Bethany Appleton WELS Caught Plagiarizing Swindoll

Your offering dollars at work, promoting false teachers.
---bruce-church (https://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Bethany Appleton WELS Caught Plagiarizing Swindoll...":

The members, no doubt, got suspicious when their pastor produced a devotion without spelling and grammar mistakes, and suspected false doctrine. Spelling and grammar mistakes are part of the Marks of the Church as far as WELS is concerned.
***
GJ -

I noticed today that the Intrepids caught Bethany (WELS) in Appleton plagiarizing Church Swindoll. The link is here.

The Intrepids did not name Bethany because there was an apology posted. However, I was able to find it by a process of elimination. WELS pastors never apologize, so that narrowed it down quite a bit. Secondly, Bethany was already known as one of many Shrinker cesspools in the State of Wisconsin.

Here is the apology:

Pastor's Blog

Dear Friends, I'd like to use this space to offer you, the dear members and friends of Bethany Lutheran Church and Our Shepherd Child Care & Family Ministry Center -- a sincere apology. As many of you are well aware, especially those still actively involved in the work-a-day world, it is vitally important, yet not always to easy to keep an organization's web site fresh and up-to-date. Your pastors have tried to provide fresh information and spiritually valuable devotions and articles for our members and friends as routinely as time allows. This particular page, formerly know (sic) at the "Pastor's Message", was updated about every three months or so. The last time it was updated - in June of 2010 - I must confess to you that my press of schedule and the weakness of my sinful flesh led me to publish a devotion in this space that was not the work of your pastor. Without attributing the work to its proper author, Pastor Charles Swindoll of Insight for Living Ministries, and without seeking permission of his publisher, Thomas Nelson Publishers, I shared Pastor Swindoll's devotion here with a very slight modification. For this transgression I am sorry. It was wrong to share some one else's work without acknowledging it's (sic) original source. My apologies to you and please know that I will be sending a personal letter of apology to Pastor Swindoll as well. It is the prayer of your pastors that you will be gracious in accepting our apology and will continue to give us the privilege and opportunity to encourage you in your walk of faith by visiting our website in the future. We are grateful for the powerful and healing message of our Savior-God's grace as recorded in Isaiah 43:25 -- "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." (Isaiah 43:25) In Christ's love, Pastor Mark P. Henke Pastor Darin D. Aden

---

Here is what the Intrepids wrote, in case the blog disappears the way the Issues in WELS website did:

In Part 1 and Part 2 of this series of blog posts, we discussed two important issues directly connected with the tragedy of pastoral plagiarism:

1. the fraudulent nature of plagiarism itself, and the meaning of this fraud within the context of the Office of Representational or Public Ministry,and
2. the added offense of plagiarizing sectarian sources.

We concluded both that:

A plagiarist is one who knowingly quotes or uses a source other than himself while concealing the identity of that source. The result of this theft is misrepresentation and fraud: that is, the plagiarist’s audience concludes that he is the author or creator of the quoted or used material (misrepresentation) and uses this conclusion as a basis for trust in the plagiarist (fraud). He takes on an identity that is not his – that of the original author – and uses that identity against the consciences of those who hear or read his work.

and,

When a pastor knowingly quotes or uses a source other than himself while concealing the identity of that source, the result is misrepresentation and fraud – a case of clear infidelity to his Call. ...When he commits misrepresentation using sectarian sources, he not only passes off sectarian teaching as his own, but... passes off sectarian content as pure Scripture teaching. The fraud associated with this misrepresentation is no longer merely that others trust his teaching on the basis of his misrepresentation, but that they trust sectarian teaching as orthodox on the basis of his misrepresentation. In stealing and applying to himself the identity of the sectarian author, he disgraces his Call, which requires that he “[hold] fast the faithful Word as he has been taught.” Using borrowed sectarian identity against the consciences of those who hear or read his work is tantamount to false teaching.

In this third installment we provide an illustration of plagiarism in the WELS using an example from one of a growing number of congregations which we have either observed directly, or which have come to our attention through concerned laymen and pastors of our Synod.


Plagiarism from Sectarian sources in the WELS
If only we could concern ourselves with pastors who plagiarize the sermons of Martin Luther, Johann Gerhard, C.F.W. Walther, or other giants of the Lutheran Confession! We might be inclined to just let it pass, and let homiletics professors at the seminary stew over it! Indeed, there have been many fine Lutheran pastors who have bequeathed to the church a legacy and record of exegetical and homiletical excellence, from whom many continue to borrow and repeat, and will continue to do so. Fine. Many of the ideas communicated by them are not foreign to us, but reminders of what is already common knowledge – like quoting from the Small Catechism, which every adult Lutheran is expected to have long since memorized, understood, and incorporated into his worldview. Citing original sources of common knowledge is not necessary – not even under the stringent guidelines of the APA.

But when we warn of plagiarism in our Synod, we are not talking about the pastor who’s had a rough week and finds it necessary to read a sermon from one of Martin Luther’s or Sig Becker’s postils, nor are we harping on the occasional unattributed quotation. In this discussion, we leave the fine points of situation ethics regarding plagiarism for others to debate, for the thresholds of acceptable use of unattributed sources are far, far south of the gross abuses which concern us. What we are warning of is wholesale, unattributed, nearly verbatim use of entire sectarian sermons, outlines, devotions, and other resources, the motivation for which seems to be derived from priorities of the Church Growth Movement. Indeed, by and large, it isn’t the traditional churches who have found it necessary to parrot Rick Warren, Craig Groeschel, or Mark Driscoll.

The example of one such congregation is illustrative. They had made verbatim and unattributed use of devotional material from Chuck Swindoll on their website. They had published their congregation’s “strategic plan,” suggesting influence from the Church Growth Movement. They had evidently recently preached a sermon series from Craig Groeschel’s LifeChurch.tv. Knowing we were going to treat this topic, we sent them an email last Friday, informing them that we were going to use their congregation’s website as an example of the type of plagiarism and use of sectarian sources that we observe more frequently, and, we fear, is becoming more and more accepted in our Synod. To this congregation's credit, within an hour of having sent our email, most of the offending material was removed, and by Saturday, a public apology had been posted in its place. Because of this, we have voluntarily chosen not to reveal the name of this congregation. Yet, the example of their offense remains useful, so we reproduce the details of our communication with them, which reveals the nature of the issues we observed there, and observe elsewhere:

Pastors and Elders of (name removed) Ev. Lutheran Church, (city and state removed)Intrepid Lutherans, a blog concerned with Confessional unity in the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod, is currently writing an article on plagiarism and the use of sectarian resources in our Synod, and will be using your congregation's website as an example. We have discovered on your congregation's website several troubling instances where use of sectarian sources is made – instances which are quite typical of a growing number of our congregations. We are contacting you ahead of publication for your comments on the following issues.
1. Your "Pastor's Message" entry located at this URL is taken almost verbatim, without attribution, from Chuck Swindoll's devotional Day by Day with Chuck Swindoll, Copyright 2000. This very same entry from Chuck Swindoll's work was used, with attribution, on Christianity.com, here:http://www.christianity.com/devotionals/day_by_day/11623905/. Do you have permission from either Chuck Swindoll or Thomas Nelson Publishers to use his content without attribution? If you do, do you consider it dishonest toward your readers to pass off his thoughts and experiences as your own? Did you actually "[receive] a letter from a fine Christian couple, and [smile] understandingly at one line: 'Although the Lord has taken good care of my wife and me for the past thirty-eight years, He has taken control of us for the past two and a half'"? If not, do you consider it a lie to say that you did? Is lying sinful? If so, do you and Chuck Swindoll know the same fine Christian couple? Could we see a copy of that letter?
2. We noticed that Chuck Swindoll's message is entirely a message of Law – Gospel-less is the term we used when critiquing it – which is aptly demonstrated in the final line summarizing the devotion: “Don't get ‘out of control’ because you're so determined to stay ‘in control.’” Do you think that it is appropriate for Lutherans to fixate on sanctification messages such as this? Do you think it is appropriate for a Lutheran to emphasize the third use of the Law without preceding it with its second use and the Gospel? If so, how can this be considered proper application of Law and Gospel? How does Swindoll's content indicate a Gospel motivation for Christian works? Granting that you may have found a pearl of great value among Swindoll’s works, do you consider it wise to use his material without warning your readers of his many errors? If so, have you read Harold Senkbeil'sSanctification: Christ in Action, published by NPH? It is an analysis of modern Evangelicalism and it's theological fixation on sanctification over justification, using Chuck Swindoll as a case study, and offers a confessional Lutheran corrective. For that matter, have you read Robert Koester's Gospel Motivation: More than "Jesus Died for My Sins", also published by NPH? If not, we highly recommend them.
3. We noticed that you altered Chuck Swindoll's content, in the third to last paragraph, adding the following sentence: "And it is only through the Spirit's working through the Means of Grace - the gospel in Word and Sacrament - that he bends and shapes our will (our new man) to be conformed to the likeness of God's Son, our Savior."
   
   

   Click image to see documents side-by-side

   We have further noticed that adding a token reference to the Means of Grace is a common way to "Lutheranize" sectarian content among WELS congregations enamoured with non-Lutheran sources. Your one-sentence addition to Swindoll’s work is illustrative of this technique. Do you honestly believe that this one-sentence is sufficient to make Swindoll's devotion – a devotion that is entirely a message of Law and entirely centered on sanctification – something that could be considered (a) your own original work, and/or (b) a distinctly "Lutheran" devotion, centered on Justification, where Law and Gospel are balanced in favor of the Gospel? Moreover, if you have permission to use Swindoll's content without attribution, do you also have permission to alter it?
4. We have noticed, in your congregation’s "Proposed Strategic Plan," that you envision people joining your church for no other reason than that your congregation is "so welcoming." We see precious little emphasis on Word and Sacrament ministry, nor mention of the Holy Spirit's work exclusively through those Means to call, gather and enlighten His people, drawing them into fellowship with other believers and keeping them in the faith. This troubles us. We are, of course, very familiar with the errors of the Church Growth Movement (CGM), and the reliance of CGM on alien means – means outside those through which the Holy Spirit is known to work – to “grow the church”.
   
   The ministry approach espoused in your "Proposed Strategic Plan" smacks of CGM. Are you familiar with CGM? Are you adherents of CGM practices? If not, who advised you to engage in such methods? If so, why are you so willing to flirt with sectarian errors?
   
   Are you aware that the WELS Michigan District commissioned a multi-year study of CGM, and that the resulting paper repudiated CGM, especially Lutheran involvement with CGM? The name of the paper is "The Tendrils of the Church Growth Movement," and it was enthusiastically received by the Michigan District at their 2008 Convention. We have attached a pdf of this paper for your edification.
5. Are you fans of Craig Groeschel's LifeChurch.tv? Was your July 4 sermon, entitled “How to Commit Adultery,” and taken nearly verbatim from the identically titled 1^st part of Groeschel's five-part sermon series "Five Easy Steps...," published on his website, here: http://www.lifechurch.tv/watch/five-easy-steps/1?
   
   If this is the case, did you inform those assembled that you were parroting a sectarian sermon? Or, is Craig Groeschel a confessional Lutheran? Did you do the same with the remaining four sermons of Groeschel’s series? We understand that Craig Groeschel publishes his sermons so that others can copy him, but also that his blog states pastors ought to cite their sources, because citation "honors the pastor or church who came up with the idea," "demonstrates humility and security," "exposes a church to other great leaders and teachers," and "removes any doubt of copying" (Plagiarizing Pastors by Craig Groeschel; July 21, 2008). If you copy his sermons, we assume that you largely agree with Craig Groeschel's preaching. If Craig Groeschel isn’t a confessional Lutheran, shouldn’t we be concerned about this fact alone? Moreover, even granting that one may have permission to copy someone else’s work without attribution, when, in your opinion, does a failure to cite sources constitute fraud against one’s hearers/readers?
Gentlemen, we will be publishing our article on Monday. Please have your comments to us by Sunday afternoon in order to have them included in our article. These are matters of public offense. Having taken council together and with others, we stand firm on Scripture (Ga. 2:11-14; 1 Ti. 5:20) and the Confessions (LC:3:284ff) when we insist that discussion of these issues, and all responses, be made in public. This includes a refusal to answer or participate. If you are unable to reply by Sunday afternoon, you may publicly engage the ensuing discussion by posting to our blog following publication.In Christ,Intrepid Lutherans

Apart from the removal of most of the offending content and the posting of an apology on their own website, we have received no return communication from this congregation.

Nevertheless, in response to their online apology, we have written back to them. That letter (with names removed) will appear in our next post.

***

GJ - I am looking forward to apologies from Ski, Glende, Kelm, Parlow, Deputy Doug Englebrecht, the hapless district VP, Ron Ash, Patmos, and various other enablers.

006 - License To Plagiarize

Ski and Playmat MariQueen

wistex (http://wistex.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "From the Bores at The CORE (Wisconsin Emerging Lib...":

Let's look at a couple of key statements in that newsletter:

"Pastor Jason, a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma said, 'Pastor Ski and I developed the series so that we could be partners in it. He preached in Oconomowoc and Appleton on July 4th and 11th. I preached in Oconomowoc and Appleton on July 18th and 25th.

'We figured that two long Sundays was (sic - subject verb agreement) a cheap price to pay for two Sundays "off". Plus, it is a positive experience for both congregations to hear the same truth about Jesus presented in a slightly different style.'"

I assume that when "Pastor Jason" says they "developed the series," they mean they, together, logged in to http://open.lifechurch.tv/series/76 , took the sermon topics, and downloaded the materials. Maybe "developed" means that they engaged in the difficult task of winnowing the six weeks of sermons down to four.

Also, when they talk about "two long Sundays," I certainly feel for them. It's got to be just brutal to have to preach twice in one day. How do all those other pastors who preach three or more times in a weekend do it? And they do their own Bible studies, confirmation classes, and home/hospital visits, too?!

Why doesn't the District President do someth... oh, wait. Never mind.

Father Hollywood Refutes Guilt by Association

You call me gay for being in the Mary Lou College video?

Father Hollywood has left a new comment on your post "Faint Praise for Gaba":

"Romanizer" is a childish taunt.

It's like a schoolboy calling another schoolboy "gay" for disagreeing with him on a matter unrelated to sexuality.

A Romanizer believes the pope is the head of the church by divine rite. A Romanizer would never quote the Book of Concord - especially not authoritatively. A Romanizer does not advocate for the Lutheran Common Service. Anyone who calls Deacon Gaba a "Romanizer" is engaging in an entirely inappropriate character assassination, and is, hopefully, only operating out of parrotlike ignorance.

It goes to show how deeply people misunderstand the Reformation. Some people think incense, bells, vestments, a dignified celebration of the liturgy, and traditional western ecclesiastical (and confessional!) terminology is somehow "Romanizing." It is as pathetic as people who think being Lutheran has something to do with Martin Luther King or having red doors on the front of the church. Such people not only don't seem to grasp what "Romanism" is, they don't seem to know what Lutheranism is.

And so, like the slack-jawed characters in the film "Idiocracy," all they can do is call people a meaningless slur because that's all they can do to engage in the discussion.

Church and Money Changers - Leaving a Trail of Slim Wherever They Go

Michael Schottey has left a new comment on your post "Little Hope, Oconomowoc, WELS":

"Get the impression?"

Er...

In five minutes of cursory clicking, I was able to hear Ski and Kelm, donate to the church online and find out the decorum of worship--none.

I also found out that children are apparently too dense for worship.

Clicking links gets me to Mike Westendorf's page. He's amazing! It says in his bio that "each song is arranged in a way that enhances the message."

He improves upon scripture! Sign me up!

More links: WLC (no MLC, LPS, ALHS, or WLS); ROC, Lighthouse, and What about Jesus.

The last link I can appreciate as the rest of the website give no impression it is a Lutheran church at all.

Sure am glad the Oconomowoc area finally got a church! It isn't like the city already had a church, along with multiple parishes in Ixonia, Hartland, Dousman, Helenville, Pewaukee or Watertown!

Book of Concord Sheds Light on ELCA Pastor's Bible Study, Sermons

August 2010 issue

• Home
• August 2010 issue

Story by Ronald G. Dybvig Open 'Book of Concord' It brings focus to the word of God The Book of Faith is a fine initiative. However, it is destined to underachieve in Lutheran culture. What is needed is a parallel study of the Book of Concord. Without this lens we have no way to focus the word of God. For my birthday, a member of my congregation bought me a new translation of the Book of Concord, the historic standard of Lutheranism first published in 1580 consisting of 10 credal documents written by Martin Luther and others. She got it for $11 on the Internet. Last summer I read it from cover to cover, including all footnotes. The result was a revitalization of my preaching and the congregation's response is noticeable. The Book of Concord answers the question of when and how much God loves us. God, our Father, loves us in Christ because we are God's children. We do nothing but grasp this by faith. It is pure grace. Much of the focus of the Book of Concord is on the Psalms and Paul's writings. I'm convinced that study of these sections on justification in the Book of Concord will be the cause for new life and hope among the people of our congregations. This will also help us reclaim the richness of our baptismal heritage. Secondly, the Book of Concord has strong statements on exactly who Christ is. The 16th century had many voices leading people away from the church's historic understanding. Again, the reformers speak to us, from the Bible and from tradition, concerning what the church has said about the person and nature of Christ. These statements have led me to a deeper understanding of the sacrament of communion. When we know how Christ is present in his body among us and in this sacrament, we gain a deep confidence in the closeness of Christ. Finally, in the catechisms Luther reveals his monastic background and recommends two practices, which can produce a daily renewal of faith. If the people of the ELCA would practice the morning and evening prayer, it would enrich faith. We need to practice our belief every day of the week and not only on Sunday. If pastors and others on the ELCA roster would embrace Luther's thrice daily prayer practice, I have no doubt that the spirituality of our leaders would be strengthened. For true Lutheran church renewal, we need both Scripture and our tradition as revealed in the Book of Concord. *** GJ - We will know Judgment Day is near when a WELS pastor publishes the same thoughts in FICKLE. Don't worry - it won't happen. Bivens and Kudu Don Patterson still dominate the synod Church and Money Changer magazine.

Great Post at Gnesio

"The faith of a child," illustrated by Norma Boeckler, denied by the Babtists whom WELS wants to follow.



This is a post everyone should read to have a clear idea about reading Scripture.

Little Hope, Oconomowoc, WELS

Welcome to the media download section. Please select a file or choose a category below:

Year: (All Years) 2010

Category: (Select Category) (All Categories) Message Notes Sermons

 

Click on one of the following files to view the available options:

SORT BY: Title Speaker Text Date 

Wildcard - pt 2 - Answering Skeptics...with Truth

Pastor Paul Kelm 

8/8/2010 

Wildcard - pt 2 - Connection Group Questions

8/8/2010 

Wildcard - pt 1 - Who Do We Say Jesus Is?

Pastor Clark Schultz 

8/1/2010 

Miracles - Part 4 - Opening Blind Eyes

Pastor Jason 

7/25/2010 

Miracles - Part 3 - Water to Wine

Pastor Jason 

7/18/2010 

Miracles - Pt 2 - Poolside Miracle

Pastor Ski 

7/11/2010 

Miracles - Calming the Storm

Pastor Ski 

7/4/2010 

Jonah - Part 4 - Holier Than Thou

Pastor Jason 

6/27/2010 

Jonah - Part 3 - White Flag

Pastor Jason 

6/20/2010 

Jonah - Part 2 - Distress Call

Pastor Jason 

6/13/2010 

Jonah - Part 1 - Resistance is Futile

Pastor Jason 

6/6/2010 

 |  

***

Hope in Jesus is the website name.

GJ - I get the impression this is a Church and Money Changer congregation, with Ski and Kelm preaching, the links to Willowcreek's Little College, etc.

I would listen to the sermons, if someone held a shotgun against my head. Feel free and report back in the comments.

Ski began one with pet peeves. As the Belushi character said in Animal House - "Seven years of college down the drain."

From the Bores at The CORE (Wisconsin Emerging Liberal Synergists)

From: "The CORE"
To: "andy" andy.stanley@ichabod.net
Sent: Monday, August 9, 2010 11:08:10 AM
Subject: The COREspondence

When Hope and The CORE Combine The last four weeks were very special at the CORE. Pastor Ski and Pastor Jason Ewert, from Hope in Oconomowoc teamed up to preach on the miracles of Jesus. Pastor Jason, a native of Tulsa, Oklahoma said, "Pastor Ski and I developed the series so that we could be partners in it. He preached in Oconomowoc and Appleton on July 4th and 11th. I preached in Oconomowoc and Appleton on July 18th and 25th. We figured that two long Sundays was a cheap price to pay for two Sundays "off". Plus, it is a positive experience for both congregations to hear the same truth about Jesus presented in a slightly different style." And positive it was! We learned that the miracles are a lot more than they seem on the surface. God had a much deeper message to share. Pastor Jason put it like this, "The miracles of Jesus remind us that Jesus is God and Jesus is sovereign. He has power and authority over all things in heaven and on earth. He has authority over things seen and unseen. Often times people like to pretend that they have authority over parts of their life. The miracles remind us that Jesus is in charge, and that's a good thing because he runs the universe much better than I ever would." If you didn't make it to all four weeks, take a few minutes to listen to the podcasts and reflect on the endless love God has for individuals and to learn the meaning behind the miracles of His son. The podcasts can be found on The Valley. Neighborhoods and Small Group If you are looking to get connected with other Christians in a welcoming, relational environment or if you are looking to fellowship with people will help strengthen and support your relationship with Christ - then Small Groups is a great fit for you. Stay tuned for new information regarding small groups coming at the end of August. For more information on how to join a small group, go to The CORE's website or email us at info@gotocore.com. Looking Ahead... "Elijah"August 22nd - September 5th "Be The Church"September 12th - 26th Miss a sermon? No worries. Click here to listen to the podcasts or subscribe in iTunes. Join us on Facebook "God often comforts us, not by changing the circumstances of our lives, but by changing our attitudes toward them." - S. Masterson Do you know someone who might be interested in hearing about what God is doing at The CORE? Foward this newsletter to them today.

The CORE 215 E Washington St. Appleton, WI 54911 920-364-0200 Check us out online!www.gotocore.com

***

GJ - The bean-brains at The CORE cannot spell "forward." Too much time listening to rap music on the earphones? Doin' fo-ties?

Self-Winding Groeschel-Driscoll-Stanley-WC Detector

Drama queen, when challenged about false doctrine and plagiarism."Leave Groeschel alone! I mean it! Stop it!"

Here is a litmus test for detecting if a minister is copying and pasting from Groeschel, Driscoll, Stanley, and Willow Creek:

1. All the sermons are in series, and they have clever names. The sermon series or the titles show up at Groeschel's Lifechurch or Swerve sites, or at other Schwaermer beehives.
   
2. Professional graphics suddenly appear, and they can be Googled, using Google pictures.
   
3. The sermon titles appear in many different congregational websites in various denominations.
   
4. The minister vaguely attends a "pastor conference" far away.
   
5. Schwaermer books appear in the church library and members are urged to read them. Google the authors and they all seem to be Fuller, Emerging Church, or business management writers.
   
6. The adult study class uses a Shrinker book as its text. The Book of Concord - never.
   
7. The congregation moves into CCM and puts a band in the chancel area.
   
8. Cousin Brunhilda sings CCM with taped background music.
   
9. The liturgy is "bad" or being squeezed out with "blended" services.
   
10. The congregation has its own coffee house, grounds for requesting an immediate transfer.
    
11. The minister seems bewitched and uses Schwaermer lingo, like "transforming lives."
    
12. The congregation has a female staffer who is de facto an assistant pastor.
    

Rogue Lutheran Reporting

WELS Church and Money Changer Ron Ash -
There is one big error, but many gold-lined paths to it.

Read the new post on Rogue Lutheran.

You may need some medication to counteract the dizziness caused by the overlapping agencies of false doctrine.

Missouri will never give up its ELCA bedmate, even if its partner in ministry is full of STDs, and I do not mean Doctor of Sacred Theology degrees. (They dropped that terminology when ministers no longer wanted to say, "I picked up an STD at Fuller.")

Keep following Rogue Lutheran. The author does research on what is happening in the LCMS. All the really cool organizations, like Lutherans Concerned and Wheat Ridge, are pan-Lutheran. What erupts in one synod is also going on in the others.

Another fine blog is Sassedotalist - great title. Herman Sasse was one of the few faithful Lutheran theologians of the 20th century. Someone wanted more information about Sasse and the Missouri Synod treating him like dirt. I suggest doing some research on that. Perhaps a lot of it is anecdotal. Someone may have some good links about. Every so often I have to take a break from blogging and earn a living. Some tents are due and a bit overdue.

Guilty As Charged

Learning a trade began early in my family.

1. Tent-making ministry. Guilty, just like Paul.
   
2. Using the latest technology to broadcast the Word. Guilty, just like Luther.
   
3. Y1580 compliant. Guilty, just like the Synodical Conference pastors.
   
4. Married to the same woman. Guilty, 41 years, just like the Synodical Conference pastors.
   
5. PhD in theology. Guilty, just like Chemnitz. Catholic school? Guilty, just like Luther.
   
6. Graduate work at Yale. Guilty, just like Uncle John Brug.
   

Why Do They Skip the Best Part? - Writing the Sermon

Groeschel copy-cat.
"Mars Hill Church lives for Jesus as a city within the city - knowing culture, loving people,
and seeing lives transformed to live for Jesus. That's our mission."
Sound familiar? Ski, Glende, and Bishop Katie went to Mars Hill.

I never heard of Craig Groeschel before various WELS members began directing my flinty gaze toward Appleton, Wisconsin - where WELS members are especially dense. I learned that pastors in WELS, always bragging about their superior education, copy Groeschel and other Enthusiasts verbatim, without giving credit. Appleton seems to be the epicenter of that phenomenon in WELS, thanks to the Church and Money Changers, who are also concentrated there.

Money Changer Chairman Ron Ash can look back on his career and say, "Look at all the plagiarists I have sponsored, protected, and promoted. It is well with my soul."

Do not forget, readers, that Appleton is also the home of amoral Thrivent Insurance, whose money pays for plenty of ecumenical programs, not just with ELCA but also with the Salvation Army. Their biggest charity is Habitat for Humanity, the only job Jimmy Carter was qualified to handle.

When I began researching Groeschel, whose training is United Methodist and Disciples of Christ, I learned that scads of ministers copy his sermon series, even his free graphics. These copy-cat pastors belong to many different denominations. They parrot his sermon series, use the same names, and offer the Groeschel sermons in the same order. They publish these stolen sermons on the Internet as their own.

These plagiarists also copy Driscoll and Hybels.

I have to wonder why these lazy, lying pastors skip the best part of the ministry - writing the sermon. Producing material for teaching and preaching the Word is demanding but also satisfying. For instance, I just created a PowerPoint on Creation, using the art of Norma Boeckler. One of my employers encouraged the extra material for students, since they are sometimes new to the material discussed in class. My only thought was to use some ideas to make class more interesting. One student immediate wrote and asked if she could please offer the presentation to her church. (The arrangement is Open Source - "no charge, only giving credit to the author and artist, using the material as written.")

That is a good example of the Seed Growing Secretly, the unique parable from Mark 4.26ff. My initial work was done, but the Word took effect in one person so that she wanted to share my orthodox Lutheran thoughts with her congregation. Imagine a WELS member doing that and surviving!

My Lutheran perspective is always welcomed with gratitude in teaching at two universities. I post a Gerhardt hymn in each course I teach at one school, and I get notes of wonder and gratitude back - "Just what I needed right now" and "What a comforting hymn - never heard of him before."

Sermon writing means grappling with issues in the text. No matter what we think we know, absorbing a text and teaching it to a general audience is a great challenge. One must find the substance and communicate it so a range of ages can grasp it, from young children to great-grandparents. Every sermon exposes the minister to his lack of knowledge and sends him searching through the Word and useful commentaries.

I rely on Luther's Sermons, Lenski, and the Book of Concord. How delicious it must be for the fake Ichabod to plagiarize Groeschel mindlessly while denouncing me for using Lenski.

Publishing my own sermons - not another's I claim to be mine - is also satisfying. I find people forwarding them to their friends. On the Bethany site, which is used just for sermons and quotations, the audience is concentrated in the Third World. This costs nothing. The Internet service is saved each week, and the files are viewed thousands of times. One person asked for The Lutheran Hymnal so he could follow a Lutheran service - that, after being a non-Lutheran and looking for doctrinal clarity. One of my students just asked for a hymnal too, so when exactly does the Word stop working?

Unlike the lazy, lying Money Changers, I do not avoid doctrinal conflict. I welcome it. Every doctrinal battle makes me more aware of the issues and more informed about the Word of God and the Scriptures. I value the spiritual treasures of the Scriptures and Confessions so much that I would never trade them for a big parsonage, a housing allowance, a pension plan, or a paid trip to the Holy Land (Milwaukee).

The Holy Spirit works exclusively through the Word and God is always efficacious in this work. I do not need a synod or a secretive cabal within a synod to tell me I am effective. After all, I am not effective at all - God's Word is effective.

As someone noted years ago, we seldom have a forum where we can speak uninterrupted for 20 to 30 minutes in a row. The pulpit is the exception. That is similar to the unique role of pastoral visitation. No other professional can simply stop by and visit. A lawyer cannot. A doctor will not. Both privileges can be enjoyed and employed with great benefits for everyone, and they can also be abused by the minister and members.

The congregation can demand wolf-preaching, where the fake shepherd tells his congregation what their itching ears want to hear. Dysfunctional members can demand pastoral visits which either condone adultery or apply the doctrine of already being declared guilt-free saints. We all know that rich members appreciate an Evan-jellyfish approach to marrying one's hot secretary. Pastors corrupt the Word, and members often corrupt the pastor, placing the budget above the purity of the Word. Yes, members can be as sleazy as synod leaders.

Eventually one can hope that Luther's teaching of the cross will become valid in our own experience. That can only happen when we can agree that bearing the cross is good and valuable, the best part of preaching. The Old Adam never goes away, so we know how strong his voice is when the Word brings hardship, conflict, sorrow, insults, and shunning. However, on the other side of the storm, after the pain has subsided a bit, the blessings of the cross become clear, and we can see why Luther referred to "the holy, precious cross."

I wish the dishonest looters of the Lutheran treasury would face up to their crimes against the Word, against their congregations, against their synods - and repent. God will preserve a faithful remnant somewhere, but these wolves need to face their sins for their own sakes, because they are facing eternal damnation for their blasphemies.

Nor are the synod leaders, spineless seminary professors, and congregational enablers allowed any room for self-absolution. Every member can Google a sermon and see if it is verbatim from a clown like Groeschel. Every member is well qualified to discern the orthodoxy of the pastor's sermon.

I can only say "Bosch" to those who think they must preserve the reputation and sanctity of their whoring synod. The documentation is already published. Everyone knows the Synodical Conference has been promiscuously unfaithful to the Word while congratulating itself on being conservative. (The micro-mini sects are worse, not better.)

What do you call a synod that pays its pastors to attend Fuller and Willow Creek for training?

But the Business Model Worked So Well for Fuller Seminary

These Shrinker Enthusiasts are the leading lights of WELS/ELS, heavily promoted by the synod leaders.

One Eponymous Archon (https://me.yahoo.com/oneeponymousarchon) has left a new comment on your post "On Plagiarism":

Hey "Viewpoint!" You sound like one of those crazy Calvinists who have filled the WELS Headquarters for the past 30 years, who think "the church should be run like a business." That's why that dumb stupid sin-nod (sic) is stuck with a bunch of idiot laymen on their Council or whatever they call it. Just because they're suppose to be hot businessmen, that makes them qualified to run a church body. What an insane joke! Only the devil is laughing at them not with them! I seem to remember one nut-case in particular, a litte (sic) man but a big drunkard named (edited out). He was real big on using the "business model" to "improve" the WELS. Didn't work - except in reverse!

You are right about one thing. The WELS is really screwed up. I wouldn't belong to that bunch of lazy losers if you paid me. God would do Christianity and Lutheranism in particular a big favor if He would bring them down completely - and sooner rather than later!

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GJ - Businessmen love to hear that their denomination should be run on business principles. I have to wonder if that approach is a heart-felt desire by the clergy or just another bank of fog rolling in to cover their felonies.

WELS leaders have shown themselves to be as wise as doves, as innocent as serpents. Following the business model, they would have fired the staph of FICKLE (Forward in Christ, Lutheran) long ago, forced out most of the employees at the Love Shack, and canned the faculty of the Sausage Factory.

WELS has recently admitted to following the GM business model. They no longer get enough customers at Mequon, so the faculty is being paid to finish their graduate degrees. Only in WELS do they hire their seminary faculty before they have an education. Except in the Little Sect on the Prairie - a college degree may be earned afterwards - and that is the path to become an ELS pope.

Remember - education is a handicap for a WELS teaching career, unless it is a D.Min. from Fuller Seminary. For career advice, write Larry Oh! at Mary Lou College, Paul Calvin Kelm at Willowcreek's Little College, Steve Witte on tour in Asia, David Valleskey in retirement, or various other frauds and schemers.

LCMS Reader

Paul Thompson has left a new comment on your post "The Ninth Sunday after Trinity":

Great sermon. I'm in a Missouri Synod Church. Thankfully it is confessional, but many of the members are complacent and fall into the pagan trap. They are not keeping their children away from youth gatherings that are basically rock concerts. Those kids and youth get all hyped up and it's not for Jesus. It's for the opposite sex and all the wrong reasons. I'm not an old traditionalist. I'm only 35, but I've witnessed these things. Thanks again for your sermon.

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GJ - I have visited three rock concerts. One was across the street from us in Canada, so we walked over. It was deafening.

The second and third ones were Soter (Greek for savior), sponsored by LPR in Columbus - Floyd Stolzenburg, Roger Zehms, and Paul Kuske. It was an ecumenical group from various denominations. They pretended to be a Christian group but they just played very loud, very bad music. I noticed the frantic effect it had on the undiscerning audience. I thought the whole concept was a disgrace, which made me the bad guy...again. Their initial concert, if it can be called that, was in the farming community Jenera, and caused great consternation.

Soter's next production of cacophony graced the WELS youth gathering in Columbus, which OSU officials called "the worst-behaved group of kids we have ever had." That fiasco was managed by Stolzenburg, Zehms, and Kuske.

Some WELS pastors went to me about how badly run the entire gathering was, especially the music. I told how I had nothing to say about it.