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| The Lutheran leaders are not apt to teach - they will celebrate the 500th anniversary of the Reformation by emphasizing Justification Without Faith. |
The original idea of the synod was to gather the clergy together for doctrinal discussions, an ongoing clarification that involves studies and debates. This practice can be traced to the Jerusalem Council in the Apostolic Era.
What are the synods today? They are business enterprises that fail at every level except one - feathering the nests of the leadership. The leaders make sure they are paid extraordinary salaries with benefits the parish pastors never dream about, unless they have scarlet fever.
The top two salaries employees at Concordia Publishing House make almost $600,000 a year together, including benefits - as of 2012, IRS 990. Next is Paul McCain with a total of $190,000. Four more make more than $100,000 and another $20,000 or so in benefits. All that cash is overhead and paid by the unfortunates who buy CPH books.
ELCA is a good example of the bad, and the other synods following the same pattern. Organized in 1987, the ELCA leaders set an agenda in motion that was bound to end in the 2009 resolution, which reduced ELCA by about 25%, crippling all synodical functions. The next step is their female presiding bishop and two female seminary presidents so far. WELS cannot wait to ordain women, but will toy with women celebrating Holy Communion, women teaching men, and women usurping authority from men.
Remember SP Mark Schroeder and boy-porn expert Joel Hochmuth writing a joint letter against ELCA's stance? I saved a copy in case it might be erased from history.
As I pointed out in the LCA, Michigan Synod, "The organization is designed and funded to self-destruct." One startled pastor asked the bishop's assistant if this could possibly be true. He nodded his head and said, "Yes it is true."
From the withering, dying ELCA to the tiny twitching corpse of the CLC (sic), all the sects are passionately committed to Universalism, all in the name of grace, but without the Means of Grace.
ELCA is more fond on the Roman side of ecumenism, but the others like to pal around with the Babtists, who are fading more slowly than the Lutherans.
The unifying factor, among the Babtists and "conservative" Lutherans is Fuller Seminary, the business or entertainment model of the church - one not mentioned in Protestantism until lately. The Church of Rome has always put on a good show, which may be why the ELCA cast covetous eyes at Rome and join when the coast is clear.
Therefore, failing Lutheran sects are aping the best looking horse at the glue factory. The Fuller heroes, Robert Schuller and David Cho, have earned their reward already. Schuller was ousted from the leadership of his Hour of Power and Cho was found guilty of embezzling massive amounts of money. Needless to say, Schuller's family did just what the Lutherans leaders have mastered - they paid themselves enormous salaries and bled the congregation dry. The Crystal Cathedral is now consecrated to Rome.
The Fuller Church Death Model
LCMS-WELS-ELS leaders denied studying at Fuller Seminary and plagiarizing Church Growth, but their materials proved that was exactly what they were doing. Various leaks from the false teachers (Valleskey, Werning, Olson, Huebner, Hunter) showed they studied at Fuller and loved, loved, loved it.
Anyone in WELS, ELS, or Missouri who studies at Fuller is rewarded and promoted. Anyone who criticized Church Growth was punished and eventually hated out, often defenestrated with malice and great enthusiasm. This horrid combination of pop psychology, worn out business cliches, and rock music for balding Boomers has marched through all the "conservative" groups without any honest reckoning.
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| Remember - it is not rape if you give permission first. WELS was warned in advance and reminded 15 years later. |
Certain leaders have frowned when talking about Fullerism, but they go along with the Fuller agenda and curse anyone who opposes that agenda.
Jon Buchholz and Jay Webber are no different from the other clowns, in supporting horrid pastors like Jeff Gunn and Floyd Stolzenburg while pulling the rug out from under faithful pastors. Neither one of them knows Lutheran doctrine, not even the Small Catechism.
The process of making everyone conform to the current agenda is always going to dumb down the sects. Plenty of intelligent and faithful leaders are available, but the ticket demands conformity, stolid stupidity and obsequious behavior. Jay Webber makes fun of the ELS leaders until he gets within 100 miles of Mankato, which may be reason enough to make him a seminary professor. That would keep Jay in a permanent posture of bowing and scraping.
The synods do not have the membership on their side, and many of the clergy are going along sullenly, without much choice. ELCA will force far more upon its members, in the name of being a witness to diversity - selective diversity.
WELS forces its agenda the same way, totally clueless about the alienation of the members and pastors.
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| A few of the hooligans have changed, but the agenda moves forward. Watch the Wisconsin Sect follow the ELS into oblivion. |