Mueller versus Brenner - You Read It Here First

I am risking my reputation for calling elections (Crumley, Kieschnick, Kieschnick re-election, Dan Preus out) to predict the WELS Synodical President results.

The California DP has been mentioned as a candidate backed by the Church and Change people. That would go against the unwritten rule, that the First VP (Mueller) gets the job. Secondly, no one has more clout than President-in-Waiting Mueller. He has been the power behind the throne for years. He was able to get voted back in as VP after being voted out, a phenomenon worthy of a dissertation (Ph.D., abnormal psychology, Wayne State University).

The recent letter sent by the seminary faculty, opposing the close of MLS, tells me that Brenner definitely has a base there. Church Growth people in WELS want to close the schools. For instance, closing Martin Luther College would make Wisconsin Luther College (far more liberal) the only WELS college. WLC has plenty of Schwan money. MLC is flat busted, due to synod support money being withdrawn by the synod. The budget has been manipulated against the schools for more than 20 years.

Brenner has the added advantage of being from Michigan, where his father Slick served as a pastor and opponent of the liberals. The original John Brenner--three John Brenners in a row, almost as confusing as Constantius, Constantine, Constantia, Constantine II, Constantius II, and Constans--was synodical president during the most trying times, the Great Depression. He was also known as the scourge of the liberals. He detected the changes in Missouri before anyone else noticed. SP Brenner has always been held up as the ultimate bogeyman by the Church Growth fanatics, a singular honor in the eyes of many.

John Brenner was a popular dean of men at Michigan Lutheran Seminary, before he was called to Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary. For those of you who do not know WELS history, MLS was a seminary. When the Wisconsin Synod merged with Michigan, the seminary was turned into a prep school, with the promise of synodical support, the funds now being yanked away to support the hobbies of the Church Growth leaders.

Brenner is one of the rare men who would gain support from the Michigan District (grew up there, taught there) and from the Jurassic Age of WELS, when his grandfather was synodical president on a shoestring budget. Therefore, he would have plenty of support in the State of Wisconsin, where WELS pastors and members are densest.

Mueller would necessarily line up the bureaucratic support, the Church and Change people, the ordination of women advocates, and the extensive network of Fuller Seminary and Willow Creek alumni. Many Wisconsinites want MLS closed as a matter of principle (Wisconsin versus Michigan, really puerile). The dissenters would gladly cut out the very people who will support Mueller to avoid those cuts.

Right now I would give the odds to Brenner to win, but only if his people watch the ballot counting. The DMLC-NWC merger vote was flipped, a narrow defeat turned into a narrow victory. Retiring SP Gurgel then went to the disctrict conventions and promised, to win the second (necessary) district vote, that it would cost only $8 million. The Michigan District bought this line from Gurgel - "If it goes over $8 million, we will pull the plug." Sure. Some say the cost-saving merger cost $30 million. Do the Michiganders remember being goosed the last time? You bet.

Brenner should win a honest vote. The disgust toward the Mueller-Gurgel reign is so great that Wayne should not be able to stop the urge to throw the rascals out.

Immune to the message given by the disastrous drop in mission offerings, WELS has instituted an emergency pledge drive to close the gap between the $28 million given the previous year and the current $20 million mission offering. One might expect news releases urging people to die faster so the Grim Reapers (Planned Giving Counselors, aka Tetzels) could harvest faster. "The fields are white for the harvest," as Don McGavran told a slack-jawed Lawrence Otto Olson. "You must harvest with a sickle, not a pen-knife."

Two Cities - St. Augustine

Two Cities have been formed by two loves: the earthly by the love of self, even to the contempt of God; the heavenly by the love of God, even to the contempt of self. The former, in a word, glories in itself, the latter in the Lord. For the one seeks glory from men; but the greatest glory of the other is God, the witness of conscience. The one lifts up its head in its own glory; the other says to its God, “Thou art my glory, and the lifter up of mine head.”

City of God

WELS Room, Board, Tuition

Luther Prep, Watertown, is just under $8,000 per year.

Martin Luther College is about $14,000 per year.

Four years of prep and four years of college will cost $88,000. Some scholarships and grants are available, so results may vary.

Seminary room, board, and tuition is about $11,000 per year. A new pastor will have spent $121,000 on his education, minus grants and scholarships.

These enormous increases happened because the management experts at headquarters ordered a 30% increase over a span of two years. For some reason, 600 students were lost to the educational system from this self-destructive act. That alarming loss decreased the tuition income, which precipitated the collapse now called the WELS crisis.

Not to worry. WELS used this extra tuition money and fees to help balance the books.

Western Wisconsin - Just Say No to MLS Closing

From the MLS website, the text, ipsissima verba:

Report of the Floor Committee on Synodical Matters

Memorial I -

Vote “NO” to Synodical Council Recommendation to close Michigan Lutheran Seminary

WHEREAS,
1) During most of our synod’s history, we have been richly blessed by our Synod’s Ministerial Education system; and

WHEREAS,
2) At the 2005 Synod Convention, an extensive study on our preparatory system was overwhelmingly received with great favor, and the two prep schools, Luther Preparatory School and Michigan Lutheran Seminary, were again endorsed as vital for our synod’s ministry; and

WHEREAS, 3) By God’s grace, and with His guidance, we continue to look to prepare
future called workers through Michigan Lutheran Seminary and Luther Preparatory School, therefore be it

Resolved, a) That the Western Wisconsin District direct the synod in the 2007 convention to defeat the proposed recommendation to close Michigan Lutheran Seminary after the 2007/2008 school year, and be it
finally

Resolved, b) That the Western Wisconsin District endorse our current two prep schools as vitally important for our synod and its ministry in preparing called workers to work in the harvest field.

Memorial II -

Funding 2008/2009 Synod Budget

WHEREAS, 1) By voting “No” to closing Michigan Lutheran Seminary, there is a deficit
budget of $2.3 million for the 2008/2009 fiscal year; and

WHEREAS, 2) The synod constitution directs us to have a balanced budget; therefore be it

Resolved, a) That the Western Wisconsin District direct the synod in the 2007 convention to make changes such as these to the WELS Operating Budget in the allocation of funds for the 2008/2009 fiscal year:

1) Communications budget becomes $332,959 (proposed is $402,700) -69,741
2) Christian Giving budget becomes $1,732,435 (proposed is $2,153,334) -420,899
3) Technology budget becomes $1,339,181 (proposed is $1,497,012) -157,831
4) Financial Services becomes $1,368,140 (proposed is $1,649,094) -280,954
5) Reduce SC, COP, Support, Convention budget by 2% -19,440
6) Reduce District budgets by 1% -8,522
7) Lower MLC repayment of debt to $250,050 -750,000
8) Lower internal borrowing repayment to $698,000 -1,500,000

-3,207,387

and be it finally

Resolved, b) That the Western Wisconsin District direct the Synod in the 2007 convention to
make these allocations from the $3,207,387 that is available:

1) Michigan Lutheran Seminary $2,300,000
2) Home Missions $400,000
3) World Missions $507,387

Memorial III – “Reclaim the Mission”

WHEREAS, 1) The document entitled “Reclaim the Mission” identifies and describes many of the problems and challenges facing the synod today; and
WHEREAS, 2) The document accurately reflects the heartfelt concerns of many WELS members, both lay and clergy; and
WHEREAS, 3) The tone of the document is positive in its attempt to avoid blame and to offer positive solutions; and
WHEREAS, 4) The document identifies five key areas of concern that must be addressed, namely

1. Reaffirming our purpose and priorities
   
   
2. Re-defining our method of support
   
   
3. Restoring clear, responsible, and responsive lines of authority
   
   
4. Re-establishing effective communication

Reviewing and revising current programs; and
WHEREAS, 5) There is now no viable comprehensive plan to address these problems other than to appeal to the synod’s members for increased offerings; and
WHEREAS, 6) This document offers a multi-part strategy to address the problems cited; and
Resolved, a) That we declare our support of this proposal and the steps it outlines; and be it further
Resolved, b) That this plan be presented to the 2007 synod in convention for study, discussion and;

and consideration be it finally

A closing word of encouragement to our Western Wisconsin District delegates to the 2007 WELS
Convention:

We realize that there are already many proposals and “solutions” being bandied about. We can all have ideas about what to do. We want our Western Wisconsin District delegates to understand the tremendous trust we have in you. We promise to pray for you. We ask this of you: Prepare well. Before convention, think about what you believe we should do. Get some rest before convention. Listen carefully to every idea. Be very respectful of the opinions of synodical officials, but do not be unduly influenced by them. Have courage to make decisions that take advantage of the best ideas you hear, no matter where those ideas arise. Understand that you are to make the decisions that provide for our common future.

Go with God. Lead.

Alberts, Frank, layman, LaCrosse
Arndt, Ken, pastor, Elizabeth, IL
Busse, Carl, pastor, Medford
Cortez, Kevin, pastor, Wonewoc
Degner, Dale, layman, Sparta
Fricke, Joseph, pastor, Mauston
Gut, John, layman, Schofield
Heth, Dwayne, layman, Milton
Heyer, Philip, pastor, Beaver Dam
Hoffman, Geoffrey, teacher, Tomah
Jensen, Michael, pastor, Watertown
Kingery, Vern, layman, Baraboo
Lehman, Kenneth, teacher, LaCrosse
Leonard, David, teacher, Eau Claire
Lindemann, Michael, pastor, Lewiston, MN
Miller, Arlan, layman, Janesville
Proeber, Kevin, teacher, Janesville
Reich, Terry, pastor, Rib Lake
Schaefer, Ken, layman, Rockford, IL
Schaller, Peter, layman, Chippewa Falls
Schalow, Robert, layman, Marshfield
Schlavensky, John, teacher, Fox Lake
Schmeling, Steve, pastor, Menomonie
Schumacher, Dave, layman, Monroe
Schwanz, Jerry, layman, Neillsville
Suffrins, Bill, layman, Pickwick, MN
Wolfe, Cletus, layman, Bloomer

Pastor Jerry Ewings, De Forest, chairman
Pastor Nathan Strutz, Galesville/Arcadia, secretary

MLS Responds to Synodical Sharks

This is a pdf from the Michigan Lutheran Seminary (prep school) board, posted on its website. I decided to link it rather than copy it. A graph is included about pastoral shortages.

MLS Board Responds to Shutting the School Down

The Wisconsin boys were actively seeking to close MLS in the early 1990's, about 15 years ago (for those who went to public school).

Hope Revival Church Likes the WELS AnswerMan

An independent revival congregation is copying the Q and A from the WELS website.

Another Church in Fellowship with WELS

One WELS pastor told his members to join a Baptist church if they moved to a town where WELS did not have a congregation. WELS has sponsored revival services, so this congregation would be ideal for the average victim of Church Growth in WELS.

Wisconsin Lutheran SeminaryWe Are Not AmusedBy the MLS Closing

Posted at the Michigan Lutheran Seminary website:

The Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary faculty sent its first letter to all pastors of the synod since 1927.

"What is it that leads us to send this unusual letter? First of all, it is the recommendation of the Synodical Council to close Michigan Lutheran Seminary in Saginaw. As men called to train pastors to serve in our church body, we cannot help but be concerned as we think about how closing MLS would impact our efforts to train confessional Lutheran pastors in sufficient numbers to serve WELS congregations in the future."

The faculty letter tells me that Team Brenner is mounting a challenge to President-in-Waiting Wayne Mueller.

One WELS pastor stopped by to see a friend of his. The pastor commented that the Church Growth guys were shutting down the schools. This news is not exactly a shock to the informed, but it confirmed to me that pastors know what is happening.

You Dare Offend The Great and Terrible Oz?WELS Response to Dissent

The Wisconsin Synod is the only group where the tea leaves can be read on a daily basis. Only WELS has the daily Q and A on its webpage. My impression is that President-in-Waiting Wayne Mueller writes these answers or has control of them. The answer I will dissect has I'll-Have-the-Last-Word-Wayne written all over it, either as author or final editor. However, to be fair, we do not know Wayne wrote it until he officially denies it.

You Dare Offend the Great and Terrible Oz?

Someone, we are led to believe, has asked AnswerMan about the proposals to fix the synod. The first proposal is identified as Mark Schroeder's. The Luther Prep president's proposal is well known and posted here at Ichabod. Schroder proposed establishing annual fees for congregation to cover basic synodical costs. Annual dues are generally seen as a step backwards in stewardship. Paul did not establish fees when he collected for the poor in Jerusalem (2 Corinthians 8 and 9), so why would WELS set fees for the rich in Milwaukee?

The second proposal discussed is clearly Paul Kuske's. The former Michigan District VP has fallen on hard times. He did everything the synod ordered. In Columbus, he set up Lutheran Parish Resources as the first Church Growth institution in WELS, providing employment for Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, who had been kicked out of the LCMS ministerium for cause (and never was a WELS member). The Michigan District expressed their gratitude for Kuske's service by voting him out of office, a rare event and a singular achievement.

Clearly, AnswerMan has his crosshairs on the Kuske proposal, which was also posted on Ichabod. I could link it, but readers should spend more time looking through all the posts. Currently, Ichabod is out-producing all Lutheran blogs combined.

How does AnswerMan choose to refute the unnamed Kuske report?

He blasts the Michigan District!

What better way to win the hearts and minds of the Michigan District? Half of all WELS members are in Wisconsin. The other half are in Michigan and Minnesota. The rest are scattered throughout the United States. Ohio, where Kuske promoted Church Growth, has very few members altogether. Ohio is part of the Michigan District, but a very small part indeed.

AnswerMan roars that the proposal comes from the district with the lowest offering per communicant for the synod, tied for lowest dollar per communicant.

Probably DP Seifert encouraged the Kuske report. That is how he works, how everyone in WELS works. But did the whole district write the report? The AnswerMan refutation of the Kuske report is a fine example of a logical fallacy called a Genetic Fallacy.

"A Genetic Fallacy occurs when the origin a belief or idea is presented as grounds to accept or reject the idea." Genetic Fallacy

AnswerMan is saying, "The Kuske report comes from Michigan, with a disgustingly low mission offering. Therefore, the Kuske report is invalid."

However, the mission offering plummeted from $28 million to $20 million in one year, certainly not from the spiritual laxity of the Michigan District alone. Besides, do the stewardship geniuses of WELS think a district will increase its offering when the synod breaks its ancient promise to support a Michigan prep school? A show of hands - Who thinks closing Michigan Lutheran Seminary will increase offerings for the people closing it? Hmm. One hand went up - AnswerMan's.

What really offends the Michigan District (and Luther Prep) is that the last convention passed a resolution opposing such a move. No, the convention is not the highest level of decision making in the synod, in any synod. The Chair of St. Peter's, the papal office in any synod, is the highest level. Surrounding this synodical pope is the Curia, those sharks and apostates who gain power by manipulating power.

AnswerMan, who lives off the synod mission offering, says the administration is irreplacable. The schools are not. The administration has doubled in size (per communicant) while shutting down schools. Arguing for the absolute necessity of these boobs is a hard sell when they have done such a miserable job of administration.

Try this mental exercise. If most of the administrators were fired, could some be hired back again when people had more confidence in their work? Of course. Can the land sold from various school closing be bought back in the future? No? Oh, it is too expensive now. And creating a school is far more expensive than keeping one going.

Turning AnserMan's logic on his own bluster, why would anyone listen to a synod adminsitration going bankrupt after receiving the largest charitable gift in history (the Schwan Foundation's)? Why go to the people who "lost" $8 million for stewardship advice?

Twenty Years of Silence - Too Late for the WELS-tanic?

As I mentioned before, the defunding of the educational system in WELS was well known in 1987, 20 years ago (for those who went to public schools). I heard Voss, head of Worker Training, give a presentation on the decreasing share of the synod dollar. Worker Training was getting a smaller percentage each year, a drastic reduction already at that point.

Shortly after that presentation, Paul Prange became president of Michigan Lutheran prep in Saginaw and Mark Schroeder became president of Northwestern Prep in Watertown. WELS closed the debacle known as Prairie and merged it with Northwestern to make it Luther Prep.

The defunding continued but nothing was said. Prange and Schroeder are both good men, more than I could say for most WELS leaders. During the last 20 years, nothing much has come from either school, the boards running them, the presidents, the alumni, the parents, about the obvious fate of the schools. Now that both are vitually closed, with the college sinking fast, the muted howling has begun.

The Issues in WELS papers are so distant from the real issues that they amaze and confound anyone with sense. Reading Issues in WELS would make most people believe they were reading the minutes of the Ladies Aid Society aboard the Titantic.
1. Cabin Window Curtains - Should They Be Closed or Open During a Squall?
2. Red or White - How To Pick a Wine During a Formal Dinner.
3. Tipping Properly and with Discretion.

After hitting the iceberg, the final resolution of the Ladies Aid would be, modeled after Issues in WELS:

Resolved - We shall not break the 8th commandment while sinking.

Retired WELS Pastor Bartling - Ipsissima Verba

"Venom" (ala LutherQuest sic) or just the truth?

BELIEVE IT OR NOT!
Part III

THE DOUBLE STANDARDS AND HYPOCRISY IN THE WELS
by
Pastor Mark F. Bartling

Ripley’s famous and interesting “believe it or not” oddities, filled with extraordinary and almost unbelievable information, still fascinate us yet today! Recent events in the Wisconsin Synod (WELS) may also seem unbelievable and the oddities will truly stretch your imagination.

In baseball it is only asked that the umpire be consistent. Call a wide strike zone or a narrow one. But be consistent! Don’t call one pitch a strike, but another a ball, when both crossed the plate at the same place.

In politics, when a Democrat moves away from a pro-life to a pro-choice position, it is called “growing.” But when a Republican changes to a more pro-life position, well, that is called hypocrisy.

One can understand hypocrisy and a double standard in politics. That is what politics are all about. But not in the Church of God!!! There one is called to a higher standard.

Believe it or not! The WELS synodical president and Vice president refused to print in the Book of Reports and Memorials a memorial, from 86 pastors and 3 congregations, to the Synod’s convention asking for a study of the Synod’s position on fellowship. But at the same time they made available the synodical mailing list and e-mail addresses to the Church and Change group. This group is leading the way in undermining the Synod’s position on fellowship in inviting heterodox teachers to address their annual meetings. Talk about a double standard! It can now be said that WELS leaders official endorse and approve the modern Church Growth Movement.

Believe this or not! When synodical leaders are involved in situations concerning appearances of impropriety and improper behavior, -- well, that must be quickly covered up. Recently, one synodical leader was found spending a considerable amount of time alone with a woman in frequent “counseling sessions,” both at church and in her home. But here we are told to put the best construction on it and not sin against the 8th Commandment. But when a young pastor of a small congregation, and with no high synodical connections or relatives, is involved in practically the same type of situation – well, he must be put out of the ministry and his Call, for now he is no longer “blameless.” (I Tim. 3:2)
One is for synodical officials, another is for parish pastors.

Believe this or not! In the WELS today a situation exist that is not too much different from the time of the Reformation, when men like Luther were excommunicated for being “too Catholic,” but the sellers of indulgences were protected and defended, -- for they were bring in the money.

If some pastor talks about private confession, making the sign of the holy Cross in the name of the Triune God, the sacrament of ordination, every Sunday Communion, wearing full liturgical vestments, and publishes a “motley magpie” (all which, by the way, are taught in our Lutheran Confessions) – well, that is being Catholic and such pastors are quickly excluded from our fellowship. But when other pastors completely omit any type of confession, public or private, use no Trinitarian invocations, continuously confuse law and Gospel in their sermons, practice open communion, with women helping in the distribution, have women read Scripture lessons in public worship, and use every innovation of Church Growth methods, -- well, that is to be highly praised and no one even thinks of calling the practice “too Methodist.”

Believe it or not, but the WELS is becoming just another Protestant Church and many congregational worship services are not too much different from the Baptist and Pentecostals churches on the next street. Just read some of the mission statements and tell me whether they are Confessional Lutheran or just Protestant.
A sainted WELS pastor, from a past century, in deep distress concerning the direction of his Synod, lamented:
WELS, oh WELS, wherefore art thou my WELS?
Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered
Oh foolish, WELS, who hath bewitched you?

All is not well, in WELS!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Gurgel and Mueller, President and VP of WELS, refused to print this memorial in the Book of Reports and Memorials.

To: The Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod in Convention 2007

Subject: Definition of the expression “Framework of Fellowship”
WHEREAS 1) various groups within the Synod have arranged for speakers not in fellowship with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) to address them on matters relating to doctrine and on practical aspects of conducting the ministry; and

WHEREAS 2) some in our Synod question whether seeking such instruction from the heterodox is consistent with Scripture’s urging to “watch out for false prophets” (Mt. 7:15) and “keep away from” errorists (Ro. 16:17) and whether welcoming the errorist may constitute “sharing in his wicked work” (2 John 11); and

WHEREAS 3) groups inviting such outside speakers have defended the practice with the explanation that the speakers were addressing them “outside the framework of fellowship”; and

WHEREAS 4) references to “the framework of fellowship” are appearing more frequently in the literature of the WELS, but there exists neither a clear and commonly-accepted definition of what that phrase entails nor a thorough explanation of how the phrase is consistent with Scriptural principles of Christian fellowship; and

WHEREAS 5) disagreement over this issue is threatening the bond of peace within our beloved Synod; and

WHEREAS 6) it has been argued that a new study of the Scriptural principles might cast doubt on the Synod’s current position of Christian fellowship; and

WHEREAS 7) a review of those principles that aims to supply an element not currently addressed in our doctrinal statements would not cast doubt on the Synod’s current doctrinal position on fellowship; therefore be it

Resolved a) that the Synod instruct the conference of Presidents (COP) to conduct a thorough review of the Scriptural principles of fellowship with the aim of developing a clear and complete definition of what constitutes the “framework of fellowship” and a thorough explanation of how the phrase is consistent with Scriptural principles; and be it further

Resolved b) that the results of this study be published and shared broadly with the constituency of the WELS; and be it finally

Resolved c) That the COP be instructed respectfully to request that, in a spirit of brotherly cooperation, groups affiliated with the WELS defer from employing public speakers from outside the WELS fellowship who will discuss matters relating to doctrine and practical aspects of conducting the ministry until such a study can be completed.

Mr. Richard L. Andersen, Anchor Point, AK
Prof. Richard D. Balge, Thiensville, WI
Rev. Terry G. Balogh, Mayville, MI
Rev. William Balza, South Haven, MI
Rev. Mark Bartling, LaCrosse, WI
Mr. Ross Bannister, Bancroft, MI
Rev. Jeffrey Berg, Oshkosh, WI
Rev. Spencer G. Biga, Freeland, MI
Mr. Thomas H. Buege, Greenville, WI
Rev. Carl Busse, Medford, WI
Mr. Brent Buzzalini, Mayville, MI
Mr. Steven Desek, Fostoria, MI
Prof. Daniel M. Deutschlander, Watertown, WI
Rev. Timothy J. Ehlers, Oakley, MI
Rev. Larry Ellenberger, Franklin, WI
Rev. Mark H. Falck, Grand Rapids, MN
Rev. Gerald Free, Neenah, WI
Rev. Keith Free, Plover, WI
Rev. Kenneth Frey, Appleton, WI
Rev. Marc P. Frey, New Carlisle, OH
Mr. Philip Frey, Black Hawk, SD
Rev. Daniel P. Garbow, Saginaw, MI
Rev. James A. Gorsegner, Pigeon, MI
Rev. Timothy H. Gumm, Loves Park, IL
Rev. Roy W. Hefti, Bangor, WI
Rev. Michael T. Jensen, Ixonia, WI
Rev. Christopher D. Johnson, Algoma, WI
Rev. Peter Kiecker, Watertown, WI
Prof. Roger Kobleske, Watertown, WI
Rev. Henry F. Koch, Manitowoc, WI
Rev. Robert Koester, Milwaukee, WI
Rev. Steven Korth, Bay City, MI
Mr. Allen Krause, Oshkosh, WI
Rev. David Krenke, Leesburg, FL
Rev. Arnold J. Kunde, Durand, MI
Rev. Stephen C. F. Kurtzahn, Coon Rapids, MN
Rev. James L. Langebartels, Imlay City, MI
Rev. Donald Laude, Marquette, KS
Rev. Herbert Lichtenberg, Milwaukee, WI
Rev. Earl Lindemann, Winner, SD
Mr. Larry Lindemann, Salem, SD
Rev. Carl A Lindemann, Bismark, ND
Rev. Edward Lindemann, Watertown, WI
Rev. Michael A. Lindemann, Lewiston, MN
Mr. Paul Lindemann, New Berlin, WI
Rev. Waldemar Loescher, Manitowoc, WI
Rev. Martin Luchterhand, Hustler, WI
Prof. Marcus Manthey, Saginaw, MI
Rev. Paul A. Manthey, Waukesha, WI
Rev. William Mayhew, Sebewaing, MI
Rev. Bruce McKenney, Lake Mills, WI
Rev. David Mielke, Mount Pleasant, MI
Rev. James W. Naumann, Vassar, MI
Rev. Paul S. Naumann, Benton Harbor, MI
Rev. Marcus C. Nitz, Placentia, CA
Rev. David Nottling, Fox Lake, WI
Rev. Carl T. Otto, Saginaw, MI
Mr. Carlton Palenske, Winona, MN
Rev. Bradley Pearson, Prairie du Sac, WI
Rev. Gary L. Pieper, Grove City, OH
Rev. James Plocher, Vassar, MI
Rev. Guy Purdue, Westland, MI
Rev. Marvin Putz, Fond du Lac, WI
Rev. Paul Reede, West Bend, WI
Rev. Theodore Sauer, Manitowoc, WI
Rev. Paul Schaewe, Bay City, MI
Rev. Paul D. Schleis, Green Bay, WI
Rev. Andrew C. Schultz, La Crosse, WI
Rev. Martin Schulz, Greenfield, WI
Rev. Gerhard F. Shapekahm, Fremont, WI
Rev. Gordon J. Snyder, West Allis, WI
Rev. Peter J. Snyder, Saginaw, MI
Rev. Joel Spaude, Ft Collins, CO
Prof. Cyril W. Spaude, Watertown, WI
Rev. Steven D. Spencer, Sierra Vista, AZ
Rev. Steven Staude, Onalaska, WI
Rev. John Strackbein, Oklahoma City, OK
Rev. Paul Stuebs, Platteville, WI
Rev. Frederick Toppe, Fond du Lac, WI
Mr. Frederick Uttech, Manitowoc, WI
Rev. Roger Wahl, Cambria, WI
Mr. Douglas Westenberg, Watertown, WI
Rev. Philip Wilde, Bristol, WI
Rev. Michael D. Zarling, Sturtevant, WI
Rev. Frederick Zimmerman, Kaukaulin, MI
Rev. Ronald Zindler, Wrightstown, WI

Church Council of Epiphany Lutheran Church, Racine, WI
Voters of Holy Cross Evangelical Lutheran Church, Oklahoma City, OK
Voters of Martin Luther Evangelical Lutheran Church, Oshkosh, WI

LutherQuest (sic) Piles On

"Mr. Carter,

I easily found the blog on google and I don't think Jeremy was attaching it to you specifically or personally.

While I find no fault with legitimate criticism of WELS, Jackson's blog is spewed venom - pure negativity and attack without anything positive."
Phyllis Whitten, teacher
Denomination: WELS

GJ - I wonder if this WELS member teaches reading comprehension.

Cry Havoc! - And Let Slip The Blog of Venom

I found this hilarious post on LutherQuest (sic) today. People were discussing candidates for WELS Synodical President.

"Jennifer:

Don't allow Mr. Carter to lead you into believing that "many lists" are circulating around our dear Synod.

Reading Greg Jackson's blog of venom doesn't count for "many lists."
Jeremy Carlson
E-mail Address: jcarlson72@gmail.com

Nobody mentioned Ichabod, as far as I could tell. Nobody mentioned me. Apparently Mr. Carlson has been reading Ichabod without benefiting from its wisdom.

The robotic WELS position is that quoting their Church Growth gurus verbatim is venom. Even worse, quoting Luther and the Book of Concord. "The nerve!" say Ron Roth. "No wonder we are taking a beating in mission offerings."

That's imaginary - quoting Ron Roth. Where else could a Church Growth advocate get paid to handle stewardship for decades while the synod plunges downhill?

Calling money given to the synod a Mission Offering is deceitful. Most of the money is spent on outrageous salaries and benefits for incompetents. I suggest calling it a Salary Tax. Mark Schroeder wants to move to a Salary Tax. Some are calling it a pew rental, like the good old days.

PS - You are probably wondering where "Cry Havoc! And let slip the dogs of war" came from. The "Havoc" order meant that English troops could pillage. The famous passage is from the Earl of Oxford's (aka Shakespeare) Julius Caesar.

"And Caesar's spirit, ranging for revenge,
With Ate by his side come hot from hell,
Shall in these confines with a monarch's voice
Cry 'Havoc,' and let slip the dogs of war;
That this foul deed shall smell above the earth
With carrion men, groaning for burial."

WELS Statistical Summary - Fudge Factors

The South Atlantic District had the largest gain at +232.
The Michigan District had the largest loss at -230.
The loss for Michigan was probably much larger because the Frankenmuth congregation that left for the ELS is still on the books as WELS. That would add 700 to the losses.

There are 48 Conferences in the WELS -
29 showed a net loss of communicants.
19 showed a net gain of communicants.

Conferences with 100 or more losses -
Milwaukee Metro, SEW -372.
Northern, MI -131.
Southwestern, MI -109.
Do you find it strange that the conference nestled around synod headquarters is the most Left-wing and the most disastrous in numbers? What does that say about the leadership of WELS?

Congregations that gained were not impressive:
The DePere, Wisconsin congregation, where Paul Kelm (Fuller alumnus) works, posted a gain of only 57. A large congregation could easily add members by transfer and baptism and not remove hundreds. As a gain, 57 out of thousands is not even a blip.

One example of numbers with mega-churches:
When we meet various people in Glendale who learn that we are Lutheran, they say, "Lutheran? I used to be a member of Church of Joy." That has happened many times. Church of Joy in the most famous ELCA Church Growth congregation. They add and subtract large numbers of members each month.

It must be depressing for the WELS Church Growth leaders to have hitched their careers to a jackass like Donald McGovern. The ruling Church Growth enthusiasts have worked together for decades:

1. sent all the world mission and American mission people through Fuller,
   
2. given scholarships for pastors to be brain-washed at their favorite union school,
   
3. added Church Growth to the seminary curriculum,
   
4. forced new pastors to come back one year after ordination for Church Growth re-education,
   
5. created "evangelism" conferences that are pure Church Growth,
   
6. forced everyone to focus on numbers, planning, Management by Objective,
   
7. killed the school system in the name of missions, which are also dying.

The mantra of these phonies has been, "Get out the graph paper. Look at your numbers." Now they should be hoisted on their own Excel spread-sheets. They got corporate-trained laity to despise doctrine in the name of numbers. Now they have no Lutheran doctrine left - as a synod - and a bankruptcy of money, numbers, and values to face.

The solution is a return to Lutheran doctrine. The false teachers are so firmly entrenched that it would take a serious effort for a decade to root out the main disease systems. God could do this through His efficacious Word, but who trusts Him when they have their synod to worship?

I Predicted This Years Ago

The ELS and WELS have decided it is naughty for women to commune women "in certain circumstances."

I get the impression that some WELS women were acting out what Professor Brug endorsed about 15 years ago. He stated in their journal that there is nothing in the Bible against women being ordained. WELS was not ready for it...yet.

WELS and the ELS are very good at finding exceptions and subsequently making those exceptions normative.

If someone knows more about this, please post a comment.

ELS Losses

From The Plucked Chicken:

"This year there are five of each to add to the three churches and one pastor we lost last year. In addition, there are two pastors who resigned from the clergy roster this year, as well as others in recent years."

This means:

1. Eight pastors left the ELS, voluntarily or by defenestration.
   
2. Eight congregations left the ELS, voluntarily or by defenestration.
   
3. More may leave or be kicked out.
   

More bad news. The Public Ministry document has achieved canonical status in the ELS. They passed the ambiguous document by a mixed vote. Now they are debating what they mean or meant by this Public Ministry of the Word statement. How much more Talmudic can a synod become?

I suggest a quatenus subscription to the PMW, to be enforced throughout the synod. The good part is that the ELS will agree about something. The better part is that they can interpret their subscription to the new creed any way they wish. Best of all, much posing and posturing can be enjoyed by all as pastors tap dance around the meaning of the Confessions and the Scriptures, with an eye on replacing Pope John the Malefactor.

WELS Statistics Summarized

WELS has the most congregations and pastors ever.

WELS has steadily lost members in the last 20 years (the Church Growth years) while adding expensive administrators.

Since 1987, WELS has lost about 6,000 communicants, about 25,000 souls.

In 1970, WELS had only 10 administrators. In 2002, they had 57, who get the highest salaries in the structure, more than seminary professors. They lost a few since then, but they still have a huge number.

The percentage in attendance has gone down, too.

The good news is -

The number of administrators per communicant has doubled since 1987!

So who can doubt the efficacy of the Church Growth Movement in WELS? No wonder the Fuller-trained administrators love the Church Growth Movement.

WELS Statistics - Looking Bad

As Luther said, when people order God around, He denies them their infantile demands. WELS has focused on the Church Growth Movement for 30 years and lost ground the entire time. WELS is not only following ELCA in ideology but in membership losses as well.

Here are the stats:

2005 souls - 398,282
2006 souls - 395,947
net loss of 2,335

2005 communicants - 313,553
2006 communicants - 311,977
net loss of 1,576

[Subtract the teens and shut-ins from the communicant list and the real figure is doubtless much lower. Those would be the people left to support and attend regularly.]

2005 child baptisms - 7,006
2006 child baptisms - 6,836

2005 adult baptisms - 734
2006 adult baptisms - 668

2005 adult confirmations - 3,956
2006 adult confirmations - 3,852

2005 professions of faith - 2,342
2006 professions of faith - 2,294

2005 ave. Sun. att. - 44.3%
2006 ave. Sun. att. - 44.0%

2005 LES students - 23,049
2006 LES students - 21,911

2005 S.S. students - 34,614
2006 S.S. students - 31,789

2005 CMO received - $28,994,971
2006 CMO received - $20,230,919

2005 ave. giving per comm. (all purposes) - $959.47
2006 ave. giving per comm. (all purposes) - $1,011.86

Giving per communicant for all purposes went up in 2006, but synod giving tanked, nosedived, did the Katie-Couric-ratings thing. Another $8 million disappeared.

WELS: Where Is All the Money Going? The Final EpisodePart 1

"In keeping with policy established by the Synod in Convention, we are not opening new missions fully funded by the WELS Home Missions budget. Instead, we rely on the initiative of local congregations, individuals, or circuits to begin new evangelism efforts. By applying for it through the DMB, such initiatives may receive financial assistance from the WELS BHM. We call these “Level 2 ministries.” The WELS BHM is responsible for approving these and appropriating funds. The DMB encourages all our congregations to consider making plans to begin second sites or to use additional languages in reaching out. We will try to provide assistance and access to resources.

Cross-cultural and Multi-cultural mission work continues to advance, especially among Latino and Hmong language groups. These efforts are important to us. Many challenges face our called workers, lay evangelists, and congregations. The DMB is working to understand the special needs of cross-cultural missions. One of the greatest challenges is financial. New immigrant groups do not have the financial stability to enable them to grow support for their congregations that the BHM normally expects. While we will continue to teach stewardship and work toward self-support, we know that this work will require greater commitments of time and financial resources. The DMB supports the idea of making Phoenix a hub for Hispanic outreach, believing that there is strength in the numbers of brothers and sisters working together there. The DMB chairman has talked with the ELS Mission Counselor about cooperating with them on Korean outreach in Southern California. We are working with the Coordinator for WELS Hmong Ministry to strengthen Hmong missions in Northern California."

From the WELS California-Arizona-Nevada district.

New Lutheran Association - The Churches of the Defenestration

I like the word defenestration, finding it useful in dealing with the Evangelical Lutheran Synod and Pope John the Malefactor.

The word is used in history when Roman Catholic officials were thrown out the window. A soft landing followed - on a manure pile. This started the Thirty Years War -

Old Fashioned Protestant Diplomacy

Defenestration means - thrown out the window.

The congregations and pastors tossed out of the ELS have formed an association, listed here:

First Evanger (First Confessional Lutheran Parish), Fertile, Minnesota

Grace (First Confessional Lutheran Parish), Crookston, Minnesota

Reformation, Hillsboro, Oregon

St. Mary Evangelical Lutheran Chapel, Des Moines, Iowa

St. Paul, Escondido, California

Wayfarer's Chapel, Fillmore, California

And others

My source is: Reformation Lutheran Church, Hillsboro, Oregon

WELS and Missouri Work with these Pastors!

Former Pastor's Misconduct Leads to Review of ELCA

From Sleep with Dogs, Wake Up with Puppies

CHICAGO (ELCA) -- The criminal sexual misconduct of a former pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) has led the church to take a closer look at the process it uses to screen candidates for its lay and ordained ministries. The candidacy process involves the ELCA Division for Ministry, the church's eight seminaries, its 65 synods and synod committees.

"The church has a zero tolerance policy toward sexual misconduct. We do think we have a very strong system. Our continuing goal is to make a good system better," said the Rev. Stanley N. Olson, executive director, ELCA Division for Ministry.

Olson said the candidacy process for pastors and rostered lay leaders is constantly being reviewed. Rostered lay ministers of the ELCA are associates in ministry, deaconesses and diaconal ministers.

"The tragic case of misconduct in Texas leads us to pay particular attention to things we are doing to try to avoid any misconduct," Olson said. "We will be examining that situation to see if there is anything specific that it suggests needs our attention. At present I don't see anything that requires a change in policy or procedure, but we'll be looking in detail. We'll also look at whether or not policies are being followed consistently," he said.

The ELCA has about 19,000 lay and ordained ministers, and "the number of misconduct cases that we've had over the years involves a very, very small portion," Olson said. "The vast majority of our rostered leaders conduct themselves appropriately."

"We have a couple thousand people in candidacy, too. The number of incidences of misconduct that occur during that candidacy process would also be very, very small," Olson said.

The former pastor, Gerald P. Thomas Jr., was found guilty of sexual assault against children in a criminal trial last year in Texas and was sentenced to spend the rest of his life in state prison.

"This case is witness to the brokenness of the human person and of the systems designed by humans to assist and build up. The system failed; it deserves attention," the Rev. Mark R. Ramseth, president, Trinity Lutheran Seminary, wrote in a May 7 memo to ELCA bishops and seminary presidents.

The seminary's "administration has committed itself to a review of seminary and churchwide policies and procedures regarding sexual misconduct," a seminary news release said.

"No system can absolutely guarantee against misconduct by some individuals. Nevertheless, the ELCA is committed to the safety of all people. We will continue and strengthen our efforts to prevent human failings from undermining the gracious mission of the church," Olson said in a memo dated May 10.

"Currently, a review is under way, primarily considering whether more can be done to discover sexual misconduct by candidates, and exploring ways to prevent acceptance of persons prone to harmful behaviors. The review process will look at policies in place and at the application of the policies. If weaknesses in the standards or practices are identified, they will be addressed," he wrote.

"The board of the Division for Ministry and the Church Council will receive a progress report in the fall of this year," Olson said. The board meets here Oct. 8-10. The council is the ELCA's board of directors and serves as the legislative authority of the church between biennial churchwide assemblies; the council meets here Nov. 11-15.

"I am confident that the ELCA already has a strong and dependable system for preparing people to serve as pastors and on other rosters. This candidacy system includes ongoing education and evaluation," Olson said.

"Preparation and approval of candidates for ordination is done through candidacy committees in each of the ELCA's 65 synods and in collaboration with the eight seminaries of the ELCA. The Division for Ministry helps develop and monitor policies for the candidacy system and offers consultation and training for the synods and seminaries," Olson wrote.

As of March 8, the ELCA candidacy process included 2,003 people preparing to become ordained pastors, 307 to become associates in ministry, 10 to become deaconesses and 159 to become diaconal ministers.

Fourteen plaintiffs affected by Thomas' criminal behavior sued the ELCA churchwide organization and several other church organizations and leaders. The churchwide organization settled with the plaintiffs and their attorneys on March 27 for $8 million. The district court in Marshall, Texas, formalized the settlement April 12.

Three other defendants settled separately with the plaintiffs. They were Trinity Lutheran Seminary, Columbus, Ohio; the Michigan Multi-Synodical Candidacy Committee; and Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Marshall, Texas -- the congregation where Thomas was once a pastor. The settlements totaled $32 million.

Three remaining defendants -- the ELCA Northern Texas- Northern Louisiana Synod (NT-NL), Dallas; the Rev. Mark B. Herbener, former NT-NL bishop; and Earl H. Eliason, Herbener's former assistant -- went to trial Apri1 13 with nine plaintiffs.

The jury awarded $37 million to the plaintiffs on April 22 and held five parties liable: Eliason, Thomas, Herbener, Trinity Lutheran Seminary and the Michigan Multi-Synod Candidacy Committee. Because some of the parties found liable had settled before trial, the total amount to be paid to the plaintiffs will not be known until the trial court judge in Marshall formally enters a judgment, said John R. Brooks, ELCA spokesman, Department for Communication.

The Division for Ministry has its home page at http://www.elca.org/dm/ on the ELCA Web site.

News link here: Christian Century

From the Same Guys Who LOST $8 Million

"WELS Investment Funds, Inc., an affiliate of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, provides cost effective, professionally managed investment portfolios exclusively for WELS and WELS affiliated organizations. The WELS Funds are designed primarily for the investment needs of endowment funds, scholarship funds and charitable trust funds.

WELS INVESTMENT FUNDS, INC.
2929 North Mayfair Road
Milwaukee, Wisconsin 53222
(877) 888-8953"

Now You See It, Now You Don't

There are several stories about the $8 million that went missing. One is that the treasurer told the bosses they could not spend money they were using up, so they fired him and blamed him. Another story is that the money was spent but the treasurer did not make the transfer on the books, making the Fuller alumni at headquarters think they had another $8 million.

Let's talk this over confidentially. Do you know accountants, CPAs, bookkeepers? The typical congregational treasuer? They seem to have one thing in common - a fanatical drive to tie up loose ends, a predestinating perfectionism. The official WELS version of how this happened does not fit my experience with accountants.

Whatever story sticks, neither one should motivate people to invest their money with those people.

In other news, WELS reports that estate gifts are only 20% of what they projected.

No Pastor or Congregation Kicked Out of ELS This Month

The June newsletter of the Evangelical Lutheran Synod - The Pope Speaks - reveals no new defenestrations. The stewardship committee might have had a sit-down, or in this case, a kneel-down with Pope John the Malefactor. The tiny sect does not have enough members and pastors to keep kicking them out.

Meanwhile, WELS, the sister synod, is staggering toward its Waterloo - or Armageddon - in New Ulm. The synod continues to brag about foreign missions commitments it cannot afford. In the graduation announcements is this little surprise:

"Of the 41 new graduates, six are from the Pastoral Studies Institute, which trains students from culturally diverse and other non-traditional backgrounds. Among them are four brothers from a Hmong family who will now be serving Hmong missions in California, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Thailand."

So you never heard of the Pastoral Studies Institute? Al Sorum is the director. For WELS insiders, that would be enough by itself to condemn the program. Here is the link:

Qwik Trip, WELS' Own Fuller Seminary

I am just guessing, but I imagine the whole program is subsidized by the synod via Thrivent Insurance. The multi-cultural emphasis came from the pan-Lutheran meeting at Snowbird, where WELS President Mischke, ELCA Archbishop Chilstrom, and LCMS President Bohlmann were photographed for The Lutheran magazine in the never forgotten pose - "Chiefs Confer." Thrivent wants all the synods to work together through identical, lavishly funded projects. WELS works secretively with ELCA and Missouri on a whole range of religious projects.

Through Lawrence Otto Olson (D.Min., Fuller) and Al Sorum (Director, Qwik Trip) the sect has created its own alternative school system. Olson started the "Staff Ministry" program to Fullerize men and women, so WELS pastors nicknamed him "Our Staff Infection." That program allows a man or woman to have a little Fuller-style training before being "called," as they say it, to a "staff minister position," to use their term. The whole purpose of these expensive new efforts is to diminish any concept of the ministry as the Preaching Office (Luther's term, Book of Concord term). Why bother with the efficacy of the Word in the Means of Grace when men and women can be called ministers after a short spell at an alternative program?

The Book of Concord, reflecting the Bible, teaches that the Church depends on a learned ministry and properly called pastors who serve in the Preaching Office. When WELS officials raise these poorly trained false teachers to the level of pastors, the Preaching Office is diminished and ridiculed. The path to advancement in the Lutheran synods is through anti-Lutheran training and the advocacy of false doctrine.

Pope John the Malefactor has not objected in public to these departures from the Book of Concord and the inerrant Scriptures.

Ur-Apostasy

Pre-History
The first manifestation of unionism and apostasy can be found in A Statement. The LCMS president did nothing when doctrinal discipline was expected and deemed necessary. Behnken's inaction paved the way for Seminex.
The Statement of 44 can be found here:

Ft. Wayne Archives

Frequently Answered Questions - How Do You Do All This?

My son taught me the essentials of a database when he was still in knickers. When I started using Professional File for addresses and mailings, around 1987, the lightbulb blinked on and stayed on. I could copy material verbatim into the fields and record where I got each item. Then I could search on keywords, field names, authors, Biblical passages, and so forth. Professional File could find matching records and copy them into Word in seconds.

Wayne Mueller had claimed in The Northwestern Lutheran (now FIC) that there was no Church Growth Movement in WELS, but if there was, it was just fine. That sounded like a physician saying, "You do not have cancer, but if you do, it's fine."

So I decided to copy every single Church Growth quotation into my database, which I called Megatron, after my car battery. I needed a powerful name, an electrifying name; Megatron jump-started my research. Soon I had about 500 Church Growth quotations, mostly from WELS and their favorite textbooks. I needed to add large doses of anti-toxin, so I typed in Luther quotations, the Book of Concord, and various orthodox writers. Church Growth was my Harvard and Yale College in theology. I am grateful for all the non-Lutherans revealing their hatred of orthodox doctrine.

When people asked me to write Catholic, Lutheran, Protestant, I added another 750 quotations about the Church of Rome, Chemnitz' Examination, Calvin, and so forth.

"But," some are sputtering, "how can you have so much inside information?" People have shipped me materials to copy into my database. They wanted the information to come out.

Lawrence Otto Olson (D.Min, Fuller) called Megatron, my "ready-to-go database." James Radloff began denying Church Growth affections after I quoted him often in Christian News. One WELS pastor laughed and said, "At least you got him denying it." Norm Berg, Joel Gerlach, Paul Kelm, Roger Kovaciny, Paul Kuske, and others wrote furious letters to me.

Now these Church Growth fanatics have the fruit of their labors: bankrupt synods and declining memberships.

Seminex War Foreshadowed Church Growth Movement

I stumbled onto Dan Preus' talk about the Seminex walkout (LCMS, 1974). The liberals, led by John Tietjen, argued that they used the Historical Critical Method in a neutral way, so doctrine was not affected. The conservatives, led by Dan Preus' father (Robert) and his uncle Jack, eventually prevailed in showing the synod that the Seminex liberals had indeed departed from the historic understanding of the Bible.

Walkout

I never thought of it before - The arguments of the LCMS liberals foreshadowed all the baloney of the Church Growth enthusiasts I knew in the old Synodical Conference:
President-in-Waiting Wayne Mueller, David Valleskey, Frosty Bivens, Lawrence Otto Olson (D.Min., Fuller), James Huebner, Harry Hagedorn, James Radloff, Paul Kelm, Roger Zehms, Paul Kuske, Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Roger Kovaciny, Kent Hunter (D.Min, Fuller), Waldo Werning, Norm Berg, Joel Gerlach, Ron Roth, Robert Hartman, Mark Freier, Randy Cutter, Rick Miller, Wally Oelhaven, Fred Adrian, and many more. I am omitting a few names simply because they crave attention.

The Lutheran Church Growth fanatics sometimes admitted their study at Fuller, sometimes denied it, and often did both. Their primary argument has been, "I have studied those methods, but they have not affected my doctrine. The methods are neutral."

The Church Growth apostates share many characteristics with Seminex liberals:

1. Their greatest love is their method.
   
2. They are never honest about their agenda.
   
3. They love every denomination except their own.
   
4. They lock arms with their own to promote their ideology.
   
5. They work hard to destroy what others have built up.
   
6. They operate in stealth mode and control the synod where they lodge.

Paul Kuske, Stolzenburg, Kovaciny

LPR and Church Growth

"CHURCH GROWTH. This program was basically the beginning of L.P.R. at St. Paul's. Certainly a church growth consciousness exists in all of the congregations which was not there four years ago. It is also evident that most of the congregations are not really willing to make church growth a major priority of their ministry. Some new people who visit our churches are turned off by the comments of church members. It would seem that many members will 'tolerate' growth if it does not upset the church's traditions."
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Consultant's Annual Report, 1-12-89 Lutheran Parish Resources.

"In the autumn of 1985 and the winter of 1985-1986, a truly momentous step was taken by the five Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) congregations in the metropolitan area of Columbus, Ohio. The five pastors and lay representatives of those churches organized and incorporated Lutheran Parish Resources, Inc., the first Church Growth institute in the WELS."
David G. Peters, "Lutheran Parish Resources: Pilot Program in Church Growth," Mequon: Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, April 27, 1987 p. 1.

"Lutheran Parish Resources, Inc. (LPR) is dedicated to the concepts of the Church Growth movement only insofar as they agree with the Scriptures and as taught by the WELS--that is, Church Growth with Lutheran theology rather than Evangelical, and without the typical Church Growth emphasis on quantitative measurement of growth. Kent R. Hunter's definition of 'Church Growth' justifies the use of this term in describing LPR: 'Church Growth: That science which investigates the nature, function and health of Christian churches as they relate specifically to the effective implementation of God's commission to make disciples of all peoples (Matt. 28:19). Church Growth is simultaneously a theological conviction and an applied science,....' Foundations for Church Growth, p. 187.
David G. Peters, "Lutheran Parish Resources: Pilot Program in Church Growth," Mequon: Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, April 27, 1987 p. 1.

"He has served as pastor of Trinity Lutheran Church in St. Charles, Missouri and Senior Pastor of Salem Lutheran Church in Florissant, Missouri...He is trained in the Bethel Bible Series, Church Growth program and Dialogue Evangelism. As a member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Columbus, he now seeks a different form of Christian service, outside the pastoral office."
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, "The Homewood Church Enrichment Program."

"Most pastors and members do not seem willing to pay the price for growth and new life."
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Consultant's Annual Report, 1-12-89 Lutheran Parish Resources.

"The area L.W.M.S. annual retreat has been created and led by L.P.R. General successes in this area have been very positive."
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Consultant's Annual Report, 1-12-89 Lutheran Parish Resources.

"L.P.R. is due to play a major role in the West Side Mission." [Pilgrim Community Church]
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Consultant's Annual Report, 1-12-89 Lutheran Parish Resources.

"There is a strong feeling of strength in tradition. Even non-doctrinal issues bring fear to the membership and an unwillingness on the part of staff to 'buck the system.' In a church that opposes other groups who trust in traditions, are we raising 'We've always done it that way' to the level of Scripture? Is it possible for our faith to be exciting and still be traditional?"
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Consultant's Annual Report, 1-12-89 Lutheran Parish Resources.

"In the doctrinal sense, the word 'fellowship' may have hindered some growth by the fear of new techniques and ministries. There seems to be an opennes to new programs but also a fear that such new ideas may destroy some facets of the doctrine of church fellowship. Will that inevitably happen?"
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Consultant's Annual Report, 1-12-89 Lutheran Parish Resources.

"Initial services will be less formal than our traditional worship services. LPR Director Roger Zehms has been requested by Beautiful Savior to serve as pastor of the new mission with Floyd Stolzenburg serving as evangelist and music consultant. Please include this new approach project in your prayers."
LPR UPDATE October, 1989.

"The consultants were to be hired, so two men were interviewed. Roger Zehms was engaged first. Since George Skestos admired Floyd's gifts, he chose to provide an additional salary for Floyd as a second consultant...As the consultants serve in the congregations, they served under a 'limited call,' similar to the call of a Sunday School teacher or a church officer."
Paul Kuske, Letter to the Michigan District Mission Board, April 21, 1990 p. 2.

"The administrative committee has applied to Lutheran Parish Resources for the services of Rev Roger Zehms. This application is the equivalent of a (limited) call. The committee has also applied for the services of Mr. Floyd Stolzenburg to act in a supportive role in the mission. Both of these applications have been approved."
Pastor Paul Kuske Letter to the Ohio Conference Pilgrim Community Church, sponsored from Grove City by Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church Fall Conference, Gibsonia, 1989.

Stolzenburg and Kovaciny

ELS Pastor Jay Webber Had No Problem with Kovaciny Raising Money Through Stolzenburg
"In the midst of all the positive, exciting things Pastor Kovaciny had to say about the mission work being done in the Ukraine, he constantly mentioned the most pressing problem, a lack of space...As he spoke to us about the many needs, he mentioned the possibility of building a church of the approximate square footage of our sanctuary (though not nearly as elaborate) for $50,000...Pastor Kovaciny, obviously excited about the possibility, has agreed that the new church would be named Emmanuel Lutheran and would have a picture of the 'mother church' prominently displayed in the new building."
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, "From the Mission Committee, Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Kremnetz, Ukraine, Emmanuel Lutheran Church #899, August, 1999. 1500 South Third Street, Columbus, Ohio 43207-1000.

Thoughts of Faith Self-Description
Thoughts of Faith is a Confessional Lutheran mission society dedicated to spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ in the former Communist countries of eastern Europe. At present we are working in Ukraine, the Czech Republic, and Latvia. We are joined in this effort by the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, with which we are affiliated as a "church-related organization," and by the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, a sister church of the ELS.
(http://www.tof.org/whoweare.php)

"About Missions" c. Thoughts of Faith through the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, d. St. Sophia Lutheran Seminary-Ukraine Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Cornerstone Emmanuel Lutheran Church Columbus, Ohio August, 1996 "We supplied funds for our missionaries in the Ukraine, and the Gideons." Sherry Huffman, Sunday School
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Cornerstone, Emmanuel Lutheran Church Columbus, Ohio, February, 1999.

"From the Mission Committee...Good News from the Ukraine Reproduced at the bottom of this page is the masthead from the Ukrainian Lutheran, which has now been published by our mission in Ukraine for two years and grows in circulation with each issue."
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Cornerstone, Emmanuel Lutheran Church Columbus, Ohio, November, 1996.

"EMMANUEL SAVES BIBLE SCHOOL! A SPECIAL MESSAGE was just received from Pastor Kovaciny to let us know that Emmanuel's Mission offerings have rescued their Bible School this summer!...[Pastor Kovaciny] writes to tell us about it. 'As we looked forward to an even more successful program this coming summer, we were told by our sponsoring organization that our Bible School budget had been but by $8,000. It seems that some people in charge believe that we have been too successful and they need to put their funds toward programs in other areas which are lagging behind.' (Pastor Kovaciny)"
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Cornerstone, Emmanuel Lutheran Church Columbus, Ohio, June, 1998.

"Since the salary of Pastor Kovaciny and their basic expenses are paid through the 'Thoughts of Faith' ministry, we will continue to include the overall work in our regular budget."
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Cornerstone, Emmanuel Lutheran Church Columbus, Ohio, October, 1994.

"Pastor Kovaciny, in an effort to respond to our request, sent a copy of the third quarter treasurer's report of the Ukrainian congregation, signed by the treasurer and written in his own hand. We thought you might enjoy seeing it! You should be aware that our budget offering goes to pay for Pastor Kovaciny's salary and expenses through 'Thoughts of Faith,' the radio ministry which has been bringing the Gospel to the Ukraine for many years...."
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Cornerstone, Emmanuel Lutheran Church Columbus, Ohio, January, 1995.

Roger Kovaciny's letter about seed distribution Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Cornerstone, Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Columbus, Ohio, October, 1995.

"All designated funds for Thoughts of Faith are spent on the program for which they are designated by the donor. Funds not designated by the donor are used to pay for administrative expenses. Thoughts of faith would like to thank our congregation for our support towards this important work in spreading the gospel throughout the world."
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Cornerstone, Emmanuel Lutheran Church Columbus, Ohio November, 1995 Recording secretary, Christine E. Scheiderer; treasurer, Charlotte Proctor. Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Cornerstone, Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Columbus, Ohio, November, 1995.

"...the Ukraine project of Thoughts of Faith (Pastor Kovaciny)" Use of mission funds. Charlotte Proctor, treasurer.
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Cornerstone, Emmanuel Lutheran Church Columbus, Ohio, November, 1995.

"Pastor Kovaciny, obviously excited about the possibilities, has agreed that the new church would be named Emmanuel Lutheran and would have a picture of the 'mother church' prominently displayed in the new building."
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Emmanuel Lutheran Church, Columbus, Ohio #899 for August, 1999, 1500 South Third Street, Columbus, Ohio 43207.

Pursuing Emmanuel
"I would also convey to you that I will continue to commune lodge members as long as I feel assured that they know and believe that their salvation is by faith." "Please feel free to contact Pastors Kuske or Schumann or come and hear for yourself."
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, Letter to Emmanuel Lutheran Parish Resources letterhead "Serving the congregations of the Wisconsin Ev. Lutheran Synod"

"Consultant, Lutheran Parish Resources, Inc., Columbus, Ohio, 1985-1991, as a consultant for this program, I worked with the training of pastors and lay people for effective ministry in leadership skills, Sunday School organization and teaching, youth ministry, outreach, stewardship and care ministry. I continue to work with supervision of some of these programs. Senior Pastor, Salem Lutheran Church and School, Florissant, Missouri, 1976-1985. (nothing said about being removed from the ministry) Pastor, Trinity Lutheran Church and School, St. Charles, Missouri, 1968-1976.
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, 2904 Maryland Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43209-1157 614-235-5200.

"People Person: Have been recognized as a counselor and mediator. Brought harmony to what was once described as 'the most troubled Lutheran church in America. Personal: Born, December 6, 1941, Columbus. Married, three children. Spiritual gifts: Exhortation, teaching, administration and evangelism.
Floyd Luther Stolzenburg, 2904 Maryland Avenue Columbus, Ohio 43209-1157 614-235-5200.

Manufacturing Disciples - Look at These Strange Bedfellows

Paul Kuske Launched, Supported, and Defended LPR
"Lutheran Parish Resources, Inc. (LPR) is dedicated to the concepts of the Church Growth movement only insofar as they agree with the Scriptures and as taught by the WELS--that is, Church Growth with Lutheran theology rather than Evangelical, and without the typical Church Growth emphasis on quantitative measurement of growth. Kent R. Hunter's definition of 'Church Growth' justifies the use of this term in describing LPR: 'Church Growth: That science which investigates the nature, function and health of Christian churches as they relate specifically to the effective implementation of God's commission to make disciples of all peoples (Matt. 28:19). Church Growth is simultaneously a theological conviction and an applied science,....' Foundations for Church Growth, p. 187.
David G. Peters, "Lutheran Parish Resources: Pilot Program in Church Growth," Mequon: Wisconsin Lutheran Seminary, April 27, 1987 p. 1.

"Church growth is that science which investigates the planting, multiplication, function and health of Christian churches as they relate specifically to the effective implementation of God's-commission to 'make disciples of all nations' (Matthew 28:19-20 RSV). Church growth strives to combine the eternal theological principles of God's Word concerning the expansion of the church with the best insights of contemporary social and behavioral sciences, employing as its initial frame of reference, the foundational work done by Donald McGavran."
[Constitution, Academy for American Church Growth] C. Peter Wagner, Church Growth and the Whole Gospel, New York: Harper and Row, 1981, p. 75.

"The fountainhead and headwaters of the church growth river are to be found in a man, an institute, a bulletin, a school, and a book. The man is Donald Anderson McGavran, the son of missionary parents, born in India on December 15, 1897, who was himself a third-generation missionary in India for more than thirty years under appointment of the United Christian Missionary Society (Disciples of Christ). He has a Ph. D. in education from Columbia University."
Delos Miles, Church Growth, A Mighty River, Nashville: Broadman Press, 1981, p. 9f. [GJ - Like A Mighty Sewer is a better title.]

Proof That A Low IQ Can Be Inherited
"W. Charles 'Chip' Arn is the foremost designer of church growth training curricula and resources used by individual churches and regional districts across the Protestant spectrum...Arn's most significant contribution to date is probably his work in The Master's Plan for Making Disciples, which is the first strategy of evangelism building on and incorporating the principles of church growth into a practical method for equipping laypersons and congregations to effectively reach their unchurched friends and relatives."
C. Peter Wagner, ed., with Win Arn and Elmer Towns, Church Growth: The State of the Art, Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1986, p. 230.

"Body Evangelism. A perspective which emphasizes the goal of evangelism as making disciples who are incorporated into the body of Christ, the result of which is church growth."
C. Peter Wagner, ed., with Win Arn and Elmer Towns, Church Growth: The State of the Art, Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1986, p. 283.

You Forgot the Means of Grace
"Church. An assembly of professed believers under the discipline of the Word of God, organized to carry out the Great Commission, administer the ordinances, and minister with spiritual gifts."
C. Peter Wagner, ed., with Win Arn and Elmer Towns, Church Growth: The State of the Art, Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1986, p. 283f.

Lutheran Pietists Lap This Stuff Up
"Follow-up Gap. The difference between the number of persons who make decisions for Christ in a given evangelistic effort and those who go on to become disciples."
C. Peter Wagner, ed., with Win Arn and Elmer Towns, Church Growth: The State of the Art, Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1986, p. 290.

"Perfecting. The process of nurture and development (following discipling) that is required to take believers from the initial acceptance of Jesus Christ to mature faith and obedience; sanctification."
C. Peter Wagner, ed., with Win Arn and Elmer Towns, Church Growth: The State of the Art, Wheaton: Tyndale House, 1986, p. 296.

WELS DP Mueller and District VP Paul Kuske Approved
"PHILOSOPHY OF MINISTRY AT CROSSROADS...Conduct seeker services... Provide small group leadership. At Crossroads, as people come to know Jesus they are encouraged to participate in groups of 8 to 10 people who meet weekly for 2 years of fellowship, holding one another accountable, discipleship training, encouragement and support. 1 Thess. 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up."
Pastor Rick Miller, (WELS), Crossroads Community Church, 1 Thessalonians 5:11.
[GJ - Later, Kelly Voigt and Mark Freier joined this winning team, which is no longer Lutheran.]

"Introduction to Small Groups. Purpose of This Segment. 1. To introduce the concept of small group ministry. 2. To present the rationale (benefits and need for) small groups. 3. To impart a vision for small groups as a strategy for accomplishing our disciple-making mission."
WELS Campus Pastors, Small Group Training Conference, Jan. 7-9, 1991, Madison. p. 2.

"The Rationale for Small Groups...5. It Follows Biblical Practice. a. Jesus and the Twelve Apostles (Jesus concentrated on investing Himself in His small group of disciples to teach and model spiritual truth, attitudes and behavior for them and to train them to be spiritual leaders. b. The Early Christians (Acts 2:42-47; 16:40; 20:20-21).
WELS Campus Pastors, Small Group Training Conference, Jan. 7-9, 1991, Madison. p. 3.

"For the Love of Pete,"...presents "The Master's Plan for Making Disciples"...."Planned Parenthood for Churches"...Church growth principles are communicated with warmth and humor. Donald A. McGavran and Winfield C. Arn, Ten Steps for Church Growth, New York: Harper and Row, 1977, p. 132.


Win Wins Winsomely
"In the Great Commission, Jesus makes clear that the command to 'go and make disciples' includes the concept of winning. Today the term 'discipling' has almost universally evolved to mean the process of spiritual perfecting--tutoring, learning, growing, maturing. Few 'discipling' programs in churches today accurately reflect Christ's vision to make disciples, or measure their success on the basis of new disciples they produce."
Win and Charles Arn, The Master's Plan for Making Disciples, How Every Christian Can Be an Effective Witness through an Enabling Church, Pasadena: Church Growth Press, 1982, p. 10.

"His words, now called the Great Commission, were simply a restatement of His entire life and teaching, as He endeavored to make the matter as simple and easy to understand as possible...'go and make disciples.'"
Win and Charles Arn, The Master's Plan for Making Disciples, How Every Christian Can Be an Effective Witness through an Enabling Church, Pasadena: Church Growth Press, 1982, p. 20. Matthew 28:19

"Being a disciple in the early church meant a first-hand involvement in the mission of Christ--making disciples. The goal was clear and all-encompassing."
Win and Charles Arn, The Master's Plan for Making Disciples, How Every Christian Can Be an Effective Witness through an Enabling Church, Pasadena: Church Growth Press, 1982, p. 21.

Gerlach Studied at Fuller, Began Exporting This Bilge
"A new convert's commitment to Christ included the assumption that he/she reproduce themselves and continue in the disciple-making chain. New disciples were instruments used by the Holy Spirit...in making disciples."
Win and Charles Arn, The Master's Plan for Making Disciples, How Every Christian Can Be an Effective Witness through an Enabling Church, Pasadena: Church Growth Press, 1982, p. 21.

"While the goal of the early Christian was, as Christ had commanded, to make disciples, there was a definite process by which the early church grew so explosively. The means of church growth was through the individual Christian's interlocking social system--the family, friends, and associates."
Win and Charles Arn, The Master's Plan for Making Disciples, How Every Christian Can Be an Effective Witness through an Enabling Church, Pasadena: Church Growth Press, 1982, p. 25f.

Can You See Where Valleskey and Crew Got Their Doctrine?
"The Master's Plan is a strategy of disciple-making to help lay church members identify and reach the people in their web, or oikos, for Christ and the Church. It is a process that works within natural characteristics of human behavior and relationships, and relates the unique needs of friends and relatives to Christ's work in their lives."
Win and Charles Arn, The Master's Plan for Making Disciples, How Every Christian Can Be an Effective Witness through an Enabling Church, Pasadena: Church Growth Press, 1982, p. 57.

"Effective disciple-making combines intentional growth principles with an 'evangelistic mix' that fits the local church and its unique situation. Tremendous power results in a local church which intentionally focuses on specific growth goals."
Win and Charles Arn, The Master's Plan for Making Disciples, How Every Christian Can Be an Effective Witness through an Enabling Church, Pasadena: Church Growth Press, 1982, p. 59.

"'Making disciples' has become, in most congregations, a compartmentalized function, isolated from the mainstream of church thinking and life."
Win and Charles Arn, The Master's Plan for Making Disciples, How Every Christian Can Be an Effective Witness through an Enabling Church, Pasadena: Church Growth Press, 1982, p. 7.

Lawrence Otto Olson, D.Min. Fuller, Said This Too
"Disciple-making is most effective when Biblical insights and church growth research are integrated."
Win and Charles Arn, The Master's Plan for Making Disciples, How Every Christian Can Be an Effective Witness through an Enabling Church, Pasadena: Church Growth Press, 1982, p. 75.

"A 'disciple' suggests a commitment, incorporation into the Body, then an on-going, reproductive life-style as a follower of Christ."
Win and Charles Arn, The Master's Plan for Making Disciples, How Every Christian Can Be an Effective Witness through an Enabling Church, Pasadena: Church Growth Press, 1982, p. 9.

Gerlach's Disciple Factory
"His plan for making disciples included more than lesson plans. It included a relationship. In fact the quality of that relationship with his disciples had to be one of the primary factors in transforming them into disciplers."
Pastor Joel C. Gerlach, "The Call into the Discipling Ministry," Yahara Center, April 24-25, 1987, p. 15.

A Fuller Education Is a Terrible Thing to Waste
"Disciple making teachers know that while course content is important, what they teach in connection with the hidden curriculum is just as important."
Pastor Joel C. Gerlach, "The Call into the Discipling Ministry," Yahara Center, April 24-25, 1987, p. 15.

"If I were asked: What is the key thing in the disciple making process that demands our special attention in our effort to become better disciple makers, without hesitation I'd say it's the role of modeling. We need more disciple maker models in our classrooms. It isn't enough just to tell others to go and make disciples. We need to show and tell them. Modeling is an essential, integral part of showing and telling."
Pastor Joel C. Gerlach, "The Call into the Discipling Ministry," Yahara Center, April 24-25, 1987, p. 18. Matthew 28:18-20

"Jesus did not send his disciples out to make disciples without first making them disciples. He gave them a course in disciple making by making them disciples. He knew that you have to be a disciple yourself before you can help someone else to become a disciple."
Pastor Joel C. Gerlach, "The Call into the Discipling Ministry," Yahara Center, April 24-25, 1987, p. 6.

"A disciple is also expected to be a witness."
Pastor Joel C. Gerlach, "The Call into the Discipling Ministry," Yahara Center, April 24-25, 1987, p. 8.

Kelm Channels Yoda
"Doctrines in controversy and applications to those doctrines are a disciple's meat. They are swallowed only after patient doses of discipling milk. The art of mission work is to preserve that sequence despite a prospect's desire to chew what he can't swallow."
Rev. Paul Kelm, "How to Make Sound Doctrine Sound Good to Mission Prospects," p. 3.

David Kuske Supports "make disciples" in Matthew 28:19
David Kuske, "Exegetical Brief: The Meaning of matheteusate in Matthew 28:19," Wisconsin Lutheran Quarterly, Spring, 1997, p. 115ff. Matthew 28:19. Kuske also studied under Lyle Coleman (cell groups).

"When Frederick Horn faced that situation, the Holy Spirit moved him to accept the call, and for the last few years he has served as the [lay] Minister of Discipleship for Grace Lutheran in downtown Milwaukee." (Pastor James Huebner, Fuller alumnus)
Professor Lawrence Otto Olson, (D. Min., Fuller), "Another Kind of Minister, There's a lot to do in a church, and a staff minister can do a lot of it," The Northwestern Lutheran, March, 1994, p. 9.

"But when our Lord told us what our mission should be, he was quite clear: 'Make disciples.'"
Lawrence Otto Olson, The Evangelism Life Line (WELS), Summer, 1988, p. 3. Matthew 28:

Proud Pentecostals Thrive at Fuller
"Pastors become disciples so they can make disciples. As a proud Pentecostal I thought I had everything because I belonged to a Full Gospel church. Little did I know how much I had to learn until I came together with other pastors--Baptists, Presbyterians, Plymouth Brethren, and Catholics. As a proud Pentecostal I had to become a humble elder of the church."
Juan Carlos Ortiz, Call to Discipleship, Plainfield: Logos International, 1975, p. 100.

"Every disciple had responsibility over two types of cells, one cell where he formed the lives of the new converts, and another cell where he took the most advanced of those new converts and taught them how to be leaders, knowing that cell would soon be divided and the most advanced disciples put over additional cells. So came the multiplication."
Juan Carlos Ortiz, Call to Discipleship, Plainfield: Logos International, 1975, p. 101.

"In this way, the entire church is comprised of ministers. The ministers are not a special breed of sheep coming from the seminary. They are simply believers who go on growing. Thus the purpose of the pastor is to make disciples who make disciples who make disciples who make disciples." Juan Carlos Ortiz, Call to Discipleship, Plainfield: Logos International, 1975, p. 18.

Totally False Exegesis from Fuller Student Valleskey
"Accordingly, when Christ says, Disciple (matheteusate) all nations by baptizing them, matheteusate can mean nothing other than to make disciples, to turn unbelievers into believers; for that is the Spirit-produced effect of baptism."
David J. Valleskey, We Believe--Therefore We Speak, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1995, p. 127. Matthew 28:18-20

"Is the mission of the church to preach the gospel or to make disciples? The two--preaching the gospel and making disciples--are closely connected. Making disciples is the goal, or end result, our Lord had in mind. He does not want any to perish, but all to come to repentance and faith. He wants all to be saved, to come to a heart knowledge of the truth. Preaching the gospel (employing the means of grace) is the means by which the Lord will achieve his goal of making disciples and so of gathering in his elect before he returns."
David J. Valleskey, We Believe--Therefore We Speak, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1995, p. 134.

Valleskey Overturns Sower Parable
"It is true that only God the Holy Spirit can effect the end result of making a disciple out of an unbeliever; all we can do is sow the seed. But it is also true that our Lord, by speaking specifically of making disciples in his commission to his church, is encouraging it to keep that intended goal in mind when it does its seed sowing."
David J. Valleskey, We Believe--Therefore We Speak, The Theology and Practice of Evangelism, Milwaukee: Northwestern Publishing House, 1995, p. 135. Matthew 28:18-20.

Werning Has Church Growth Eyes
"Your church will grow by God's grace because members will want it to grow in obedience to God's will and because you are using strategy and methodology in making disciples. Then nongrowth will be called nongrowth, and growth will be accepted as a gift from God."
Waldo J. Werning, The Radical Nature of Christianity, Church Growth Eyes Look at the Supernatural Mission of the Christian and the Church, South Pasadena: William Carey Library, 1975, p. 159.

Power is Given, Not Taken

The biggest mistake pastors and laity make is in their assumption that synods and officials have taken power away from them. That is not true. As Stuckenberg, the 19th century sociologist wrote, power is given, not taken. Over the years, bullies have grabbed power away from pliant congregations and pastors. One is the call list. A congregation can call anyone who is qualified to be a pastor. By manipulating the call list, and sitting on it like the dog in the manger, the district president has power over congregations and pastors. Take away that call list power and the DP has no leverage against anyone.

For example, Pope John the Malefactor has seized power in the Evangelical Lutheran Synod, and some congregations have surrendered to him. He can remove a pastor by fiat only if the congregation surrenders that power to him. River Heights quaked and surrendered. Other congregations have not allowed Pope John to approach their meetings.

The ELS has lost a considerable amount of revenue from expelling pastors and congregations. The members do not wish to polish the hob-nailed boot that delivers the Left Foot of Fellowship.

WELS Meltdown - "Michigan has sent Milwaukee $6,300 less than last year, so far, according to the April stats. And WELS has received $147,800 more than last year so far. The April Easter offerings probably make the figures look better than they are."

My favorite ELS Blog is:

ELS Bad Boy, Trouble in Paradise

This may surprise some - I like polemics.

Another ELS site is: The Plucked Chicken This site has good updates on doctrinal issues.

A typically bland WELS site is: Issues in WELS.

Sources for Material

BD asked for my original source for the Mark Schroeder statement. Whenever I have a link, I post it. I looked for it at Issues in WELS, but it is not there. All I can say is that three people sent it to me, so it must be on the email-a-friend list, getting 100% coverage.

In Missouri there are secret email lists. Some are so large that they are populated with synod spies. One might as well assume that any meeting of any dissenters in any synod will be bulked up by people reporting to synod officials. The same thing happens in congregations, especially in WELS. The late Missiouri Synodical President, Jack Preus, referred to the "WELS KGB."

I hear many credible stories, but I only report what can be verified.

Yes, most of the facts have been kept from the laity, who are expected to pay, pray, and not ask questions, in that order. My intution tells me that things are even worse in WELS than the figures indicate. An editor told me Missouri is no better financially.

WELS' Besetting Sin - Denying the Efficacy of the Word

The Wisconsin Synod denies the efficacy of the Word...consistently, ruthlessly, to the point of excommunicating anyone who says the Word alone is efficacious.

KJV 1 Thessalonians 2:13 For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.

Several programs of self-destruction would be stopped in a moment if the sect followed what the Scriptures and the Confessions teach:

1. There would be no dispute about the Moment of Consecration because everyone would realize that the Word effects the Real Presence. Claiming that "no one knows the moment" is worse than Calvinism.
   
2. The Church Growth Movement would be repudiated and rejected, not for its utter failure in WELS, but for his repugnant doctrine.
   
3. No one would be confused about ordination and the ministry. They would realize that the true Church brings Christ to people exclusively through the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace.
   

Schroeder would have to admit to this basic error in WELS for the document to have any meaning at all. Otherwise he is proposing an extreme make-over for a patient with terminal cancer. False doctrine is a cancer that must be cut out or treated with the harshest medicine.

KJV 2 Timothy 2:16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. 17 And their word will eat as doth a canker [cancer]: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus.