TLH #520: "Satan I defy thee."Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "How To Get Synod Subsidies, Foundation Grants, and...":
http://steadfastlutherans.org/blog/?p=5436"Added to the rhetorical mix was the ability of the other side to demonize us. We were labeled “legalist,” “stuck on human traditions,” and were clearly depicted as those against young people and missions. These are key words to remember; young people and missions. The synod will support uncritically any idea which invokes the two things we fear we are losing – young people and mission work. "
Curious how we're seeing the same playbook in both WELS Church and Change and LCMS Ablaze.
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Klemet Preus:
June 14, 2009
Confessionals “Get Their Lunch Handed to Them” at the Minnesota South District, by Pr. Klemet Preus
On June 12 the confessional movement in the MNS district got its lunch handed to it, at least from a purely political perspective. There were two major issues facing the convention. Both had serious theological ramifications. Both were lost. Every single candidate promoted by the confessionals was defeated. The elections were not even close. We got clobbered.
What is particularly puzzling about this sound thrashing is that three years ago the convention was evenly split. Three years ago we actually voted to a tie on a resolution which would have asked the synod to reconsider its position on allowing women elders and presidents. Three years ago we elected a board which, for the most part, was confessional. I was elected by a four vote margin. Yet in 2009 I received 35% of the votes.
What happened? How did we lose 15% of the vote in three years?
First, we lost the rhetorical battle. The main issue of the convention was the motion to receive TheAlley church into the synod.
TheAlley is a mission start of Woodbury Lutheran whose pastor is Dean Nadasdy, one of the synod’s VPs. The congregation was the poster child of some in the synod. It had received $50,000 of Ablaze funds and $100,000 from the district since its inception two years earlier. Reportedly a couple of vans of students from Concordia College attend each week. Woodbury had sent 100 of its members. It was deemed “Cutting Edge,” “The church of the future,” “people ready to step out of their comfort zone,” and “uniquely situated to reach those young people the rest of us cannot reach.” The Alley was clearly a Causa Celebre of the district and synodical establishment.
One the other hand The Alley Church had been under fire from the confessionals in MNS and others for about 18 months prior to the convention and for good reason. They refused to use the name Lutheran in their publicity materials. And it was clear that the congregation had no intention to call themselves Lutheran anytime in the future. Initially the congregation did not practice closed communion according to the principles articulated and commonly held by the synod. More recently President Seitz, the MNS DP, had assured the district that this issue had been resolved. Still the church celebrated the sacrament only 12 times annually. The church had published a doctrinal statement in its publicity which contained no reference to Baptism or the Lord’s Supper. Although the district offered to give copies of the LSB to the fledgling congregation this gift was declined. No hymnal was used and it was apparent than no hymnal will be used. By all accounts, the ecumenical creeds, the Lord’s Prayer and any recognizable liturgical forms were lacking or used sparingly in the Sunday services.
Rhetorically the issues were clear. “Reaching young people,” “Cutting edge,” “Willing to change,” “Missional,” were the key concepts. Contrasted with these were “Liturgical,” “Orthodox,” Sacramental” “Traditional,” and “Lutheran.” I guess I can see why we lost. I think we overestimated the value the word “Lutheran.” I really supposed that the district in convention would not support an endeavor
which intentionally did not use the term especially since a 1995 resolution of the synod required it. This was a fatal supposition.
Added to the rhetorical mix was the ability of the other side to demonize us. We were labeled “legalist,” “stuck on human traditions,” and were clearly depicted as those against young people and missions. These are key words to remember; young people and missions. The synod will support uncritically any idea which invokes the two things we fear we are losing – young people and mission work.
Second, we lost the political battle. The other side was very well organized. Early in the process, eight months before the convention, they began to send out Emails apparently to anyone and everyone. The list of endorsers – all pastors from MNS - was initially mostly retired guys. But as the convention loomed it grew to include almost 50 endorsers. These Emails took rather complex issues and turned them into simplistic, if inaccurate sound bites. It worked very well.
Further, the Emails attracted the Board early and often. They pitted the Board against the President of the district who was handily elected to his seventh term. His election was really never in doubt. What we learned, tragically for us, is that it is almost impossible to disagree with a popular incumbent an on an important issue - even when he is clearly and demonstrably wrong - and expect to win the majority. As goes the president so goes the district. That is most certainly true in MNS.
We found ourselves increasingly frustrated in our attempts to articulate a message which was primarily theological. We sent out mailings with no indication that they were read. We tried to hold meetings where both sides of the Board would speak. These were sponsored by the Board of the district and still were sparsely attended. By all accounts we prevailed when dialoging or debating but it didn’t matter. It all seemed too little and too late.
Early in the process I thought that if we could just create a level playing field where both sides had equal opportunity to speak and to argue then we would have a chance. Such a context was never achieved.
I still am uncertain precisely how to create a dialogical context especially for laymen. It really seems to be something necessary given our democratic polity. But I fear that sound bite theology prevails in our district.
Third, the power of incumbency was unusually strong. The orchestration was brilliant. President Seitz’s report, given immediately before the vote on
TheAlley was based on the thought that this would be a “Watershed convention.” He used all the buzz words – “Change” “contextualizing the gospel,” “Missional,” with faint praise for Sacraments, doctrine, tradition etc. While none in the assembly would have disagreed with president Seitz the speech was not that balance of “Keep it strait” and “Get it out” that one would have liked from an impartial chair.
Immediately after his address, the motion to accept the Alley was made. Rev. Ben Griffin was given an opportunity to speak. He is young, dynamic, casual in appearance, unclerical if you will. He asserted with great force that he is Lutheran, Missional, and Sacramental. The assembly took his word for it and the debate was pretty much over before it started although we did manage to make some points on floor of the convention.
Once
TheAlley was accepted by a 65% vote everything else followed similarly.
I write this on June 13 so the advantage of a couple of weeks of reflection is lacking. But the thoughts may be worthy, taken as they are.
Klemet Preus
End of quote
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GJ - I know Klemet Preus. I took a course from him at Concordia - The
Surrendered Fort. I like him very much, and I liked his father Robert and his Uncle Jack.
Dr. Robert Preus started the Church Growth Program. To his credit, he backed away from CG, just as he did from Universal Objective Justification. Tragically, the damage from both continues. Klemet's brother Rolf Preus is still stuck on UOJ. So is brother Daniel, the former VP of Missouri. UOJ has a long history in Norwegian Pietism, but no history in Luther, the Book of Concord, or the Scriptures.
Today's Church Growth eructations are the result of a diet of fast-food doctrine from those earlier days. CG was introduced at all the Lutheran seminaries - from ELCA all the way down to the CLC (
sic). Synod positions were established to support CG from Fuller Seminary and Willow Creek. Everyone in missions was trained in it, world and American missions alike. All the evangelism commissions were turned into Fuller hives, too.
ELS Pastor Kincaid Smith told me his DMin program at Ft. Wayne was "all Church Growth." Smith introduced me to Waldo Werning, who finally came out of the CG closet and accepted an award from Fuller Seminary. Like many other CG gurus, Werning copies verbatim, but he is a bit more honest than the WELS leaders about parroting what he loves so dearly.
When I publicly identified the doctrinal errors of Church Growth and the blatant unionism which spawned those errors, the process of shunning, punishment, slander, and family abuse began. As anyone can see now, the malice came from The Love Shack under the leadership of Kelm, Wayne Mueller, and Mischke, not to mention the oh-so-smooth Valleskey at The Sausage Factory.
I was the reason for all the turmoil in Columbus, Ohio - the officials said. But when I left Columbus, St. Paul in Germantown blew up and Prince of Peace got kicked out of WELS.
I was an outsider, which meant I was not conceived in a WELS parsonage, matriculated in a WELS parochial school (in Wisconsin), trained at NW Prep, abused at NWC and Mequon. However, the same charming folks from before are doing everything possible to obstruct the Synod President, someone who was not only born-and-bred WELS but also elected to clean house.
I am glad people are seeing the parallels in WELS, Missouri, and the Little Sect on the Prairie. I hope the ELS doctrinal board turns its gaze inward and roots out the CG on the Northern Plains.
An observer said, "The Church of the Lutheran Confession (
sic) is all Church Growth now." Like DP Mueller, the CLC president could write well against CG while protecting and promoting it.
Reading my own Megatron database of quotations, I was amused to find that DP Mueller's excellent quotation against the doctrinal dangers of CG was followed several months later - by an endorsement of CrossRoads in S. Lyons, Michigan, now an Evangelical Covenant Church.
Twenty years later, CrossRoads and CrossWalk (under the Gunn, nominal WELS) have almost the same confession of faith on their websites.
Most people would not wait 20 years to remove a cancer. When my doctor told me I had a basal cell carcinoma, I did not shun him, verbally abuse his family, or try to get him fired. I had the cancer removed.
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TheAlley (all resemblances to
The CORE are purely on purpose) - including the totally awesome website for people with Attention Deficit Synod-rome.
What is theAlley?
We are a new mission church in the east metro area of the Twin Cities.
The name of our church comes from Luke 14:21, “Go out quickly into the streets and alleys of the town and bring in the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame.” Our name is synonymous with the call given to all followers of Jesus. That is to go into the streets, alleys and lives of people in our world and share with them the eternally significant message of redemption through Jesus alone. Central to our philosophy is that anyone without Christ is broken. Whether aware of it or not, the richest man is poor without Jesus, and everyone’s greatest need is forgiveness of sin and reconciliation with God. That is the message that we carry and the passion that drives us.
Read theAlley Way
What kind of church is theAlley?
theAlley is an independent church plant of Woodbury Lutheran. We exist to equip people to “Follow Jesus” and to “Live Love”. Click here for more detailed information about our philosophy and theology. Our denominational affiliation is the LCMS.
Our leadership team
theAlley is lead by Pastor Ben Griffin and a group of devoted individuals who desire to live the mission that they have been called.
When and where does theAlley meet?
• Worship: Sunday’s @ 10:10am
• Meeting Location: 7955 Ivystone Ave S [northwest corner of 80th & Jamaica] in Cottage Grove
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GJ - In case you are wondering, as I was - the
ELS Church and Change hive is in Cottage Grove,
Wisconsin, so TheAlley will not compete for bored, yuppie anti-confessional Lutherans. Whew. What a relief.
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Shrinkers in the Synods Use the Same Tactics Cause...":
An odd coincidence that The Alley is in Cottage Grove, MN and the ELS' contribution to CG is in Cottage Grove, WI.
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "Shrinkers in the Synods Use the Same Tactics Cause...":
Klemet Preus has a little bit of a sordid past. He divorced in wife against her will (meaning they didn't mutually agree the marriage should end.) Klemet's congregation, church council and board of Elders in California sided with Klemet's wife. The church secretary WAS involved...
I'm not sure what happened--whether Klemet got the left foot of fellowship or not; but I do know that Klemet's brother Christian who lives in Minnesota arranged to have his church (Glory of Christ, LCMS in Plymouth MN) issue Klemet a call. He took it immediately
There were several members of Glory of Christ who thought that a man who takes a call to escape some messy family matter should probably not be leading a congregation.
As soon as Klemet arrived in Minnesota he threatened each of the dissenting members with Church discipline. So they all left except my Grandmother (Who was a charter member of Glory of Christ.) My Grandmother argued that a divorced man did not meet the Scriptural qualifications for a pastor.
Klemet excommunicated my grandma, a 75 year-old woman.
And guess who moved from California with Klemet. Not his kids, not his wife. What? The church Secretary????
be careful who you recommend
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GJ - Like I said, Missouri is just like WELS.
The Fire and the Staff, by Klemet Preus.
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Anonymous has left a new comment on your post "
Shrinkers in the Synods Use the Same Tactics Cause...":
This brings new meaning to "The Fire and the Staff".
WL
