people abused by WELS, the ELS, or the CLC (sic). If possible, the smaller versions of WELS are even worse and even more controlling. Abuse in the LCMS is watered down somewhat by its size and diversity.
Sometimes I hear about sexual abuse, even incest. At other times the sect has driven the pastor or teacher out, often for the crime of being faithful to one's calling. District Presidents hate that, and their Gollums are only too happy to help out with the punishment.
Luther commented that this abuse comes from hatred of the Word. If they are not content with abusing the pastor or teacher, they work over the spouse or children for their added enjoyment.
The following is what I tell people who contact me about their experiences.
First of all, these officials are not believers. They are not Christians and are even worse - they are apostates. They may have believed at one time, but now they hate the Word of God and find themselves making a cushy living while pretending. What they know best is hanging onto the job with all their might, deceits, and tricks.
Because they are apostates, writing to them, or filing appeals, or trying to get anything done is a waste of time - adding fuel to their infernal egos.
Look at the behavior of their hatchet men, VPs or CPs or volunteers. That is the real content of the character of those leaders. The leaders act like spineless wimps - and they are - but their hatchet men represent their true response to anything. Bullies are cowards and they love to surround themselves with cowardly bullies.
Secondly, thank God for being out of the abusive cult. Whatever they have done would be far worse to the spouse and children in the long run, and they should not become used to that savagery, which is disguised as discipline. The Great Walther organized a mob and committed a number of felonies to cover up his approval of a known, syphilitic bishop. The Synodical Conference honored this by making Walther a plaster saint, even selling statues of the little liar and pimp.
Third, instead of wasting time on a CRM list (clergy without a call), spend energy on organizing a local independent congregation and pursuing a tent-making job. Nobody needs permission from Holy Mother Sect to invite a group of people to study the Bible and worship together. If you have taken an entire congregation out with its property, that is what the sect will do immediately - form a rump group. What is good for the them is good for you.
In the Episcopal church, congregations have walked away from priceless, historic properties, just to worship in peace. Bishop Schori has closed the building or sold it to Muslims. WELS Mark Schroeder approved the theft of St. John, Milwaukee, handing it over to ELCA.
Think about the implications of dwelling on your emotions. Most people have never heard of your sect, and even fewer care a bit about it. Yes, there is a fake closeness within the group, handy for controlling people, but that is over the moment someone thinks about leaving the reservation. They will extend the Left Foot of Fellowship without reservation.
Who is more powerful and keeps all promises - God or the sect? Will the Holy Trinity abandon one of His own in favor of the greedy, adulterous, drunken, peculating sect leaders? They only imagine they have won for the moment.
Bearing the cross means enduring the difficulties directly related to being faithful to the Word. That can never be pleasant, and our Old Adam does like the cross one little bit. But Jesus said we must take up the cross daily to be His followers.
Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.
The Luther quotation above has given people a lot of comfort. Afflictions remain but no longer eat at us. In fact, many afflictions end up being quite beneficial. We should not fight to leave the Ark, which is the True Church, made up of believers, just because all the parties are on dry land for now.
If God wants someone to serve elsewhere, there is no transportation fast enough to get away from His will. The appointed whale will vomit us on the shores of the intended mission. And if He wants someone to stay, Holy Mother Sect is powerless.
Fourth, job skills from synodical training are useless and have no value in the workplace. Therefore, anyone feeling the heat should acquire marketable skills before the ax falls or immediately after. Success is the best revenge.
Let the buyer beware. Anyone in a synodical school should look around and get a real education, considering theology to be an expensive hobby. Nearby is often a good option - training for computer science, the medical field, mortuary science, teaching math and English, construction.
The Circuit Pastor will meet with you shortly. |
Yes, we all covet the size, power, and money of well established covens of apostates. But - nothing material is a Means of Grace. Only the Word and Sacraments are Means of Grace.
God moves us to proclaim His Word and He blesses that Word. Just as apostasy gathers a crowd of crooks, so will the Word attract sincere believers and convert unbelievers to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
I never expected a blog to reach more than a few dozen people, so I decided to blog about my adventures and say exactly what I thought about apostates, providing the evidence. The howls and screams reached their Father Below at once and many attempts were made - again - to silence me. Fox Valley WELS was writhing in pain from the truth being exposed, but their anonymous slander did nothing but expose their degenerate minds and empty souls. Paul McCain joined the bloggers and urged retaliation, Soon his blog was erased, simply because I discovered his constant plagiarism and asked why an overpaid "editor" was portraying Roman Catholic propaganda as his own "scholarly" writing - white collar crime.
As a result, my daily classroom opens with about 3,000 views, averaging 1 million views per year presently. I seem unable to convert a single Lutheran official. Nevertheless, those who have something to say often communicate through this blog.
Since parting with the abusive sects, I have had the chance to teach English, world literature, business literature, Old Testament, New Testament, History of Doctrine, writing, business writing, adult education, web design, Linux/Unix, computer science survey, adult education, education technology, spirituality, classical history, survey of the humanities, and critical thinking.