What do you all think of this? I don’t think it says anything, but let me know if it speaks to you.
Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ:
We, the members of the Council of Presidents of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, greet you in the Name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who is the Savior of the whole world.
We are fully aware of pain in our Synod over the discontinuation of the KFUO Radio program “Issues, Etc.” When one member of the Body of Christ hurts—for whatever reason—we all hurt. We are very concerned about how this pain has affected the church as it carries Christ’s gifts to the world. Only the devil would rejoice over this disruption!
We encourage the whole church prayerfully to reflect and ponder on a few matters. We realize that in our understanding and application of the 4th commandment, this matter is not the responsibility of the Council of Presidents. The Synod has given the authority for oversight and implementation of KFUO and its programming decisions to the Board for Communication Services (BCS). We must regard with Christian charity and trust the judgment of our duly elected brothers and sisters in Christ on the BCS, along with its Executive Director, Mr. David Strand.
We regret the timing of this decision, which was implemented during Holy Week, one of the most important times of the church year. In response to the concern that the manner in which this decision was implemented lacked Christian compassion, it is important to note our belief that such was not the case. These matters are also addressed in the statement on this topic by the President of our Synod, attached hereto, which we commend to you.
The manner in which the church addresses, discusses, and resolves disagreements is as important as the disagreement itself. In this regard, the 8th commandment’s focus on upholding the reputation of brothers and sisters in Christ is most important. We are all the baptized of Christ, washed in His blood, and we possess His image of blamelessness. Where there have been communications that have violated the integrity of a brother or sister in Christ, Christ calls us to repentance. Here, too, the devil would delight in divisiveness resulting from matters such as this. Let us walk with integrity, honesty, and humility, giving glory to Jesus Christ, “bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” (Colossians 3:13).
Jesus Christ is the Lord of the church. As this church goes forward in reaching unbelievers with the precious Gospel of our Lord, let us be “eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Ephesians 4:3).
The peace of the Lord be with you all!
Council of Presidents
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Adopted April 22, 2008, without dissenting vote
Filed under: Updates
“Without dissenting vote.”
Interesting, doncha think?
Not “Unanimously.”
It implies abstention.
Who abstained, and why?
Blah, blah, blah. . . .
I’ll tell you what it says:
“Children, the adults are solving their problems themselves. Run along and play now!”
“We are fully aware of pain in our Synod over the discontinuation of the KFUO Radio program ‘Issues, Etc.’”
Perhaps the pain they are referring to is in their synodical wallet?
These two letters are so infuriating!! They expect us to just sweep this under the rug and go on as though a huge crime has not been committed? I’m struggling for words. These two statements make me so angry.
How “pastoral” of them to beat us over the head with the law to hide and defend lies and underhandedness! Ugghhh….
This only fuels the fire (I’m Ablaze! now). We can’t back off.
Keep us posted, Mollie!
These idiots have done enough damage to our grandfather’s Synod. It’s time they got out the car and let someone qualified take the wheel.
These letters are very condescending.
I do not trust David Strand…at all.
The COP letter says nothing, but only beats people up about the head with the 8th Commandment. (a tactic I am tired of)…it’s even the largest paragraph!
It’s easy to vote for this w/o dissenting vote. It says nothing!
Does the 8th Commandment apply here? Who is accusing any of them of sin? I thought we were asking what the “programmatic” reasons for the cancelation were.
Or are they saying that Wilken and/or Schwartz are being accused of a sin and they can’t speak about it?
It is convenient how they use the 8th Commandment but forget what Luther writes about public sin, and I can’t think of something more public than this.
At least, Mollie, the CoP seems to have spoken up against those who have attacked you:
“Where there have been communications that have violated the integrity of a brother or sister in Christ, Christ calls us to repentance.”
The only regret is that it happened during Holy Week. No regrets about not giving the guys two weeks notice? Or does being the fish in the blender for a sustained time constitute notice?
You can see in this letter the COP trying to speak like churchmen, and not bureaucrats. They quote Scripture and the catechism. That’s good, and they should be commended for this. It’s a start.
Diagnosis comfirmed… the wrong limb has been amputated. Do you propose to let the remaining cancerous one continue to harm the rest of the body? Is this a sickness unto death or is there a treatment short of removal?
I would hope that the perpetrators of this fiasco would repent of their sin and ask forgiveness, in order to bring peace and reconciliation. However, given their remarks to date, I wouldn’t expect that to happen.
This is indeed a symptom of a deeper problem and you don’t have to be a pastor to discern that.
Well, they’ve asked for forgiveness on ONE issue.
I forgive them for doing it during Holy Week.
Now…when are they going to ask for forgiveness for:
a) Marginalizing members of the Church with an honest complaint?
b) Lying about the numbers to make it look like cancelling Issues, Etc was the only option?
c) Firing the Host and Producer of said show for the aforementioned lie about the numbers rather than those apparently mismanaging funds at KFUO?
d) Treating the laity like it doesn’t matter until someone writes an article on the Wall-Street Journal?
e) Refusing to answer honest questions?
Doing it during Holy Week doesn’t make any of those other issues more or less the case.
Apparently there were no abstentions. Even more disappointing.
Well, I’m not surprised. Disappointed but not surprised. They’re still treating laity like we don’t matter even after the WSJ article – and don’t forget the National Review article (although that apparently that one doesn’t count). We’ve found a faithful pastor and are contemplating not pursuing our longtime goal of retiring in AK (home) in order to stay where there is a faithful pastor. It has (since Holy Week) become VERY important!
A line from a book I’ll always remember in these kinds of situations. The famous politician running for President says to the man who wrangles the horses
“You common people have no idea what is good for you. You just don’t understand that’s why we are here. We tell you what to think and what you need.” (or something like that – we’ll go with not a direct quote and if it wasn’t packed I’d go find the book and give a better quote.
The real problem is the a majority of people no longer think for themselves b/c they believe the line that they should do as their leaders tell them b/c their leaders have their own best interest at heart.
Find a faithful church worship regularly, learn for yourself the scriptures. Teach your children to do the same!
In Christ
Jenn – proudly 1/3 of 1%
In other words, lay people and parish pastors are to be seen and not heard. Anyway, given my many years of experience in Bureaucracy, I’ve posted a translation of these latest missives from the Moscow on the Mississippi.
Fantastic job, General. I’ve been rolling on the floor laughing at your translation.
Pr. Lehmann, on April 24th, 2008 at Said:
“Apparently there were no abstentions. Even more disappointing.”
Were there no abstentions? The statement said, “without dissenting vote,” which is not the same as no abstentions. Did I miss something? Or did you hear something I didn’t?
Just checking my facts.
Looks like we need to keep our money in our own congregations or at least designate your giving to prevent money from going to the synod’s general fund.
It says, “We’re in lockstep, we’re big ole rubber stamps with collars [but not very often, that was your grandfather's church], and we’ll appreciate it if you get out those checkbooks, ’cause nothing’s wrong.”
I say in response, “Not having any of it.”
What’s really fabulous is the apparent outcry against all this obfuscation by YOUNGER members, the coveted demographic, the future of the church.
Deb,
Perceptive comments.
There really is a large group of Lutheran young folks out there who are very bright and have little or no loyalty to institutions — doesn’t matter whether it’s a church institution.. As usual, the Synod “leaders” are 10-15 years behind the times. They think these kids just want CCM and to be cool, etc. My teens can’t stand CCM — they say it’s shallow and repetitive and basically, it sucks.
We are fully aware of pain in our Synod over the discontinuation of the KFUO Radio program “Issues, Etc.”
Translation: Your pain to us is a “pain-in-the-neck”. We hope this letter will make you shut up and go away.
When one member of the Body of Christ hurts—for whatever reason—we all hurt. We are very concerned about how this pain has affected the church as it carries Christ’s gifts to the world. Only the devil would rejoice over this disruption!
Translation: You who pain us – are of the devil.
We encourage the whole church prayerfully to reflect and ponder on a few matters.
Translation: get ready for the baloney
We realize that in our understanding and application of the 4th commandment, this matter is not the responsibility of the Council of Presidents.
Translation: Don’t blame us for what we have allowed! Just know when we allow Confessional Lutherans to be ‘taken-out” it is never our fault or the fault of the Synodical President.
The Synod has given the authority for oversight and implementation of KFUO and its programming decisions to the Board for Communication Services (BCS). We must regard with Christian charity and trust the judgment of our duly elected brothers and sisters in Christ on the BCS, along with its Executive Director, Mr. David Strand.
Translation: He did it! Blame him. He’s agreed to be the fall guy so be the naive sheep that you are and go after him.
We regret the timing of this decision, which was implemented during Holy Week, one of the most important times of the church year.
Translation: Opps. We should remember not to crucify the confessionally minded too close to Good Friday. It illicits too much symbolism and lends itself to
uncomfortable analogies we’d rather avoid.
In this regard, the 8th commandment’s focus on upholding the reputation of brothers and sisters in Christ is most important.
Translation: Cross the powers-to-be in our “metamorphizing” this synod and we will slap you Pastors down with a violation of the 8th!! You’ve been warned. (Dang those laity. We hope they’ll be intimidated too!”
Where there have been communications that have violated the integrity of a brother or sister in Christ, Christ calls us to repentance. Here, too, the devil would delight in divisiveness resulting from matters such as this.
Translation: You are of the devil you who dissent. Shut up or you will be put down…in Jesus’ name.
Let us walk with integrity, honesty, and humility, giving glory to Jesus Christ, “bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive” (Colossians 3:13).
Translation: Forget that you are to “note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them”.(Rom.16:17) We are changing the doctrine of this synod by altering the practice and, dang-it, you’d better let us take advantage of you in the name of Christ and His forgiveness.
The peace of the “BORG” be with you all!
Council of Presidents
The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod
Adopted April 22, 2008, without dissenting vote
“YOU WILL BE ASSIMILATED! RESISTANCE IS FUTILE!!!”
Fritz,
No abstentions is the word when I asked my District President. The reason it doesn’t say unanimous is that not all DPs were present.
“The reason it doesn’t say unanimous is that not all DPs were present.”
Then who was present and who wasn’t?
As far as I know, all were present except one, who was taking care of his ill wife. I don’t know who that was.
I’m one of those outraged Facebooker’s and am currently trying to bring my boyfriend into the church. This is an embarassing situation; covincing my Catholic boyfriend that he needs to leave his church because of its problems and join mine…with its own problems while its going through this division.
Ablaze! might find problems reaching their numbers if this looks like a huge blemish on our synod from the outside…oops.
Pr. Lehmann,
Thanks for the reply, although I’m not Fritz.
By the way, in the interest of trying a new “best construction” on something . . .
It occurs to me that when they say, “Only the devil would rejoice in this,” they may mean to acknowledge that no one on either side is happy about the situation as it stands today, not that we on the “Confessional side” are on the devil’s side (as I think some have implied they might be suggesting).
Just because they’re using the 8th Commandment as a club, let’s not forget that the 8th Commandment is a good thing (and I include myself in the category of those who break it).
fwiw
Rev. Andrew Eckert