Desolation - The Last Stage of Victory Disease

Thomas Cole, The Course of Empire - Desolation

Me thinks I witness a double standard here; and / or, perhaps, inconsistency and holier-than-thou

RE:  “Tim Glende's Destructive Ministry in Illinois. Why Does WELS Bow Down To This Numbskull?”

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2012/08/tim-glendes-destructive-ministry-in.html

Rev. Dr. Jackson –

You say at the end of your comment:

"..........All these things happened under the watchful eye of Mark Schroeder, who is only quick to discipline those who dare to post on Ichabod."

I thought that the synod would welcome any informational feedback that could lead to its (Scriptural) improvement.  But, I am more likely to believe what you just stated, [above] - especially, when I think of that recent WELS synodical Bible study on the Romans 12 list of gifts.

When focusing on the gift of "exhortation," the only emphasis of that gift was the one synodical meaning of "encouragement" [NIV] at the expense of the other meaning, of exhortation in form of "rebuke."

It is, as if the official sanctioned Bible study was going out of its way to discard rebuke as being equally viable (by entirely ignoring it). So much for Paul's open rebuke to Peter [Galatians 2] and the thief's public rebuke to the other thief on the cross. [Luke 23:39-43] These exhortations would not qualify in WELS' eyes, and therefore be regarded as anathema and deserving of sanction, because they do not meet the church growth “feel good” criterion of “encouragement.” [Also, I suppose that Stephen’s public rebuke [Acts 7] would not qualify (as well) according to WELS’ self imposed standards]

So,consequently, when a synod only narrowly accepts part of the Scripture import as just being "encouragement," - then, it is quite understandable why synod would not be open to anything contrary to its ongoing bureaucratic program and status quo business operations. Yet, when I see Ichabod’s website FEEDJIT LIVE TRAFFIC FEED Map toward the bottom of the Ichabod home page, I think it is evident that many Lutherans and Lutheran pastors come to visit Ichabod while tugging away at their burdensome synodical chains...........

Nathan M. Bickel – emeritus pastor

http://www.thechristianmessage.org/

http://moralmatters.org/

 ***

Our men were incredibly brave in dive-bombing
ships bristling with anti-aircraft guns.

GJ - Yesterday, I finished re-reading Shattered Sword, the story of the Midway battle, examined from all the documents and told from the viewpoint of both sides, good and bad. I have read various books about the battle, and this one twice. The movie is quite good too. I could watch that again.

Japan failed because they suffered from Victory Disease. They had six months of uncontested victories, plus a black eye from Coral Sea and shame from Thirty Seconds over Tokyo.

Japan also failed because of its extreme emphasis upon conformity. "If a nail sticks up, pound it down." That is also a perfect description of WELS. 

When Japanese officers died in battle, the ordinary soldiers and sailors were confounded. Officers beat and humiliated the men under them, hardly a situation to promote independent and creative thinking during a battle. 

WELS pastors and laity fear being singled out and punished, because the punishment is extended to the family members and anyone who does not share in the shunning.

Many WELS pastors asked Steve Spencer why he had lunch with me when a WELS convention was nearby. He said to me, "You made me the most popular guy there. Everyone asked me how I knew you." 

Of course, I also hear from various WELS contacts about all the garbage dumped on me by these holier-than-thou saints. In fact, the dumpers are rewarded for sharing in the slander and adding their own inventions, failing to remember the in-law pastor arrested for dealing dope at Northwestern College, or the other felony arrests and convictions of their leaders. They may beat ELCA for the title of the gayest Lutheran synod, with their videos, their arrests, their history of being the backbone of Seminex.

Yamamoto asked his officers what they would do, when attacking Midway, if the American carriers showed up. Instead of offering a solution, one officer said, "Show them our armored fist," which was a Japanese saying. Slogans are cool in the locker room, after beating Cardinal Stritch, or in the bar just before a DUI arrest. They do not work so well in real life. Japan lost four carriers out of four when the Americans showed up. The Japanese never recovered from Midway.

WELS likes to pretend it is orthodox and confessional. SP Mark Schroeder claimed that again in a FICL article. They are so confessional that they start congregations without Lutheran in the title, because they are ashamed of Luther's doctrine. They argue lamely that it is one more adiaphoron, but why are they so busy hiding this adiaphoron? the sacraments? the creeds? the historic liturgy?

Japan is a good example of making conformity the ultimate virtue. That led them into enormous blunders, in spite of their many strengths. Midway was the ultimate example. Since they could not lose, they did everything wrong. Once they lost the battle, they scattered the survivors and lied about what happened. They  manufactured the battle reports so the people of Japan thought America lost!

WELS does exactly the same thing. Because they are perfect, the Synod President's job is to maintain the pose and repeat the slogans. If a nail sticks up, pound it down. 

That is why people who post on Ichabod, even with fake IDs, are singled out for a response. It may not be an email warning from Schroeder. Often the small fry are dispatched for the initial bombardment. If various warnings do not work, the individual is hated out of the sect and denounced for "breaking fellowship."

One family in WELS questioned the Tiefel-Johnson booze-and-broads hymnal in the planning stages. Christian Worship, the worst Lutheran hymnal ever was not even in print yet. The DUI arrest and divorce were far in the future. The minister, known for his pastoral incompetence, visited the home and said, "You have broken fellowship with WELS. You are no longer members." The members were happy to leave the mission and join another WELS congregation. The pastor was kept in business, because he had connections.

No one can miss DP Buchholz sending a law firm after two congregations, to threaten them for keeping their pastor. 

Or Buchholz taking four years to growl about CrossWalk, then embracing the prodigal while castigating the  critics.

Gunn control is not a Buchholz theme. Instead, he watched Gunn and two CrossWalk members become leaders at Wisconsin Lutheran College. When I revealed that by copying the board member page of WLC, with parish membership listed, the college changed the page to hide church membership. The Ichabod effect was at work again. 

Besides, Buchholz promoted Gunn as a youth leader in his own parish newsletter. 

To paraphrase a contemporary slogan, it is not the stupid blunders, it is the lying about the stupid blunders. Pastors and members know it is best to clam up, because they do not want to be the next nail pounded into position or pried out of the abusive sect. They should welcome the experience.

The Boomer DPs and Mark Schroeder know they are riding the sect down to desolation. At some future date, perhaps 2017, the SynConference will re-constitute. Many more schools will close. Just watch the ELCA institutions for clues. They are happily announcing "new partnerships," which are really mergers. Mergers are closings, but no one wants to say merger or closing. They are new opportunities. 

The Missouri Mequon just merged with Ann Arbor. Everything is teetering on the brink. The leaders are not going to do anything except collect undeserved large salaries, posh benefits, and overseas junkets "to visit our beloved missions."

Host a trifecta conference, talk about nothing,
but ban someone from talking about justification by faith.
All three men are closers - church closers.

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rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "Desolation - The Last Stage of Victory Disease":

Fear and intimidation has a very long lasting effect on the WELS laity. When a member leaves a congregation, either by self-removal or transfer, very few current members will want to speak with him. They are afraid of either reprisal or possibly finding out an inconvenient truth. I witnessed this when I was on the Board of Elders. Also, an overbearing pastor may actually try to forbid the members from speaking to the ex-member. I also witnessed this. Looking back at all of this now, I am still amazed at how members will cower in a situation like this, even though the headstrong pastor has departed many years ago. It is as if they were conditioned like Pavlov's dogs. 

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Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel has left a new comment on your post "Desolation - The Last Stage of Victory Disease":

Rev. Dr. Jackson -

Your historical accounting comparison of the Japanese "fall" in WWII is very interesting. Also, I cannot gainsay what you state, especially your last 2 paragraphs:

While thinking of your remarks, my thoughts were directed to how God's people, historically and clearly depicted in the Old Testament Scriptures, were sent one prophet after another, only to tune them out, as martyr Stephen accented in his rebuking proclamation to the professing (religiously) intolerant of his generation. [Acts 7]

Also, on my thoughts this morning has been the Gospel of John, chapter 8, - especially, Jesus words:

John 8:47 - "He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God." - KJV

I went to that Scripture, checking the Greek and then read what one distinguished Biblical scholar (now passed on) stated about this verse. I think that his commentary on this verse is very significant, current and timely of certain those in every age and, also our present culture:

John 8:47

He that is of God - He that loves, fears, and honors God.
Heareth God’s words - Listens to, or attends to the doctrines or commandments of God, as a child who loves his parent will regard and obey his commandments.

This is an evidence of true piety. A willingness to receive all that God teaches us and to obey all his commandments, is an undoubted proof that we are his friends, John 14:21; 1 John 2:4; 1 John 3:24. As the Jews did not show a readiness to obey the commands of God, it proved that they were not of him, and to this was owing their rejection of the Lord Jesus. [Barnes]

Nathan M. Bickel

www.thechristianmessage.org

www.moralmatters.org

Gerhardt - If God Himself Be For Me - TLH #528

"If God Himself Be for Me"
by Paul Gerhardt, 1607-1676

1. If God Himself be for me,
I may a host defy;
For when I pray, before me
My foes, confounded, fly.
If Christ, my Head and Master,
Befriend me from above,
What foe or what disaster
Can drive me from His love?

2. This I believe, yea, rather,
Of this I make my boast,
That God is my dear Father,
The Friend who loves me most,
And that, whate'er betide me,
My Savior is at hand
Through stormy seas to guide me
And bring me safe to land.

3. I build on this foundation,
That Jesus and His blood
Alone are my salvation,
The true, eternal good.
Without Him all that pleases
Is valueless on earth;
The gifts I owe to Jesus
Alone my love are worth.

4. My Jesus is my Splendor,
My Sun, my Light, alone;
Were He not my Defender
Before God's awe-full throne,
I never should find favor
And mercy in His sight,
But be destroyed forever
As darkness by the light.

5. He canceled my offenses,
Delivered me from death;
He is the Lord who cleanses
My soul from sin through faith.
In Him I can be cheerful,
Bold, and undaunted aye;
In Him I am not fearful
Of God's great Judgment Day.

6. Naught, naught, can now condemn me
Nor set my hope aside;
Now hell no more can claim me,
Its fury I deride.
No sentence e'er reproves me,
No ill destroys my peace;
For Christ, my Savior, loves me
And shields me with His grace.

7. His Spirit in me dwelleth,
And o'er my mind He reigns.
All sorrow He dispelleth
And soothes away all pains.
He crowns His work with blessing
And helpeth me to cry,
"My Father!" without ceasing,
To Him who dwells on high.

8. And when my soul is lying
Weak, trembling, and opprest,
He pleads with groans and sighing
That cannot be exprest;
But God's quick eye discerns them,
Although they give no sound,
And into language turns them
E'en in the heart's deep ground.

9. To mine His Spirit speaketh
Sweet word of holy cheer,
How God to him that seeketh
For rest is always near
And how He hath erected
A city fair and new,
Where what our faith expected
We evermore shall view.

10. In yonder home doth flourish
My heritage, my lot;
Though here I die and perish,
My heaven shall fail me not.
Though care my life oft saddens
And causeth tears to flow,
The light of Jesus gladdens
And sweetens every woe.

11. Who clings with resolution
To Him whom Satan hates
Must look for persecution;
For him the burden waits
Of mockery, shame, and losses,
Heaped on his blameless head;
A thousand plagues and crosses
Will be his daily bread.

12. From me this is not hidden,
Yet I am not afraid;
I leave my cares, as bidden,
To whom my vows were paid.
Though life and limb it cost me
And everything I won,
Unshaken shall I trust Thee
And cleave to Thee alone.

13. Though earth be rent asunder,
Thou'rt mine eternally;
Not fire nor sword nor thunder
Shall sever me from Thee;
Not hunger, thirst, nor danger,
Not pain nor poverty
Nor mighty princes' anger
Shall ever hinder me.

14. No angel and no gladness,
No throne, no pomp, no show,
No love, no hate, no sadness,
No pain, no depth of woe,
No scheme of man's contrivance,
However small or great,
Shall draw me from Thy guidance
Nor from Thee separate.

15. My heart for joy is springing
And can no more be sad,
'Tis full of mirth and singing,
Sees naught but sunshine glad.
The Sun that cheers my spirit
Is Jesus Christ, my King;
That which I shall inherit
Makes me rejoice and sing.

Hymn #528
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Rom. 8:31-39
Author: Paul Gerhardt
Translated by: based on Richard Massie, 1857
Titled: Ist Gott fuer mich, so trete
Composer: Melckior Teschner, 1613
Tune: Valet will ich dir geben

Bobby Petrino does an emotional first interview since being fired from Arkansas | Dr. Saturday - Yahoo! Sports. Born Forgiven - Future WELS Mission Counselor? Church Growth consultant? District President?

Bobby Petrino - before.

Bobby Petrino does an emotional first interview since being fired from Arkansas | Dr. Saturday - Yahoo! Sports:


He told Schad he planned to talk to his wife and Long on Friday ahead of the police report being released, but said the report, which was released Thursday, came out a day before he expected it.
"I really wanted to do it in the right order and in person, but the timeline just got away," he said.


'via Blog this'

***

GJ -

When a journalist in Milwaukee asked SP Gurgle about adultery leading to a pastor's promotion, his response was to find out who told. In fact, one WELS pastor asked  me, "Did you tell the journalist?"

When I spoke with DP Buchholz, he wanted to know who wrote what about the facts.

It reminded me of a completely different story about the same thing. I saw the pastor in a state of rapture talking forever on the pay phone at a hospital. Later he was removed for adultery. VP Kuske denounced this, because, "He was only kicked out because his wife had a lot of connections." As the Great Kidnapper, CFW Walther claimed (privately), Bishop Stephan's wife was at fault in the marriage. That must be why the Stephanites left her and the dying children in Europe and took the mistress along to America.

In contrast, the CEO of Walmart made a point of congratulating Arkansas when they fired Petrino so quickly and completely. We are only a few miles from the campus, and Petrino was very successful as a coach. Writers were looking for a way to keep Petrino in his job.

Locals claim that the coach's face was not messed up by the motorcycle accident with his lovely young assistant on board, but by her fiance's application of Matthew 18 to Petrino's face.

Matthew 18 is applied a little more forcefully in Arkansas than in Wisconsin.
Jessica left her job since her services were no longer required.

O Splendor of God's Glory Bright - The Lutheran Hymnal #550.

"O Splendor of God's Glory Bright"
by St. Ambrose, 340-397

1. O splendor of God's glory bright,
Who bringest forth the light from Light;
O Light of light, light's Fountain-spring;
O Day, our days enlightening:

2. Come, very Sun of truth and love,
Come in Thy radiance from above
And shed the Holy Spirit's ray
On all we think or do today.

3. Likewise to Thee our prayers ascend,
Father of glory without end,
Father of saving grace, for pow'r
To conquer in temptation's hour.

4. Teach us to work with all our might;
Beat back the devil's threatening spite;
Turn all to good that seems most ill;
Help us our calling to fulfil.

5. Direct and govern heart and mind,
With body chaste and disciplined;
Let faith her eager fires renew
And hate the false and love the true.

6. On Christ, the true Bread, let us feed,
Let Him to us be drink indeed,
And let us taste with joyfulness
The Holy Spirit's plenteousness.

7. Oh, joyful be the livelong day,
Our thoughts as pure as morning ray,
Our faith like noonday's glowing height,
Our souls undimmed by shades of night.

8. The dawn begins to speed her way,
Let the true Dawn himself display,
The Son with God the Father One,
And God the Father in the Son.

9. All praise to God the Father be,
All praise, eternal Son, to Thee,
Whom with the Spirit we adore
Forever and forevermore.

Hymn #550
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: John 8:12
Author: St. Ambrose, d. 397
Translator: composite, 1904
Titled: "Splendor paternae gloriae"
Composer: Nikolaus Herman, 1560
Tune: "O Heilige Dreifaltigkeit"

Abide with Me - The Lutheran Hymnal #552

"Abide with Me! Fast Falls the Eventide"
by Henry F. Lyte, 1793-1847

1. Abide with me! Fast falls the eventide;
The darkness deepens; Lord with me abide.
When other helpers fail and comforts flee,
Help of the helpless, oh, abide with me!

2. Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Change and decay in all around I see.
O Thou, who changest not, abide with me!

3. Not a brief glance I beg, a passing word,
But as Thou dwell'st with Thy disciples, Lord,
Familiar, condescending, patient, free.
Come not to sojourn, but abide with me.

4. Come not in terror, as the King of kings,
But kind and good, with healing in Thy wings;
Tears for all woes, a heart for every plea.
Come, Friend of sinners, thus abide with me.

5. Thou on my head in every youth didst smile,
And though rebellious and perverse meanwhile,
Thou hast not left me, oft as I left Thee.
On to the close, O Lord, abide with me.

6. I need Thy presence every passing hour;
What but Thy grace can foil the Tempter's power?
Who like Thyself my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, oh, abide with me!

7. I fear no foe, with Thee at hand to bless;
Ills have no weight and tears no bitterness.
Where is death's sting? where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still if Thou abide with me.

8. Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes,
Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies.
Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee;
In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!

Hymn #552
The Lutheran Hymnal
Text: Luke 24: 29
Author: Henry F. Lyte, 1847 (?)
Composer: William H. Monk, 1861
Tune: "Eventide"




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quercuscontramalum (http://quercuscontramalum.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Abide with Me - The Lutheran Hymnal #552":

http://issuesetc.org/2012/07/30/3-the-hymn-abide-with-me-dr-arthur-just-73012/
http://issuesetc.org/podcast/10660730123.mp3

Lyte wrote this magnificent hymn three weeks before he died.

Here's the rendition from the Olympics in the country where Great Britain used to be.
 
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=278_1343526996 

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2138 has left a new comment on your post "U. Koren - Ye Lands, To the Lord Make a Jubilant N...":

Men's Choir:

http://www.morningstarmusic.com/mp3s/50-2611.mp3

U. Koren - Ye Lands, To the Lord Make a Jubilant Noise

"Ye Lands, to the Lord Make a Jubilant Noise"
by Ulrik V. Koren, 1826-1910
Translated by Harriet R. Spaeth, 1845-1925

1. Ye lands, to the Lord make a jubilant noise;
Glory be to God!
Oh, serve Him with joy, in His presence now rejoice;
Sing praise unto God out of Zion!

2. Not we, but the Lord is our Maker, our God;
Glory be to God!
His people we are, and the sheep led by His rod;
Sing praise unto God out of Zion!

3. Oh, enter His gates with thanksgiving and praise;
Glory be to God!
To bless Him and thank Him our voices we will raise;
Sing praise unto God out of Zion!

4. For good is the Lord, and His mercy is sure;
Glory be to God!
To all generations His truth shall still endure;
Sing praise unto God out of Zion!

The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #44
Text: Ps. 100
Author: Ulrik V. Koren, 1874
Translated by: Harriet R. Spaeth, 1899, alt.
Titled: "Al Verden nu raabe for Herren med Fryd"
Composer: Erik Hoff, c. 1860
Tune: "Guds Menighed, syng"

An Answer to the Critics

Someone was being rather free with criticism about this harmless little blog. Of course, I never heard from the original speaker, since Matthew 18 does not apply to WELS. So I heard it from someone else. That is the way it happens. People feed their criticism to someone in contact with me. How daring. How brave. My email address is posted, and I check that account regularly.

That has happened more than once lately, so I have a response to the critics:

"You should not be reaching Ichabod in the first place."

In the SynConference, reading this blog is a cardinal sin. The transgression is so great that entire classes at Martin Luther (sic) College have been told not to read it.

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Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel has left a new comment on your post "An Answer to the Critics":

Ichabod -

Those who are quick to criticize this blog and its author, don't have the courage to submit their comments. I believe that their excuse is: "Why should we dare comment on it and give it any credibility?" Such, is a smug and holier-than-thou attitude. But, be that as it may behind the scenes, they tremble, knowing that they aren't as holy as they would like to make themselves be.

But, be that as it may - why would a Lutheran church body who has a synodical Bible study on the Romans 12 gifts; and in that study restricts one of those gifts to be only "encouragement;" why would they not desire to interpret it more carefully? It's because they don't want to recognize the gift of "exhortation," which also can be interpreted as "rebuke," such as Paul stood face to face with Peter.

So, then, the Lutheran synod practice is to insulate the synod from any type of viable criticism. Go about one's business and continue as holier-than-thou.

Nathan M. Bickel

www.thechristianmessage.org

www.moralmatters.org

***

GJ - WELS specializes in rebuking everyone for what it does. See the Hochmuth/Schroeder letter against ELCA about homosexuality.

Then look above. WELS denounces everyone and the ELS for unionism, but the only qualification for Larry Olson teaching is a drive-by DMin from Fuller Seminary. In fact, that is what MLC and WELS consider the prime qualification - a bended knee before Church Growth, a bent back bowing to Donald McGavran.

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Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel has left a new comment on your post "An Answer to the Critics":

Dr. Jackson -

You say in your response comment:

".....Then look above. WELS denounces everyone and the ELS for unionism,......."

Then, I ask: How come WELS does not practice what it preaches and denounce the WELS head cheese pastor who is on the Thrivent board and who has the Internet program where he weekly conveys his "fireside chat" (type), devotion? If my memory recall serves me correctly, the one message I commented on had the Rev. Mark Jeske comitting unionism, by praying with the mixed cyberspace [online] audience.

http://ichabodthegloryhasdeparted.blogspot.com/2012/07/promoting-mark-jeske.html

Nathan M. Bickel

www.thechristianmessage.org

www.moralmatters.org

VirtueOnline - News - Exclusives - Nine Episcopal Bishops Faces Disciplinary Charges of Misconduct - UPDATED.Typical Holy Mother Church Reaction to the Truth

VirtueOnline - News - Exclusives - Nine Episcopal Bishops Faces Disciplinary Charges of Misconduct - UPDATED:


By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
June 30, 2012

Nine bishops, four of them sitting diocesan bishops, have been charged with misconduct. They now must face disciplinary proceedings that could lead to their being dismissed from the Episcopal Church.

One bishop, outgoing Bishop of Western Louisiana, D. Bruce MacPherson has been charged twice.

The Rt. Rev. Dan Martins of Springfield told VOL that he has heard nothing from 815 and only learned about the charges second hand.

California-based canon lawyer Allan S. Haley broke the story. Three bishops, Ed Salmon, former Bishop of South Carolina, and Dean of Nashotah House seminary, Peter Beckwith former Bishop of Springfield and D. Bruce MacPherson, Bishop of Western Louisiana (he retires in July) have all been charged under provisions of Title IV for having endorsed a legal pleading filed in the Quincy lawsuit.

Each bishop received an email from the Rt. Rev. F. Clayton Matthews, in his capacity as the Episcopal Church's intake officer for allegations regarding bishops of the church, stating that charges had been leveled against them.

He wrote, "I am obliged to inform you that a complaint has been received against you for your action in signing affidavits in opposition to a motion for Summary Judgment made by representatives of The Episcopal Diocese of Quincy and The Episcopal Church in the Fall of 2011 to secure the Diocesan financial assets from a breakaway group. In the next few weeks, I will initiate a disciplinary process according to Title IV Canon 6 Sec. 3 & 4 of the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church."

Canon Lawyer Allan S. Haley described the actions as "Stalinist tactics deployed to silence ECUSA Bishops in Court."

Hours later, seven other bishops received notification from Matthews with similar "charges". In a letter to them he wrote, "I am obliged to inform you that a complaint has been received against you for your action in filing of Amicus Curiae Brief in the pending appeal in the Supreme Court of Texas in opposition to The Episcopal Diocese of Texas and The Episcopal Church. In the next few weeks, I will initiate a disciplinary process according to Title IV Canon 6 Sec. 3 & 4 of the Constitution and Canons of the Episcopal Church."

For daring to sign an amicus brief addressed to the Texas Supreme Court in the Fort Worth litigation: The Rt. Rev. Maurice M. Benitez, former Bishop of Texas, The Rt. Rev. John W. Howe, former Bishop of Central Florida, the Rt. Rev. Paul E. Lambert Bishop Suffragan of the Diocese of Dallas, The Rt. Rev. William H. Love, Bishop of Albany, The Rt. Rev. D. Bruce MacPherson Bishop of Western Louisiana (he retires in July - this is his second "misconduct charge), The Rt. Rev. Daniel H. Martins, Bishop of Springfield and The Rt. Rev. James M. Stanton, Bishop of Dallas face charges.

"[This is] one more instance of Johnson's First Law of Episcopal Thermodynamics: 'Every joke you make about the Episcopal Organization eventually comes true,'" writes Haley.

"We know, from postings on the HoB/D list serve, that one of ECUSA's attorneys in the Fort Worth litigation, Kathleen Wells, Esq., who is the chancellor for the faux diocese of Fort Worth has been agitating for a 'litmus test' for all new bishops to determine whether or not they agree with 815's view of ECUSA as a total hierarchy, as it has been proclaiming in all its litigation.

"Needless to say, these 'charges' should never have made it past the Intake Officer, and would not have done so without the implicit approval of the Presiding Bishop herself," noted Haley.

There is apparently no intent in Bishop Matthew's email notifying the bishops that he is dismissing the charges. To the contrary, he states that he will "initiate a disciplinary process according to Title IV Canon 6 Sec. 3 & 4 ...".

"Those Canons spell out the offenses for which clergy may be charged, and would be irrelevant if the charges were being dismissed. Consequently, either Bishop Matthews wanted to dismiss the charges, and the Presiding Bishop objected; or else Bishop Matthews truly believes the charges may constitute an offense under the Church canons, and so he is proceeding with his investigation," added Haley.

"If the Presiding Bishop did approve the bringing of these charges, then she herself should be charged under the provisions of Canon IV.3.1 (c): Sec. 1. A Member of the Clergy shall be subject to proceedings under this Title for: (c) intentionally and maliciously bringing a false accusation . . . in any investigation or proceeding under this Title."

Those who know the history of the Presiding Bishop's disregard for the canons will have no hesitation in answering that question, he concluded.

FOOTNOTE: As VOL hears back from these bishops we will post more.

See Albany Bishop Bill Love's Letter here: http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=16210#.T_CgY7Vtq6M

Bishop John W. Howe wrote to say that he too had not heard anything from Bishop Clay Matthews regarding these charges.

Bishop Lambert wrote to VOL and said, A "Complaint" has indeed been filed! No charges have been forthcoming at this time. That will be determined by a Court of Review which has yet to be impaneled.



'via Blog this'

VirtueOnline - News - Exclusives - The Episcopal Church's Presiding Bishop Spins General Convention

VirtueOnline - News - Exclusives - The Episcopal Church's Presiding Bishop Spins General Convention:


News Analysis

By David W. Virtue
www.virtueonline.org
August 6, 2012

In her wrap up of the Episcopal Church's 77th General Convention in Indianapolis, Katharine Jefferts Schori concluded, "We emerge with abundant hope, better discipline for working together and with partners beyond this Church, for our fundamental reason for being - engagement with God's mission."

If you think acquiescence to her worldview prevailed, you would be exactly correct. She held the largely gelded bishops in the palm of her hand and wielded her authority with all the passive aggression necessary to lead a herd of docked and castrated sheep.

With the passage of provisional rites for same sex marriage, she has sanctified sodomy and sodomized sanctification. That transgendered persons who have had sex change operations can now apply to be clergy and that "gender identity" and its "expression" should not exclude people from "the life of the church at any level" was the final cherry on a two day old ice cream float that had been left in the sun too long.

KJS: "The General Convention offered new and creative responses to the call of the gospel in our day. We saw gracious and pastoral responses to polarizing issues, as well as a new honesty about the need for change."

VOL: No it didn't, it took the Episcopal Church right over the edge of Biblical faith into a no man's land of heresies, ancient and modern. The church's slowly emptying coffers, fleeing dioceses, priests and parishes, and its inability to fund everybody who has their hand out slowly drove the "need for change".

KJS: "General Convention addressed a number of significant issues that will impact the life and witness of this Church for years into the future - and they include many more things beyond what you've heard about in the news. The way we worked together also represented a new reality, working to adapt more creatively to our diverse nature as a Church"

VOL: Starting with Gene Robinson's consecration in 2003 and ending with a Transgendered "woman" priest with a deep voice in the pulpit reciting the Lord's Prayer, the convention will indeed impact the life and witness of the Church for years into the future presuming of course that it has one. Can polyamory be far behind.

KJS: "It is that way of creative engagement that ultimately will be most transformative for The Episcopal Church and the world beyond it. On issue after issue, the resolutions addressed by General Convention emerged in creative responses that considered, but did not end in, the polarized positions expected as we went into Convention. People listened to the movement of the spirit and discerned a way forward that was mutually up building, rather than creating greater divisiveness or win-lose outcomes," she went on to say.

VOL: Movement of the spirit. We are glad to note that spirit was in lower case as we hope she was not referring to the Holy Spirit in which case she would have piled blasphemy on blasphemy. If it was so mutually up building, one has to ask why there was at least some opposition coming from Bishop Bill Love of Albany and Bishop Mark Lawrence of South Carolina who, in the end, walked out with his delegation. There were no win-lose outcomes because the vast majority of orthodox bishops have long since left TEC. The handful that remain must now be asking themselves and their dioceses whether there is any future for them in The Episcopal Church. The pressure will come from the bottom up not the top down. Bishop Lawrence is exploring that option even as we speak.

The hot-button issues of the last decade have not been eternally resolved, but we have as a body found creative and pastoral ways to live with the differences of opinion, rather than resorting to old patterns of conflict, noted Jefferts Schori.

What will be resolved "in eternity" is just how much punishment The Almighty will mete out to people claiming to speak for Him who have clearly violated His written word on how they should behave.

KJS: "There is a certain expansive grace in how these decisions are being made and in the responses to them, a grace that is reminiscent of the Elizabeth settlement. We've said as a Church that there is no bar to the participation of minorities of all sorts, and we are finding pastoral ways to ensure that potential offense at the behavior or position of another is minimized, with the hope that we may grow toward celebrating that diversity as a gift from God. If we are all sinners, then each of us may be wrong about where we stand. Human beings, made from humus, become Christ like when they know humility."

VOL: So humility is the new buzzword for sin. Once upon a time it was "generous orthodoxy", "diversity" and "inclusivity". Now it is "humility" and "expansive grace", just in case we might be wrong. "Expansive" should not be confused with spandex which does tend to limit one. A "minority" once meant someone of color and the church got over that a long time ago. Bear in mind that the Anglican Communion is mostly black, under 30 and situated in the Global South, this might come as a shock to some people.

KJS: "Major issues addressed at General Convention included approval of a trial rite for blessing same-sex unions. It may be used in congregations beginning in Advent, with the approval of the diocesan bishop. Bishops are making varied responses to the rite - a prime example of this emerging reality of local adaptation based on context - something which is profoundly Anglican."

VOL: And Global South archbishops and bishops will choke on their falafel, (sorghum) bread and noodles when they read this. How many more acts of spiritual violence will she permit, allow and ordain that will finalize any hope of communion with the Global South?

Consider the fact that Nigerian Archbishop Nicholas Okoh is coming to Indianapolis this month to inaugurate another Anglican diocese on North American soil should add fuel to the growing ecclesiastical flames. This will undoubtedly tick off Indianapolis TEC bishop The Right Rev. Catherine Maples Waynick who, when I last saw her, was wandering the halls of Indianapolis's Convention Center looking like a character out of Battlestar Galactica descending to terrorize orthodox Episcopalians.

KJS: "The decision to provide a trial rite for same-sex blessings was anticipated by many across the Church - some with fear and trepidation, others with rejoicing, and yet others with frustration that more would not be offered. The decision of General Convention may not have fully satisfied anyone, yet it has provided more space for difference than most expected. The rite must be authorized by a diocesan bishop, which permits bishops who believe it inappropriate to safeguard their own theological position. Some of the responses by bishops with questions about the appropriateness of such rites in their dioceses show creativity and enormous pastoral respect for those who support such blessings. The use of this rite is open to local option, in the same way we often think about private confession: "all may, some should, none must."

VOL: Texas Bishop Andrew Doyle certainly anticipated GenCon's decision and acted preemptively. "None must" will last till the next GenCon when an outraged Barbara Harris clone will demand that Rites be made a "right" and Integrity types like lesbian priest Susan Russell will cry out in anguished tones about a church still thrashing about in the grip of homophobia. The final few orthodox dioceses will suddenly know the game is up.

KJS: "General Convention also produced creative responses to a number of other challenging issues - in particular, peacemaking in Israel-Palestine, the Anglican Covenant, and the call to restructure The Episcopal Church. The resolutions adopted reflect a higher level of investment in the health of diverse opinions and positions in the Church than we have seen for a long time. We can celebrate a bit of 'growing up into the full stature of Christ' and the kind of welcome we claim to exemplify: 'The Episcopal Church welcomes you,' whoever you are and wherever you stand. As a Church, when we're at our best, we earnestly believe that that diversity helps to lead us toward the mind of Christ."

VOL: The Covenant is dead. Jefferts Schori said so herself. Nobody would dare discipline TEC's immorality. Not even Rowan Williams would do that. Furthermore nobody cares what TEC thinks about Israel or Palestine. One doubts Prime Minister Netanyahu wakes up in the morning and screams at his secretary for an update from 815 2nd Ave. NY, NY about their views on Christians in the Gaza Strip. Everyone knows that Muslims would like to exterminate the few remaining Christians in the Holy Land and Israel will turn a blind eye.

KJS: "The call to restructure the Church is a response to growing grassroots awareness that we must change or die. I've heard it put this way, 'It's not a matter of tradition or change - tradition IS change.' We live in an age of rapid change, and if we are going to be faithful to our baptismal work of going into the world and proclaiming the gospel, our methods and support systems also need to change. We need to be more responsive and able to engage opportunities, more nimble."

VOL: INTERPRETATION. We are running out of money. Being nimble means we may have to sell the church's national headquarters to pay the bulk of $15 million to David Booth Beers' legal fees in an obsession to keep on suing for empty churches that will be sold for mosques or hospice care.

KJS: "Nimble is not a word usually associated with Episcopal churches, but the passion and energy at our General Convention was certainly moving in that direction. Nimbleness has something to do with creative risk-taking; it may have a playful character that is also profoundly creative, and it partakes of joy."

VOL: There was no passion or energy except from the pansexualists who wanted to be sure that not a vestige of homophobia should be found anywhere in the halls of convention center. The HOB was about as joyless a place as one could find. I suspect one might find more "joy" in a state of Nevada's houses of ill repute Madame Jefferts Schori's old ecclesiastical hunting ground.

KJS: "We're looking for a 21st century Episcopal Church that can adapt and respond to a myriad of varied local contexts and missional opportunities. We've begun to realize, pretty widely across the Church, that the way we've 'done church' for the last century or more no longer fits many of our contexts. We haven't been terribly effective at evangelism with unchurched populations; we haven't been terribly effective at retaining the children born to Episcopal parents; family structures are changing and our ability to address the needs of those families has not kept pace, whether we're talking about ECWs and women in the workforce, or single-parent families, or special needs children."

VOL: For that you would need to have a clear unalloyed gospel message which TEC doesn't have. There has been NO evangelism of any sort for more than 40 years. The 20/20 program to double the church by er 2020 has been scarpered. Those Episcopal churches that do evangelize, like Falls Church VA (which has 4,000 members), would be deemed to be narrow minded and fundamentalist and not in sync with TEC's new found inclusive agenda, which excludes the gospel of repentance and change.

KJS: "The General Convention decided to address needs for structural change, by looking at the ways in which we live and move and have our being as a Church. A task force will be appointed to listen broadly within the Church and offer a proposal by late 2014."

VOL: Translation: "Structural change" means the church is top heavy with bureaucrats making six figure salaries pushing papers around that no one reads hoping that TEC's political arm can muster enough interest in the halls of power in Washington to make a difference. Never happen. No one cares what a dying denomination like TEC thinks.

KJS: "General Convention asked for a task force to study our theology of marriage. Remarkably, this happened only a few days after the Anglican province of Aotearoa, New Zealand, and Polynesia did the same thing. This may offer some very creative opportunities for study across provincial boundaries in the Anglican Communion."

VOL: Right, and TEC will, as soon as it is feasibly possible, throw out traditional understandings of marriage and sink Western Culture and the faith that upholds it into the dustbin of history. David R. Carlin, Jr., Catholic sociologist and author had it exactly right when he said, "The drive for same sex marriage will overthrow the Christian moral system and overthrow Christianity itself. Therefore, those who are pushing for the institution of same sex marriage are ipso facto pushing for the elimination of the Christian religion."

KJS: "All of this creative work means that we emerge with abundant hope, better discipline for working together and with partners beyond this Church, for our fundamental reason for being - engagement with God's mission. We have moved beyond the entrenched conflict of recent years. I pray that our growing confidence is a sign of new humility, knowing that we are finite creatures who can always be wrong, that we can do God's work only as part of the Body, and that disagreement is a mark of possibility."

VOL: No. The "entrenched conflict" will continue until the last orthodox Episcopalian leaves or is hounded out of TEC; then she can declare victory.

KJS: "God still seems to have a use for this Church, if we can remember our central focus - to love God and our neighbors as ourselves, wherever we go, and wherever we find ourselves. May God bless the journey, and may we learn to travel light."

VOL: This begs the question what "central focus", TEC has none. It is all over the place on faith and morals. Furthermore there is no guarantee that TEC is in fact moving towards the light. It might in fact be heading towards the abyss and darkness. My bet is that it is the latter and the weight and vibrancy of the evangelically driven Global South would seem to support that.

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Possible Da Vinci Painting Found in Scotland | NewsFeed | TIME.com

$150 million.
We have our own collection of art at home.

Possible Da Vinci Painting Found in Scotland | NewsFeed | TIME.com:

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WELS Following the Fundies in Their Undies

Popcorn and soda at the worship service.
Snack munching during the prayers.
Entertainment.
And abuse of members.

rlschultz has left a new comment on your post "List of Hyles Related Clergy Sex Abuse Cases « Blo...":

The WELS always seems to be a day late and a dollar short. This is especially true when it comes to the latest trends. Interestingly enough, the IFB appears to have been a trendsetter in some areas even when the Church Growth Movement was in its prenatal stage. From this article, here are some strange similarities between the IFB and the WELS:

"The people of First Baptist Church were taught that if they didn’t see something it didn’t happen. They were taught that unless an allegation could be confirmed by two or more people (Matthew 18) they were not to believe it."

"In general, the Independent Fundamentalist Baptist (IFB) Church movement abhors scandal and they do everything they can to cover it up. More important than the sin or the victims is the church’s testimony. The church’s testimony must be protected at all costs, even if we ignore a pedophile in our midst."

".....backed into a corner without the option of covering it up or quietly making the “problem” go away. (calling in attorney David Gibbs to “manage” the crisis speaks volumes about depth of the scandal)"

"The bigger the church attendance the more authority you were granted and the more weight your words had."
win them
wet them
work them
waste them
"They know people are “attracted” (the attractional method) to the Church by the pastor, the programs, the building, etc"

***

GJ - I saw doctrinal parallels right away, since JP Meyer called for making a decision for UOJ. The UOJ people are very shallow and have no concept of the Means of Grace.

Fundies often use adult baptism as a type of communion, repeating often for a definite cleansing. Multiple baptisms of adults among the Southern Babtists are a scandal they do not want to address.

The more legalistic the group, the more opaque the cover-ups. Calling in the bigshot lawyer reminded me of Joel Hochmuth getting a top lawyer right away, the facts about his previous crimes being obscured by a cloud of non responses. Who counseled him and his wife? - for example.

It also reminded me of VP Huebner's dad defending the murderer Al Just - people still insisting that good ol' Al was innocent, in spite of his conviction, his marriage to his children's baby-sitter, and her subsequent terrified escape from him.

Or DP Ed Werner, sitting the state prison, arranging for the adoption of illegitimate babies from his congregation. Everyone in his district knew about him for 20 years, but WELS had a cover story right away - another big, fat, lie. Keith Free, now at The Love Shack said about the story, "That is they told me. I hope it's true." No, it was not an arrest because DP Werner slapped two girls for being saucy. It was 20 years of sex abuse in his own congregation.

The CLC  (sic) - more of the same.

LCMS - where to start?

How to become a Church Growth consultant in WELS,
get recommended by WELS for a church,
and work with the Little Sect on the Prairie as a legitimate pastor.
Find the CG/UOJ experts - three hints.

Israeli scholar completes mission to 'fix' Bible - Yahoo! News

Israeli scholar completes mission to 'fix' Bible - Yahoo! News:


RAMAT GAN, Israel (AP) — For the past 30 years, Israeli Judaic scholar Menachem Cohen has been on a mission of biblical proportions: Correcting all known textual errors in Jewish scripture to produce a truly definitive edition of the Old Testament.

His edits, focusing primarily on grammatical blemishes and an intricate set of biblical symbols, mark the first major overhaul of the Hebrew Bible in nearly 500 years.

Poring over thousands of medieval manuscripts, the 84-year-old Cohen identified 1,500 inaccuracies in the Hebrew language texts that have been corrected in his completed 21-volume set. The final chapter is set to be published next year.

The massive project highlights how Judaism venerates each tiny biblical calligraphic notation as a way of ensuring that communities around the world use precisely the same version of the holy book.

According to Jewish law, a Torah scroll is considered void if even a single letter is incorrect or misplaced. Cohen does not call for changes in the writing of the sacred Torah scrolls used in Jewish rites, which would likely set off a firestorm of objection and criticism. Instead, he is aiming for accuracy in versions used for study by the Hebrew-reading masses.

For the people of the book, Cohen said, there was no higher calling.

"The people of Israel took upon themselves, at least in theory, one version of the Bible, down to its last letter," Cohen said, in his office at Bar-Ilan University near Tel Aviv.

The last man to undertake the challenge was Jacob Ben-Hayim, who published the Mikraot Gedolot, or Great Scriptures, in Venice in 1525. His version, which unified the religion's varying texts and commentaries under a single umbrella, has remained the standard for generations, appearing to this day on bookshelves of observant Jews the world over.

Since Ben-Hayim had to rely on inferior manuscripts and commentaries, numerous inaccuracies crept in and were magnified in subsequent editions.

The errors have no bearing on the Bible's stories and alter nothing in its meaning. Instead, for example, in some places the markers used to denote vowels in Hebrew are incorrect; or a letter in a word may be wrong, often the result of a centuries old transcription error. Some of the fixes are in the notations used for cantillation, the text's ritual chants.

Most of the errors Cohen found were in the final two thirds of the Hebrew Bible and not in the sacred Torah scrolls, since they do not include vowel markings or cantillation notations.

Cohen said unity and accuracy were of particular importance to distinguish the sacred Jewish text from that used by those sects that broke away from Judaism, namely Christians and Samaritans.

To achieve his goal, Cohen relied primarily on the Aleppo Codex, the 1,000-year-old parchment text considered to be the most accurate copy of the Bible. For centuries it was guarded in a grotto in the great synagogue of Aleppo, Syria, out of reach of most scholars like Ben-Hayim. In 1947, a Syrian mob burned the synagogue, and the Codex briefly disappeared before most of it was smuggled into Israel a decade later.
Now digitized, the Codex, also known as the Crown, provided Cohen with a template from which to work. But because about a third of the Codex — nearly 200 pages — remains missing, Cohen had to recreate the five books of Moses based on trends he observed in the Codex as well as from other sources, such as the 11th-century Leningrad Codex, considered the second-most authoritative version of the Jewish Bible.

Cohen also included the most comprehensive commentaries available, most notably that of 11th-century Rabbi Shlomo Yitzhaki, known as Rashi.

The result is the completion of Ben-Hayim's work.

"It was amazing to me that for 500 years, people didn't sense the errors," said Cohen, who wears a knitted skullcap and a gray goatee. "They just assumed that everything was fine, but in practice everything was not fine."

He's not the only scholar to devote decades to the task. In 1976, Rabbi Mordechai Breuer published a version of the Torah based mainly on the Aleppo Codex. The Hebrew University Bible Project in Jerusalem has also been working on a scientific edition of the Hebrew Bible, but theirs is directed toward scholars, while Cohen's output is aimed at wider consumption.

Rafael Zer, the project's editorial coordinator, called Cohen's work "quasi-scientific" because it presents a final product and does not provide the reader a way of seeing how it was reached. He credits Cohen for bringing an exact biblical text to the general public but said it "comes at the expense of absolute accuracy and an absolute scientific edition."

With the assistance of his son Shmuel, a computer programmer, Cohen launched a digital version he hopes will become a benchmark of the Israeli education system. He said his ultimate goal was to "correct the past and prepare for the future."

As a former teacher, Cohen said he took particular pride in a sophisticated search engine that allows even novices to explore his work with ease. He called computers a "third revolution" to affect Jewish scripture, following the shift from scrolls to bound books and the advent of the printing press.

"I want the Bible to be user-friendly," said Cohen, a grandfather of eight. "Today, we can create sources of information and searches that allow you to get an answer to everything you are wondering."
____
Follow Aron Heller at http://www.twitter.com/aronhellerap


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Tim Glende's Destructive Ministry in Illinois. Why Does WELS Bow Down To This Numbskull?

This is the original Bethlehem Lutheran Church, WELS, 312 W Elm St Urbana, IL 61801,
which Glende sold to St. Nicholas in 2001.
Locals say the church was debt free.

This is the interior of St. Nicholas,
perhaps named because it was virtually a gift from WELS,
with a choice location on the campus of a major university.

The staff bios at St. Peter in Freedom are intriguing. Everything is a mixture of fact, fiction, and withheld information. For example, Ski is on the staff, but he is not pictured - to preserve the fiction that The CORE is a congregation, not a sheep-stealing evening service, with attendance stalled at the original level.

Three of them went to Michigan Lutheran Seminary, but Phil thinks it was Michigan Lutheran Seminar. No one notices the spelling?

Fact and Fiction
Glende: 1998-2006 - pastor of Star of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Urbana & Savoy, IL.
He is honest about two locations, but there is a lot more to the story.

Bethlehem Lutheran Church, WELS, 312 W. Elm Street, Urbana, was a large congregation on the campus of the University of Illinois. The spacious building was paid for.

Glende received a call to the congregation in 1998.

The Eastern Orthodox bought the property in 2001. A priest on the staff confirmed that they bought their property from WELS and immediately began using it. The Eastern Orthodox have two churches and a student center on the sprawling campus, a total of three properties. They are not a large denomination but they clearly want to serve the student population.

Glende sold the church, which was paid for, and also changed the name from Bethlehem Lutheran Church to Star of Bethlehem [Lutheran omitted].

Glende learned this hatred of the name Lutheran at St. Paul not-WELS in German Village (Columbus, Ohio), where he grew up. That was another smoke-and-mirrors congregation.

Star of Bethlehem got rid of their choice location so they could rent something until the dream cathedral was built. Nothing worked out and a plain jane was built on the end of a corn field, outside of town. They exchanged a great building in a perfect location for a lesser building in a horrible location, with a pile of debt added.

Glende left to be the assistant at Freedom, Wisconsin, where the senior pastor was chairman of Church and Change. C and C is now in stealth mode, but still runs the Wisconsin Sect.

This twice-failed bar in downtown Appleton,
near a real WELS congregation,
was bought with a grant from WELS,
to be remodeled with a loan from WELS.

Your offering dollars turned this...

into this.

Meanwhile, the story of St. Nicholas is just the opposite:

Going into the former WELS church building.

---

by Fr. James Ellison

St. Nicholas Church in Urbana, Illinois began in 1995 with the chrismation of two families who wanted to be Orthodox Christians, share the faith with others, worship in English, and not have to uproot their families to do it. We began meeting in a living room with priests visiting us, initially for catechism and later for Sunday evening liturgies. We moved first to a rented chapel on the University of Illinois campus, and three years later to our present location, a remodeled existing church building.

An astute observer of church growth once noted that planting a church is a lot like life as a pioneer in the American West. First the explorers come, the individuals who are venturing out into areas where no one has been before. Then the pioneers who move into unsettled territory and have to establish the initial structures that support those who will hopefully follow. And then the settlers come, the ones who turn a wide place in the road into a place to live and work for generations to come. Our experience was not unlike this. Two families who wanted to be Orthodox because they believed it to be the fullness of the faith but really didn’t know what they were getting into came first. Then a few others joined them who could see the outline of liturgical life because of the priests that traveled through and who could tolerate the conditions of inconsistent pastoral care, no choir music, no one to teach church school, or bake the bread except them. They did the work of setting up and tearing down while we met in temporary space. They dealt with dance music blaring in the next room while we sat in the dark, hoping the secular party would end, so we could start the Paschal Nocturnes. And now those who are more like settlers, with the gift of a place to meet, teach, and worship are being added to our number. There are those who are drawn by the ancient worship and centuries-old doctrine, who are working to establish a more complete witness to the kingdom of God. There are those who come from traditionally Orthodox lands, yet because of conditions there have had little opportunity to know why they believe and worship the way they do. God-willing these will become our teachers and singers and servants as God entrusts with even more good work which He has prepared for us.

St. Nicholas these days is made up of a real mixture of people. We have a hard working core of committed local people from a variety of backgrounds, both Orthodox and former Protestant and Roman Catholic. We have a wider circle of regular members who are learning to devote their lives to the Orthodox faith and life of our community. And we have a yet wider circle of Orthodox people to which we minister who for a variety of reasons, time, distance, or lack of zeal, we see irregularly. We have had people from across the world regularly worshipping with us: people from Azerbaijan, Albania, Australia, Bulgaria, Bosnia, Canada, China, and Congo, Cyprus, Egypt, England, Estonia, Ethiopia, Georgia, Greece, Guatemala, Indonesia, India, Eritrea, Korea, Lebanon, Japan, Palestine, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, Syria, and Ukraine. In addition we have an active contingent of undergrad and graduate students from the local University. Indeed, one of the most fruitful areas of ministry for us is our ministry to students, faculty, and staff. The upside of this is the new people we meet every fall and many wonderful relationships we have built over the years, and the downside is seeing some folks move away from us every spring, hopefully stronger in their faith as a result of their time with us. One of the ministries our parish chooses to offer is a coffee hour that almost always turns out to be lunch. This allows the students to stay around after church and build relationships with the rest of the parish.

One highlight each year is our opportunity to host a history of worship class from a nearby Evangelical seminary. We welcome them during Orthros, feed them lunch after the dismissal of the liturgy and then afterwards return to the nave of the church for Q & A that usually extends until late in the afternoon.

Another highlight of this past year: in 2008, for the first time in our history, our pastor was able to leave full time secular employment and spend more than 60% of his work week serving us. Part of the resources for this have come from those the parish has sent away to live and serve elsewhere after their time at the University. Thus, as we were able to supply their need, so now they in turn help with ours.

Since our beginning, we have attempted to send a tithe to the Archdiocese and give away another 10% of our parish income to missionary and benevolent needs outside our parish. Our experience is that in some mystery of God’s grace, perhaps through the prayers of our patron St. Nicholas, it always gets multiplied. In 2008, we were able to send a mission team to the orphanage in Guatemala, help out with the Archdiocese Food for Hungry People, and extend some financial support and time to some local and extra local needs. We helped a homeless woman and her children get into their own house and fill it with furniture, linens, and kitchen supplies; we sent hundreds of pounds of clothing to a monastery in Russia for distribution to the poor; we hosted a garage sale to raise money for the Hogar Raphael Ayau Orphanage in Guatemala and introduce people we would not meet otherwise to our church. In all, over $20,000 in benevolent and missionary aid left our parish, but the real benefit is the fruit this bore in the life of our community. We are growing slowly and steadily as it says of the child Christ, “in favor with God and man.” Thanks be to God who does all things well. Please pray for us that we might find the way to repentance and greater joy in the coming years.

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Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel has left a new comment on your post "Tim Glende's Destructive Ministry in Illinois. Why...":

Ichabod -

I trust that you consulted with Lutheran synodical officials before you published this article. Did you obtain 150% clearance? And, if so, did you receive "factual information," - [aka - the official synodical story] ?

***

GJ - They are free to send any and all corrections.

---

From the priest serving at the former Bethlehem Lutheran Church, now Eastern Orthodox. (I told him that Lutherans were called Western Orthodox at Notre Dame.)

There have been many Lutherans who have become Orthodox in recent years, eschewing the doctrinal and liturgical drift going on in their various groups. Most entering the Byzantine Rite though a few have began Western Rite Missions. 

I had never heard Lutherans called "Western Orthodox" I suppose a Roman Catholic who doesn't know history or theology, who considers Orthodoxy schismatic, rather than themselves could see it that way. 

I know Prof Jaroslav Pelikan referred to his own journey into the Orthodox Church from his Lutheran formation as not a conversion but a return. A peeling away of layers of additions and acretions that had obscured what he always believed. I had the occasion to become acquainted first when he visited this community while his daughter was on the faculty here and later when 2 of my daughters were attending SVS where he and his wife often attended chapel.

We used to see Pelikan each Sunday at church,  which was near Yale Divinity.
Lutherans should consider the fact that Pelikan, the editor of Luther's Works,
joined Eastern Orthodoxy.

---

The neighbors watched Star of Bethlehem being built.

bruce-church (http://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Tim Glende's Destructive Ministry in Illinois. Why...":

The WELS would have been much better off if Glende had semi-poped rather than he and the WELS Parish Services selling its best property in Urbana Illinois to the Orthodox and then placing their pulpit in a cornfield in Savoy. What a great use of church extension funds, and probably Builders for Christ!

One wonders how many other churches have given up their adequate facilities and taken on debt to move into corn fields on the edge of town.

What's really ironic is by the time Savoy envelopes the new WELS church with housing developments decades from now (if ever), there will be another Glende in the future arguing that their facilities are old and they have to build new on the edge of town in a corn field to stay "vital."

It's a never-ending process, I gather, that mirrors C.S. Lewis's description of unbelievers in this life. Cities kept on growing suburbs, Lewis wrote, and became larger and larger because unbelievers can't stand to be by each other. The WELS then is doing some hard-case evangelism (and thus will remain a tiny sect) because they are principally going after people who can't stand to be around other people out in the burbs. Conversely, in world missions they go to the cities! What gives?!

***

GJ - It's worse than that, sports fans. The congregation went from a large, paid-for building to rental space. As everyone knows, it takes time to buy a lot and build a new unit. Glende imposed that on the congregation so he could get what he wanted. Once the new unit was building, loaded with debt, but planning a coffee bar for final version, Glende split for a church with a paid-for building: St. Peter in Freedom.

Win Arn says, "We must win the winnable
while they are winnable,"
so avoid those pointy-headed intellektuals who ask questions about UOJ...
or where all the money went.

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solafide (http://solafide.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Tim Glende's Destructive Ministry in Illinois. Why...":

The sad part is that one man with a silver tongue and the unconditional backing of the synod can destroy a congregation.

Bethlehem/Star of Bethlehem had prime property next door to one of the largest Big 10 schools, in the second largest metro area in the state (if you count the suburbs as part of the Chicago metro area).

I guess they should've just bought a bar a few blocks away instead... probably would have saved them a lot of time, money, and heartache.

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Pastor emeritus Nathan Bickel has left a new comment on your post "Tim Glende's Destructive Ministry in Illinois. Why...":

bruce - church:

You mention in your comment about WELS "Parish Services." That sounds to me like part and parcel of WELS bureacracy. That reminds me of a converstation I had with a fellow WELS member highly dedicated to WELS. He is under the impression that individual WELS congregations are autonomous. I did not say anything at that point in our conversation, as I did not care (at the moment) to challenge his mistaken cemented understanding.

Now, granted, I don't keep up with the latest WELS bureacratic programs and endeavors; but, I am already convinced that the small synod, called WELS, can be likened in some [negative] aspects to our US federal government. If a local congregation would like to loosen its dependency upon the synod by growing out of that dependency over a 5 year period, I would not be surprised that the synod would buck that "autonomous" resolve at every turn.

Nathan M. Bickel

www.thechristianmessage.org

www.moralmatters.org

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GJ - The administrators get the top salaries, so Wayne Mueller got a raise when he was forced from the seminary faculty and given a newly created position as Administrator of Perish Services. Then Wayne got $200,000 for being First VP. That was his reward for the constant promotion of Church Growth. Gerlach and Mueller were both pushed off the Mequon faculty, for false doctrine, but they still had stellar careers for promoting Church Growth.

In true GA style, Mueller denied any CG in WELS, but said it was confessional if it was there.

Wayne's lie prompted me to add Church Growth to the legendary Megatron database of quotations. Now I would need a server farm to store all the CG quotes from WELS sources alone - not to mention LCMS, WELS, and the CLC (sic).

Adam Mueller, son of Wayne, was big at the late, great Church and Church websty. Like daddy, he is big on UOJ and Church Growth.

By the way, Wayne Mueller was pure Stephan Huber at the WELS youth conference in Columbus. He was mission work was easy, because "All you need to do is walk up to someone and say - Your sins are already forgiven."

Bruce Becker was next at Perish Services, if I have the hierarchy right. Becker gave Paul Calvin Kelm a job. When his own job was in danger, Mark Jeske gave him a job. The last I saw, WLC was offering Becker a job. WLC gave Kelm as job as World's Oldest College Chaplain, then upgraded Kelm to Leadership.

All these things happened under the watchful eye of Mark Schroeder, who is only quick to discipline those who dare to post on Ichabod.

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bruce-church (http://bruce-church.myopenid.com/) has left a new comment on your post "Tim Glende's Destructive Ministry in Illinois. Why...":

Rev Bickel Emeritus,

I do know that if a congregation is getting too independent, that the next list of pastors they get to fill a vacancy will be only solid synod men, e.g., men whose families have been in the WELS several generations, and men who are solid UOJers, the signature doctrine of the WELS even more than in the LCMS.

I think that the synodocrats and their henchmen pastors use debt to tie the church back to the synod. The money comes either the church extension fund, or Thrivent. Parish services gets involved if the congregation is a mission. Thrivent loans money for building expansion, btw, though that's not well known.

The "synod man" (a la "company man") pastors will then push for building projects even while they don't do evangelism that would enable the congregation to pay off the loan. They'll say the parsonage needs to be expanded, or that the church basement isn't good enough, and a ground level fellowship hall would be better.

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GJ - But this is a closed circle too. The people who raise the pledges are Church and Change pick-pockets. They are LCMS/WELS guys who get referrals from Church and Change to get pledges for the ridiculous capital campaigns that will fix their congregations. These ideas, stoked by Church and Change, require big debts and big pledges, so the Changers charge big fees to fan the flames.

Holy Mother WELS and Thrivent tie the congregation down with advice, and loans, and endless gratitude. The congregation is a built-in marketing unit for Thrivent. On and on it goes.

Dennis Miller on President Obama