Angels - A Summary of the Christian Faith by Henry Eyster Jacobs - Chapter 6 - Comfort for Christians

Angels - A Summary of the Christian Faith by Henry Eyster Jacobs - Chapter 6 - Comfort for Christians:



"Chapter 6 - Of Angels

1. Why is the doctrine of Angels treated at this place?
Because after treating of Creation and Providence, we consider the chief creatures of God, Angels and Men, and the chief instruments of God’s Providential activity, Angels,

2. Why is so little prominence given it in the Confessions of the Church?
Because with the gift of the Holy Ghost at Pentecost, and His abiding presence with the Church, the consciousness of the favor and nearness of God in Christ, completely subordinates their agency in the heart of the Christian. With the fuller appropriation of assurance of faith and of adoption as children of God, which entered with the study of St. Paul at the Reformation period, the chief allusions in the Confessions are in the cautions given against an abuse of the doctrine."



'via Blog this'

The S.S. UOJ Founders on the Shoals of John 14

The Concordia sank after its incompetent captain
ran aground on well marked rocky shoals.

Jesus, Savior, pilot me

Over life's tempestuous sea;

Unknown waves before me roll,

Hiding rock and treacherous shoal.

Chart and compass come from Thee:

Jesus, Savior, pilot me.

Hymn #649 

The Lutheran Hymnal

Text: Matthew 8:26

Author: Edward Hopper, 1871

John 14 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

This verb troubled is used twice in describing Jesus' reaction to the death of His good friend Lazarus. We are inclined to overlook His humanity, knowing that His friend and everyone else went through so much to signal the beginning of the Passion. It was Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead that brought crowds following Him from Bethany and coming out to meet Him in Jerusalem. The same miracle inflamed the Roman and Jewish leaders to kill Jesus and Lazarus, who came with Him and served as evidence that this was indeed the Son of God, the Messiah and Savior.

Although Jesus trembled and shuddered in reaction to the people weeping and at seeing the grave itself - so much like His future grave - He said, "Let not your heart be troubled."

Like the rest of this doctrinal Gospel, this passage emphasizes the close relationship between the Father and the Son. The Jewish people believed in the coming Messiah, but they were not completely aware of His divinity. So Jesus teaches them that believing in the Father includes believing in Him. 

How anyone could read this chapter once and denigrate faith is beyond my capacity to comprehend stupidity, obstinancy, and spiritual blindness. But there it is - UOJ versus this chapter.

2 In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.

3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also.

This is a great Promise, not only as a place for every believer, but for the constancy of Jesus, that He is always with us.

4 And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

5 Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

7 If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

As we see in many other places in John, Jesus' teaching sets up a dialogue where someone's lack of understanding sets up even clearer statements of His mission and role. This is another passage where we can see that "I am" is not merely identification (I am He, or It's Me in the Surfer Dude Living Paraphrase), but naming Himself  the I AM of the Burning Bush, which symbolizes the Two Natures of Christ. Invoking His Name, He excludes any other path of salvation by saying "No one comes to the Father except through Me."

Contrast that with the thimble-brained head of Higher Things - Georgie One Note - shouting that Everyone! Everyone! is saved.

8 Philip saith unto him, Lord, show us the Father, and it sufficeth us.

9 Jesus saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?

10 Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

So often the Holy Spirit speaks in a fisherman's visit - very plain, plenty of content pushed together at once, not at all elegant, but easy to remember. That is what inspires the false teachers to dance, Arabesque, Grande Jeté,  and Pirouette - dazzling us with their moves away from the Word of God.

Jesus repeatedly teaches in John that He and the Father work together in all things, that He listens to the Father and repeats His Word, that He fulfills the will of His Father, making Him the Face and Voice of the Father. So He has already shown them the Father.

11 Believe me that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: or else believe me for the very works' sake.

Faith in Christ means trusting that He is in the Father, the Father in Him. At least believe in Jesus because of His divine works. How bizarre to have CFW Walther idolaters menace us about the dangers of faith in Him. Throughout the Fourth Gospel is an intense concentration on faith in Him, righteousness only through faith in Him, and the blessings of faith in Him.

But UOJ follows Pietistic rationalism in saying "Universal forgiveness and salvation are first. Faith is merely grasping this truth that everyone is already forgiven and saved." How twisted - denying faith and redefining faith by rejecting the importance and the righteousness of faith.

But the synodicals say, "Believe in Walther. If you believe in Walther, you believe in us: blessings and grants will fall upon your head."

12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.

This is another great Promise for those genuinely involved in evangelism and missions. Our mission is to apostate Lutherans.

Greater than Jesus' work? Yes, this has been accomplished because God gave believers the authority to work in the Name of His Son, so a local group became the world religion of Christ and His Gospel.

13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.

14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it.

God glorifies His Son by answering prayers in the Name of Jesus. I write out prayers for people on Facebook and in the classroom, always closing in the Name of Jesus. God glorifies His Son by answering them.

15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Loving Jesus does not go with making up dogma against Him. As one  super-apostate said, "We talk about Jesus all the time," smirking. Sure he never stopped quenching faith in the Savior, trust in the Word.

16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;

17 Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

18 I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.

This is the beginning of Promises about the Holy Spirit. Ignoring and teaching against the Holy Spirit really promoted the growth of Pentecostalism and the charismatic movement. As one Methodist minister told me, "The district supervisor wrote about prayer, so that is a good sign."

As others have said, Comforter is a difficult word to translate. It is used in the sense of an advocate in court who speaks for someone. I find it significant that Jesus calls the Holy Spirit "another Comforter." Jesus is our Comforter too, our Advocate who speaks for us and gives us His righteousness through faith.

19 Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

20 At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

21 He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

Jesus built up His disciples before the apparent disaster of the betrayal, trial, torture, and death. The Gospel of John shows us that the disciples were as weak and volatile as we are, but faith kept them together - even in hiding - until the Savior restored them during His post-resurrection sermons. 

Three overlapping circles only begin to describe the relationships - Jesus is in the Father, believers are in Jesus, and Jesus is in us.

Loving Jesus and keeping His commandments are twin actions that cannot be separated. This is an antidote to cure the poison of Antinomianism (anti-law) - "I know that I am forgiven so I know I can do anything I want.

Loving Jesus means being loved by the Father. God the Father is angry and hateful? That is just as wrong as saying there are many paths of salvation. Jesus teaches clearly here that faith in Him means being loved by the Son and the Father.

I will manifest Myself to him - The Word itself does this, because the Word conveys the Savior to us, showing us what He is really like. Every believer knows Jesus better than all the Biblical scholars rolled into one. The great and wise do not like the fisherman's voice of the Spirit, so they concoct elegant phrases and beautiful new dogmas to enchant their audiences.

If you want to spend an hour talking with Jesus while sitting on a park bench, as the common questions states - Who would you spend an hour with on the park bench - if you could? Anyone who has a Gospel can do this. The Word is the instrument by which God brings the grace of Christ to people.

22 Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world?

23 Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

24 He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me.

25 These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

Judas not-Iscariot seems to be saying, "Why not show yourself to the whole world, so they know we are on the winning side?" No, Jesus lets us bear the cross and be identified as losers, crazy, peculiar, burdened with troubles. That holy and blessed cross is good for us and not to be shunned. The Spirit blinds and hardens obstinate unbelievers, so they cannot see anything good in the Savior or His followers.

But loving Jesus means guarding His teaching. The result is that the Father will love him. The Father and the Son will come to him and make their dwelling place with him. This is a major but overlooked theme in the Fourth Gospel - dwelling and abiding. The Savior is never absent from believers, even though there are times when we imagine such an abandonment. Abiding with Jesus means bearing fruit, being forgiven, and bearing even more fruit. Not believing means drying up and being cast off.

Not loving and not guarding His teaching - those actions go together. No false teacher is excused from this terrible decree, no matter how charming, intelligent, and appealing he is. 

26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

The life of the Christian and the work of the true Church are clearly taught in these later chapters of John. So much has been neglected, even though clearly stated. Perhaps because the statements are so plain and simple, and yet staggering in their meaning.

How can we trust the Gospels and the New Testament? The Holy Spirit brought to mind what the apostles needed to convey to us, first in their spoken sermons, then in the Gospels and Epistles. Therefore, the Word that we hear, read, or remember is effective in bringing the Savior to us.

Another Promise - Jesus gives us peace, not the peace of the world, from lotteries, honors, titles, and recognition. It is the peace of complete forgiveness. Therefore, we should not be troubled - Jesus was troubled and killed for us - and we should never be afraid.

Believing and confessing the truth also go together throughout the Gospel. Fear makes us silence ourselves. We would speak the truth, but that might have negative consequences - or it is the wrong moment (because - bad reactions). So we silence ourselves until there is nothing left we can say. Loving the Savior means trusting the Word to accomplish His will, not our will. And that confessed truth may bring us slaps and kicks, but they are nothing compared to what was done for us in the Atonement. 

28 Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

29 And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe.

Faith in Jesus must be a very good thing, surpassing the ability to debate the history of the Synodical Conference. Jesus always commends faith in the New Testament, but the false teachers warn against it. "Faith in Jesus is nothing," they warn us - "Trust in CFW Walther and Edward Preuss instead." 

All things considered, Jesus is the ultimate authority, rather than the enforcer of an abusive and self-designated bishop. The Savior took on the lowliest title of all, as the shepherd, the common laborer, and elevated it by His works to the Good Shepherd, the Shepherd above all shepherds. He did not do this with dazzling speeches but with clear and compelling words.

Jesus predicted His Ascension so the Ascension itself would promote faith in Him. No wonder the rationalists and busy mission-builders neglect the Ascension in worship, because worldly accomplishments mean so much more to them than the teachings of Christ.

30 Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

31 But that the world may know that I love the Father; and as the Father gave me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

These two verses are the start of the Passion of Christ. The tyrant of the world is Satan, provoked into final action by the raising of Lazarus, stirring up fears in the religious leaders - "We will lose everything!" and the local Roman leaders - "Caesar will kill us all!" But Satan has no real power over Jesus, who will allow Himself to be the bait on the hook. Satan will seize His life and thereby end his dominance over sin and death. 

Jesus leaves to face His torture and death to show the world that He loves the Father and obeys the Father - an example for us. 

Look at the Videos Below - WELS Has Already Merged with ELCA

Mark and Avoid Jeske morphed from Church and Change to Change or Die! - while under the watchful eye of Mirthless Mark Schroeder, the Reforming Synod President.

Jeske would rather be the main speaker every year, but he has given the same speech for 30 years. Even the comatose grow tired of him. So he has done something better - or worse. With the Siebert Foundation and Thrivent he has organized the Change or Die! conferences. These conferences do not merely promote the false teachers of WELS, but their counterparts in the LCMS and ELCA as well.

They know how uncurious the WELS clergy and laity are, so they put the worst of their stars on YouTube for everyone to watch. Take notes, because there is so much to learn.





One ELCA pastor - who spoke for Die! - said she was told by Louise Johnson, now president of the other Loehe seminary in America, Wartburg, that she must become a pastor. She told Louise, "Get behind me, Satan!" and everyone at the Die! conference had a jolly laugh.

Must watch YouTube - Robin Steinke's funeral-like installation service as the first woman president of Luther Seminary, the largest shrinking Lutheran seminary in North America.




The timid, frightened WELS clergy are afraid to do the research and deal with the path of destruction they are on.



United Lutheran Seminary has named the Rev. Dr. Theresa F. Latini as the first president to lead the unified seminary with campuses at Gettysburg and Philadelphia

President-elect Latini will officially begin July 1, 2017, which is also the inaugural date of United Lutheran Seminary (ULS), a consolidation of two historic Lutheran Seminaries in Gettysburg and Philadelphia. ULS is the oldest seminary of the 3.8 million-member Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), dating to 1826.

 Latini - President of Gettysburg/Philadelphia Seminary.
Philly is where Krauth and Schmauk taught.
I was interviewed at Philly, but it was really a fake
HEW-inspired interview, one of ten interviews to hide the fact that
they already had their hire picked out.

Latini comes to the presidency with extensive experience in theological education as an educator and administrator. She has written two books and many articles on topics such as Christian vocation, congregational leadership, and racial reconciliation. She previously served as the George C. Weinman Chair of Pastoral Theology and Ministry at Luther Seminary and continues to advise students in Luther’s PhD program. Currently, Latini is associate dean of diversity and cultural competency and professor of practical theology and pastoral care at Western Theological Seminary in Holland, Michigan. She has expertise in conflict mediation and has consulted with congregations and judicatories throughout the United States.

Latini will lead the new theological school, whose roots run deep in Lutheran identity in America and broadly across historically ecumenical Christian commitments. “I am honored and humbled to be called to serve as the first president of United Lutheran Seminary. Grounded in the promises of God, this bold and innovative union of two historic Lutheran institutions will enable us to educate and empower public Christian leaders for confessionally rooted, ecumenically connected, and interculturally competent ministry in the twenty-first century. I look forward to co-laboring with students, staff, and faculty at ULS and with colleagues throughout the ELCA as together we join God’s work of healing, justice, and reconciliation.”

An ordained minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church (USA), Latini’s background includes pastoral positions in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Levittown, Pennsylvania. She received both her MDiv and PhD from Princeton Theological Seminary. PCUSA has been a full communion partner of the ELCA since 1997. Full communion partners share a commitment to interchange of clergy and an official recognition of agreement in essential doctrines and sacramental understanding.
- More laughs and gasps of sorrow at: https://ltsp.edu/ULS+New+President+Announcement#sthash.cQg29VyI.dpuf

Thus WELS has returned to its tangled roots of union with the Calvinists. By joining with ELCA in so many religious ventures, WELS has signaled that they are one with Liz Eaton and her Amazons (and I don't mean retail).

Paul Calvin Kelm got away with his Calvinistic rationalism, regurgitated from Fuller Seminary, Concordia St. Louis (DMin!!), Willow Creek, Trinity Divinity. Now they are One Flock, with One Princess of Darkness guiding them, funded by pro-abortion Thrivent.

LCMS Church Growther

WELS Elderly Pastor Paul Kelm - Change or Die! He Started an ELCA Congregation in His First Parish

Kelm was in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and I subbed for a WELS pastor there. That was Kelm's first parish, and he left a lot of problems behind, as I recall that pastor telling me. WELS Pastor Roger Zehms told a story about Kelm there. He drove somewhere to meet with a group of Lutherans and was conducting services there as one of the first stealth pastors, hiding the doctrine and denomination. The group looked into what he supposedly stood for - and they kicked him out. They became an LCA congregation and presumably are ELCA today. Zehms had a big laugh over that.

WELS Pastor John Parlow at Jeske's Change or Die Conference

Parlow, Ski, Glende, Bishop Katie, and other WELS notables
attended the Andy Stanley Babtist Drive Conference -
and Ski bragged about it on his blog.

 Someone sent this Parlow cartoon to me.

ELCA Pastor - Rozella Haydee White - Change or Die! -

Greek Lesson - John 14

Parser Link

ΚΑΤΑ ΙΩΑΝΝΗΝ 141550 Stephanus New Testament (TR1550)

14 μη ταρασσεσθω υμων η καρδια; πιστευετε εις τον θεον, και εις εμε πιστευετε

2 εν τη οικια του πατρος μου μοναι πολλαι εισιν; ει δε μη ειπον αν υμιν; πορευομαι ετοιμασαι τοπον υμιν

3 και εαν πορευθω και ετοιμασω υμιν τοπον, παλιν ερχομαι και παραληψομαι υμας προς εμαυτον - ινα οπου ειμι εγω, και υμεις ητε

4 και οπου εγω υπαγω οιδατε και την οδον οιδατε

5 λεγει αυτω θωμας κυριε ουκ οιδαμεν που υπαγεις και πως δυναμεθα την οδον ειδεναι

6 λεγει αυτω ο ιησους, εγω ειμι η οδος και η αληθεια και η ζωη; ουδεις ερχεται προς τον πατερα ει μη δι εμου

7 ει εγνωκειτε με και τον πατερα μου εγνωκειτε αν και απ αρτι γινωσκετε αυτον και εωρακατε αυτον

8 λεγει αυτω φιλιππος κυριε δειξον ημιν τον πατερα και αρκει ημιν

9 λεγει αυτω ο ιησους τοσουτον χρονον μεθ υμων ειμι και ουκ εγνωκας με φιλιππε? ο εωρακως εμε εωρακεν τον πατερα και. πως συ λεγεις δειξον ημιν τον πατερα

10 ου πιστευεις οτι εγω εν τω πατρι και ο πατηρ εν εμοι εστιν? τα ρηματα α εγω λαλω υμιν (απ εμαυτου ου λαλω), ο δε πατηρ - ο εν εμοι μενων - αυτος ποιει τα εργα

11 πιστευετε μοι οτι εγω εν τω πατρι και ο πατηρ εν εμοι ει, δε μη δια τα εργα αυτα πιστευετε μοι

12 αμην αμην λεγω υμιν ο πιστευων εις εμεm - τα εργα α εγω ποιω - κακεινος ποιησει και μειζονα τουτων ποιησει,  οτι εγω προς τον πατερα μου πορευομαι

13 και ο τι αν αιτησητε εν τω ονοματι μου τουτο ποιησω ινα δοξασθη ο πατηρ εν τω υιω

14 εαν τι αιτησητε εν τω ονοματι μου εγω ποιησω

15 εαν αγαπατε με τας εντολας τας εμας τηρησατε

16 και εγω ερωτησω τον πατερα, και αλλον παρακλητον δωσει υμιν ινα μενη μεθ υμων εις τον αιωνα

17 το πνευμα της αληθειας, ο ο κοσμος ου δυναται λαβειν, οτι ου θεωρει αυτο ουδε γινωσκει αυτο; υμεις δε γινωσκετε αυτο οτι παρ υμιν μενει και εν υμιν εσται

18 ουκ αφησω υμας ορφανους; ερχομαι προς υμας

19 ετι μικρον, και ο κοσμος με ουκ ετι θεωρει; υμεις δε θεωρειτε με; οτι εγω ζω και υμεις ζησεσθε - short time is a frequently found phrase in John

20 εν εκεινη τη ημερα γνωσεσθε υμεις οτι εγω εν τω πατρι μου, και υμεις εν εμοι, ,καγω εν υμιν

21 ο εχων τας εντολας μου και τηρων αυτας εκεινος εστιν ο αγαπων με ο δε αγαπων με αγαπηθησεται υπο του πατρος μου και εγω αγαπησω αυτον και εμφανισω αυτω εμαυτον

22 λεγει αυτω ιουδας ουχ ο ισκαριωτης κυριε τι γεγονεν οτι ημιν μελλεις εμφανιζειν σεαυτον και ουχι τω κοσμω

23 απεκριθη ο ιησους και ειπεν αυτω, εαν τις αγαπα με τον λογον μου τηρησει, και ο πατηρ μου αγαπησει αυτον και προς αυτον ελευσομεθα και μονην παρ αυτω ποιησομεν

24 ο μη αγαπων με τους λογους μου ου τηρει και ο λογος ον ακουετε ουκ εστιν εμος αλλα του πεμψαντος με πατρος

25 ταυτα λελαληκα υμιν παρ υμιν μενων

26 ο δε παρακλητος το πνευμα το αγιον ο πεμψει ο πατηρ εν τω ονοματι μου εκεινος υμας διδαξει παντα και υπομνησει υμας παντα α ειπον υμιν

27 ειρηνην αφιημι υμιν ειρηνην την εμην διδωμι υμιν, ου καθως ο κοσμος διδωσινn εγω διδωμι υμιν; μη ταρασσεσθω υμων η καρδια μηδε δειλιατω 

Irene, irenic

28 ηκουσατε οτι εγω ειπον υμιν, υπαγω και ερχομαι προς υμας; ει ηγαπατε με εχαρητε αν οτι ειπον πορευομαι προς τον πατερα οτι ο πατηρ μου μειζων μου εστιν

29 και νυν ειρηκα υμιν πριν γενεσθαι ινα οταν γενηται πιστευσητε

30 ουκ ετι πολλα λαλησω μεθ υμων, ερχεται γαρ ο του κοσμου τουτου αρχων και εν εμοι ουκ εχει ουδεν

31 αλλ ινα γνω ο κοσμος οτι αγαπω τον πατερα και καθως ενετειλατο μοι ο πατηρ ουτως ποιω εγειρεσθε αγωμεν εντευθεν

1550 Stephanus New Testament (TR1550)

by Public Domain

From 2009 - A Repost of DP Don Patterson's Church and Change or Die Connections. Updates Included

"While hunting in Africa, I shot an zebra in my pajamas. How a zebra got into my pajamas I'll never know."
Read - Texas Clone Wars for more details about this odious network.


District VP Patterson hunts in darkest Africa with Synodical Council member Robert Timmerman (above). Patterson is also the council president at Holy Word. Why does Holy Word need a synodical subsidy when they have money for African safaris?
No wonder WELS is broke!
Missionary Harold Johne, whose son-in-law Marc Schroeder was booted from WELS, also hunts with Patterson.
Marc is 100% Church Growth.


Patterson vicared for DP Vilas Glaeske.


Jim Radloff was the first pastor of Holy Word. Like Valleskey, he has always been in love with the Church Growth Movement.


Matt Doebler, Rock and Roll Church, their anonymous blog. He earned a drive-by DMin from somewhere and was shipped off  to the Asian mini-seminary, where Steve Witte, Church and Change founder, is the president.

 Don Patterson - hunter.

Pastor Don Patterson: "We reach out together with Christ the Rock, Round Rock, Texas. This new preaching station is an outreach of Holy Word, Austin. The group received Synod funding of $22,000 to assist in this outreach. Their hope and plan is to organize a congregation with an Early Childhood Development Center and a Lutheran elementary school. Presently the group numbers thirty-six communicants and forty-nine souls of whom five joined the group by Adult Confirmation. Presently there are four others enrolled in the BIC class. Average attendance has been 55 with an average of fifteen in Bible Class and eight in Sunday school. A Soccer Bible Camp in the target area of Round Rock had a regular attendance of 105 with 60% being non-members. A Parenting Seminar had thirty-five in attendance, 90% non-members."


Patterson is good friends with CrossWalk pastor Jeff Gunn. Pastor Gunn was busy as a bee, left alone in his hive, while DP Janke was kicking pastors out of WELS, let and right. Continuing the tradition, DP Jon Buchholz embraced Gunn and kicked out Rydecki while pretending to discuss Justification by Faith with the congregation.

Vicar Hall of Fame

Patterson's church is 30 years old, but he gets free vicars from a synodical grant aimed at "needy" congregations. Free vicars cover for him when he jets to Africa or to Church Growth conferences.

Mike Geiger


Nathan Buege and family and date.


Caleb Schoeneck


Robert Guenther: The Main Thing is the Main Thing. Seriously. He changed his website name to http://www.themainthing.us. On the front page:
Helping You Keep The Main Thing The Main Thing But he didn't keep the MT the MT - website closed.

Is he the same Rob Guenther CP who protected the Love Letter Pastor and said "Nothing happened" when Wall was fired?

Steve Prahl, son of the Western Wisconsin DP, Herb Prahl (above), vicared at Holy Word.


Andy Mueller, son of former WELS VP Wayne Mueller, is the brother of Adam, who is very active in Church and Chicanery.

Pastor Geoff Cortright


Vicar Mark Tiefel's father is a professor at The Sausage Factory in Mequon. Did Mark preside at Holy Word when Patterson took the staff to hear Brother Stetzer at the Exponential?

Other Connections

Pastor John Stelljes, Maitland, is a young Church and Changer, fresh out of the Sausage Factory. He went to the Exponential Stetzer conference. John's father is a member of Holy Word.

Pastor Ben Golish, Maitland, Florida went to the Exponential conference where Stetzer spoke.


Jim Mattek used to be a pastor. He is now CEO of Wisconsin Lutheran Child and Family Services. Patterson is on the board of directors. One person thinks the key to Church and Chicanery is WLCFS.
Mark Jeske's non-Lutheran Time of Grace was funded by Church and Change donors. Patterson promotes Time of Grace on his website.


Paul Kelm, DMin (Concordia St. Louis), has always been the most obvious proponent of Reformed doctrine in WELS. Church and Changers arranged a secretive call back to The Love Shack, their main hive.


Parlow went to the Babtist conference called Drive 08, led by Andy Stanley. Parlow's congregation seems to be original hive for Church and Change.
Church and Chicanery epicenters are:

1. Mark Jeske,
2. Don Patterson.
3. John Parlow.
4. The Love Shack.
5. Mequon.
6. WELS Headquarters.
7. Fox Valley AA.

***

What Have We Learned Today?
VP Don Patterson keeps his name off the website of Church and Change, but he gave the Bible study at a previous conference. The connections above point to Church and Change and influential members of the synod.

Getting rid of Enthusiasm in WELS is possible, if the efficacious Word is used, but the network has grown so thoroughly under the watchful eyes of DPs like Glaeske and Seifert, that getting rid of it will be hard work, if it is even attempted.

When The Sausage Factory asks for papers from Paul Kelm and Don Patterson about how to improve seminary education, you know the fix is in. Did Kelm and Patterson suggest even more Church Growth idiocy? Is that possible after having two seminary presidents in a row with CGM tatoos?

No one at Mequon has done anything about this for decades. Why should they? Their deluded students treat joining the LCMS as a catastrophe. At the same time their noodles are filled with Fuller and Willow Creek doctrine - contrary to the Christian faith and the Lutheran Confessions. Read this paper, which treats a WELS/LCMS split in typical hysterical fashion without acknowledging that Church Growth has taken over the congregation.

---



Little Rockers at Christ the Rock Lutheran Church.


Busta Gut started his career at a variety of Emerging Churches.
Koine will sing at Rock and Roll on April 5th.
Koine is the Mormon Tabernacle Choir of Church and Change.

According to the BHM report..http://www.welssc.org/Reports/2007/2007-10%20DMB.pdf
Doebler's administrative assistant got a pay raise to 48k...(nice) with the syond cuts Rock and Roll gets a raise... As bad as AIG.


Another research report from Team Ichabod:

The COP met at Holy Word in January.. They love Patterson and Rock and Roll Doebler..


http://www.welssc.org/Reports/2009/2009-01%20DP%20Report.pdf

And look what layman, fellow Patterson Zebra hunter, Timmerman says about worship. "Are not most areas of worship adiaphora?"

http://www.welssc.org/Reports/2009/2009-01%20SC%20Report%20Page%202.pdf.

and DP Glaeske, Patterson, and now Gurgel nod their heads in approval..

Patterson still wants free vicars and he wants a free staff minister..

http://www.welssc.org/Reports/2009/2009-01%20DMB%20Report.pdf

Doebler has his hand out too.

---

Here is a report, modified from another team member:

VP Don Patterson has affluent members, so one must wonder why he has his hand out for more synod money.

Robert Timmerman owns a business called Fine Lumber (http://www.www.finelumber.com/). He was the congregational president but is probably an Elder now. He has served on the national WELS Synodical Council. He has funded safaris for Kudu Don Patterson and Missionary Johne (father-in-law of Marc Schroeder, who was booted from WELS and joined Missouri with his congregation).

Ron Stelljes is now the congregational president at Holy Word. They sold their luxurious house to Holy Word so Patterson could have it as his parsonage. Their son John is in Floria.

-Treasurer Lew Rabenberg is a professor at The University of Texas at Austin. His wife is an attorney.
-Financial Secretary Allan Gebert is a self-employed CPA. His oldest son, Zack, currently is studying to be a pastor.
-Elder Bill Starke works at IBM as an engineer.
-Elder Gary Franke works for the Round Rock Express, the local AAA baseball club.
-Elder Nathan Steinke works for Intel as an engineer.
-Property and Maintenance Committee member Tim Moll owns some kind of electrical/lighting company. He provided all of the lighting to the new church built around 2002.
-Property and Maintenance Committee member Clint Rogas has a son (Clint, Jr.) who used to be a highly-paid technical consultant. He gave it up to study for the ministry and now has a congregation in Michigan.
-Staff Minister Chad White used to work for Motorola, but he gave that
up to become a staff minister.

The Elders at Christ the Rock in Round Rock:
-Andy Alff is a geologist, and his wife has been a teacher at Holy Word School for years.
-Tony Previti and Mark Smith both work for Dell Computer. Mark's wife, Kelly, is the daughter of Staff Minister Bob Hill. Her brother, Ryan Hill, used to be the principal at Holy Word until he took a call up to Michigan.
-Joe Krohn, the Rock and Roll blogger, is a friend to Patterson (isn't everyone in Church and Chicanery?). Joe probably provided the anonymous and smug comment that the COP approved of Rock and Roll Church, that they got another grant.

***

GJ - I have to wonder why Holy Word in Austin needs to take away mission subsidy money from others when the members are well established in the professions and in business.

Even stranger is wasting all that money flying the Conference of Pussycats into Texas so they can agree to do nothing. I have already seen Patterson's network go into a series of denials and huff-huff emails. Doubtless even more happens when the subsidy money is threatened.

There is your offering money at work. Read the links and weep.

Kingdom Workers = Jeff Davis, Board Member, Church and Change on their board. Isn't that sweet? And no one knows who the secret supporters are. No wonder WELS has discussed a synodical split and who gets the loot.

PS - Corrections are always welcome, as long as they are signed with a real name.

---

A correction or addition just came in, but I forgot the researcher's name already:

Holy Word member Mr. Paul Mattek http://paulstherapeuticfurniture.com/pauls.htm , lay rep on the Board for Home Missions (BHM).

http://www.wels.net/cgi-bin/site.pl?2617&collectionID=1332&contentID=87291&shortcutID=29637

They are the ones who give out free vicars and staff ministers.

***

GJ - When the COP met with Rock and Roll at Holy Word in Austin, did anyone think they would drop-kick Patterson into Barton Springs Pool?

One observer cannot understand how Kudu Don went over to the dark side. His own congregation is "normal," and so are the ones he helped start in the area. But now he is behind Rock and Roll, Church and Chicanery.

In Columbus, Floyd Luther Stolzenburg got to the money man. I heard that businessman tell Marc Schroeder (son of Salty) to get rid of the liturgy and creeds.
Given Timmerman's lack of understanding of Lutheran theology, the same thing could have happened at Holy Word in Austin.

---



Holy Word in Austin and Christ the Rock in Round Rock
need synod subsidies.
They must know how to po-mouth...or network.

From our research department, based on published information:

Austin is in Travis County (http://www.traviscad.org), and Round Rock is in Williamson County (http://www.wcad.org).

Paul Mattek's home is at http://www.traviscad.org/travisdetail.php?theKey=142144 . It's valued at a little over half a million dollars.

Looking under Robert Timmerman in Travis County, you'll see he owns three properties. His business location is worth $350K. The other two homes are worth a total of $650K. He's got some kind of ranch property in the Texas Hill Country as well.

Ron Stelljes is in the Williamson County listing for only $180K. The researcher thinks it is undervalued.

Tim Moll's home is 2/3 of a million dollars.

Bill Starke - $280K.
Lew Rabenberg - $254K.

Allan Gebert - $195K.

Nathan Steinke - $182K.

Gary Franke - $170K.

Andy Alff - $170K.

I found a "Joey Krohn" at
http://www.traviscad.org/travisdetail.php?theKey=584345 , and he's got a home listed at $276K.

And Pastor Doebler's home looks to be worth about $165K.

It looks like Holy Word sold the parsonage to Pastor Patterson on Nov 30, 2006. It's appraised at over $200K. You can get this information from the "Datasheet" PDF link on http://www.wcad.org/appraisal/publicaccess/PropertyDetail.aspx?PropertyID=162930

---

Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Why Is the Patterson Network On Synod Welfare?":

You also neglected to unearth Patterson's own ranch that he owns out in the Hill Country.

***

GJ - Doebler, at Rock and Roll Lutheran Church has a assistant, who requires a salary of $48k! Patterson, who gets free trips to Africa with Timmerman, needs a free vicar. Timmerman in his report that the synod is in decline. Doubtless it is - after 30 years of Church Shrinkers in charge. The Shrinkers have skimmed all the budget money for themselves while telling the real mission pastors, "Too bad, so sad, we don't have enough money for your mission."

The amount of money wasted in WELS is simply phenomenal. Estimate the lease and overhead for the Popcorn Cathedral of Rock in A-Town. Add the salaries and benefits of a pastor and a pricey executive assistant. That is a staggering amount of money for a "mission" no one wanted, for a white elephant theatre, for two people Tweeting about how hard they work: one service a week during Lent, a half-hour service followed by a three-hour party, with an official launch date based a rock band and a performance platform being built. The Sunday evening services allow local WELS members to attend to make the "mission" look like it has real attendance.

The CORE's two blogs, from two full-time people, are D.O.A.

Rick Gunn has a similar deal in CrossRoads Lutheran in Phoenix, with a staffer at $50k. That hand is outstretched for grant money too. And yet, there are experienced, faithful pastors who would be glad to receive that much compensation.

Most pastors have an unpaid staffer, named Frau Pfarrer (the pastor's wife). The vast majority of wives are lucky to get a little income as the church secretary or school teacher. I wonder what these wives think about Church and Chicanery missions needing $50k staffers when there is so little to do and even less is being done.

I proved to a local professional that a little blogging would bring in new customers. She and her husband did a little more with the blog I set up for them. They landed a new customer just like that, for free. The Internet is a phenomenal method for broadcasting the Word for little or no cost. I find the Shrinkers are ga-ga for useless overhead but numb to the efficacious Word.

Look at the silly website for The CORE. A lot of elaborate eye-candy techniques are designed for people with short attention spans. But nothing has been done in publishing good content since it was launched with a three-hour party. Given the need for three days to recover from a three-hour party, a website could easily have dozens of worthwhile items on it by now. But, WELS members should be glad, the offensive new material is published at a glacial pace. Twitter uses up so much time and energy, dontcha know.

---

Anonymouse has left a new comment on your post "Why Is the Patterson Network On Synod Welfare?":

You will be judged by your own standards, Ichabod.

***

GJ - Actually, WELS is being judged by its own standards, by its own members. They are appalled at: the COP protecting false teachers: throwing money at wasteful self-indulgent, non-missions; and soft-pedaling the Stetzer gig at Church and Chicanery's conference.

 Anonymouse - your own UOP professor judges you via the Word.