Hi Greg,
Thanks with sadness for the posts you've had up this week. The Brent Biesterfeld and Anthony Natalie information confirmed me in my decision to leave WELS recently. This passage summed up the difficulties people with conscience must have with the WELS concisely:
"if the WELS officials were honest and put church worker arrests into FIC, church workers would be warned that the cover-ups are ending. Are the WELS officials any different from the Roman Catholic officials who simply moved offending priests into new positions? The only difference I see is that the Lutherans are married and have even less of an excuse to assault minors and married women. If someone takes advantage of a married woman while "counseling" her--in his office at church, or in her home alone--he should be canned, caned, and committed to prison, not elevated to synodical office. "
After a few months away from several years in WELS, one statement by my former pastor continues to come back to me as a mark of the group. In the midst of what I thought to be an honest discussion between the two of us, I asked, "You mentioned that many people have left this congregation. Certainly you must have wondered why. Have you ever tried to contact them later and discuss their reasons?"
"I know exactly why every one of them left," he answered. I was momentarily dumbfounded at his utter conviction. The tone and manner of his answer allowed for not a sliver of doubt.
"What was the reason?"
"Sin. They were all in sin."
Your new byline is fabulous: "Ichabod explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, with an emphasis on UOJ, Church Growth, and Emergent Church heresies. The antidote to these poisons is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the mainline denominations."
Also appreciated your human look at your experience at Walmart. God be with you.
Thanks with sadness for the posts you've had up this week. The Brent Biesterfeld and Anthony Natalie information confirmed me in my decision to leave WELS recently. This passage summed up the difficulties people with conscience must have with the WELS concisely:
"if the WELS officials were honest and put church worker arrests into FIC, church workers would be warned that the cover-ups are ending. Are the WELS officials any different from the Roman Catholic officials who simply moved offending priests into new positions? The only difference I see is that the Lutherans are married and have even less of an excuse to assault minors and married women. If someone takes advantage of a married woman while "counseling" her--in his office at church, or in her home alone--he should be canned, caned, and committed to prison, not elevated to synodical office. "
After a few months away from several years in WELS, one statement by my former pastor continues to come back to me as a mark of the group. In the midst of what I thought to be an honest discussion between the two of us, I asked, "You mentioned that many people have left this congregation. Certainly you must have wondered why. Have you ever tried to contact them later and discuss their reasons?"
"I know exactly why every one of them left," he answered. I was momentarily dumbfounded at his utter conviction. The tone and manner of his answer allowed for not a sliver of doubt.
"What was the reason?"
"Sin. They were all in sin."
Your new byline is fabulous: "Ichabod explores the Age of Apostasy, predicted in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, with an emphasis on UOJ, Church Growth, and Emergent Church heresies. The antidote to these poisons is trusting the efficacious Word in the Means of Grace. John 16:8. Most readers are WELS, LCMS, ELS, or ELCA. This blog also covers the Roman Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodoxy, and the mainline denominations."
Also appreciated your human look at your experience at Walmart. God be with you.
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GJ - Thank you, Anonymous Reader. When there are 11,000 reads total in two days, I feel certain someone is reading the blog. My only hope is that they stay for the Biblical, Lutheran doctrine material.
