Typical WELS Response to the Bitter Medicine of the Truth

As I wrote before, WELS forced Otten to grovel because of my review of Volume I of The Rite of Sodomy. I simply pointed out that the criticisms of the  Roman Catholic Church (homosexual abuse, child abuse, cover-ups) could easily be applied to WELS, Missouri, and the Little Sect on the Prairie (ELS).

Little did I know. I often feel like I just got off the bus from Our Lady of Obligation Convent School. No matter what I say about the Olde Synodical Conference, it is far worse - grisly, bad, disgusting, gross, and degenerate.

For example, after Otten fell over dead for WELS, the FBI raided the WELS headquarters and found Joel Hochmuth's homosexual child porn files at his desk. They also confiscated WELS computers there. Did you wonder why? According to my police detective friend, Hochmuth ratted out his file swapping friends in return for a plea bargain - a much lesser charge. He got an extremely light sentence (with work release) and went to town violating the agreement. He returned to government housing and his long-suffering wife divorced him.

She caught him before, and he received counseling, but "nobody knew," said Mark Schroeder.

Front page of Christian News with an apology to me? Not at all. Instead, the story was buried.

Later, WELS students reported various accounts of homosexual assaults by future WELS pastors -- routine -- part of the good ol' boy network. Anyone who objected was "gay," according to the criminals.

Several other WELS child porn pastors have been revealed since that time. One was still on the official pastoral roll. He was not removed until the blog reported it.



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https://www.facebook.com/groups/1649010391990081/

• Austin Becker Seriously? Someone told her to shut up because she was 'harming the Synod'? When did an artificially created expression of the visible church become more important than the souls of the *invisible* church? When did the warm and fuzzy feelings of a man who violated his DIVINE MISSION to tend souls become more important than the souls he betrayed? I've seen BS like this happen before. But I thought it was because the church it happened at was in the fringes, relatively isolated from WELSdom, and I had thought it was an isolated incident. This gets my blood boiling... 

  1 hr · Like · 1
• Sherrie Rardin I agree that this should not happen and is not right. BUT, right now, I am seriously worried for this young woman. If someone personally knows her, PLEASE reach out to her immediately. The language in that blog is a pure cry for help. At best she is seriously depressed (and who would not be?); at worst, I shudder to think of where she could end up. PLEASE if someone knows her, do not wait.

  1 hr · Like · 6
• Bryan Spiff Grefsheim This poor soul is seriously wounded and we all need to storm Heaven in prayer on her behalf right now.

  1 hr · Like · 9
• Sherrie Rardin I believe we should also begin praying for the WELS leadership in heartfelt earnest right now too.

  1 hr · Like · 8
• Phyllis Jedele Risdon "Will be the death of me"????? I hope someone knows this blogger and will be with her asap! Those words are NOT something we want to hear from someone who has gone through that kind of abuse and sounds desperate!! She needs help...and NOT because she did anything wrong, but because she has been harmed!

  1 hr · Like · 6
• Bryan Spiff Grefsheim I would like to hear from any pastors in this forum on this. Have you been harmed? You see the agony and misplaced guilt this sister is burdened with. Do you agree with our synod leaders pressuring her and apparently guilting her into shutting up? Have you men been in contact with synod? Do you know if they are caring for this soul as much s they are trying to quash this? Do you think this is right? I surely must be missing something here and I'd like blanks filled i is at all possible. While I have 0 respect for a pastor who would drag people before the courts, I do respect our synod leaders and hope and pray that they are doing more than just turning a blind eye to these two "pastors" and sweeping the scraps of what they left behind under the rug.

  1 hr · Like · 5
• Sherrie Rardin Phyllis, what concerns me, as the wife of a man who lives with chronic major depressive disorder is a lot more than that one sentence. While it is indeed troubling, there are many statements in her last blog post that cause concern. I also know first-hand how depressives sometimes hear what is said to them. I am NOT saying she is lying or misconstruing info but that there is a lot going on here and we can't know it all. Nor are most of us trained to deal with something of this magnitude (and apparently neither are those in leadership positions right now) but we may be the closest thing she has right now to some help. And, even if she has not been diagnosed with depression, I fail to see how anyone who has gone through what she has could possibly come out with anything less than situational depression. Bottom line, someone please get in touch with her. I am more than willing to listen and I can promise my pastor won't tell her to shut up or go away.

  57 mins · Like · 4
• Bryan Spiff Grefsheim I don't think that any of her words should be taken at less than face value right now. If there are inaccuracies that come out down the road, fine. I hope someone contacts this family and offers some sort of help.

  53 mins · Like · 5
• Jason Sturgill I tried very hard to counsel her. I corresponded with her from 8/6 to 9/13. She trusts very little. She blames God for her situation and is held captive by thoughts of Satan. She is a very troubled person and needs our continuous thoughts and prayers. She will not pray and will not open a bible. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will grant her the ability to do so very soon, as healing and peace reside there. I have pleaded with her to revisit God's word, but she is so hurt by these events that she doesn't believe that she can. There is hope for her, but she will not allow it to grab hold just yet. She is actively resisting the Holy Spirit. Indeed, pray for her. Lillian, if you are seeing this, my door is always open. Please don't give up. We all love you and care for your well-being. You have great value. Jesus demonstrated this when he gave up his last breath on the cross.

  16 mins · Edited · Like · 3
• Duane Vance Thank you for your work, Jason.

  42 mins · Like · 1
• Jason Sturgill Duane, please don't thank me. I have nearly wept over her situation and my weak use of God's word. I have never met her, but I care for her deeply as a sister in Christ. She needs to hear the truth of God's saving power.

  33 mins · Like · 1
• Bryan Spiff Grefsheim We do our best and leave the results to God. I pray that one day she thanks you too.

  30 mins · Like · 1
• Steve Spencer OK, from a WELS Pastor, me (although there are those who would question this) - Has "Lillian" hurt the organization? Sure. Is this "extremely sinful?" Of course not. One cannot sin against an inanimate object! That's just plain nuts! Now, are there WELS Pastors, Teachers, and laypeople offended by what she has written? No doubt about it. Are some leaders stung and hurt by her comments? I'm sure. However, it should be remembered that if the pastor in her case had admitted his own sins, resigned, the reason clearly stated to his peers and congregation, and then he received counseling and re-training for another career - in other words, what SHOULD have happened - Lillian would not have needed to write what she did. "Jane" either, for that matter. So, where does the fault lay? Certainly not with her, or them, but with the pastors involved and their superiors. Now those or other leaders are crying foul. Methinks the fellows doth protest too much! As for her stopping the blog, I don't understand this at all. Why should she? What power do any WELS leaders have over her? Have they threatened to take her to court? As I understand it she doesn't even go to any church anymore. Why should she be intimidated by anyone in WELS? I don't get it. At the same time, I can understand not wanting to get any more emails, phone calls or whatever from people telling her to shut up. Been there, has such done me more times than I can count. Goodbye, Lillian, and God bless you. Sadly, you will be replaced, I'm sure, before the new year comes. So it goes.

  23 mins · Unlike · 7
• Duane Vance Jason, as a fellow called worker, I attempt to share your humility (of course I am assuming you are in the called ministry. Even if you are not, then as a fellow Christian I still appreciate your efforts). I understand how hard this must be for her and for those who are in contact with her. I want to encourage you as a brother in Christ.

  21 mins · Like · 1
• Jason Sturgill I am an elder, but have no formal training. I appreciate your words, but I was never seeking applause. I really do appreciate what you said but this has effected me too.