Zip, STS

The Holy Trinity Society is in town again.
Hide the incense!

Pastor Zip has left a new comment on your post "WELS Pastor in ELCA-LCMS Feminist Holy Communion S...":

His blog.

Since you've asked, Pastor Jackson, permit me to correct an impression that seems to be at the center of this particular post. The pastors who have subscribed to the Rule of the Society, and thus (to use your phrasing) joined that ministerium, serve in several different Lutheran churches in North American and Australia. Thus far, no WELS pastor has subscribed to the Rule. The conclusion to your post is not accurate.

Retreats of the Society are open to all -- Lutheran or other church, clergy and lay -- and include time for common theological study and reflection. Because of that, it is not unusual for someone to attend in order to avail himself of that opportunity -- and not participate in all retreat activities. While I have met WELS pastors at Society events, we neither expect nor encourage any attendee to act contrary to the discipline of his church.

The Rev. Steven P. Tibbetts, STS
Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church, Peoria, Ill.

***

GJ - Finally, a pastor who signs his name and lists his blog. I like that. Laity sign their names all the time, phone, and email me.

I find a bit of a conflict here. The Society is rather Roman in nature, but recognizes women's ordination at the same time. The Concordia, Ft. Wayne debacle seems to have involved a fair amount of deception. Either the STS deceived the seminary president, or the seminary president deceived the public.

Subscription to the Rule of the Society is not really the issue. If a WELS pastor communed, he expressed common cause with this pan-Lutheran feminist Romanizing group.

My Methodist advisor at Notre Dame attended Mass daily. The Roman Catholic students explained it in two words: "Ritual starved." I imagine WELS pastors feel ritual starved too. Some must crave the Church of Rome. They have a pope at GA. They are infallible when in agreement with the Synodical Pope. Etc.

Holy Trinity Society Follows Thrivent in Uniting All Lutherans

I got this from reading LutherQuest (sic), I confess.

Holy Trinity Society

Taken from that link the following:

"Members of the Society are ordained ministers who hold public office in churches that are not in communion with one another. Yet we drafted and subscribed to a Rule that commits us to celebrating the Lord’s Supper together precisely because ministers of the Word and the Sacraments also need to be fed with the Word and the Sacrament."

The communion service at Concordia, Ft. Wayne, featured LCMS, ELCA, and supposedly one WELS pastor. ELCA women pastors participated, but WELS says there is nothing in the Bible against ordaining women (Brug, Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly).

LCMS SP Kieschnick communes with ELCA, too. The seminary president will get a severe post card and a case of beer for this slip.

WELS Pastor in ELCA-LCMS Feminist Holy Communion Service

Chapel, Concordia Seminary, Ft. Wayne, Indiana

Breaking news. You saw it here first. Second, to be honest.

The material below was posted on LutherQuest (sic):

Dennis Boettcher (Boettden)
Advanced Member
Username: Boettden

Post Number: 996
Registered: 5-2004
Posted on Monday, October 15, 2007 - 4:24 pm:

--------------------------------------------------------
Ladies and gentlemen:

A former poster, now lurker to LQ was in contact with me this afternoon, and has the following information that he has agreed to be shared with you:

This gentleman did take the time to call CTSFW and speak directly with Dr. Wenthe. He spoke originally with the President's secretary, left a message, and Dr. Wenthe called him back 20 minutes later. Dr. Wenthe was open and honest with the caller. Here are the main points of Dr. Wenthe's response to the question posed on this thread:

Yes, there was an assembly this past August of the Society of the Holy Trinity. The assembly there was made up of clerics from the ELCA, the LCMS, and the WELS.

Dr. Wenthe agreed to this assembly, under the understanding that no women would preach, and all participants would observe all LCMS pastoral issues.

The assembly and CTSFW did not have a common understanding of the guidelines presented.

Dr Wenthe stated that CTS did not officially endorse this event, but they were only trying to be charitable.

The group did not follow the proscribed guidelines: an ELCA minister did officiate at the communion service, with an LCMS pastor preaching.

The Society of the Holy Trinity will no longer be welcome at CTSFW.

The LCMS pastor who preached at the servicve has been referred to his DP.

Throughout the entire conversation, the caller said that Dr. Wenthe was apologetic about ever allowing such an event happen on the CTSFW campus.

Thus far the notes I transcribed from my conversation with the LQ lurker/former poster.

***

GJ - I have been reading about the Society of the Holy Trinity on the ALPB website, where I noticed Paul McCain is excruciatingly polite to ELCA pastors. I became intrigued by all the pastors with STS after their names (ring-knockers?). That is oh-so-snooty for Society of the Holy Trinity, in Latin, as if they could parse amo, amas, amat.

If you look up the Society of the Holy Trinity website, you will notice that they call themselves a ministerium. Therefore, a WELS pastor [if LQ is correct] has joined another ministerium of sorts and participated in a pan-Lutheran Holy Communion service where ordained women took an active role.

Public ceremoney. Publicized by the culprits. This is not an Eighth Commandment case. If the facts from LQ are wrong, post something here or there about it.