From 2012 - The CORE Values of WELS, SP Mark Schroeder, and the Booze Brothers

WELS offering money provided a grant to buy this failed, 
closed bar.
And more money was loaned by WELS to convert it to The CORE's edu-tainment center,
a few blocks from St. Paul, WELS, in Appleton.

 The CORE fiasco was led by the Booze Brothers,
Glende and Ski.
If you do not like their sexual harassment of staff,
"See you in court." They sue.

Reader:
I saw WELS latest “bar room” sacristy 4 blocks down from St. Paul’s in Appleton last weekend. This is what they bought for $500,000.00 in a downtown that is actually dying to the point they have to conduct farmer’s markets on Wisconsin Avenue (main street downtown Appleton) to attract people to go down there on a Saturday? Otherwise it’s a ghost town? If they paid that much for that building, I want to go in the real estate business and sell exclusively to the WELS. I understand this was purchased through the “Core” (as in “rotten as”) and not St. Pauls. So how does this Christian bar and grill “shill” for St. Pauls? Or are they two distinct and separate ministries. If so how does that work 4 blocks from one another?

[GJ - I want to be the guy who sold WELS a second office building for almost $3 million when the old one was unsold. Most people sell their homes before buying a second one, or they place a contingency offer so they are not stuck with two at once.]

***

GJ - The CORE pretends to be a separate congregation, but it is the evening service of St. Peter in Freedom, a congregation with a huge budget and staff.

Ron Ash was the chairman of Church and Change and the pastor of St. Peter in Freedom. Glende was the assistant pastor at first. Now there are four pastors, counting Ski, who is not listed on the staff on the website. Dishonesty is policy at St. Peter in Freedom.

Somehow The CORE is treated as a completely different entity when convenient, but the sheep-stealing operation has members join St. Peter since The CORE is not a parish at all.

These Church and Change projects are approved and supported by SP Schroeder and the WELS Love Shack staff. Jeff Gunn has one in Phoenix (joyously welcomed by Jon Buchholz). Patterson's guy in Indianapolis has another one. DP Patterson is doing the same in Austin-Round Rock, with the help of ex-SP Gurgle. There are more besides.

The Missouri Synod does the same thing on a grander scale. One of their largest congregations was listed as a member of Willow Creek's denomination and Missouri at the same time - St. John in Ellisville. The parish even featured a video of a pothead Jesus "celebrating" Holy Communion in the stupidest possible way. The pothead Jesus was played by the senior pastor. 

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Wendy has left a new comment on your post "WELS Member Staggered by the Price of the Failed B...":

Wow I knew that there is scandal in the wels synod but my goodness this is too much. The more I hear the more sick I feel. The Holy spirit has been showing me things for years not only in my personal associations with this cult but others as well. Judgement starts the pulpit God help them. I personally have had enough I'm out I can't help these people they see only what they want to see I have been treated horribly by this church not only as a employee but as a member its PC not politically correct POOR CONDUCT!!!!!!!!

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rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "WELS Member Staggered by the Price of the Failed B...":

This is why I tell everyone that Appleton is the armpit of the WELS. The lack of transparency is unsettling to those WELS members with a conscience. It is not surprising that the CORE purchased this for a princely sum. What is more surprising is that a bar actually went out of business in the state of Wisconsin. The WELS member is on to something when they point out that downtown Appleton is not what it used to be.

"we don't know where we're going".
This reminds me of the Synod Convention where it was announced that they wanted to start a Staff Ministry program at MLC. When asked what it was going to be, the answer was something like "well, we don't know just what it will be, but we need it".
The fact is that they knew all along what they wanted to do, they just were not disclosing it. 

***

GJ - A first step would be demanding to know how this money was spent on The CORE. Their one-man fan club, Joel Lillo, has been unusually cranky lately, so I imagine the attention is getting to them.

Three Years Ago - Under the Leadership of Synod President Mark Schroeder

Vermiculatus Rex - The CORE's mascot.





Check out this link for videos posted by The CORE.


The CORE by the Numbers:

The CORE held its grand opening on April 19, 2009.

* $250,000 spent
* 200 average weekly attendance since the grand opening
* 15 members

The information for the above attendance numbers was gathered at St. Peter’s open forum on June 16, 2009 A.D., and the above numbers are current as of that date.

As of this week, The CORE has yet to serve the Lord’s Supper, and is waiting until special hand made communion-ware is manufactured. According to Pastor Glende, most new congregations do not serve the Lord’s Supper for several months. Once The CORE begins to serve communion, then they will have a better idea of how many of its attendees are members of other area WELS congregations.

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Quotations from the recently entertained:

This church just is totally alive, and you can feel that it’s blessed by God. And like the sign up here says … “To reach people no one else is reaching, we must do things no one else is doing.” And how Pastor Ski … will do anything short of sin to reach people.

--

The idea of getting real and talking about the issues that really matter. There are so many people that are struggling, and they don’t know where to go; and God is there, he wants to help us, he is just waiting for us to cry out to him.

--

It was so awesome when I walked in, and I heard the airport sound effects going. The whole atrium was set up to look like an airport, and we got to pick up our tickets. It was just so much fun.

The whole concept of “Baggage,” and being able to deliver that to Jesus is just fantastic.

***

GJ - The facts and quotes listed above came from a member of the sponsoring congregation, St. Peter in Freedom, Wisconsin, part of the Fox Valley or A-town area. The retired pastor, Ron Ash, chairs Church and Change.

The material about The CORE makes me sick and extremely sad. I do not think I can joke about this fiasco anymore. Partly it is the money wasted, but even more it is the money lavished on creating a Groeschel franchise. For any of the WELS leaders to think this is a work of genius, an enormous amount of study with false teachers is absolutely essential.

The Shrinkers like to send anonymous comments like, "Why is this your business?" Of course, the Wisconsin sect feels free to comment disparagingly about all denominations, especially the ELS. Non-membership does not suggest a barrier to commentary. My despair comes from the decades of deliberate Lutheran abandonment of Biblical doctrine and worship. This abandonment has taken place in ELCA, Missouri, WELS, and somewhat in the wee little ELS. The Little Sect on the Prairie also has a Church and Change congregation, but I am sure their Board of Doctrine has jumped on that like a hobo on a hotdog.

Apathy and somnolence have created this problem. The watchmen on the towers of Zion have dosed off or taken bribes to play dumb.

The Word of God and the Confessions can set the course right again.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The CORE Numbers":

I wouldn't be so sure about ELS's Board of Doctrine jumping on their C & C congregation. That congregation even had a vicar last year.

***

GJ - My typo! I meant the ELS Bored of Doctrine. You are right. They will do nothing. Besides, it is probably one of those experiments.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The CORE Numbers":

Dr. Jackson,

This news about the CORE (and the whole concept really) makes me feel ill as well. I was a member of St. Matthew in Appleton for over 20 years until I moved. I still have friends and family members there, though I have encouraged them to find a better church. That congregation has also been infested with Church Growth,and Ski was even allowed to preach there recently. That congregation was one large and vibrant. Since the CG crowd took over, the school has closed and the membership has probably dwindled to about half of what it once was. Meanwhile, the Shrinkers running the church have wasted a fortune on AV equipment and technology that has not done a single thing to expand the church's ministry.

If the synod had leaders had any spine, they would confront Ski now and force the CORE to close its so-called ministry. It should never have been allowed to happen in the first placel. One would think St. Paul, one block from the CORE, would be howling, but I've heard nothing.a Where is the DP? Where is the SP? Why are the other churches in the Fox Valley not fighting this thing? WELS leadership, churches, and members need to stand up now before it is too late, if it is not already.

$250,000 spent. How many teachers could that have kept in our schools or pastors in mission fields? When I read these things, I'm ashamed to be a member of the WELS.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The CORE Numbers":

"$250,000 spent. How many teachers could that have kept in our schools or pastors in mission fields? When I read these things, I'm ashamed to be a member of the WELS."

How much other money, millions possibly, has been hidden away for their special purposes? How much of the $8 million shortfall went missing the same way?

One thing for sure, the leaders are obstinate liars who care very little about WELS, WELS called workers, and you. While they revel in fantasized glory before God, they busy themselves destroying the church visible and invisible. They want it all gone for their Father Below.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The CORE Numbers":

Article VII of the Augsburg Confession had defined the Church as “the congregation of saints, in which the Gospel is rightly taught and the Sacraments are rightly administered.” It states that the Gospel taught rightly and the Sacraments administered according to the Gospel are the marks of the Church. Wherever these go one, there we know that the Church is present.
It's obvious that "The CORE" is not in fellowship with the rest of the synod and the leaders such as the District and even Synod Presidents should start taking immediate disciplinary action to remove them from the WELS roster. Anything less than that is unacceptable.

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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "The CORE Numbers":

Regarding St. Paul's reaction to the CORE:

I'm a member of another WELS church (Riverview) close to the CORE and have friends who are members at St. Paul. Their pastors did howl about the CORE to their DP, SP, and circuit pastor. They even called the DP in for a special meeting to try to get some answers out of him.

My friends are not sure how far the pastors got in their objections. But they assume the complaining was mostly ignored, judging by the fact that absolutely nothing has been done to temper the CORE's enthusiasm (pun intended).

Thankfully, St. Paul has refused to compromise its traditional worship and strong teaching since the CORE moved in.

I have also heard from these friends that St. Paul is actually growing in membership and school enrollment, while the CORE's weekly attendance is already in decline as the novelty wears off for all of its WELS attendees.








Ski's DP Engelbrecht has CORE values. What does the Conference of Pussycats say?
They approved Rock N Roll Lutheran Church in Round Rock, Texas, and Randy Hunter's Latte Lutheran Church in Wisconsin. [GJ Update - The Latte Church closed, couches and lady pastor and all, but Randy Hunter is a featured WELS speaker.] ---

Why not pose with me for a FB photo?

http://www.postcrescent.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?Category=blogs04&plckController=Blog&plckBlogPage=BlogViewPost&U=9a8980f0-f726-439c-8c4e-1dc0f788941e&plckPostId=Blog%3a9a8980f0-f726-439c-8c4e-1dc0f788941ePost%3a3cf6aac3-07b0-4680-896f-c0c7cba770ba&plckScript=blogScript&plckElementId=blogDest


Reader question: I have driven past Revolution on Franklin Street a couple times recently and noticed that the “available” sign is down. Did somebody lease finally lease the building and what is going to be in there?

Answer: That vacant building at 222 W. Franklin St., at the corner of Superior Street in Appleton, was purchased in a deal that closed Friday.

The new owner is The Core, a church group that previously held services in the former Big Picture theater and then the OuterEdge Stage in downtown Appleton.

The Core is an outreach ministry of St. Peter Lutheran Church in Freedom.

“We’re not a standalone congregation. We’re a second campus,” said campus pastor Jim Skorzewski, who is known as Pastor Ski. “The Revolution building fell into our lap. It’s been a blessing.”

His congregation tends to be on the young side, mostly under age 35. Worship includes live bands. The Core will continue to hold its Sunday evening worship services at OuterEdge until this building is ready in September.

“We were never looking for a building, but we we’re always looking for a building,” he said. “We didn’t want to be a church that gets a building and then its vision and mission fall to the back burner because everything turns into paying the mortgage. We wanted to put our dollars into beer and snacks flesh and blood, people and relationships.”

WELS members - you gave them a grant and a loan to buy this bar.
Ask Keith Free and Mark Schroeder about their use and abuse of your offering money.
Another WELS congregation is several blocks away,
and they already had a downtown ministry.

Online, real estate listings show the asking price was $850,000. Outagamie County records listed its 2011 fair market value at about $523,000.

“We paid closer to fair market value,” said Jeff Ulman, a member of the church’s executive committee. “George Karl worked with us and helped us out extensively.”

George Karl, head coach of the Denver Nuggets and former coach of the Milwaukee Bucks, owned the building.

The purchase was handled through a church extension fund, said Skorzewski.

“We received a wonderful grant and loan from WELS, the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Our remodeling was covered by the loan from WELS.”

Church volunteers are already inside working on the renovation. The church draws about 250 people on a typical Sunday.

Revolution was the last nightclub that operated in the Franklin Street building. It was open for about six months, until July 2010. Prior to that, the club had been opened and closed by several operators under the names Tom’s Garage, The Garage and Pulse Nightclub.

Skorzewski said the church would not keep the full liquor license that went with the building. If they chose to host wedding receptions in the building in the future, he said they would apply for a beer and wine license.

This is at least the fourth building in the Fox Cities to be converted from a business into a church in recent years, including structures that previously housed the Vineyard (now Living Faith), SK Flooring (now the Mission Church) and Big Picture (now Christ's Church of the Valley).

Note that in the printed version of this story in The Post-Crescent, the church in the Big Picture was incorrect. It is correct above.

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Brett Meyer has left a new comment on your post "Stinky Old Bar Sold for $500-850,000! Savoy, Illin...":

Multiple choice question:

Which "church" is Lutheran?

- Living Faith
- Mission Church
- The Core
- Christ's Church of the Valley

Answer:... wait for it....wait for it....

Remember Joel Hochmuth's Light Sentence? This Was the Second Time He Was Caught...Already Absolved by Schroeder, Got a Light Sentence for a Horrible Crime. Hochmuth Went Back to His Vices and Got His Five Year Sentence Restored. From 2012

Joel Hochmuth is the second WELS staffer to plea-bargain a felony this year.

Former Lutheran official sentenced to jail, not prison
By Mike Johnson of the Journal Sentinel June 4, 2012 5:20 p.m.


Waukesha - A former Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod official was placed on probation for 10 years Monday and ordered to serve one year in jail with work-release privileges as a condition of probation for possession of child pornography.

Waukesha County Circuit Judge Kathryn W. Foster withheld imposing a prison term on Joel W. Hochmuth, 52, of Waukesha, who had faced up to 15 years behind bars followed by 10 years of extended supervision for the crime.

But she warned Hochmuth that if there was any hint of him "going back to any kind of behavior like this," his probation would be revoked and the full "25-year prison sentence will be staring you in the face."

Hochmuth used the Internet to download hundreds of images of boys engaged in sexual acts with other youths and men.

Hochmuth, who was the communications director for the synod, was charged in November with three counts of possession of child pornography. He was fired by the synod one day after the charges were filed against him in Waukesha County Circuit Court.

As part of a plea agreement that avoided a trial in the case, Hochmuth on March 9 pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. The two other counts were dismissed.

Before Foster made her determination, a tearful Hochmuth apologized for the double life he was leading. Just before he spoke, family and friends told Foster that Hochmuth was a warm and caring person, a hardworking father and husband, and someone who was worthy of a judge's mercy and a second chance even though what he did was detestable.

"I appear before you today guilty of an abhorrent and violent crime. I have offended my god, betrayed my wife, shamed our son and dishonored my church. To all of them I apologize. I also apologize to the victims portrayed in the images I viewed and downloaded. That I could have been so drawn to what I was looking at today disgusts me," Hochmuth told Foster.

He said he is in a treatment plan that he began after his arrest.

"For the first time I'm being equipped with the tools to fight my sinful habit," Hochmuth said.

"Finally, I'd like to express my hope that something good come out of all the evil I have done and the heartache I have caused. I pray that when I'm well I will be able to use whatever skills, talents and abilities I've been given to help eliminate this unspeakable form of abuse and to help men struggling with this or similar addictions take action before it destroys their lives and puts wives and their families through the hell I have."

According to the criminal complaint, investigators found several hundred images on his home computer and 310 photographs and 38 videos on a thumb drive at his WELS office in Wauwatosa. Hochmuth denied downloading any explicit material while at work, or creating his own pornography, the complaint states.

Hochmuth told investigators that he had been "struggling with an addiction to viewing pornographic photos and videos of young boys in sexually explicit poses," and that he had gone to counseling after his wife caught him viewing them, the complaint says.

He was investigated by the FBI Cyber Crimes Task Force after an undercover agent identified a residence in Waukesha that was distributing child pornography, according to the complaint. Hochmuth was using a software program that allows individuals to connect to each other's computers and browse and download files as well as chat online, according to the complaint.

The complaint also states that the agent engaged Hochmuth in chats and that in one Hochmuth told the agent that he liked pictures of males who were 10 years old or older, the complaint states.

The FBI informed Waukesha police, who made the arrest.

***

GJ - Left unanswered - Who provided the earlier, failed counseling? Was it the WELS counseling agency? One WELS pastor asked SP Schroeder, who did not answer.

Why was this crime not reported by his wife and the counseling agency?

Notice that he had to go outside his Antinomian UOJ church for help with his addiction.

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http://waukesha.patch.com/articles/ex-church-official-gets-probation-jail-for-child-porn-conviction

• Police & Fire

Ex-Church Official Gets Probation, Jail for Child Porn Conviction

Joel W. Hochmuth, 52, of Waukesha, is required to register as a sex offender.

• By Sarah Millard
• Email the author
• 6:04 pm

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The former communications director for the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod will spend one year in the work-release jail after he was sentenced Monday on one count of possessing child pornography.

Joel W. Hochmuth, 52, of Waukesha, was sentenced Monday to 10 years of probation the year of jail time is a condition of his probation. Other conditions of probation include sex offender treatment and registering on the state’s sex offender database, according to online court records.

Two additional felony charges of possessing child pornography were dismissed in exchange for his guilty plea.

Hochmuth was charged in November after detectives from the Waukesha Police Department met with a special agent from the FBI, who told detectives that Hochmuth was using the Internet handle “Skiguy10101” had child pornography on his computer depicting “pre-pubescent and adolescent boys engaged in various sexual acts,” according to a criminal complaint.

Hochmuth told authorities that the number of images found on his computer in Waukesha “was nothing compared to what they would find in his office,” the complaint states. Hochmuth denied downloading pornographic images on his work computer but police located three thumb drives at the WELS office in Wauwatosa, 2929 N Mayfair Rd., that had nine images and videos of young boys engaged in sexual acts, the complaint states. Authorities believe boys shown in the graphic pictures ranged from 10 to 14 years old.

Hochmuth was terminated from his position when the allegations came to light.

Congratulations WELS - after complaining--sanctimoniously--about ELCA and the Roman Catholics, you are now listed by the prime lobbying group - Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests - SNAP. The Roman hierarchy hates SNAP because SNAP has networked the victims with great effect. The group uploaded the arrest video to YouTube, which combined the defense attorney's lie about adult pornography when the charge was swapping files showing man-boy rape.


SNAP Wisconsin is the state-wide group. If you have a problem with WELS, contact SNAP and an attorney, not the cover-up magicians of WELS.

Wisconsin Lutheran College (WELS when fund-raising) featured one of the worst archbishops, Weakland, as their speaker in a widely promoted series, which also included various priests. Weakland had an affair with a young man and used church funds to pay blackmail to his lover, claiming the funds came from his own account. WELS deceived everyone about the lectures, never explaining why an official of Rome was speaking on behalf of the Wisconsin Sect.

Years ago, Wisconsin Lutheran College featured Weakland as their speaker, along with some of his priests.
Weakland claimed that children invited sex with adults.

The Hochmuth story is full of holes. My vast intelligence-gathering network cannot find out where he got counseling, which is part of every news story. His wife caught him and they went into counseling. But counselors are supposed to report heinous crimes against children. Was it the WELS agency? Silence. Nobody knew this was going on? Silence.

This page used to link to the SP Schroeder/Hochmuth letter against ELCA for supporting homosexual clergy. Just as I expected, the page was removed. That is the WELS approach - hide the evidence, spin the story, and punish anyone who asks more than once about the corruption.

But relax. I found another copy on the Net, thanks to my extensive experience in tracking down synodical lies:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Aug. 21, 2009 Contact: Joel Hochmuth Director of Communications Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod joel.hochmuth@wels.net 

WELS president expresses regret at ELCA decision on gay clergy

Milwaukee, Wis.—Rev. Mark Schroeder, president of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS), is expressing regret at the vote of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) convention regarding homosexual clergy. Friday, delegates approved a resolution committing the church to find a way for “people in such publicly accountable, lifelong, monogamous, same-gender relationships” to serve as professional leaders of the church.

“To view same-sex relationships as acceptable to God is to place cultural viewpoint and human opinions above the clear Word of God,” says Schroeder. “The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, along with The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and other smaller Lutheran synods, maintains and upholds the clear teaching of the Bible that homosexuality is not in keeping with God’s design and is sinful in God’s eyes.”

At the same time, Schroeder says WELS congregations stand ready to support those struggling with same-sex attractions. “As with any sin, it is the church’s responsibility to show love and compassion to sinners, not by condoning or justifying the sin, but by calling the sinner to repent and by assuring the sinner that there is full forgiveness in Jesus Christ,” Schroeder says.

WELS, with about 390,000 members and nearly 1,300 congregations nationwide, is the third largest Lutheran church body in the United States. In Wisconsin alone, there are more than 201,000 members and 417 congregations. “It’s unfortunate that many headlines have referred to the recent decisions of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America as something ‘Lutherans’ have decided,” Schroeder says. “In fact, the ELCA is only one of many Lutheran denominations. We are saddened that a group with the name Lutheran would take another decisive step away from the clear teaching of the Bible, which was the foundation of the Lutheran Reformation.”

Schroeder says that WELS is firmly committed to upholding God’s design for marriage as outlined in Scripture—a design intended for one man and one woman. “We believe, and the Bible teaches, that God designed this relationship to be a blessing for men and women and for society. Any departure from what God himself has designed does two things: it denies the clear teachings of Scriptures and it undermines God’s desire that the man/woman relationship in marriage be a blessing.”

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On the WELS.net site I found a reaction to that news release, but not the news release itself.

Feedback to a WELS news release quoting Pres. Mark Schroeder's reaction to the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America's (ELCA) decision to allow homosexuals in "lifelong, monogamous" relationships to serve as pastors continues to flow in.

On Aug. 21, the day the ELCA churchwide assembly approved the resolution, Communication Services posted Pres. Schroeder's response expressing WELS opposition based on clear biblical principles on the synod's Web site. A news release was also sent to Religion News Service for worldwide distribution.
So far, the reaction has been almost universally positive, with statements of support coming from both WELS and non-WELS members. "I appreciate your statement and share your disappointment," writes one woman from Michigan. "Thank you for posting the statement with a clear Biblical viewpoint."

"As a member of an ELCA church, I applaud you standing up for the Word of God and having the backbone to speak up and put your 8/21 letter on your Web site," writes another woman from Minnesota.
While it is impossible to gauge precisely how widely published Schroeder's comments were, the news release was printed virtually verbatim on more than a dozen blogs. Schroeder's comments were quoted in an MSNBC.com article (link no longer available) on the reaction to the ELCA decision from both WELS and the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod.

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Hochmuth was not excommunicated, but Rick Techlin and the Krohns were.

SP Schroeder:
Christians are not immune to Satan’s temptations. David, Paul, and Peter all knew from personal experience that believers can and do commit terrible and unspeakable sin. But they also knew and experienced the restoring power of God’s grace. Joel Hochmuth knows this as well. Joel is receiving pastoral care from his pastors and others. We are confident that the powerful working of the Holy Spirit in God’s Word has brought him to recognize and repent of his sin, and we also know that he has sought and received the comfort of forgiveness in the redeeming sacrifice of our Savior. Please pray that Joel will continue to be assured of forgiveness at the foot of the cross and that God’s grace will restore him, renew him, and strengthen his faith.

 Serving in Christ, Rev. Mark Schroeder, WELS President

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http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/158382395.html



ST. FRANCIS - A Waukesha Catholic priest is now on leave after a sexual abuse allegation. The allegation dates back 30 years.

Parishioners are stunned by the news.  However, this is not the first time Father John Schreiter has been accused of sexual abuse.

The Catholic Diocese says he is now on leave, just one week before he was set to retire.

"People looked upset.  I saw people crying.  People looked shocked," one parishioner told us.

WELS Does Not Have Enough Money for the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. But Schroeder and LACE and Others Had Cash for Luther Days

Why not employ the fund-raising abilities of The Core in Appleton?
They had $250,000 spent before they really got going,
renting two facilities and buying a failed downtown bar.

Don't worry, folks. Schroeder has already funded the
largest distinctly Lutheran festival in North America.
Anything else would be a disappointment.

It was only natural, then, that we would want to celebrate the 2017 500th anniversary of the Lutheran Reformation as a synod on a national scale. Planning for such an event has been underway for several months. The initial plan was to have a pastors’ symposium involving all WELS pastors, a national teachers’ conference attended by all WELS teachers, and a closing worship service for called workers and WELS members in the BMO Harris Center in downtown Milwaukee. You may have read about it in the 2016 Report to the Twelve Districts, in the Together newsletter, or on the synod website. You will see a mention of it in the December WELS Connection, which has already been recorded.

As details of what would be involved in such a celebration started to unfold—where we would hold it; how many people would attend; and the costs involved for the synod, for congregations, and for called workers—we could reach only one conclusion. We concluded that it not be wise stewardship of God’s gifts to hold a national Reformation 500 event as first planned. At a price tag of approximately $400,000 or more—far higher than original estimates—the President’s office, with the consensus of the planning committee, has decided to cancel this event. In addition to the costs involved, it became clear that this celebration had the potential to detract from other events planned by districts, congregations, and Lutheran high schools.

Valleskey is an expert on spoiling the Egyptians -
his Church Growth crew has spent many times over that $400,000.
Ask them where they got all the dough.

SP Schroeder - Why Is WELS Supporting a 50 Year Lady Porn Addict Promoting Luther Days with a High School Girl? No Wonder Joel Hochmuth Got Off Lightly

Facebook Cover Photo
You can hear Professor Daniel Deutschlander in person at 
Luther Days on September 17th.

WELS.net linked Luther Days, which has its own website. There is no non-profit status, or even an LLC, in spite of the claims made.

Luther Days also has a Facebook page with a video.

The website has most of the information.

The contact page says -

Natalie Pratt posted this as her photo on Facebook,
but has removed it.

Contact Info
If you have questions about the event or would like to get involved, we would love to speak with you.

Event Coordinator
Natalie Pratt: info@lutherdays.org - 50 years old - clearly a porn and get rich quick addict.

Marketing Manager
Karalena Pittenger: marketing@lutherdays.org, related to ELS Pastor Tony Pittenger. High school student.

Social Media
www.facebook.com/lutherdays
www.twitter.com/lutherdays

Email
info@lutherdays.org

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Webber can add this phony conference
to his sketchy credentials.
With luck, it will be mentioned in ILT News.

Note that the website, planned by Natalie Pratt, links the Luther Days Twitter account. This was not dug up by nefarious means, but displayed as part of the promotion on the website.

Luther Days' Twitter Account Reflects the Degenerate Morals And Attitudes of WELS/ELS

I asked an ELS/WELS computer expert (not related to me) to list some of the worst and strangest accounts followed. He provided me with lists and comments.

Six Lutheran accounts, such as WELS Seth Bode's, have "liked" Luther Days.

Luther Days is following 2,590 accounts.

The first one is no longer Pastor Ski, but he is still listed.

LUTHER DAYS FOLLOWS THESE PORN ACCOUNTS

1. A female named Daniel has "Disney scenes for adults," with cartoon illustrations.
2. Cewgre has x-rated comments and photos.
3. Poopstachio. Analysis needed? Lots of obscene remarks. 
4. Some lady looks well known to the vice squad - Click for billions. Get rich schemes.
5. Many accounts are all about dealing with porn addiction.
6. One is for booking tours for open-minded couples. An article inside advocates spouse-swapping to improve one's marriage.
7. More of the same could be listed.

Here is a lady following Luther Days - https://twitter.com/marianneterre18 - "View my sexy videos at..." (one night friend dating)

Some Surprises

• Lots of Twitter accounts followed are ELCA, LCMS, WELS, ELS, and other mainline denominations.
• Many more are individual pastors of various denominations.
• Charities and entities within ELCA, LCMS, WELS, ELS and mainline denominations are included.D
• David Bendix - He is the WELS pastor arrested for soliciting a prostitute, in New Ulm.
• Church and Changers - Ski, Bill Limmer; Jim Aderman (follows).
• Church Growth/Emergent Church - Batterson.
• Liberals like DP Dave Benke. ELCA Trinity Lutheran Seminary. Pillar Seminary?
• Thrivent Builds.
• Higher Things George Borghardt.

Additional Comments from the Field

Isn't it odd that a "WELS/ELS" event follows a bunch of ELCA Twitter feeds given the official position towards the ELCA? An event headed and organized by two women, following a plethora of ELCA pastorettes. 

Yep, you read that right, women pastors' accounts are some of the favorites of Luther Days. Are they trying to send a message to the WELS? Add in Willow Creek, BOTH Osteens, some questionable "buy likes/follows/etc" accounts, and porn feeds and you have Luther Days' Twitter account. I wonder which TWIT is running it...

A cursory Google search of Natalie Pratt's name reveals plenty about her failed "events" business, and looking up the "Marketing Manager" reveals it is a high school student. Curiously, Shoreland Lutheran High School doesn't list the event on their calendar - but does list a Widows Mite Rummage Sale. An oversight? Perhaps, but given Ms. Pratt's numerous 
failed ventures, I'd wager good money that she hasn't confirmed or paid fees yet. Or maybe the Somers, WI police caught wind of it, and said no - since Shoreland doesn't even have enough parking for its own graduation services.

Luther Days is listed on the WELS events page, while the "other" event this summer - Return to Wittenberg, a confessional Lutheran conference aimed at millennials intending to teach them about the Confessions and encourage them in their faith has apparently been blacklisted. I guess the powers that be at the new WELS HQ are fine with a couple of women with questionable business practices and ties trying to get into the Guinness Book of World Records; but a group of WELS pastors and laymen trying to further theological and doctrinal education of young people? Well, we obviously can't have that listed on our events page!

A free event of this scale (or $5 at the door), yet Luther Days somehow has been promising the "presenters" that their travel expenses would be covered. It must have some good sponsors - there are a lot of logos listed - but if I were a sponsor, I'd want my sponsor level listed 
somewhere... Except, given that there are a plethora of porn Twitter feeds followed and following Luther Days, I think I'd rather not be associated at all since it is apparent that, at best, the people responsible for organizing this event are incompetent, unreliable, and totally irresponsible (all it takes is a few clicks to get rid of those porn feeds - yet they still haven't done it).

https://wels.net/event/luther-days-festival/

Luther Days shared Martin Luther College's video.

May 4 at 8:06am · 

Learn more about Martin Luther College and hear President Mark Zarling speak at Luther Days at Shoreland Lutheran High School on Sep 17th.
Other MLC professors that will be speaking include: 
Professor of German James Danell
Professor of Hebrew Thomas Nass
Vice-President for Mission Advancement Michael Otterstatter
Professor of Theology and Social Studies David Sellnow

Luther Days Festival - a Distinctly Lutheran event for all ages!

Speakers Include: Mr. James Aderman, Rev Michael Berg, Mr. Mark Bergemann, Rev Luke Boehringer, Rev Daniel Bondow, Rev John Braun, Dr John Brug, Mrs. Laura Bublitz, Dr Rebekah Carey, Rev Aaron Christie, Prof James Danell, Prof Mark DeGarmeaux, Mrs Rebecca DeGarmeaux, Rev Daniel Deutschlander, Mrs. Sallie Draper, Rev Nathan Ericson, Mrs Karen Fischer, Rev Robert Fleischmann, Rev Don Frelitz, Rev Joel Gaertner, Ms Rachel Greiner, Rev Brock Groth, Rev Nick Haasch, Rev Mike Hartman, Rev Robert Hein, Ms Angela Hohenstein, Rev Kevin Hudley, Mr Rick Kneser, Rev Dan Koelpin, Rev Rik Krahn, Mrs Melissa Kreuser, Rev Daniel Kroll, Mr Brian Arthur Lampe, Mrs Marinda Ledermann, Mrs Linda Liesener, Dr Gary Locklair, Prof Thomas Nass, Mr Carl Nolte, Rev Michael Otterstatter, Rev Adam Pilarski, Rev Tony Pittenger, Mrs Melissa Pittenger, Dr Joel Pless, Rev Paul Prange, Mrs Sarah Reik, Mrs Amanda Rose, Ms Pat Schlosser, Mrs Naomi Schmidt, Rev John Schuetze, Rev Michael Schultz, Rev Roger Schultz, Rev Curt Seefeldt, Rev Nathan Seiltz, Rev David Sellnow, Mr Martin Spriggs, Rev Richard Starr, Rev Paul Stratman, Mr Jeremy Thiesfeldt, Rev Benjamin Tomczak, Mrs Bethany Warnke, Rev David Jay Webber, Rev Paul Webber, Rev Kenneth Wenzel, Mr Patrick Winkler, P.E., Rev Brad Wordell, Rev Mark Zarling, & Rev. Paul Ziemer.

Lena Pittenger, a high school student,
is working with Natalie Pratt.
Is anyone watching the store in the ELS or WELS?

ELS Pastor Tony Pittenger is listed as a speaker.

Events in the Past - Apparently Managed by Natalie Pratt

Making Healthy Connections

Healthy Living Events - Rated F

People Are Reading - Release the Ichabod, 2013. The CORE Scandal Covered Up By DP Doug and SP Mark Schroeder

Basic URL for St. Peter in Freedom
Glende's first solo parish is insolvent,
and the big building project in Freedom is in trouble.

One source told me that WELS SP Mark Schroeder threatened Northern Wisconsin District President Doug Engelbrecht with Ichabod exposure if he did not do anything about Pastor Ski, aka James Skorzewski.

A few days ago, Ski was still welcoming people to The CORE websty. Ever since the evening service of St. Peter in Freedom started, the CORE websty has featured a juvenile movie of Ski ordering people to attend his plagiarized service. One movie featured him mocking sermons with duct tape over his mouth. That was true to the theme of Fox Valley, belittling the Word of God.

When the Ski/Glende scandal began to break, Ski disappeared off the websty and the files were all mixed around - briefly. Then he came back, even though he resigned from the WELS ministry!

Here is the lowdown on that episode. Engelbrecht told Schroeder one story and St. Peter/CORE another. Schroeder actually visited the errant congregation just before the Emmaus head-fake conference of all three SynCons. Deputy Doug assured St. Peter/CORE that Ski would be back by the end of summer, but resigning from the ministry is supposed to mean no call and no CRM status until perhaps, maybe, sort of later - probably not at all.

So Ski resigned from the ministry and came back to The CORE's websty.

No one has told St. Peter/CORE the truth about the allegations. Never. And the Fox Valley pastors are all behind the current Glende/Ski/Engelbrect cover-up.

Remember - this is the WELS - or as they say it in Milwaukee - Dis is duh WELZ.

Ski, Glende, and Engelbrecht excommunicated Rick Techlin (secretly) for questioning the plagiarism at St. Peter and The CORE. Engelbrecht gave an essay, which I published, where he defended plagiarism, since "everyone does it."

The Latest News
A married couple made repeated efforts to have something done about Ski's behavior. Remember Schroeder's mantra - "Write a letter"? They did all that, and they met with the proper people, including Deputy Doug. They contacted a lawyer and Church Mutual Insurance, too.

Who is liable in this situation?

• WELS is liable. So is Mark Schroeder - failure to supervise.
• The Northern Wisconsin District and Deputy Doug are liable.
• St. Peter in Freedom is liable.
• The pastors involved are liable, especially since the staff knew and approved.
• Ski is liable.

Needless to say, this couple got nowhere. They told Deputy Doug they would send out a letter if he did nothing. He did nothing, so they did - to each of the 187 pastors in the Northern Wisconsin District.

No pastor in the district can now say, "I know nothing about it." Lillo has been saying that for months. I imagine he got a packet too.

Schroeder cannot say he knows nothing about it, because he has known about it all along.

The Allegations
One is from 2010 - Ski decided to show a female employee the infamous Brett Favre photos. Most Packer fans heard about them, but most of us did not try to find them. This alone would march any man out of employment - don't stop at your desk - we will hand your stuff to your in a cardboard box.

Multiple beer lunches - Ski. There seemed to be a constant supply of beer at The CORE and constant drinking on the job. No wonder they bought a bar for The CORE's third location - with WELS offering money - and Ski promised to keep the beer/wine license "for weddings." Um-hmm.

Obscene, derogatory language used about an overweight woman - Ski again. I had to look up the term in the Urban Dictionary. I am not hip.

Playing a song for a prospect - the title and lyrics were obscene. Ski.

Using a real assault weapon, an AK 47, as a sermon illustration. Ski.

Note, readers - that Ski gave sex education lessons (copied from Groeschel) at The CORE and also at their precious WELS high school. A man who should have been fired three years ago is the one chosen to be a teacher and example for the high school students.

WELS Response
This abusive sect has responded by punishing the couple in every way possible. While giving devoted support to Ski and Glende, the district and synod have ostracized and abused the innocent couple. If someone tried the WELS response at a Coca Cola bottling plant or Ford dealership, there would be so many millions of dollars of penalties added up in a civil suit that they would beg for a settlement.

I saw and experienced this in Columbus, Ohio, where Tim Glende had a very bad education in promoting an unrepentant adulterer as a Church Growth expert. Glende saw how useful it was to slime anyone who dared to question the infallible WELS - even though he grew up in a non-WELS church.

Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel

1 year ago

Ichabod - After I read this piece, I thought the following: If WELS congregational members only knew half of what you know, that knowledge would give them prompt pause about supporting their Lutheran synod. They would consequently cease their "mission" offerings. For what just cause, contribute to such a system of which is described in your article? It is bad enough that as Americans, we pay our taxes without proper moral leadership emanating from corrupted political leaders. In similar manner no conscientious Christian should feel obligated to support a denominational church body which not only apparently squanders its congregational member offerings, but also squanders and destroys the trust behind those well-intentioned gifts. Nathan M. Bickel www.thechristianmessage.org www.moralmatters.org