Ministry - is it you?

From a Convention paper on the different forms? of ministry:

http://www.welsne.org/index.php?section=42

WELS blogs

Another addition -
http://www.welsincrisis.blogspot.com/

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Some have been concerned that I only offer one side of the confessional perspective. So I would like to invite those that have taken issue with me to please share the address of their blog. I will post your site so readers can see your perspective.

Also, here is a list of current WELS blogs I have found on the net (in no particular order):

http://shepherdstudy.wordpress.com/

http://lsiblog.blogspot.com/

http://angrylutherans.blogspot.com/

http://honoringtheministry.blogspot.com/

http://pastorrickjohnson.blogspot.com/

http://www.theruddats.com/

http://www.hislifefor.us/welsbrazil/

http://faithfullyfit.wordpress.com/

http://www.growingingracedaily.com/

http://randomintolerance.blogspot.com/

http://preachteachconfess.blogspot.com/

http://wels.net/wpmu/

http://welssermon.blogspot.com/

http://charis-eirene.blogspot.com/

http://theshepherdsvoice.blogspot.com/

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Please drop a note with your blog site address.

Year of Jubilee

a question from a reader:

-----------I am curious said...

This comment does not belong in this thread, but has anyone heard anything about the "Year of Jubilee" the WELS is planning for this summer?

Someone said this has something to do with paying off the millions of dollars that was double spent a few years ago?

What's up with that?

June 7, 2008 9:06 AM

In Fellowship with the WELS

A poster noted in a comment that Crosswalk of Phoenix will be officially voted into fellowship with the WELS at next week's AZ/CA convention.

• This "independent" congregation is currently served by a "WELS" pastor.

Who will take the district presidency of this district?

Let's take a look at who is in line next for full WELS fellowship...

http://www.churchfromscratch.net/links.htm

www.marshillchurch.org

www.xenos.org

http://www.crossroadschicago.org/index.html

Holding DPs accountable ? -- plus BW moves past 100 posts

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Anonymous said...

I actually think that this points to a larger issue of DPs not having any accountability.

I don't know anything about the DPs being mentioned and I really don't care to.

I do believe though that if we addressed the lack of accountability for the DPs--a lot of what is upsetting some people will be handled.

Everyone needs oversight no matter how high up they are in a denomination as we are all sinful human beings.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Oh by the way, since this blog began after last year's convention we have passed the 100 post mark.

WELS worship

I thought I would bring up a discussion and the comments from a post below:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The most recent WELS contemporary worship service I attended was more like an ole fashion Methodist revival than a confessional Lutheran church service. So that is what I mean by reigning in the liberal Methodist practices happening in the WELS. So I will flesh this out. First of all, this church doesn't have Lutheran in its name. The Sunday service began with a greeting by the robeless and tieless reverend who isn't addressed as pastor at all. Then he asked us to turn and greet our neighbor. Than the praise band leader took over and led the audience in a few pop songs. The first one being "Here I am to worship" and another couple of diddies about our great God (I think the melody was taken from a U2 song). The reverend than lead a Bible study type sermon that lasted about 30 minutes. The offering happened next, followed by some prayers. A contemporary version of Amazing grace was sung next. Then the blessing (hurray). One more pop song and the Methodist revival was done. I kid you not. Oh yea, there of course was a powerpoint with the lyrics and a small little kiddie church going on across the hallway since the kiddos can't read or see the powerpoint cause of the swaying adults (I kid you not). I thought the mrs in front of me was doing the electric slide. The service was held on a Sunday during the lenten season. But this church doesn't hold Wednesday evening lenten services (ie Methodist?).
John
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thanks for fleshing things out. Let's just take one example of "Methodist" practice at a time. I believe that will better facilitate fruitful discussion.

"First of all, this church doesn't have Lutheran in its name."

Although the church I attend does have Lutheran in its name, is that really needed? Just because someone has "Lutheran" in his name doesn't mean that conveys "we are biblical and sacramental" to the car load driving past the sign. It may even convey the opposite if they have had any experience with an ELCA church. In a decidedly anti-denominational culture that is also biblically ignorant, I'm not thinking the church sign is doing too much good for anybody. WELS members will find your church from the net, yellow pages, or their old pastor's recommendation.

Seems to me it would be better to get them in the church so you can have them focus on what makes us Lutherans, the Means, not a sign out front. Am I to understand the church sign is a litmus test for your version of confessional Lutheranism? Personally I would opt for gaining an audience than broadcasting a label that most don't have a clue about.

Just shout'in
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


John described the service, not just the sign. Could you respond to that also?

How about circus clowns and elephants to "gain an audience"?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I will be happy to address elements and formats of the service but one concern at a time. What about the name "Lutheran" on the sign - a must to be considered confessional and biblical? I'm waiting for a reply on this topic before I move to the next.

Just shout'in

May 28, 2008 4:03 PM

District conventions next week

http://together.wels.net/2008/6/2/district-conventions-next-week

The district conventions are set to be held next week.

"Aside from local elections, all districts will hear a preliminary report of the Ad Hoc Commission, which was established by the 2007 synod convention to analyze the synod's problems and potential and to recommend how to improve its ministry. District presidents will also be launching the Year of Jubilee, a special offering authorized by the 2007 synod convention to address the synod's capital debt of $22.4 million."


Both the Minnesota district and the Arizona California districts will be electing new presidents.

AZ/CA district


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It's interesting to note that after driving out an unprecedented number of pastors from his district Janke decided not to flee the carnage and will remain on the left coast. It will also be interesting to see if the cutting edge pastors (C&C) are elected to take over these prominent positions in synod.

Biblical gender distinctives

Once again the issue involving the role of men and women in church and society is coming to the surface in synod circles.

Here is a recent question: http://www.wels.net/Q&A

"I am more than willing to grant that it is not wrong for a woman to read a lesson either from behind the lectern or from the pew. Yet in the midst of a society working hard to erase biblical gender distinctives, I'm still not convinced this is the wisest practice in our regular public worship."

It seems that the answerman is willing to move on the role of women in the church yet no movement is made for the role of women in society.?

As we approach a national election the next question that will be asked is that does a woman need to follow the male-headship role in society.

The WELS asserts that men must be leaders and women subordinate to them in all areas of life. A recent comment addressed this very issue...

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear Anonymous,

I just breezed through the statements and these two at the end jumped out at me.

"We reject the opinion that male headship and female submission apply only to marriage or only to marriage and the church (1 Co 11:3; 1 Ti 2:12).

We reject the opinion that every woman is always subject to every man. Other scriptural role relationship principles and the injunction, “We must obey God rather than men” (Ac 5:29), also govern our actions."

The first one and the ones that follow it all make it very clear that this headship and submission "principle" applies everywhere not just in a marriage or church. The second one above qualifies the first one by saying sometimes the principle doesn't apply, such as when, I assume, a man would command a woman to sin, then, of course, she is not subject to him.

But what these are saying though is that every woman is indeed subject to every man (with that exception). So no woman can ever be in a headship position over a man which includes as I see above voting.

So a WELS synod woman can never be in authority over a man?! Wow! And if a woman is, she is sinning. Since this principle applies in the world WELS synod women don't vote in national, state or local elections? They aren't mangers, leaders, teachers or can hold a higher rank than a man in the military? Wow. Is it your experience in the WELS synod that woman do not take positions of authority over men at work and that they don't vote? Sorry, but that seems kind of cultish to me.

Curious in Vegas

The Confessional integrity of the WELS

Some of us in the ELS are concerned about the confessional integrity of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. I believe that this will be discussed in the upcoming ELS convention. At least, I hope that it is.

Norman Teigen
ELS layman

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


I accept the challenge. I will go to Mankato and ask for the floor and raise the question myself.

Norman Teigen
ELS layman

A Confessional Lutheran Church body .?

A confessional church body retains the Gospel of Christ as the central and most important doctrine of the Bible. This is the doctrine we live and practice and study (not the doctrine and methods of Rick Warren).

Our Christ-centered doctrine is built on the articles of faith (baptism, the Lord’s supper, and justification). This is what makes a Confessional synod. Luther compares this "confessional" doctrine to a golden ring that must never be broken. We are Confessional than when we are faithful to the Gospel and sacraments not to a workshop titled "10 steps to an effective and growing church." It is the old adage that I tell my kids if your friends are smoking cigarettes you are just as guilty even if you’re just sniffing around (guilt by association). Confessional pastors don't hangout out at the latest church growth seminar soaking in the newest fads.

The Augsburg Confession explains doctrine this way, “through the word and the sacraments as through instruments the Holy Spirit is given, who effects faith where and when it pleases God in those who hear the Gospel."

So than our confessionalism is measured as a church body that purely teaches the word and rightly administers the sacraments. The practices a church body has in her worship life show a clear link and trust in the doctrine of Christ-crucified. Do we hold to the practices of the Lutheran church or do we act, talk, and worship like Methodists?

A confessional synod encourages uniformity in worship. Luther said,” As far as possible we should observe the same rites and ceremonies, ..” Drop in on the latest contemporary service and you'll need a scorecard to keep track of what is going on.

The liturgy reflects our unity. Worship is our doctrine. When we discard Christ-centered worship practices we toss aside our Lutheran doctrine. So when we toss aside the creeds and the liturgy for a seemingly more user friendly service we throw out our Confessional Lutheran doctrine.

Perhaps President Schroeder’s article is a way to begin to address the problems that have arisen in the WELS. A Confessional synod understands there is a clear link to uniform Christ-centered worship that teaches the word and rightly administers the sacraments. So let's pray that the ad-hoc's recommendations for a Confessional "education" of pastors and the laity is the start of a new reformation.

Ad-hoc Commission -Synod wide theological study

http://www.wels.net/cgi-bin/site.pl?2601&collectionID=1332

There are several interesting sections to this report. I would like you to look at section five. The first year study is to focus on "trusting the means of grace." One side argues that this is just a smokescreen used to stop change while the other side a spirit of contentment is needed.

It will be interesting to see how these recommendations are carried out. It seems in the recent past the COP has been on more of a "confessional witch hunt" than trying to reign in the liberal methodist practices being adopted by some. Oh, the term "confessional witch hunt" is a phrase a WELS theology professor told me about.

We are a confessional Lutheran synod ! ???

??

President Schroeder - We are a confessional Lutheran synod


If this confession is true:

Why are prominent WELS pastors attending Church Growth seminars?

Why are confessional pastors being driven out of the synod?

Why are praise bands all the rage and the liturgy tossed aside?

Why are churches choosing to shed their Lutheran identity for the sake of attracting numbers?

http://www.crosswalkphoenix.com/
http://www.timeofgrace.org/default.asp

President Schroeder makes a bold statement "Others claim to be confessional, but their teachings and practices do not reflect it. "

I contend that the WELS practices across the synod do not reflect a confessional stance!